Gomers -- What’s going wrong

DROUGHT DOWNERS: As of late last week, 66 Iowa counties remained under a state burn ban; 18 of those are in Eastern Iowa. Farmers' crops continued to deteriorate in most of our area and statewide despite some spotty rains. Extremely low river levels are causing more fish kills. And reports of private wells drying up are more common. One consolation: Much cooler air moved in Thursday and gave us an extended break after a record-hot July.

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DEAL GOES SOUTH: Just when it looked like hopes for Westdale Mall's future were brighter than in many years, the purchase contract that John Frew and other local and non-local investors had negotiated with the mall's owners is off the table. Frew said the deal called for his group to act by Aug. 1 on the purchase, but that didn't allow enough time to resolve remaining issues. The biggest stumbling block was some 60 leases with remaining tenants in the mail, according to Frew, who is also the developer/project manager for the convention complex and hotel projects. The investor group planned to demolish all but the anchor stores at Westdale and build a different retail and commercial complex modeled on a successful Colorado development.

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