Hy-Vee part of salad recall; more

Hy-Vee part of salad recall

WEST DES MOINES (AP) ?Hy-Vee is part of a voluntary recall of bagged salads by a California company because of possible contamination of listeria.

The Iowa-based grocery store says the recall is by River Ranch Fresh Foods of Salinas, Calif.

Hy-Vee says the possible contamination was found during routine tests by the Ohio Department of Agriculture in a bagged salad product for the Giant Eagle chain, based in Pittsburg.

River Ranch issued the recall for Giant Eagle Farmers Market brand salads and Hy-Vee salads produced at its plant on Sept. 27. The products carry a ?best by? date of Oct. 14.

Hy-Vee says four varieties of Hy-Vee bagged salads are covered by the recall. The company says all affected products have been removed from the stores but customers should check their refrigerators.

Businessman, philanthropist dies at age 70

NORTH LIBERTY (AP) ?The founder of a North Liberty-based trucking company who went on to give millions of dollars to Iowa universities has died.

A statement from Heartland Express Inc. says Russ Gerdin died Friday evening. He was 70.

Gerdin founded Heartland in 1978 and served many years as its chairman and chief executive officer. He stepped down in September, after battling liver cancer for years.

Gerdin and his wife Ann have given millions of dollars to the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Several campus buildings are named for him.

In addition to his wife, Gerdin is survived by three children and 10 grandchildren.

2 Council Bluffs banks robbed within half hour

COUNCIL BLUFFS (AP) ? Police in Council Bluffs say they are investigating attempted robberies at two People?s National Banks within a half hour.

Police say the first attempted robbery happened just after 10:30 a.m. when a man walked into a People?s National Bank with a gun and fled the bank with a duffel bag, which was found outside the bank with ink splattered on the ground around it. The man fled through the drive-through but dropped some of the money when a dye-pack exploded.

About 20 minutes later, a man entered another People?s National Bank but did not get any cash.

Police say a third People?s Bank was locked down for about an hour following the first two robberies.

Police say they believe two men are involved. Both are being sought.

At both bank branches, the FBI says, the man displayed a handgun.

The FBI says the man should be considered armed and dangerous.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI?s Omaha, Neb., office at 402-493-8688 or Council Bluffs police at 712-328-4727.

Search for next ISU president topped $133K

AMES (AP) ?The Iowa Board of Regents spent more than $133,000 in its four-month search for a new Iowa State president.

Tht board paid a consulting firm $95,000 and spent more than $38,000 on its own work.

The board last month chose Steven Leath, a vice president at the University of North Carolina, to lead ISU. The current president, Gregory Geoffroy is retiring Feb. 1.