The 64 Rotary Clubs in the southern half of Iowa are helping finance a shipment of food to the Philippines. One-and-a-half million meals were made by the “Outreach” organization a couple from Union, Iowa, founded to feed the hungry. Jackie Matt is the executive director of business development for the non-profit. “Floyd Hammer and Kathy Hamilton, who are the co-founders of Outreach, when the typhoon hit the Philippines just knew they needed to do something,” Matt says.

Meal-packaging events were held in Minnesota and Missouri. “And Rotary stepped up to the plate to help with the funding to actually ship the meals over to the Philippines,” Matt says. The meals were being loaded into huge shipping containers Monday, in Des Moines. “It’s pretty costly to be able to send things over to the Philippines because it does have to go by rail and then also by actual freight,” Matt says, “and it takes about 45-60 days to get to the Philippines.”

Rotarians in Manilla plan to meet the containers and monitor distribution, to ensure the meals get to disaster victims. Matt says this project fits with Rotary’s core mission, and that’s why Rotary Clubs in southern Iowa and in other parts of the country are helping to pay to ship these meals to typhoon victims.

(Radio Iowa)

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — The Sac County Sheriff’s Office says two men who died in a minivan crash were on their way to work at a construction site. The sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan, 23-year old Gabino Piox-Zuleta, was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

The crash happened just before 5 a.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 20 west of Early when the driver of a minivan lost control and the vehicle entered the median and rolled. The sheriff’s office says the men, who were from Guatemala, lived in Eagle Grove. They were working as insulators at a construction site.

The two men who died each were married and had children in Guatemala.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An assistant Iowa State University professor has resigned after admitting he faked research to make it appear an AIDS vaccine under development was working better than expected. The Des Moines Register reports an Iowa State spokesman confirmed Monday that Dong-Pyou Han resigned in October after admitting he’d added human blood components to rabbit blood to make it appear a vaccine was spurring animals to build defenses against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has voted to put $750,000 toward a fundraising effort to save a downtown bridge. That’s the amount officials estimated would be needed to remove the Southwest Fifth Street bridge, which needs repairs of between $1.75 million and $3.75 million. The bridge, which spans the Raccoon River, was built in 1898. It has recently been used by pedestrians and bicyclists as part of the trail system along the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers.

EARLY, Iowa (AP) — Two men who died in a minivan crash were Guatemalan immigrants on their way to work at a construction site. The Sac County Sheriff’s office on Monday identified the men as 43-year-old Ignacio Zuleta-Soto, the driver, and 30-year old Jeronimo Piox-Zuleta, a passenger. Another passenger in the minivan was treated at a Sioux City hospital and released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State police have issued arrest warrants in connection with a burglary that occurred in Iowa’s locker room during a football game against the Cyclones. The Des Moines Register reports that warrants for second-degree theft and second-degree burglary were issued on Dec. 12 for 23-year-old Nicholas Beary. Beary’s last known residence was West Des Moines, but police said they believe Beary may have fled the country.