The good
Although rain put a damper on the Hy-Vee Triathlon, the Elite Cup Race was held despite weather-related cancellations to the kid’s events and some amateur competitions. The rainy weekend couldn’t stop Australian Emma Snowsill from winning the women’s race in 1:59.34 and taking home her second (the only women to do so) Hy-Vee Title. Snowsill exited the swim more than 11 minutes off the pace, but she rallied during the 10K run and took the lead. On the men’s side, England’s Tim Don finished in 1:50.20, collapsing in triumph after his big win. Although the weather kept the large number of expected fans away, 8,000 braved the elements to cheer on competitors. Another year and another win for the Hy-Vee Triathlon.
Giving can make all the difference. Kyle and Sharon Krause are providing a dollar-for-dollar match to the first $40,000 in gifts to the Better Together Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines. Kyle, president and CEO of Kum & Go, says he and his his wife have a passion for philanthropy. The Better Together Fund provides leadership funding to projects that strengthen Greater Des Moines by responding to community trends and opportunities. Other recent grants provided through the Community Foundation Better Together Fund include funding for the Blank Park Zoo, World Food Prize Foundation and the Des Moines Kiwanis Miracle League Field.
The bad
Got paint? Reports indicate the country is suffering from a nationwide shortage of the stuff used for marking highways. The shortage primarily involves titanium dioxide, the pigments used in all white and yellow road paints and methyl methacrylate, a main component in the production of acrylic resin used in the paint. Over the course of the year, the Iowa Department of Transportation’s maintenance crew repaints on all 9,400 miles of the state’s highway system. DOT officials are developing contingency plans to prioritize use of the limited paint supplies. No word on city usage, but we are guessing the Ingersoll bike lanes are here to stay.
Gone but not forgotten. A new Army investigation has found that at least 211 graves have been misidentified or mislocated at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Some 330,000 American veterans and their family members have been laid to rest there, at a place where more than four million people visit annually. The 146-year-old cemetery averages 27 funerals each day. The report cited missing burial records, unmarked graves and burial urns put in a spillage pile. The Army admits it can’t guarantee that all graves can be accounted for. Sad.
The ugly
Mother Nature doesn’t always play nicely. At least 20 people have been confirmed dead after a flash flood took campers by surprise along the Little Missouri River in southwest Arkansas. Last week, the river rose about 3 feet to more than 20 feet, catching approximately 300 campers who were in the area off guard. Local authorities are providing search volunteers, and a temporary morgue has been set up.
Three lives ended too soon last week as an alleged case of domestic abuse went too far in rural Calhoun County. Officials received a disturbance call around 2 a.m. on June 11, but upon arrival, they found the damage had already been done. Officers found the bodies of Paige Gallo, 19, Heather Campbell, 20, and Luke Schleisman, 20. Gallo and Schleisman, who lived in the house, met several months ago and recently became engaged. Schleisman pleaded guilty last year in Carroll County to domestic abuse assault with intent or displays of a weapon. No arrests have been made, and investigators are not searching for any suspects. Still many questions linger. CV
