(Radio Iowa) –  The Democratic candidates in Iowa’s first and second congressional districts say the line to maintaining a Democratic majority in the U.S. House runs through Iowa. Liz Mathis of Hiawatha, the Democrat running in Iowa’s second congressional district, and fellow Democrat Christina Bohannan, the first district candidate, rallied with supporters at a “county line” fundraiser near Lisbon this weekend. Bohannan is from Iowa City. “We are standing on the line between two of the most competitive congressional districts in this country, so this is ground zero for this election in every way that matters,” Bohannan said.

Mathis told the crowd it’s go time. “We’ve got to get out the vote,” Mathis said. “In this district, district number two, we have only now 2700 or so more active Democratic voter registrations than Republican.” This spring, Mathis and Bohannan were among a dozen candidates national Democrats identified as top prospects for defeating Republican incumbents. Mathis is challenging first-term Republican Ashley Hinson of Marion and Bohanann is challenging Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa, who’s also in her first term in the U.S.

Election Day is 64 days away.

(Radio Iowa) – Three of the Iowa Democrats running for federal office say President Biden’s speech last week highlighted the dangers of extremism in American politics. Mike Franken, the Democrat running against Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, says President Biden’s speech last week as the first inning of the push to November’s election. “He’s tried to be conciliatory. He’s tried to do what he can to give many outs to the the segment of the Republican Party which has gone adrift and he’s had it. I agree with him. Stop it. Let’s go,” Franken said, to applause. “We know what we have to do. The polls and the majority of Iowans are firmly with us.”

Bohannan says a lot of Democrats, Republicans and independents agree on what government needs to do. “The problem is that extreme politics are getting in our way,” Bohannan said. Mathis told reporters voters want the campaign focused on solutions. “The things that resonate with the people in our districts are those things around lower prices, reproductive rights, making sure that people cool their jets,” Mathis said, “making sure that they are stopping the culture wars, the MAGA Republicans are stopping all the trash talk and we are able to get along and get things done.”

Mathis, Bohannan and Franken made their comments at a campaign event near Lisbon this weekend. Election Day is 64 days away.

Police in Red Oak, Sunday, arrested a man for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. Authorities say 39-year-old David Allan Minard, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 8:35-p.m. in the 200 block of Maple Street, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. His bond was set at $300.

Two separate crashes Sunday night in eastern Iowa’s Muscatine and Cedar Counties, left three people dead and one injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports a crash at around 8:16-p.m. in Muscatine County resulted in the deaths of a woman and a man from Muscatine.

Authorities say 49-year-old Rachel Kay Shoppa and 50-year-old Alexander Justin Shoppa, died when the 2011 Cadillac Escalade SUV they were in, went out of control eastbound on Iowa Highway 22,and ran off the right side of the road. Both occupants were ejected from the vehicle. Authorities are not certain who was driving. The crash remains under investigation.

And, at around 9:22-p.m., Sunday, two motorcycles collided near Lowden in Cedar County, resulting in the death of one person and minor injuries to another. The Patrol reports both cycles were eastbound on Old Lincoln Highway, when they left the road. One of the cycles, a 1987 Harley Davidson, struck a traffic sign. The driver suffered fatal injuries. The driver of the second motorcycle, a 2004 Harley, suffered minor injuries and was transported by a Clinton County Sheriff’s Deputy to the hospital. No names were released.

The crash remains under investigation.

(Kent, Iowa) – A collision Sunday afternoon northwest of Kent, in Union County, resulted in four people reporting pain, but only one was transported to the hospital. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a 2015 Nissan Altima driven by 20-year-old Lillian G. Watkins, of Creston, was southbound on Highway 25 at around 3-p.m., when Watkins attempted to make a U-turn and proceed northbound.

A 2005 Chrysler Town & Country van, driven by 60-year-old Alan D. Lawson, of Mount City, MO., was southbound on Highway 25 behind the Nissan. Lawson attempted to pass the car as the car veered right of the roadway to begin the left U-turn.

The car was struck broadside on the driver’s side, causing a total of $10,000 damage. Both drivers and a passenger in the Nissan complained of injuries. A passenger in the van, was also injured, and transported to the hospital. An investigation determined Watkins made an unsafe turn or failure to give a signal. No citations were issued.

DES MOINES – Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions.  

The following southwest/western Iowa appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation: 

Empower Rural Iowa Initiative
Jenna Ramsey, Montgomery 
Kimberly Tiefenthaler, Carroll 
Bonnie Ramsay, Taylor 

STEM Advisory Council
Marge Welch, Union
Dan Harbeke, Pottawattamie
 

(Sidney, Iowa) – Fremont County Deputies responded a little after 1-a.m. Saturday, to a single-vehicle accident near the intersection of Highway 2 and 195th Street. Authorities say a 2016 Cadillac XTS, driven by 54-year-old Jay Tyler, of Medford, Oregon, failed to negotiate the lane changeover in the construction zone and stuck a cement barricade.

Tyler was uninjured. The vehicle was a total loss. A probable cause search of the vehicle uncovered methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Tyler was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and No Valid License. He was later placed under arrest for Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Tyler was released after posting a $1,300 bond.

And, at around 8:37-p.m., Saturday, Deputies in Fremont County were called to 2878 240th Street for a single-vehicle rollover accident involving a Ford 150 pickup. The driver 16-year-old Quentin Stanton was uninjured in the accident. Stanton was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and Careless Driving.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Authorities in Page County, Sunday said shortly after 7-p.m. Saturday, September 3, 2022, the Page County Sheriff’s Office requested the Clarinda Ambulance Service to the Page County Jail for an adult male inmate with a medical condition. Clarinda Ambulance Service transported the adult male inmate to the Clarinda Regional Health Center where the adult male inmate later died.

Per Page County Jail policy, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was contacted as well as a report filed with the State Jail Inspector’s Office. At this time, no personal information about the adult male inmate is being released, pending the investigation and notification of the inmate’s emergency contacts.

The adult male inmate’s body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.

(Keokuk, Iowa) – The crash of a small car in southeastern Iowa’s Lee County, Saturday night, claimed the life of one 15-year-old and resulted in injuries to a 16-year-old. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2000 Toyota Matrix was traveling south on the Mississippi River Road at around 10:45-p.m., Saturday, when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle entered the west ditch and came to rest.

Both teens were transported by Lee County EMS to Blessing Health, in Keokuk, when one died from their injuries. Neither of the occupants of the car were wearing their seat belts. No names were released.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Chuck Grassley is putting some caveats on the promise that a Republican majority in congress will be able to repeal the plan to hire 87-thousand I-R-S agents. Last weekend, Grassley said those I-R-S agents probably won’t be hired if Republicans hold a majority of seats in the U.S. Senate and House after this year’s election. This week, Grassley said it would be a long process and Senate debate rules could prevent the G-O-P from taking action. “When that bill would come to the senate, we’d have to have 60 votes to get it done,” Grassley says, “and there’d have to be some bipartisanship.”

If that 60 vote threshold is cleared and the bill passes, it would be up to President Biden to decide whether it becomes law. And it was the Biden Administration that proposed spending to modernize the I-R-S computer system and hire new agents to replace retiring staff over the next decade.

That’s a rarity. Congress has voted to override just six presidential vetoes in the past 21 years. In 1996, Grassley was appointed as one of 17 members on the National Commission on Restructuring the I-R-S.

Grassley helped write a 1998 law that reorganized divisions within the agency and limited some auditing techniques.

Grassley was cheered by the crowd at Congresswoman Ashley Hinson’s fundraiser when he said a G-O-P congress probably would vote to repeal the I-R-S hiring plan.