DeWitt Observer

(Photo by JESHOOTS.COM via Unsplash) Do you believe in human-robot love? One in ten Americans admit they’ve had a flirty and romantic conversation with an AI bot, according to new research. A survey of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed that 11% of those polled admitted to getting hot and heavy with AI chatbots like Claude, ChatGPT and Google Gemini. And one in eight (12%) say a conversation with AI has turned them on.

(Mount Ayr) -- A missing Atlantic man was found dead in Ringgold County Wednesday. The Ringgold County Sheriff's Office says it was notified by the Atlantic Police Department of a missing person by the name of 39-year-old Mark Francis, who was last seen near Mount Ayr where he had been working construction. Authorities say Francis was seen on video at the Caseys General Store in Mount Ayr on July 16, walking eastbound along Highway 2.

Outdoor pool and lakeside grounds at La Réserve Genève overlooking Lake Geneva. Western Europe recorded another exceptionally hot June, and climate adaptation is becoming a major issue for tourism. Research cited in recent reporting found 81% of Europeans are adjusting travel plans because of climate change, with many seeking cooler destinations or avoiding extreme summer heat. Switzerland recorded nearly 44 million overnight stays in 2025, an all-time record.

Professor Sarah Dillon with Alan Turing's short story (The Turing Collection AMT/A/13). (King’s College, Cambridge via SWNS) By Stephen Beech Alan Turing was a "fun, cheeky" man who loved sex and literature, according to analysis of a short story written by the Enigma codebreaker. The racy yarn by the "father of modern computing" rips up his "isolated mathematician" image, revealing a playful man overcoming trauma and "defiantly embracing his homosexuality".

(UCSB's Benioff Ocean Science Lab via SWNS) By Blaise Cloran AI-powered shark-monitoring drones are being used to keep tourists safe. Unusually warm waters have led to higher-than-average shark numbers near California this summer, and scientists are developing new technology to keep swimmers informed.

Hot days can make normal cooking feel heavier, so a 30-minute option can keep dinner from dragging on. Pick a salad, noodle dish, or rice recipe when you want something that fits the season and the time you have. Keep the rest for side plates, snacks, or another summer evening that calls for a shorter cook. Egg Fried Rice. Photo credit: Splash of Taste. Hot from the wok in 25 minutes, Egg Fried Rice combines jasmine rice with soft scrambled eggs, green onions, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

By Isobel Williams Rivers and reservoirs are running dry across England after weeks of hot weather — but forecasters say rain is on the way. Several bodies of water across the country are starting to see the impact of the persistently high temperatures — with decreased supplies and dried ground surrounding them. Images from Howden Reservoir in the Peak District as well as Lockwood Reservoir and the River Lea in London show completely dry patches where water should be flowing.

Most Scotch distilleries source their malt from commercial maltsters rather than malt it by hand. A few never got that memo, and they’re still doing things the hard way today. National Scotch Day is the perfect day to find out what all that stubbornness actually tastes like. As production expanded, many distilleries handed some of their most time-consuming work to outside specialists.

Iowa’s community colleges told lawmakers this year that portions of Iowa are lacking access to a higher education and one solution to eliminate “education deserts” is to offer bachelor’s degrees at their institutions. Private colleges pushed back against this premise, disagreeing about the perceived need.

Iowa Senate Democrats criticized the state attorney general’s office Thursday for not distributing money from the Opioid Settlement Fund to organizations focused on opioid addiction treatment and prevention services. Iowa has received $365 million in settlement funds through several lawsuits led by the state AG’s office against opioid manufacturers, distributors, pharmacies and other parties related to the opioid crisis.