(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump’s status as the central figure in the 2024 presidential race was on full display at the Iowa Republican Party’s fundraiser that kicked off the weekend. Trump was the last of 13 candidates to speak to a crowd of over a thousand Republicans.

Trump mentioned only one G-O-P competitor by name, using the nickname he has for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged Trump’s hold on the party.

And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at this point Trump’s top challenger, said the G-O-P is not getting a mulligan this time around. “We’re doing all 99 counties in Iowa because this Caucus demands that you earn it,” DeSantis said, to cheers. “Let’s win in 2024.” Only two candidates, both lagging behind in polls on the race, directly mentioned the indictments Trump faces.

Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd was booed by Trump fans in the crowd when he said Trump was running for president to stay out of prison. “Listen, I know the truth is hard, but if we elect Donald Trump, we are willingly giving Joe Biden four more years in the White House,” Hurd said, “and America can’t handle that.” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said the G-O-P must not abandon its support for the rule of law.

During an appearance Sunday on “Face the Nation” on C-B-S, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley suggested having Trump as the party’s 2024 nominee would be “handing over the election” to Democrats given the legal woes Trump faces. This is how she put it when speaking to Iowa Republicans Friday night.

Doug Burgum, the current governor of North Dakota, said the country needs a 180 degree change in direction.

Candidates Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Francis Suarez, Larry Elder, Ryan Binkley and Perry Johnson also addressed the crowd. LeAnn Willis of Cedar Rapids says she’s still evaluating which candidate she’ll Caucus for in January.

Jim Handsaker of Story City is a Trump supporter. Handsaker says the speech he delivered for Trump at his local Caucus in 2016 still rings true today.

Gwen Eklund of Denison, past president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women, has been hosting candidates at events in western Iowa for several presidential campaign cycles. Ecklund says it’s too soon to say what will happen in the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.

Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann acknowledges the race for the G-O-P’s next presidential nomination may get tense as the Caucus date draws closer.

Eleven of the 13 candidates hosted receptions after the speech part of the night was over. The lines were longest for Trump and DeSantis. The 2024 Iowa Caucuses are scheduled for January 15th.

(Crawford County, Iowa) – Officials with the Denison Volunteer Fire Department report DVFD was called to assist the Deloit Volunteer Fire Department, Sunday morning, for a reported helicopter crash near 310th Street, north of Deloit. The call came in at around 8:32-a.m.

Several other agencies also responded to the area in an attempt to help locate the crash site. When the helicopter was located, rescue crews had to use the “Jaws of Life” mechanical extraction device to safely and quickly extricate the pilot. The pilot was transported by Life Flight helicopter to an Omaha hospital.

The persons name and condition were not immediately available. The FAA has no current listing of the crash at this time, but its expected they will do so on Monday.

(Fort Dodge, Iowa)  – Police in Fort Dodge report the Webster County Telecommunications Center received a report at around 7:03-a.m. Sunday (today), about an unresponsive man laying on the ground in Snell Crawford Park. Police and Ft. Dodge Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and found a man with an apparent laceration to his throat.

The subject was still alive. He was treated at the scene and then transported to Unity Point Trinity Regional Hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The man’s name was not immediately released.

An investigation is currently underway. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Fort Dodge Police Department or submit information anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

(Rock Valley, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident on the northeast side of Rock Valley, in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County, Sunday, claimed the life of a woman passenger in the vehicle. The Iowa State Patrol reports 21-year-old Halee Bliek, of Rock Valley, who was not wearing a seat belt, died.

The accident happened at around 12:35-a.m. (Sunday), on westbound 300th Street, near Filmore Avenue. The Patrol says when the driver, 21-year-old Kaleb Debey, of Sioux City, failed to negotiate a curve in the road, the 2020 Audi AA4 he was driving traveled off the roadway and entered a ditch.

The car struck a cement culvert and became airborne. Halee Bliek was ejected from the vehicle, and became trapped under it after it landed. Debey was wearing his seat belt. Bliek and Debey were transported to the hospital in Rock Valley by Rock Valley EMS where Bliek died from her injuries.

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the crash scene.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A public hearing on a proposal to discontinue the Parks and Recreation Board in Atlantic, will be held Wednesday, August 2nd, during a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council. The hearing begins shortly after the meeting starts, at 5:30-p.m. in the Council’s Chambers, at City Hall.

As previously reported, the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee submitted a recommendation to the Council, saying “with all respect due to the Board and the service of its members,” the Parks Board should be dissolved. Their recommendation followed the Committee’s meeting on July 10th, when they reviewed the situation of losing yet another Director for the Parks & Rec Dept, with regard to last month’s resignation of Wyatt Adderton.

Since then, the City Council passed a Resolution that creates the position of Parks and Recreation Coordinator, including the job description and compensation for 2024, The Parks Director’s position will be divided between Public Works Director Kirk Knudsen and the new Parks Coordinator position, with the stipulation the Coordinator reports directly to the Public Works Director. Once the public hearing is completed, the Council must wait 30-days before acting on the first-reading to repeal Chapter 24 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, and discontinue the Board.

In other business, Wednesday, the Atlantic City Council will act on an Order to close selected streets for August 12th’s AtlanticFest, beginning at 5-p.m. on that date. They will also act on Orders to approve Economic Development Agreements with CADCO (The Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation), and Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Other action items include a Resolution to “Adjust [the] Season 2023 benefits for Sunnyside Pool Employees,” and a Resolution “Consenting to the issuance of Solid Waste Revenue Capital Loan Notes, with regard to the the 28-E Agreement the City has with the Cass County Environmental Control Agency (Landfill).

The Council will hold the second reading of an Ordinance repealing “Truck Parking Permitted,” and, a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between the Iowa Department of Revenue and the City of Atlantic,” regarding the State Offset Program, which City Administrator John Lund says “…is another piece of bureaucratic red tape” the Council will need to approve to utilize a useful State Program. “Basically,” he says, “if the City has a legitimate financial claim against an individual and they refuse payment, the City may file with the offset program and have the payment taken from any source of income the individual of business may have with the State.”

Examples of payments subject to the program include income tax refunds and contractor payments.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man a little after 3-a.m. today (Sunday), for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. 19-year-old Juan Diego Ramirez (No address given) was taken into custody in the 2300 block of Eastern Avenue. Ramirez was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – One person suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital, following a collision at around 7:20-p.m. Saturday, in Red Oak. Authorities say the driver of a 2016 Dodge RAM pickup, 23-year-old Brandi Ann Sands, of Red Oak, was transported to MCMH by Red Oak Rescue. The accident happened at the intersection of N. 6th and E. Joy Streets.

Red Oak Police say a 2014 Nissan Juke, owned and operated by 20-year-old Lucas Joseph Dean Mutschler, of Red Oak, was westbound on E. Joy Street. He admitted to Police that that was driving “Too fast,” and did not see the pickup driven by Brandi Sands enter the intersection. The car hit the pickup near the rear tire, causing the vehicle to spin around and strike a light pole owned by Mid-American Energy. The pickup came to rest in the middle of 6th Street.

Lucas Mutschler was not injured. He was cited for Failure to Yield upon entering an intersection. Damage from the collision amounted to $15,300. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by the Red Oak Fire Department, Red Oak Rescue, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery County Dispatch.