Close to a million meals were packaged over Spring Break as part of a Meals from the Heartland effort.

Over 3,000 people from all over the metro packaged 895,104 meals in three days at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

Organizers say the event was worth the effort, “It was an overwhelming success,” said Dave Bradley, executive director for Meals from the Heartland. “We have ideas already about how to increase the event to package even more meals in 2014.”

The meals, consisting of rice, soy protein, dried vegetables and vitamins, were paid for through donations. They're destined for Haiti, South Africa, Tanzania, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Philippines and Ethiopia as well as to food banks in the United States. 

Last year, volunteers packaged more than 7.7 million meals through Mobile Hunger Fights throughout the year and the Annual Hunger Fight at Hy-Vee Hall in September.

The City of Johnston is warning residents that they may notice increased levels of disinfectant in their drinking water.

Their website says the extra chlorine is due to, “Increased ammonia levels in the raw water supply (river water). The ammonia comes from water runoff that occurs during the spring thaw.”

The City reassures the public that the water is safe to drink during this period of increased disinfectant in the water supply.

Last year, the first paddle in campground in Iowa, the Hickory Ridge Wilderness Camp on Lake Red Rock was created.

The success of that site has led to calls for developing similar sites.