😁 Happy Friday! It’s October! Did you know Americans harvest more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins each year? That’s enough to make your pumpkin spice dreams come true… twice.

Weekend Weather:
Today ☀ Hi 90, Sat ☀ Hi 89, Sun ☀ Hi 85, Mon 🌦 Hi 66

B&A Club:
🎂 Happy Birthday
Jeff Storjohann -- Carroll (60 yrs)
🥂 Happy Anniversary
Lyle & Lea Hoffman -- (70 yrs)

Although Chick-fil-A was the slowest fast-food drive-thru, it was considered the friendliest, per the latest QSR report — at the Golden Arches, however, customers weren’t lovin’ the vibe.

Millie Giles

At first glance, it seems as though Yum! Brands’YUM $151.53 (-1.08%) AI drive-thrus, developed with NvidiaNVDA $188.82 (0.84%) to deliver even faster fast-food, are paying off... bar the odd 18,000 water cups.

According to the QSR Drive-Thru Report for 2025, made in partnership with Intouch Insight and released Wednesday, the quickest drive-thrus — measured by the shortest time taken to complete the entire process, from ordering to receiving food — of all the chains surveyed were Taco Bell (4 minutes 16 seconds) and KFC (4 minutes 21 seconds), which are both Yum!-owned and have both launched AI-powered ordering systems at select locations earlier this year.

But these outlets were already pretty quick, even if at the expense of accuracy: 2025 marks the fifth consecutive year that Taco Bell has taken the top spot in the rankings. On closer inspection, the total wait time and order accuracy at Taco Bell was the same as in 2024, and KFC actually took 2 seconds longer than last year’s average — and got 10% more orders wrong.

While the early rollout of AI drive-thru systems has yet to have a tangible effect on wait times and accuracy, one thing that the tech can’t replicate (try as it might) is real-life connection. The report detailed another factor at the drive-thru: friendliness, measured as the percentage of shoppers who said that the service was “friendly.”

Naturally, Chick-fil-A, renowned for its customer service and lengthy lines, was considered friendly by 93% of customers — and, even though its food took the longest (7 minutes and 6 seconds), the chicken chain was also joint first-place for overall satisfaction with rapidly growing coffee chain Dutch Bros.

Indeed, as well as being the second-most amiable outlet in the study (92% “friendliness”), the “broista”-branded beverage company delivered protein coffees and energy drinks in 6 minutes 22 seconds on average.

Perhaps most surprising was just how much customers weren’t lovin’ it over at McDonald’s. Indeed, America’s biggest fast-food chain was found to be the least welcoming, scoring a paltry 65% for “friendliness.”

Still, even as fast-food customers look for more supersized pleasantries with their service, Taco Bell’s iconic offerings aren’t going anywhere — especially as they start to look more like fan favorite Chick-fil-A’s.

Read more: Have chicken strips become the fast-food panic button of 2025?

Welcome to The Market on 30 Spooktacular Candy Bracket! We want to know what's the best Halloween candy? Will your favorites stand up to the competition? The 16 candies to compete this year were selected by a group of candy connoisseurs! Place your votes by using the polls below and follow along each week now until Halloween (See the schedule below for each round and voting details).

 As the candies get eliminated we update our bracket so look for the new post each week but make your vote count now, don't wait!

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😃 Construction on the new pickleball court in Coon Rapids is now complete and officially open to the public. The Coon Rapids City Council explored the idea earlier this summer when discussing the resurfacing project for the tennis courts down by the aquatic center. The city was quoted just over $23,000 for the entire project, resurfacing and the addition of the new courts. City officials applied and were the recipient of a 2025 Warren H. Timerman Charitable Trust grant through Iowa Savings Bank for $5,000 which covered part of the cost of installation. The remaining amount was paid through the park’s maintenance fund. One court is now available to use, with the plans to add a second one at a later date.

🛻 Just a little over a week away for the City of Audubon’s annual Clean-up Day, giving residents the opportunity to discard of unwanted items. An effort to continue to keep Audubon looking it’s best, community members are encouraged to place garbage, electronics, appliances and more on the curb on Thursday, Oct. 9, with pick up scheduled for Oct. 10. Bigger items such as: TVs, electronics, kitchen appliances, washers, and dryers must be paid to cover dumping fees, and stickers can be purchased at City Hall. Items not accepted at this time include yard waste, construction waste, chemicals, paints, or tires for hazardous safety concerns. Those with further questions are directed to call City Hall at 712-563-3269. Items wishing to be disposed of should not be placed out on curb any sooner than 24 hours prior to scheduled pick up.

🏥 Stewart Memorial Hospital and Clinics welcomed students from South Central Calhoun and East Sac schools last week for an interactive career day designed to inspire interest in healthcare careers. Students in 10th through 12th grades explored a variety of medical professions through hands-on activities and workshops led by hospital staff. Participants rotated through departments, such as the operating room, obstetrics, radiology, emergency services, rehabilitation, dietary services, and information technology, and gained first-hand insight into the diverse roles that support patient care. A notable piece of the day for many students was an interactive surgical session using pig specimens donated by Dr. Trevor Schwartz and the Lake City Veterinary Clinic. The exercise provided students with the opportunity to practice surgical techniques while learning about anatomy. Stewart Memorial staff says the event was an opportunity to engage with motivated students and hopes the experience will inspire some to consider careers in medicine or related healthcare fields. Photos from the students’ visit are included here.

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At the start of each week the Carroll Broadcasting Sports Network Crew catches up with area high school coaches to recap their previous weeks events and preview the match ups that are happening for the week ahead. Listen here and subscribe.

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Jason Clayworth

The site plan for a $15 million building project at Mercy College of Health Sciences' downtown campus will go before the Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission on Thursday night.

Why it matters: Iowa has recently struggled with a shortage of health care workers.

Catch up quick: The project would demolish an existing classroom building near the corner of Seventh and Crocker streets and replace it with one that would be nearly 24,000 square feet.

State of play: City staff is recommending that the commission approve the plan.

What's next: Construction could start as early as next year if approved. keep reading

MORE STATE NEWS:

✅FOR THE LADIES: October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month— remember, early detection saves lives!
✅WATCH: Embrace the spooky season with the best new horror movies of the year.
✅FALL IN FULL COLOR: 20 top spots to catch Iowa’s autumn foliage.
✅PUMPKIN GUTS: 7 ways to make the most use of your scraps after carving.
✅TRY: Cozy dinner recipes that the whole family will enjoy all season!
✅SHOP LOCAL: Shop Iowa Day is back this month.
✅SATURDAY: 68th Annual Band Day Parade!
✅COMING UP: Moonlight Madness Sale October 9th.
✅ SIGN UP NOW: It’s ‘Fall Frenzy’ and we got Pokey’s Caramel Apples

Word Search: For those of you that wake up each morning wanting a challenge—
how fast can you complete this word search. Ready, set, go.

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