(Radio Iowa) – A flurry of campaign activity swept across Iowa this weekend as the Iowa Caucuses are just eight days away. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are competing to be the prime challenger to former President Donald Trump. Haley says Republicans need to start opening the tent and letting in Democrats and independents who may be interested in Caucusing. “Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president,” Haley said. “That’s nothing to be proud of. We should want to win the majority of Americans, but in order to do that you don’t do that by demonizing a group of people, you don’t do it by pushing another group away.” Haley, who made her comments during an appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S, says the only way to bring the country together is to talk to everybody.

“What we’ve seen over the last few years: Republicans have left the Republican Party. Democrats have left the Democratic Party…and you’ve got a lot of people who are independents sitting in the middle, looking for a home. I want them to come to where we are,” Haley said. “I don’t want to send them the other way and that’s what the other candidates are doing.” DeSantis says his record as Florida’s governor sets him apart from his rivals. “When we made promises, we delivered on those promises. Talk is cheap. Sloganeering doesn’t matter. You can go do all the political stuff, do a rally. Do all this,” DeSantis said in Ankeny Saturday. “Are you actually going to deliver when it’s crunch time?” DeSantis says Republicans won a narrow majority in the U-S House last year, but nothing has changed with Democrats controlling the Senate and the White House.

“We need a change agent in Washington,” DeSanti said. “We need a president that’s going to upend this apple cart.” During a speech in Sioux Center Friday, former President Donald Trump extended his sympathy to the victims and families impacted by Thursday’s school shooting in Perry. “To the entire community: we love you, we pray for you and we ask God to heal and comfort really the whole state,” Trump said. “…It is a very a terrible thing that happened…so surprising to see it here, but we have to get over it. We have to move forward, but to the relatives and to all of the people who are so devastated right now to a point where they can’t breathe, they can’t live — we are with you all of the way. We love you and we cherish you.”

Saturday was the third anniversary of the rioting in the U-S Capitol as congress was certifying Joe Biden’s election. During speeches in Newton and Clinton, Trump said people who’ve been jailed and charged but not convicted for alleged actions that day should be released. “Some people call them prisoners. I call them hostages. Release the J6 hostages, Joe,” Trump said. “…This guy, what he’s done to people.” Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart says Trump is trying to rewrite history and deny his role in inciting the violence that day.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) — An EMT-paramedic program at the University of Iowa is helping prepare people to work in a high-demand field. One of the things you can learn in the hands-on program is how to intubate someone to help them breathe. Several lifelike mannequins are available to students. The one-semester-long EMT program prepares students for an important career that allows them to start working quickly.

Paul Ganss, Director of Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center, told KCRG-TV, ”One of the nice things about the EMS profession is there’s not a firm college degree requirement to enter the profession. So you can start as an EMT get that certificate, get a state certification and work as an EMT, move on to paramedic school.”

It’s a career field that needs more workers. “We hear just around the state of Iowa alone. We have a lot of services that struggle to staff ambulances. We have smaller communities, as you probably heard, that have lost ambulance services because they don’t have enough EMTs or paramedics in the community to staff those vehicles,” Ganss said.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – A federal appeals court has upheld two state laws that established new penalties for trespassing on farmland or in livestock confinements. The laws makes it a crime to lie on a job application in order to gain access to an agricultural facility. The laws also forbid the use of a camera while trespassing on agricultural properties. Critics say it’s a violation of the free speech rights of those who seek to expose environmental hazards or the abuse of livestock. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says the laws safeguard Iowa’s ag community and protect our food security.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Student leaders with March for Our Lives Iowa organized a protest in the Iowa Capitol in response to last week’s school shooting in Perry. The group is calling for mandatory reporting of lost and missing firearms and allowing court orders to remove guns from people who are a threat to themselves or others. Trey Jackson of March for Our Lives Iowa read from a letter the group sent Governor Reynolds — it says “Iowans have had enough of prayers” and it’s time meaningful change. The 17-year-old student who killed a sixth grader and wounded seven others in Perry last week brought two guns into his high school.

