Friday Morning Read: State Fair Rides inspected, Democrats vie for nomination, open house for Ped Mall construction

State Fair - Iowa State Fair officials and state amusement ride inspectors already were focused on safety before this week's deadly accident in Ohio brought heightened awareness to the risks associated with high-intensity thrill rides, officials said Thursday.

One person died and seven others were injured Wednesday at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus when the Fireball ride malfunctioned, causing parts of the structure — including a full row of seats — to split up and fall. Read more about the plans for the Iowa State Fair here.

Ped Mall Construction - The public has a chance to get a peek Friday at what the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City will look like after a major upcoming construction effort that is part of the Streetscape Plan project that left Washington Street torn up for much of last summer.

The city hosts a public open house from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Sheraton Hotel, 210 S. Dubuque St., to present the Ped Mall designs. The business and property owners also have a similar meeting earlier in the day. Read more about the possible updates to the Ped Mall here.

Democratic Candidates Pitch - For the seven Democrats vying for their party's nomination to run for governor of Iowa in 2018, this was a golden opportunity.

The Iowa Democratic Party's annual hall of fame celebration, held Thursday night in downtown Des Moines, presented the seven campaigns with 5 minutes to address roughly 600 people, many of whom presumably will be casting ballots in June's primary election. Read about the seven candidates and their stances here.

Peters on Health Care — If he was to write a prescription for health care, Republican 2nd District U.S. House hopeful Chris Peters would approach it the same way as performing surgery: Start with an accurate diagnosis.

Peters, a Coralville surgeon who is challenging Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack, believes the fundamental problem with the health care system, which predates the Affordable Care Act, is that Americans spend too much for each health care service. Read about what Peters says regarding the ACA and health care here.

Quotable - 'The whole idea of masonry is to improve yourself and help yourself become a better person,' he said. 'There are secrets in masonry, but it's not a secret society.' Read about the Freemasonry exhibit on display here.