Human Skull Found Near River, Five-Alarm Brewery, Help Shawn Johnson, Police Locked and Loaded with AR-15s: Top 9

Why nine? Because the Patch community includes nine sites in Iowa: Ames, Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Iowa City, Johnston, Marion,Urbandale, Waukee and West Des Moines.

9. Medical examiners are investigating a human skull and bone fragments found near the Skunk River in Ames. Authorities believe it is very old, but don't have a specific timeframe. 

8. In Ankeny, a company called Firetrucker LLC plans to turn the former uptown fire station into a microbrewery.

7. Stan J. Delagardelle, 54, of Cedar Falls, died four days after he was apparently struck by a forklift at the John Deere’s Service Parts Operation in Waterloo. Delagardelle was a supervisor in Service Parts Operations. 

6. Urbandale city officials are crediting low property tax rates for a rebound in the residential housing market. "... we have lowered the rate to $9.57 per $1,000 of valuation which makes Urbandale a very attractive place to live," City Manager A.J. Johnson said. 

5. Shawn Johnson needs your help. The Olympic gold medalist and “Dancing With the Stars” mirror ball trophy winner from West Des Moines is helping Maddy Curley raise money through Kickstarter site for “Chalk It Up,” billed as “the next great gymnastics movie.”

4. After a proposal was surrounded in controversy over who would pay for the weapons, Marion Police officers are now locked and loaded with AR-15 rifles. 

3. Some Waukee residents opposed a plan to allow more rental properties in an area they believe should be for business. They suggested that renters lack the "pride" in caring for homes, and that single family homes are better for a community. 

2. Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area posted a jump in a new economic strength analysis released by POLICOM.  Of the 366 metros measured, Iowa City is ranked 68 and rose 34 spots compared with 2012.

1. A Johnston Patch reader suggested that the school district name its middle school for a Johnston High School graduate who was killed serving in Afghanistan. U.S. Army Capt. Daniel Whitten, a 1999 graduate of Johnston High School, died in the service of his country in Afghanistan in February of 2010.