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STOLEN FLAGS: Replacements Donated

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Saturday, May 25th, 2013, 8:42pm

The Des Moines Masonic Cemetery hosts a Memorial Day ceremony each year with American flags lining the path to where the ceremony is held.

When workers arrived Friday, they quickly realized that $1,500 dollars of flags had been stolen.

“We had thirty flags on the avenue and we were working our way up to having as many flags as we could possibly have honoring those on the Memorial Day holiday,” said Johnny Audette, General Manager of the Des Moines Masonic Cemetery.

Several groups heard the news and stepped up to make sure Memorial Day is full of red, white, and blue.

Saturday afternoon, members of the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine and Mid-Iowa Council for Boy Scouts of America donated 80 flags.

Several people also stopped by to donate money to purchase even more.

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SCHOOL DIPLOMA: Veteran Graduates 71 Years Later

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Friday, May 24th, 2013, 9:50pm

North high school honored a veteran with a special honor… his high school diploma.

Paul Young was a student at North High School from 1939 to 1941. He was supposed to graduate in the spring of 1942 but instead of finishing school he enlisted in the Navy.

Young joined on December 8th, 1941, one day after the assault on Pearl Harbor.

The school gave Young an honorary diploma and honored his older brother in a ceremony, Friday.

“Well, it means a lot. It ties up lose end,” Paul remarked.

Marion Young joined the Marines but died when a kamikaze pilot crashed into his ship in 1944.

Some of Paul Young’s offspring traveled from Wisconsin to attended the ceremony.

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HARKIN INSTITUTE: New Home At Drake

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Friday, May 24th, 2013, 6:36pm

Today Senator Tom Harkin made his way back to Iowa to deliver some big news. Harkin announced his papers will go to Drake University.

Earlier this year Senator Harkin decided he would not donate his official papers to his alma mater, Iowa State University.

The papers will be displayed in Drake University’s archives. They’ll serve as a research tool for students and the community.

Harkin says choosing Drake over Iowa State just felt right.

“It makes logical sense for all of this to be in Des Moines, easily accessible, the capital of Iowa, so everything seemed to make really good sense for it to be here at Drake University,” says Harkin.

Today’s decision is a blow to Harkin’s alma mater – Iowa State University.

In April of 2011 Senator Harkin agreed to leave his officials papers at Iowa State’s newly created Harkin Institute.

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DELAYED DIPLOMA: Veteran Honored At North High

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Friday, May 24th, 2013, 12:35pm

Two former Des Moines North High School students were honored for their military service Friday, and one of them finally got his diploma.

Vernon ‘Paul’ Young was set to graduate in the spring of 1942 when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. Young enlisted in the Navy the next day.

He was one semester away and a few credits short of graduating but at a ceremony Friday morning he was presented with an honorary diploma.

His older brother, Marion Young, was also honored at the ceremony. Marion graduated in 1939 then enlisted in the Marine Corps.

He was serving aboard the USS Nashville in the Philippine Sea when his ship was attacked in 1944. He and 133 other service members were killed.

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DROUGHT IMPROVES: Metro Water Warning

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Friday, May 24th, 2013, 2:13am

The drought is slowly disappearing from the state. The latest USDA weekly report shows about 65-percent of Iowa is now drought free.

Western Iowa is still seeing drought conditions and the northwestern tip of the state is still in need of a lot of moisture.

Water is also still a concern in the metro.

Des Moines Water Works is still asking customers to conserve water.  This is due to high nitrates found in the water supply from the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.

They’re asking residents to manage their irrigation habits   > by avoiding lawn watering during the day time and only water every other day.

They also recommend residents test your irrigation system to make sure you don’t have any leaks.

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MOORE TORNADO: Iowans Help Victims

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013, 11:05pm

An Iowa organization and resident are working to help victims of the Oklahoma tornado which devastated the town of Moore in Monday’s E-F-five tornado that killed 24.

Greater Des Moines YMCA’s are in the midst of a donation drive for those in Oklahoma. The Y is asking for asking for donations of work gloves, dust masks, nutritious, non-perishable food and gift cards, since the Red Cross is covering basic needs items.

The resident who is helping those hurt by the tornadoes is Mary Dooley of Marshalltown.

Dooley will leave from the Des Moines Airport to lend her assistance, Friday. The local Red Cross says it anticipates more deployments in the next few days.

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HELP WANTED: Volunteers Needed For Festival

Submitted by WHO-TV Web Staff
Thursday, May 23rd, 2013, 6:43pm

The Des Moines Arts Festival takes over Western Gateway Park in 36 days. Volunteers are still needed to make the annual event possible. The event runs June 28th, 29th and 30th.

Volunteer Lora Fraracci says, “It’s amazing. It’s great. It’s a great arts festival. I’ve been to several around the country, and it’s definitely one of the best.”

Fraracci will be at the festival to enjoy the atmosphere. She says, “We breathe air, so we must have art.”

She’ll also help. She says, “It’s super fun. You get to meet a lot of people, whether they’re here in Des Moines, residents of Des Moines or who come all of the country.”

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