(State News) – The Iowa State Patrol is investigating three separate accidents that resulted in the deaths of three people. According to a report, 78-year-old Jerome Leach, of Fredericksburg died, when he was struck by a 1999 Toyota Camry in Chickasaw County, at around 4:45-p.m., Tuesday. The car, driven by 85-year-old Edmund Emerson, of Cedar Rapids, was traveling east on U-S Highway 18, west of Falcon Drive, when Leach was hit as he was walking on the road in Fredericksburg.

Another accident happened at around 6:50-p.m., Sunday, in Winnebago County. The State Patrol reports a 2017 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 65-year-old John Connolly, of Glennwood, MN, was pulling a two-axle trailer with benches on the Winnebago Industries lots, when the trailer became unhitched. The tongue of the trailer traveled backwards, sapping the safety chain. 76-year-old Joyce Engstrom, of Frontena, MN, who was a passenger of the trailer, tried to jump off, but was drug under the trailer. She later died from her injuries.

And a man walking on the shoulder of U-S Highway 30 in Cedar County, was struck and killed by a 2004 Ford Expedition, Tuesday. The accident happened at around 11:25-p.m.  The State Patrol says the unidentified victim was walking on the south shoulder of the highway, when for reasons unknown he crossed the road before being hit by the SUV. The name of the SUV’s driver was being held withheld while the accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has unveiled a new logo and slogan for the state of Iowa. Governor Reynolds calls it a “brand mark.” It features IOWA in big blue capital letters. The O is filled in with yellow to depict the sun, green to signify the landscape and a white winding road. Three words — FREEDOM TO FLOURISH — are printed below.

“The road to the horizon in the letter O is a familiar scene in Iowa and one that represents a journey to opportunity,” Reynolds says. “The tag line, ‘FREEDOM TO FLOURISH,’ communicates a motivating message that in Iowa, you can reach your potential.” Last fall, the state hired FleishmanHillard, a public relations agency based in Kansas City, to work on a unified state brand.

“It included state agencies, directors, communications teams from across state government who really helped inform the development of the unified brand strategy for our state,” Reynolds said, “and one that will not only attract visitors, but opportunity seekers of all types.” Some state agencies began using this new logo yesterday (Tuesday) and others will as old stationary is used up and new letterhead is ordered. “We conducted research that included Iowans and other neighboring states and beyond to ensure that the logo and the tag line would connect with people in the right way,” Reynolds said, “and it did.”

The new logo and “FREEDOM TO FLOURISH” slogan soon will be seen on road signs that welcome motorists as they drive into Iowa from neighboring states. The current design for signs at 68 different locations along Iowa’s border crossings was unveiled at the 1999 Iowa State Fair by Governor Tom Vilsack. They say: “The People of Iowa Welcome You” at the top. There’ a sunrise and a green swoosh to symbolize the horizon in the middle along with the words: “Iowa” and “Fields of Opportunities.”

In 1970, Governor Robert Ray unveiled the “Iowa: A Place to Grow” slogan along with a clover leaf symbol that Ray said depicted growth in all directions.

(Radio Iowa) – Just before a trip to Iowa, President Donald Trump announced he’s been notified he’s a target in a grand jury investigation of the January 6th attack on the U-S Capitol. During remarks at a meeting of Linn County Republicans last night, Trump called federal prosecutors “evil…deranged people” who want to put a person in jail for the rest of their life if they say something about an election.

During an interview on W-H-O Radio, Trump doubled down on his criticism of Governor Kim Reynolds’ decision to remain neutral in the presidential race. Trump said he gets along with Governor Kim Reynolds, but he’s very disappointed she is not endorsing him. Trump, who endorsed Reynolds during her 2018 race, said without him, she would not be governor.

During a news conference in Des Moines, Reynolds was asked if she owed her 2018 victory to Trump. “I owe it to Iowans who actually put their trust in me,” Reynolds said. “They put their trust in me in 2018. It was a tough year for Republicans. I was one of the few that made it across the finish line and then I overwhelmingly won in 2022.”

Reynolds told reporters she hopes Trump accepts her invitation to join her on an Iowa State Fair stage. Reynolds is planning one-on-one interviews with all the presidential candidates during the fair

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says more than 26 hundred state employees have transitioned to a different state agency after her state government reorganization plan took effect July 1st. The number of state agencies has been cut from 37 down to 16. Over 500 open positions in state government have been eliminated. Reynolds says the workforce may shrink more as state employees resign or retire.

“We’re going to continue to look at ways that we can be lean and mean and just really provide a one-stop shop for Iowans,” Reynolds says. Reynolds hired a consulting firm to examine how other states operated, examine agencies within the executive branch of Iowa’s state government and come up with a realignment plan to present to the legislature. The governor says that was critical because her small staff didn’t have the capacity to do an enterprise wide assessment.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says an appeal will be filed as soon as possible to challenge a judge’s injunction that has blocked enforcement of a ban on most abortions in Iowa. “It’s just a matter of time, but we’re working with the AG’s office on the details,” Reynolds told reporters this afternoon, “so hopefully that will be filed yet this week.” Reynolds signed a bill into law last Friday that immediately banned most abortions at or near the sixth week of a pregnancy, when cardiac activity is first detected.

A district court judge issued a temporary injunction to block enforcement as a lawsuit challenging the policy makes its way through the court system. “For three days we were saving babies and then the temporary injunction was filed,” Reynolds says. “I think the right to life is the most important right we have and without it we have nothing.” The bill that passed the legislature a week ago is nearly identical to a 2018 law that was ruled unconstitutional by the Iowa Supreme Court.

Five years later, Reynolds has appointed five of the seven justices on the state’s highest court. That court ruled in June of last year that the Iowa constitution does not guarantee a right to an abortion, a week before the U-S Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Reynolds says last month, the Iowa Supreme Court got it wrong when it failed on a tie vote to let the 2018 Fetal Heartbeat Act go into effect and that’s why G-O-P lawmakers approved a nearly identical bill last week in a special legislative session.

“And I think the bill we passed is constitutional,” Reynolds said, “especially with the changes that we’ve seen.” House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says Reynolds and Republican lawmakers have stopped listening to the strong majority of Iowans who do not support their abortion ban.