(Radio Iowa) – Both Congressman Randy Feenstra and Kevin Virgil, the Republican challenging Feenstra in next week’s Primary Election, agree sustainable jet fuel made from corn or soybeans could be a huge boost to Iowa’s economy. The candidates answered questions at a forum in Cherokee yesterday (Thursday) that was sponsored by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and broadcast by K-T-I-V T-V. Feenstra told the group boosting production of sustainable jet fuel could quadruple the output from Iowa ethanol and biodiesel plants.

“If we say, ‘No, we’re not going to do it,’ I know California will. I know Texas will,” Feenstra said. “…We’ve got to think long term. We can’t put our head in the sand. That’s easy to do. ‘Oh, we don’t want to do that.’ Oh, really? Do you want to grow Iowa? We’ve got the opportunity. It’s a massive opportunity.”

Virgil says the fuel has great potential for Iowa, but the federal tax credits being made available require the grain to come from fields with cover crops and other conservation measures. “People in this room probably think the carbon capture pipeline might be a great opportunity for us to qualify,” Virgil said. “…Let me tell you something about Bruce Rastetter — the guy behind Summit Carbon Solutions and…one of (my opponent’s) biggest donors — Rastetter has a contract with Honeywell to build a sustainable aviation fuel plant in Louisiana.”

Virgil says he’s generally against government intervention in free markets and the Renewable Fuels Standard that mandates ethanol and biodiesel production should be phased out.  “As hard as it is for people to hear, we need to let the market do what the market does,” Virgil said. “…It maintains too significant of an impact on our market at the moment and it’s creating a lot of distortions that are creating a lot of pain for farmers.”

Feenstra says the Renewable Fuels Standard needs to be expanded, not ended. “No one should get tax credits, right? But if electric vehicles are getting them and the petroleum industry is getting them, but we shouldn’t?” Feenstra asked rhetorically. Feenstra says ending the ethanol production mandate would destroy the ag industry. “Either you like ag or you don’t,” Feenstra said. “…We’re either going to grow Iowa or we’re not.”

Feenstra, a former state senator from Hull, is seeking a third term in the U-S House. Virgil is an Army veteran and former C-I-A officer who owns a software company. In December, he moved back to the farm near Sutherland where he grew up and in early January announced he was challenging Feenstra in this year’s G-O-P Primary.

(Radio Iowa) – Two Democrats are running in Tuesday’s third district primary for the chance to challenge Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant in the General Election. Lanon Baccam (luh-NON buh-KAHM) of Des Moines and Melissa Vine of West Des Moines are both first time candidates. Baccom, who was born and raised in Mount Pleasant, served in the Iowa National Guard for eight years. He’s also worked 10 years at positions within the U-S-D-A for former Iowa Governor and current U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, who has endorsed Baccam.

“I think I have a level of experience right now…to leverage the incredible resources and programs all across the federal government and to bring those resources back to the third district,” Baccam says. “That’s really important.”

Vine, a recent law school graduate, is executive director of a non-profit that provides services to women recovering from a traumatic experience. She’s also a single mother to four boys. “About 10 years ago I got out of an abusive marriage and overnight I went from being a wealthy small business owner to having zero dollars to my name,” Vine says. “I was checking groceries for $8.50 an hour to make ends meet.”

Both candidates say the number one issue for Democrats in 2024 is to respond to the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v Wade. Baccam says politicians should let women, the families and doctors make decisions about abortion. “Zach Nunn holds an extreme position when it comes to abortion. People see that. They know it,” Baccam says. “It is completely out of step where Iowans are on this issue.”

Vine also supports a federal law to legalize abortion. “I really think it’s important in light of abortion being a top issue to get me into the General Election to take on Zach Nunn and flip the House,” Vine says. Vine fired her campaign manager and recently paid a state fine after the Iowa Ethics Board found her campaign made contributions to a political action committee as it was deciding who to endorse in this race. Vine says the incident is not an issue with the voters she’s talking to. “They are more interested in the issues like abortion, our economy and moving away from extremism,” Vine says, “so that’s what our campaign is focused on.”

Baccam says voters bring up the same issues to him. “People are concerned about our democracy,” Baccam says. “They see and sense people are moving apart and they just really want a sense of community again.”

There are 21 counties in Iowa’s third congressional district, including the cities of Red Oak, Atlantic Osceola and Ottumwa as well as the Des Moines metro.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa politicians are issuing written statements this afternoon following a New York jury’s verdict that found former President Donald Trump guilty of falsifying business records.

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion was the first Republican up for election in November to issue a statement. Hinson said Trump will fight the verdict and Iowa Republicans must fight alongside him. Congressman Zach Nunn, a Republican from Bondurant, said the justice system was used to target Trump and the American people will have the final say on Election Day.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who endorsed Trump in early March, said in her statement that the only verdict that matters is the one at the ballot box in November. Senator Joni Ernst, who endorsed Trump on the same day Reynolds did, said in her statement that Iowans are sick of the political perfection of Trump. The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party called the trial a political show put on by Democrats to take out a political rival.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was in New York for Trump’s trial earlier this month.

State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat serving in statewide office, says as a former prosecutor, he found juries in both liberal and conservative Iowa counties took the work seriously and Sand says the jurors in Trump’s New York trial deserve both thanks and respect.

Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport and Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull have not yet issued statements reacting to today’s verdict. Miller-Meeks did post a message on social media yesterday calling the trial a sham.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials say phone and internet services provided by Lumen Technologies have been disrupted in Iowa due to a water line break at the company’s hub in Des Moines this (Thursday) morning. CenturyLink changed its name to Lumen in 2020 and the extent of the company’s outage is unclear. A spokesperson for Lumen says central and eastern Iowa customers are affected.

According to the Iowa Department of Homeland Security, some Lumen customers may not be able to call 9-1-1 with their landline phone, so the agency is recommending emergency calls be made from a cell phone if a landline call doesn’t go through.

An advisory from Polk County Emergency Management indicates Lumen has brought in generators to try to stabilize the situation at its hub in downtown Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa) – Cherokee County Sheriff Derek Scott has adopted a critically injured dog he helped rescue in late March. A woman called the sheriff’s office for help after spotting the injured dog in a ditch on a county road near Quimby. The dog was taken to a vet clinic in Cherokee, then transferred to an animal rescue service in Sioux City called Noah’s Hope.

“Initially, it kind of looked like he got hit by a car. He was laying in the ditch on his side. He looked in bad shape,” Scott says. “After we got him to Sioux City and Noah’s Hope did some examining and got him to a vet, they found he was actually shot in the front leg.” The dog’s leg had to be amputated. Animal shelter staff decided to name the dog Derek in honor of the sheriff who drove him to Sioux City for treatment, then the sheriff and his wife decided to adopt the dog.

“We had two other dogs in our house and he gets along with everybody,” he says. That includes Sheriff Scott, his wife, his kids — and even the cats.