(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol hopes you’ll vote for their picture submitted as part of a contest to be featured on a 2024 calendar. The “2023 Best Looking Cruiser” contest will help to determine which of the 45 pictures from state patrol units from across the country, will be used in the American Association of State Troopers (AAST) calendar. It’s the 10^th year the organization has held the contest.

According to the AAST website, “The contest began as a friendly competition between the state agencies and is proving to be a fun and engaging way to allow our state’s community members to support and interact with law enforcement in a positive manner.”

The Iowa State Patrol has entered this photo in the “Best Looking Cruiser” contest

The winner of the “Best Looking Cruiser Award” will be featured on the cover of the AAST’s “America’s Best Looking Cruisers 2024 Wall Calendar”. Calendars will be available for purchase on the AAST website beginning Oct. 1st. All sales will benefit the American Association of State Troopers Foundation.

Last year, the Kentucky State Police cruiser took home the coveted prize. Voting began July 17 and will continue through today (July 31) at 11 a.m.

You can cast your vote by clicking here.

(Underwood, Iowa) — A collision between a motorcycle and a van Saturday evening near Underwood, resulted in one person being transported to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities said vehicles crashed in the area of Railroad Highway and Road L-34. Additional information was not immediately available.

(Radio Iowa) – An event planned for this coming weekend in central Iowa will feature nationally-known speakers, a film premiere, a live podcast recording, an “ideas contest,” and more, all designed to inspire conversation. Nathan Beacom, executive director of The Lyceum Movement, says “Tallgrass: The Des Moines Festival of Ideas” is planned for Sunday (August 6th), focused on things like history, art, and philosophy.

Beacom calls the fest a revival of something that used to happen in Iowa a century ago, when chautauquas would have interesting speakers, thinkers, culture and food. We’re living in a time where many people are consumed by the anxiousness of online life, and Beacom says this will be a space where neighbors can slow down and meet face to face.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A woman from Red Oak was arrested at around 9:20-p.m., Sunday, following a traffic stop. Red Oak Police say 24-year-old Ashlyn Nicole Kephart was pulled over in the 1800 block of N. Broadway Street, in Red Oak. She was charged with Driving While Revoked – serious misdemeanor – and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. Kephart’s bond was set at $1,000.

(Rural Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 1-a.m. today (Monday) south of Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of an Audubon County man. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 23-year-old Timothy Dethlef Asmus, of Audubon, was arrested after he was pulled over at 230th Street and Highway 48. Asmus was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense – a serious misdemeanor. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Montgomery County K-9 Unit.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump’s status as the central figure in the 2024 presidential race was on full display at the Iowa Republican Party’s fundraiser that kicked off the weekend. Trump was the last of 13 candidates to speak to a crowd of over a thousand Republicans.

Trump mentioned only one G-O-P competitor by name, using the nickname he has for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Former Vice President Mike Pence acknowledged Trump’s hold on the party.

And Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, at this point Trump’s top challenger, said the G-O-P is not getting a mulligan this time around. “We’re doing all 99 counties in Iowa because this Caucus demands that you earn it,” DeSantis said, to cheers. “Let’s win in 2024.” Only two candidates, both lagging behind in polls on the race, directly mentioned the indictments Trump faces.

Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd was booed by Trump fans in the crowd when he said Trump was running for president to stay out of prison. “Listen, I know the truth is hard, but if we elect Donald Trump, we are willingly giving Joe Biden four more years in the White House,” Hurd said, “and America can’t handle that.” Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said the G-O-P must not abandon its support for the rule of law.

During an appearance Sunday on “Face the Nation” on C-B-S, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley suggested having Trump as the party’s 2024 nominee would be “handing over the election” to Democrats given the legal woes Trump faces. This is how she put it when speaking to Iowa Republicans Friday night.

Doug Burgum, the current governor of North Dakota, said the country needs a 180 degree change in direction.

Candidates Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Francis Suarez, Larry Elder, Ryan Binkley and Perry Johnson also addressed the crowd. LeAnn Willis of Cedar Rapids says she’s still evaluating which candidate she’ll Caucus for in January.

Jim Handsaker of Story City is a Trump supporter. Handsaker says the speech he delivered for Trump at his local Caucus in 2016 still rings true today.

Gwen Eklund of Denison, past president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women, has been hosting candidates at events in western Iowa for several presidential campaign cycles. Ecklund says it’s too soon to say what will happen in the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.

Iowa Republican Party chairman Jeff Kaufmann acknowledges the race for the G-O-P’s next presidential nomination may get tense as the Caucus date draws closer.

