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Poster Sale at the Iowa State Memorial Union

AMES — The Memorial Union will host its annual fall Poster Sale, taking place Aug. 19-28 in the Campanile Room on the second floor. The sale will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and weekend hours are noon to 6 p.m. Find an extensive collection of imagery, ranging from iconic posters to fresh-off-the-press artist prints. Other items include postcards, tapestries and poster hanging supplies. Shoppers will find hundreds of choices, perfect for transforming any space. Prices for the posters range from $9 to $16, making it an affordable way to enhance decor while ...

State Fair Straw Poll returns, participate and register to vote

DES MOINES — The Iowa Secretary of State’s annual Straw Poll is returning for the 2026 Iowa State Fair, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced. The “unscientific” straw poll encourages fairgoers to cast an unofficial “vote” for their preferred candidates in the upcoming November election. This year, the poll will provide Iowans the opportunity to choose their preferred candidates for governor, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate. As the state’s top election official, Pate encourages Iowans to register to vote and participate in the elections process. The straw poll is ...

Free training focuses on maintaining essential services during a cyberattack

AMES — A cyberattack can cripple essential services provided by cities, counties or school districts when technology is disrupted for days or even longer. Local governments can reduce the impact by developing continuity plans to maintain operations. Iowa State University is leading a statewide initiative that offers free training exercises for city administrators, county officials and school leaders. The goal of the exercise is to identify services that depend on technology and create an action plan to limit disruption to daily operations following a cyberattack. Doug Jacobson, ...

ALMANAC

LOCAL GRAINS The prices paid for cash grain in central Iowa at the close of trade on Aug. 14, 2026. Corn: $4.17 - 4.31 Soybeans: $11.42 - 11.54 Weather Reporting Guidelines Temperatures Yesterday's High 78 Yesterday's Low 69 Last High 81 Last Low 62 Precipitation Through 7 a.m. 1.72 inches Year-to-date 32.84 inches Last year-to-date 33.54 inches Barometer Today at 4:00 p.m. 30.04 Daylight Sunrise Tomorrow 6:20 a.m. Sunset Tomorrow 8:11 p.m. River Level Yesterday at 4 p.m. 12.04 ft. (flood stage is 18 feet for low-lying areas of Marshall County.)

‘Zoomer’ wins 2026 State Fair Biggest Boar title

DES MOINES — A mere six pounds separated the Champion and the Reserve Champion in the 2026 Iowa State Fair Biggest Boar Competition, held Aug. 13. "Zoomer" the Chester/Hampshire boar, of Todd Schuler of Atlantic, tipped the scales at 1,246 pounds to win the champion's crown. "Red" the Yorkshire/Duroc/Berkshire entry owned by Tom and Terri Bell, of Olin, weighed in at 1,240 pounds to claim second place.

‘Big Bad Joe’ claims State Fair Biggest Ram title

DES MOINES — "Big Bad Joe," the Suffolk ram shown by Jim Fisher, of Mercer, MO, tipped the scales at 568 pounds to win the 2026 Iowa State Fair Biggest Ram Competition, and breaking the previous record of 507.5 pounds, set in 2014. "Judah" earned Reserve Champion honors, weighing in at 490 pounds. The Columbia ram was shown by Abby Wilson, of Shell Rock.