FBL Financial Group Inc. will announce its second-quarter earnings after the close of U.S. markets today. The second-quarter earnings release and financial supplement will be posted on FBL’s Web site at that time. A conference call will be held tomorrow at 10 a.m. Iowa time to discuss the earnings, and the conference call will be webcast live on the Internet. People who wish to listen to the call on the Internet may do so at www.fblfinancial.com, or they can monitor it by telephone at (800) 431-4190.

Scott Spreen, executive director of the Iowa Agribusiness Export Partnership, lost his hard-fought battle with cancer on Sunday. A gathering for Spreen’s friends and family has been arranged for Thursday from 5 to 8 p.m. at Iles Funeral Homes – Dunn’s Chapel in Des Moines. A brief memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Augustin Catholic Church. Memorial contributions can be made to the Mercy Foundation Cancer Support Center, 411 Laurel St., Suite A-110, Des Moines 50314.

The extension of First Street from Irvinedale Drive to Iowa Highway 415 in Ankeny is expected to open to traffic this Thursday. The 1.5-mile project is expected to provide easier access for commuters and allow Ankeny residents more direct access to Saylorville Lake. An eight-foot-wide trail will run along the entire length of the First Street extension and will connect into existing city trails, as well as provide another major east-west connector for the city.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines has announced its selection of Northwood in Johnston as the site for HomeShowExpo 2009. The development offers 20 sites for future homes, and construction on the site, which is located on Northwest 70th Avenue between 86th and 100th streets, will begin immediately for homes that will be featured during the first three weekends of June 2009.

The City of Des Moines has named part of Maple Street, near East High School, after longtime radio personality Dic Youngs. “Dic Youngs Way” will be unveiled this afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Youngs played football at East, receiving all-city honorable mention, and also played basketball and baseball there.

New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.’s second-quarter earnings fell 63 percent as it took a $115 million non-cash impairment charge, according to the Associated Press. Marsh took the charge to write down the value of its risk consulting and technology segment. The charge reduced earnings by 22 cents per share. Marsh said net income for the quarter fell to $65 million, or 13 cents per share. The company earned $177 million, or 31 cents per share, during the year-ago quarter. Total revenues rose to $3.05 billion from $2.79 billion during the year-ago period.

Xerox Corp. today announced monetary contributions totaling $110,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief in Iowa and beyond. Xerox employees in West Des Moines gathered on July 30 for the presentation of $110,000 to Jodie Warth, chief development officer for the American Red Cross Central Iowa chapter.