(Perry, Iowa) – The parents of the 17-year-od student who killed a sixth grader and wounded seven others in Perry High School last week say they had no inkling he intended to commit such heinous acts. In a written statement released by their attorney, Jack and Erin Butler said they simply do not understand why their son chose to do what he did. The Butlers say they are devastated and their grief for all the victims is immeasurable. The couple says they are helping authorities who are investigating the shooting and hope to find answers that will prevent other young people from harming others.

(Radio Iowa) – For many Iowans, this will be the first snow they’ve shoveled since -last- winter, and the experts say such strenuous exercise can be very hard on the heart. Meteorologist Peter Speck, at the National Weather Service office in Davenport, says this snowfall may be particularly difficult to remove from our sidewalks and driveways. “What we’re expecting with this is a lot of moisture with the snow, and what happens with that is, it tends to make the snow a bit heavier, more water content in the snow,” Speck says. “We call that a very low snow ratio here in weather terms, and when we see that, we typically have more weight to the snow.” It’s recommended you only try to shovel small amounts of snow with each pass, and that you stay hydrated and take plenty of breaks, especially with a heavy, wet snow.

“That can make things a bit more difficult for folks who have difficulties with lifting, or who are prone to more issues, such as cardiac issues, to be able to clear that snow,” Speck says. “We do encourage folks to take it easy out there if they do find themselves needing to clear the snow because this will be a bit heavier and wetter nature.” Temperatures are expected to drop throughout the week, and Speck says another winter storm could be just a few days away.

“We’re looking at potentially more accumulating snow,” Speck says. “We’re looking at very, very cold air coming in, temperatures potentially Saturday and Sunday only climbing into the single digits for most of us, and then when you combine any wind, that’s going to produce wind chills below zero, maybe even below minus-20 for some during the overnight hours, especially Saturday night and into Sunday morning.” Keep up with the changing forecast at weather-dot-gov.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds will unveil her 2024 legislative priorities during tonight’s (Tuesday’s) “Condition of the State” address.  “I’ll share some ideas that I think will continue our momentum and success,” Reynolds said, “continue to challenge the status quo and continue to empower Iowans.” Reynolds made THOSE comments Monday morning as she spoke at a Republican fundraiser. This is the 8th year Republicans will control the legislative and executive branches of state government.

“We’re not just about talk,” Reynolds said. “We’re about doing things and making a difference.” Reynolds, though, jokes that the House chamber where she’ll speak tonight (Tuesday) may not be packed.

“Might not be anybody there. I don’t know. It sounds like we’re finally going to get winter in the state of Iowa,” Reynolds said, drawing chuckles from the audience. “We’re been pretty lucky so far.” Tonight’s address is scheduled to start at six o’clock.

DES MOINES – Today (Monday), Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation that authorizes the use and deployment of all available state resources, supplies, equipment, and materials to continue to assist Dallas County and the Perry Community in their response to and recovery from the tragic January 4^th shooting at Perry High School.  

“Through this proclamation, I am unleashing the full power of state government to help Perry High School, the Perry community, and Dallas County recover from this senseless tragedy,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds. 

The Department of Public Safety, the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other state agencies have been supporting the community since the shooting on January 4^th. The proclamation activates the emergency authorities of all state agencies, prompts enhanced coordination processes at the State Emergency Operations Center, and removes any administrative barriers to providing state resources and assistance in the days and weeks ahead. 

You can view the full proclamation here.  

(Radio Iowa) – Seven people have now been arrested in connection to a large fight at an event center in Storm Lake on December 24th that left one man unconscious. On Sunday, Storm Lake Police arrested 22-year-old Isaiah Rivera of Cherokee after he surrendered himself to authorities. Rivera allegedly displayed a handgun during the incident and pointed it at other people inside the event center. Rivera left before police arrived that night.

Rivera has been charged with Participating in a Riot, Going Armed With Intent, and Assault While Participating in a Felony.In late December, 30-year-old Yusnavy Cruz of Storm Lake and 31-year-old Yoandri Barista Valdes of Lakeside were each arrested on a charge of Participating in a Riot. The alleged fight happened on the dance floor of the Oasis Event Center. A man was hit in the head with a chair and found unconscious.

Storm Lake Police are still trying to identify one other male suspect who was allegedly involved in the brawl.