(Radio Iowa) – Fundraising is underway to outfit the U-S-S Iowa submarine. The warship was christened last month and is now undergoing sea trials for the next year before it’s cleared for active service. Tom Hudson is executive director of the U-S-S Iowa’s commissioning committee.

Hudson says “…The commissioning committee is out to raise money so we can improve the mattresses in their bunks, their athletic equipment to work out, stay healthy and stay fit.” The committee has raised 300-thousand dollars so far, a little over half of that has been spent to bring officers and sailors who’ll serve on the ship to Iowa to build connections here.

The committee’s goal is to raise another 200-thousand dollars over the next several months, before the U-S-S Iowa is commissioned. In 1896, the Iowa legislature appropriated five-thousand dollars and had a Philadelphia firm design a silver service for use on the second U-S-S Iowa battleship. The set includes a punch bowl, water pitcher, coffee pot and a fruit bowl as well as silver serving spoons and forks. It was returned to the state in 1923 and then transferred to the next U-S-S Iowa battleship in 1945 for use during ceremonies.

Women have served on Navy submarines since 2010, but vessels had to be retrofitted for co-ed living. Hudson notes the U-S-S Iowa is the first Navy sub to be designed for male and female sailors and six female officers will serve on the U-S-S Iowa.

The USS Iowa (SSN 797) is a Virginia Class nuclear submarine.

It has taken eight years to build the 377 foot nuclear submarine. It weighs 78-hundred tons and will be the first U-S Navy submarine named after Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – A summer camp coming up in Iowa City will let kids learn what it is like to work in emergency services. Lieutenant Mike Smith with the Iowa City Fire Department say they do it for not only junior high students, but also high school students and thought this would be a good program to just spur an interest in emergency services,” he says. Lieutenant Smith says the camp includes the Iowa City police and fire departments, Animal Services, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Ambulance Service, and Johnson County Emergency Management.

“The camp is hands on. And they have the opportunity to do what we do in our jobs,” Smith says. That includes pulling a fire hose through a maze made of plywood to see how firefighters work. “That’s the great thing about our camp is we’re not sitting in a classroom. They’re not sitting there in front of us screen learning PowerPoint, everything is hands,” Smith says. “The police department, they bring out one of their police cruisers and they get to be in the police cruiser and see what it’s like on in the day of life of a police officer.” Smith says they let students know about the whole scope of their work.

“We talk about the good and the bad of our jobs, you know, obviously, it’s not all fun when you’re dealing with emergency management, or when you’re dealing with emergencies,” Smith says. Smith says part of the camp teaches how to deal with stress and they teach them first aid and C-P-R, so they have skills that they can take home and use. Smith says the professionals involved also talk to the students about the importance of serving the community.

“Being able to be a part of your community and serve your community in that fashion is just an added bonus,” Smith says. “And if we can, we can recruit those students from our community that represent our community even better and that’s part of our goal as well. You know, we want our departments our ambulance everything we will want them to be representative of our communities.” The first camp session for junior high students is scheduled for July 10th and 11th, and the next session for high school students is scheduled for July 13th and 14th.

Clinton, IOWA – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports that on Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 8:34 PM officers from the Clinton Police Department were called to Mercy One Hospital reference a shooting.  An adult male was found with non-life threatening gunshot wounds.  The male victim is familiar with and has identified the suspect.

On July 3, 2023 at 12:42 AM officers from the Clinton Police Department were called to Mercy One Hospital reference a second shooting. An adult female was found with several gunshot wounds.  The female victim was familiar with the suspect.

Evidence was collected indicating a connection between the two shootings.  The suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Randy Allen Jackson.  There is an active warrant for Randy Allen Jackson for Attempted Murder. Jackson is not in police custody and should be considered armed and dangerous.

If anyone has any information of Randy Allen Jackson’s whereabouts they are asked to call the Clinton Police Department at 563-243-1458.  Individuals may also report anonymous information to the Clinton County Crime Stoppers by calling 563-242-6595 or 888-883-8015.

Randy Jackson

*Criminal charges are merely an accusation and all suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.