United Way of Ames is accepting donations for flood victims. A check may be made out to “United Way of Story County” and sent to United Way of Story County, 315 Clark Avenue, Ames, Iowa, 50010.

All donations will be used for local disaster relief.

Attention all volunteers!

DMARC has a desperate need for some extra hands at the DMARC food pantry warehouse this Monday, July 12th. They received a LARGE food donation last week which they are still sorting through, and will be receiving a number of pallets of food on Monday morning at 9:30 am. If we have extra hands we can get this food sorted and repackaged quickly and out to the families that need them.
Even an hour would be a HUGE help this week. Come for an hour or stay all day, the coffee will be on!
Thank you in advance, and please pass this message along to your friends, neighbors, and congregations!

On June 25, Kellogg issued a voluntary recall of select packages of Kellogg’s® Corn Pops®, Honey Smacks®, Froot Loops® and Apple Jacks® cereals.

They are recalling the following cereal products due to an off-taste and smell coming from the package liner.

Only products with the letters “KN” following the Better If Used Before Date are included in the recall.

Only packages in the white, paper-backed foil liner are affected by the off-taste and smell.

These packages are being recalled because we identified a substance in the package liner that can produce an uncharacteristic waxy-like off-taste and smell. The off-tastes and smells are caused by a slightly elevated level of a substance commonly present at very low levels in the waxy resins used to make packaging materials that are approved by the FDA. These resins are also commonly used to coat foods such as cheese, raw fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers. They did not find any substances that are not commonly used in packaging materials.

Kellogg’s says that they completed a thorough health-risk assessment with external experts in medicine, toxicology, public health, chemistry, and food safety. The experts agree that some consumers are particularly sensitive to these uncharacteristic off-tastes and smells and may have temporary symptoms, like nausea and diarrhea, which should subside shortly. These symptoms are a result of the off-taste and odor in the food; they are not caused by any harmful material in the food.

You should not eat the recalled product because it does not meet quality standards. If you have conerns about your health, you should consult their health care provider.

To get a refund for your cereal, call the Kellogg Consumer Response Center at 888-801-4163.

When Amelia Hamilton-Morris and her husband William were starting a family, they had to choose between living in Iowa, where his family had settled three generations earlier, or in her native Houston. They eventually decided to raise their children in Iowa’s capital city, Des Moines, because it boasted good schools, affordable housing and a strong sense of community. Two children and 17 years later, Hamilton-Morris is still enthusiastic about their decision.

“You feel safe all the time, and people are extremely friendly,” says Hamilton-Morris, a spokeswoman for the City of Des Moines. “The commute is not long; even if you live at the far end of the city, you’re only talking about 12 to 15 minutes to downtown.”

Read more about Forbes.com listing West Des Moines as the best place in America to raise a family!