Bike safety rodeo planned for Monday

Pack up the children’s bicycle and stop in for some hot wings.

• Iowa Sales Tax Holiday to be held Aug. 6-7

  The 11th annual Iowa Sales Tax Holiday will be held Friday and Saturday, Aug. 6 and 7. Qualifying clothing or footwear with a selling price of less than $100 will be exempt from sales and local option tax.

• Hospital to benefit from DQ Blizzard sales

  Dairy Queen’s Miracle Treat on Thursday,  will help make miracles happen by raising funds for Children’s Hospital-Omaha.

Glenwood hits uncharted territory

DES MOINES – It’s OK to say it out loud: The Glenwood baseball team is in the state championship game.

• Glenwood pitcher Schulz adds to family lore with pitching gem

  DES MOINES – Matt Schulz walked to the mound for Glenwood’s state semifinal game Friday with a note in his back pocket.

• Carroll Kuemper roars back for 5-4 win in state semis

  DES MOINES – Twice in the final three innings, Kent Knobbe scampered to the entrance of the dugout to run onto the field.

Caregiver charged in tot's drowning in hotel pool

The Omahan turns herself in on a manslaughter warrant.

• Man running across country places a flag every mile for deaths in Iraq

  WOOD RIVER " Stuck in the ground at the foot of a mountain near Jack's Crossing, Colo., is a small American flag. Handwritten on a yellow ribbon attached to the flag is the name, service, rank, age and hometown of Jeff Hansen of Cairo.

• Volunteers needed for block party

  Vanessa Ward needs a few good men. And women. And teenagers. And church or community groups.

• Our View

Saturday’s Our View: Show your support

Beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday, approximately 215 citizen soldiers – men and women who have volunteered to serve with the Iowa Army National Guard, men and women who are, more importantly, our friends and neighbors – will be honored at a send-off ceremony at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs.

• Columns

• Social Commentary: The thoughts that count

  The current Journolist controversy that has the blogosphere heaving sparks, and Washington even more self-absorbed than usual, is weak tea – a tempest in Barbie’s teacup.                                       At least as concerns the so-called conspiracy itself.

• Your Views

• Friday's Your Views: Our poor streets

  Recently a dear friend visited me from his home in California. On the last night of his visit, he remarked to me that during his lifetime he has had the privilege of driving in cities all over the world but he doesn’t recall driving on streets as bad as the streets in Council Bluffs and the Omaha metro area. Sadly I responded, “You are probably right but there doesn’t seem to be much hope for our poor streets in the foreseeable future.”