DES MOINES, IOWA (August 12, 2019) — Five talented Sprout division acts (ages 2-12) and Senior division acts (ages 13-21) have advanced to the semi-final round in Bill Riley's 60th annual Iowa State Fair Talent Search. Each act will perform again on Thursday, August 15, Friday; August 16; or Saturday, August 17.

The names, ages, hometowns and routines of the sprouts acts are:

Amelia (Mia) Ruley, 12, Baldwin, Vocal Musical Theater

On the morning of August 10, a wealthy sex-crimes defendant was reportedly found dead in his cell at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center. "New York City's chief medical examiner," the New York Times reported on August 11, "is confident Jeffrey Epstein died by hanging himself in the jail cell where he was being held without bail on sex-trafficking charges, but is awaiting more information before releasing her determination ..."

PRESS RELEASE (August 12, 2019) — Keep Iowa Beautiful received a $7,500 grant from ITC Midwest to encourage student volunteerism for community service throughout Iowa. The grant will be used to support the Keep Iowa Beautiful (KIB) programming to connect community-service needs with the personal interests and values of students.       

DES MOINES, IOWA (August 12, 2019) — Sixty-eight FFA members exhibited 420 birds in the FFA Poultry Show judged Thursday at the 2019 Iowa State Fair.

Jennifer Holliday of Nodaway Valley showed the Grand Champion Market Broiler. Noah Oldenburger of Aplington-Parkersburg claimed the Reserve Champion Market Broiler title.

Hunter Britton of Muscatine won the Grand Champion Breeding Birds title while Skyler Windy of Pleasantville claimed the Reserve Champion Breeding Birds.