(Radio Iowa) – The 49 Iowans who are delegates to the Democratic National Convention have voted electronically for Kamala Harris as the party’s presidential nominee. C-J Petersen is one of those delegates and the designated “whip” to round up votes in the group. “We were all elected as Biden delegates, but we knew that we had to make a decision and the moment we unanimously voted to unite behind Vice President Harris felt historic to me,” Petersen says. “because not only were we doing something we were not obligated to do — we could vote for anyone that we wanted to — but it was unprecedented in modern history.”

Petersen made his comments last (Monday) night during an online gathering of Iowa Democrats.  “Giving up power willingly after a lifetime of service is a stunning act of selflessness and patriotism and I want to say, ‘Thank you,’ one more time to Joe Biden for passing the torch.” Sue Dvorsky of Coralville – a former chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party — says Iowa Democrats still have muscle memory from when Iowa voted twice for the Obama-Biden ticket and can spur turn out for Harris and the person she picks as a running mate.

“We have a chance here to remember who it is that we are,” Dvorsky said. “…We don’t need permission to lead and we are behind her and whoever it is 100%.”

The online event lasted about 90 minutes and raised about 25-thounsand dollars for Iowa Democrats running in local races.

(Clear Lake, Iowa) – A crash this (Monday) afternoon north of Clear Lake resulted in the death of one teenager and injuries to another. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 2:20-p.m. on Hickory Avenue, north of 275th Street, when a 2008 Subaru Outback driven by 15-year-old Jannali Bear-Dont-Walk, of Clear Lake, went out of control as the car was traveling northbound on Hickory Street.

The vehicle cross the road into the path of a southbound 2024 GMC 3500 pickup. After the vehicles collided, the driver of the Subaru and a passenger, 16-year-old Aali Martinez, of Clear Lake, were transported to Mercy Hospital in Mason City, where Jannali Bear-Dont-Walk died from injuries suffered in the crash. Both teens were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Lake Police, Clear Lake Fire/EMS, Mason City Fire, and Mercy Air Med.

(Radio Iowa) – In an update to our previous report, authorities say a  77-year-old University of Iowa physics professor was killed and four others were injured following a four-vehicle crash in eastern Iowa early Sunday evening.

The accident happened on Highway 1, near Solon. According to the Iowa State Patrol’s accident report, the driver of a Jeep Cherokee failed to stop at a stop sign, crashed through a camper and hit an S-U-V on the driver’s side. Dr. Usha Mallik, an emeritus professor of physics at the University of Iowa, was driving that third vehicle and died at the scene.

Dr. Usha Mallik (U of I photo)

A fourth vehicle was hit by debris from the camper. The driver of the first vehicle was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals. A one year old child, a woman from Cedar Rapids and a man from Paris, France, were taken by ambulance to the same hospital in Iowa City.

The professor who died in the accident has been involved in research at CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory. In 2020, Dr. Mallik received a University of Iowa award for being a mentor to students and faculty as well as her service to the global “high energy physics” community.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic is set to meet at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, August 7th, at City Hall. On their agenda is action on approving an Order to close certain streets in Atlantic on Saturday, Aug. 10th, for AtlanticFest. If approved, the following streets would be closed from 5-a.m. until 6-p.m.:

• Chestnut Street (both lanes), from 6th to 7th St.
• Chestnut (both lanes), from 2nd to 6th.
• 6th Street (Both lanes) from Walnut to Chestnut.
• 6th Street (Both lanes) from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 5th Street from Chestnut to 1/2 block east of the alley before the Post Office.
• 5th Street from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 4th Street from Chestnut to 1/2 block east, right before the alley.
• 4th Street from Chestnut to Poplar.
• 3rd Street from Walnut to Poplar.
• Walnut Street will remain open.

The Council will act on passing a Resolution “Setting the date for a Public Hearing on a proposed Ordinance vacating the 66-foot wide street Right-Of-Way (ROW),” beginning west of the ROW line of Laurel Street extended, then west to the east property line of the Iowa Interstate Railroad (a parcel approx. .7″ of an acre). The request (Which was previously heard during the Council’s meeting on May 1st), comes from property owner Rob Stamp, who wishes to have an additional access to his property to the north, by means of cutting the curb on the vacated area, and pouring a driveway, and maintain it as another entrance.

Atlantic City Hall building

The City’s Engineer recommends the Council approves the request, CADCO’s Executive Director reports there is no economic development purpose for the City to maintain ownership of the ROW. AMU’s Exective Director says there is no water or electric infrastructure below the parcel in question, and Atlantic’s Public Works Director said the ROW has no current or future value to the City. The Planning and Zoning Commission will issue their recommendation to the Council during the meeting Wednesday evening.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the 3rd and final reading of an Ordinance that rezones the Camblin Hills Subdivision from R-2 (Low Density/Single Family) residential to R-4 (Multifamily) residential. The first reading was passed during the Council’s meeting on July 10th.

In other business, the Council will act on an Order to approve a bid from Tim Beadle, for 411 Birch Street, in the amount of $5,350. The City’s Personnel and Finance Committee has endorsed his bid. The final order of business is action on a proposal to move the Sept. 18th City Council meeting to Sept. 16th, due to the Annual Iowa League of Cities Conference.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says the U-S must maintain its ironclad commitment to Israel as it faces a possible attack from Iran.  “Because Israel took out a terrorist leader in Tehran — right in Iran, then the Iranians feel like they need to do something to exact retribution equal to what the Israelis did,” Ernst says. A Hamas leader attending an event in Iran was killed last week. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. Six days ago, an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon killed a senior commander of Hezbollah, a terrorist group backed by Iran.

Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, is a member of the U-S Senate Armed Services Committee. She says if Iran or Hezbollah send missiles toward Israel, the U-S must be prepared to support counter measures. “As we saw in April with the United States and a number of our Arab friends in conjunction with Israel, we were able to defend from those rocket attacks,” Ernst says, “but what we don’t want to see is a wider scale war in the Middle East.”

Ernst and nearly all the other Republicans in the U-S Senate, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, signed a letter Friday that calls on the Biden Administration to ensure all congressionally-approved ammunition and weapons systems are delivered to Israel. The G-O-P senators accused Biden of imposing a partial arms embargo on Israel.

A State Department spokesman says the U-S has delayed a shipment of 35-hundred bombs out of concern the bombs would be used in densely populated urban areas, but nothing else has been stopped or paused.