(Radio Iowa) — Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney embarked on a bus tour of the state this weekend, with at least 30 more stops planned this month, including a few very small Iowa towns.

Democratic Pres. candidate John K. Delany.

“All the economic opportunities are in a couple of big cities and we need someone to really fight for these towns,” Delaney said this weekend. Delaney, a former Maryland congressman, has been running for president since mid-2017. He told a crowd in Doon that rural America has often been ignored. “If you caucus for me and I do better in the Iowa caucus than people expect, I promise you on national television, I’ll stand and look at those cameras and say: ‘Listen, you know why I did well? It’s ’cause rural America voted for me. And you know why rural America voted for me? Because I actually have plans for rural America.”

Delaney’s infrastructure plan, for example, would give more money to struggling communities over larger cities. Joe Munoz says he’ll caucus for Delaney. “This country is so separated, we need to work together,” Munoz said. “And he seems like the person that wants to work together and can get the job done.” Doon had a population of fewer than 600 in the 2010 Census and is located in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County.

A couple of Republicans at the restaurant in Doon challenged Delaney on the issue of abortion. Delaney replied that he supports a woman’s right to choose.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)

(Radio Iowa) — Developers leading the restoration of a long-empty, historic hotel in downtown Sioux City say it’s on track to reopen this summer. The Warrior Hotel was built in 1930 and closed in 1976. Restoration St. Louis is renovating the hotel and the adjacent Davidson Building into a nearly-150 room Marriott Hotel with 22 luxury apartments. Restoration’s Alex Cherubin says the pace of the project is really picking up.  “The rooms have been painted, tile is laid, getting ready for carpet,” Cherubin says. “Furniture and fixtures are being delivered, which is pretty exciting and unbelievable.”

Cherubin says crews are putting in elevators this month, while they’re keeping the hotel’s original properties and decor. Cherubin says the 73-million-dollar project is on schedule to hold its grand reopening in about six months. “It’s basically going to come down to furniture deliveries,” he says, “and making sure we have everything in place and the staff is fully trained.”

Cherubin says they’ve already hired a general manager, director of sales and a sales manager, while they’ll hire housekeeping staff, cooks and the rest of the crew closer to opening day. The Warrior and Davidson are on the National Register of Historic Places.

(Reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

The Red Oak Fire Department and Dave Carbaugh State Farm Insurance are teaming up for a Montgomery County “2020 Challenge.” The insurance company-sponsored national challenge, is for each person to do 100 acts of good; it will be a big opportunity to help strengthen communities across the county. The rules are simple:

• Agree to the challenge for the year 2020.
• Sign up yourself as an individual/your family/your organization/your business. Entry forms will be available at State Farm, 207 E. Coolbaugh St. or the Red Oak Police Dept. at 106 W. Coolbaugh St.. Fill out entry and leave at location.
• As an individual or group you agree to do 100 acts of good in your community. There will be no guidelines as to what an ‘act of good’ is, but we do ask that it be an extra effort. (So, we are hoping established deeds or deeds done normally through employment are not counted in the total.) Help someone with yard work, buy someone lunch, spend time mentoring.
• You will not be graded or judged on what you accomplish, but we are asking you to keep a total or list of good acts/deeds and report that to us. Dave Carbaugh State Farm and ROPD will keep a total and we will let everyone know at the end of the year how many acts were done.
• You may do more than 100, (some larger groups may accomplish this in a month). This will not be a contest on who gets the most acts done, but random prizes will be awarded throughout the contest.

Individuals, teams, businesses, organizations may sign up and pledge to do 100 (or more) self-monitored Acts of Good.  At the end of the year, there will be a tally on the number of extra good that occurred in the Montgomery County area.

Questions may be directed to Dave Carbaugh – 712-623-5639, Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamy, 712-623-6500, or Brad Baker at ROPD, 712-370-3062.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – The city of Waterloo is being sued for adopting a measure banning the city and many businesses from asking about applicants’ criminal records in early stages of the hiring process. The City Council approved the so-called “ban-the-box” ordinance this past fall. It doesn’t let employers ask about an applicant’s criminal history until after making a conditional job offer. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in Black Hawk County. Mayor Quentin Hart told station KWWL that he and the council wouldn’t comment on the litigation. The lawsuit was filed by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.