Eleven of the 13 candidates hosted receptions after the speech part of the night was over. The lines were longest for Trump and DeSantis. The 2024 Iowa Caucuses are scheduled for January 15th.

(Crawford County, Iowa) – Officials with the Denison Volunteer Fire Department report DVFD was called to assist the Deloit Volunteer Fire Department, Sunday morning, for a reported helicopter crash near 310th Street, north of Deloit. The call came in at around 8:32-a.m.

Several other agencies also responded to the area in an attempt to help locate the crash site. When the helicopter was located, rescue crews had to use the “Jaws of Life” mechanical extraction device to safely and quickly extricate the pilot. The pilot was transported by Life Flight helicopter to an Omaha hospital.

The persons name and condition were not immediately available. The FAA has no current listing of the crash at this time, but its expected they will do so on Monday.

(Fort Dodge, Iowa)  – Police in Fort Dodge report the Webster County Telecommunications Center received a report at around 7:03-a.m. Sunday (today), about an unresponsive man laying on the ground in Snell Crawford Park. Police and Ft. Dodge Fire Department personnel arrived at the scene and found a man with an apparent laceration to his throat.

The subject was still alive. He was treated at the scene and then transported to Unity Point Trinity Regional Hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. The man’s name was not immediately released.

An investigation is currently underway. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Fort Dodge Police Department or submit information anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The final, full day of fun at the 2023 Cass County Fair, on Monday, July 31st, features the Beef show at 8-a.m. One-hour after conclusion of morning beef show, there will be Beef Fitting Contest. At 9-a.m., the Best of Iowa contest begins.

All contestants for the Best of Iowa must select a recipe using an Iowa product or products as the main ingredient in this unique competition. The dish is prepared in front of a judge within a twenty-minute time restriction. Participants are assessed on the food preparation, the abundance of and application of Iowa product(s), and the finished product’s quality in a conversation-based judging once they have completed the dish.

In this 2023 contest lineup, there are sixteen contestants entered in three different categories depending on their 4-H grade they just completed. To round off the competition, three Senior 4-H members will compete by preparing a Family Favorite recipe that uses one or more homegrown Iowa product(s) to make the recipe healthier.

Again, this year, Clover Kids members will have a chance to participate in their own unique Best of Iowa exhibit! Sixteen members who have completed kindergarten through third grades will have the opportunity to demonstrate how to make a simple after-school snack utilizing Iowa ingredients. Clover Kids will have a Senior level 4-H member to assist and help with safety and kitchen skills.

Superintendent Tracy Marshall encourages the public to attend and support the 4-H’ers as they get imaginative with their Iowa-grown foods. Chairs will be set up to provide an audience area where the public can view the contestants as they cook and engage with judges. All finished products will be arranged on a tasting table, so the public can sample the 4-H member’s masterpieces after the judging is concluded.

Awards will be presented Monday afternoon, along with awards for several other contests, beginning at 4:00pm in the Cass County Community Center. Here’s the rest of Monday’s schedule at the Cass County Fair, and a look at what’s in-store for Tuesday:

11:00 A.M……………………………………..Rotary Watermelon Feed
9:00 A.M-12:00PM……………………………Cass County Cattlemen’s Kids Play Area
2:00 P.M………………………………………Dairy Cattle Show
4:00 P.M………………………………..……..Building Awards
5:45 P.M………………………….……………Parade of Champions/Bucket of Junk/Fundraising Auction
6:30 P.M………………………………………………….Grand Champion Beef Selection
7:45 P.M……..………………………………………Livestock Released
8:00 P.M. -9:00 PM……………………………Static Exhibits Released

TUESDAY, August 1
8:00 A.M……………………………………….Livestock Sale

(Rock Valley, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident on the northeast side of Rock Valley, in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County, Sunday, claimed the life of a woman passenger in the vehicle. The Iowa State Patrol reports 21-year-old Halee Bliek, of Rock Valley, who was not wearing a seat belt, died.

The accident happened at around 12:35-a.m. (Sunday), on westbound 300th Street, near Filmore Avenue. The Patrol says when the driver, 21-year-old Kaleb Debey, of Sioux City, failed to negotiate a curve in the road, the 2020 Audi AA4 he was driving traveled off the roadway and entered a ditch.

The car struck a cement culvert and became airborne. Halee Bliek was ejected from the vehicle, and became trapped under it after it landed. Debey was wearing his seat belt. Bliek and Debey were transported to the hospital in Rock Valley by Rock Valley EMS where Bliek died from her injuries.

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the crash scene.