Wednesday Morning Read: Taking down a dictator, last area Kmart closing, no foul play suspected in disappearance

TODAY'S WEATHER — Continued sunny and pleasant. High 80, low 55.

TAKING DOWN A DICTATOR — Last month's death of brash former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was taken into U.S. custody in 1990, held special meaning for a Cedar Rapids man. Roger Arechiga, 72, retired from the U.S. Marshals Service, had a hand in Noriega's capture 17 years ago as chief of the Special Operations Group. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/cedar-rapids-man-recalls-hand-in-1990-takedown-of-manuel-noriega/

LAST AREA KMART CLOSING — The last Kmart store in the Corridor will close later this year. 'We can confirm that we are making the difficult but necessary decision to close the Kmart store at 851 (Highway) 6 East in Iowa City. The store will close to the public in early September,' Sears Holdings spokesman Howard Riefs said in an email to The Gazette. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/business/last-corridor-kmart-to-close/

NO FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN DISAPPEARANCE — Police say they do not suspect foul play in the case of a missing Coralville man last seen near his work in North Liberty on Monday. Still, North Liberty Police Chief Diane Venenga, in an email Tuesday evening, said her department continues its efforts to locate Michael D. Graham, 37. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/update-police-say-foul-play-not-suspected-in-case-of-missing-coralville-man/

NASCAR DRIVERS SCHOOLED — NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver Johnny Sauter and Xfinity Series driver Ben Kennedy got a break from the mundane on Tuesday at Iowa Speedway. In helping promote the track's opening weekend NXS/NCWTS doubleheader on June 23 and 24, Sauter and Kennedy got to go through tactical course and high-speed pursuit training with driving instructors from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/johnny-sauter-ben-kennedy-get-police-pursuit-training-at-iowa-speedway/

QUOTABLE — 'Had the Committee not obtained the actual numbers independently from a whistleblower, we would not have known the truth.' Sen. Chuck Grassley in a letter to VA Secretary David Shulkin, accusing the VA on Tuesday of providing misleading information about wait times at VA facilities in Iowa City and Des Moines