A Montgomery County man arrested early this (Saturday) morning on assault and other charges.  Red Oak Police say 36-year old Christopher Michael Mattingly, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 12:15-a.m. in the 300 block of E. Coolbaugh Street. Mattingly faces charges that include Public Intoxication, Interference with Official Acts and Domestic Abuse Assault with a weapon.  He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

Hundreds of Iowa Democrats gathered Friday evening for a party fundraiser in Des Moines, with the focus on what the party’s chairwoman called the “election of our lifetime.” Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack asked the crowd to work harder than they’ve ever worked before. “If you folks care about this country and you care about our values and you care about our constituion and you care about working families, there is only one choice — only one choice, Iowa. We have got to deliver for Hillary Clinton,” Vilsack said, his voice rising as the crowd rose to applaud and cheer. He concluded with this: “Let’s get to work!”

All the Democratic candidates running for federal office spoke at last night’s event. It was held in the same room where Iowa Republicans held a fundraiser last Saturday and where the G-O-P’s chairman had admitted many Republicans were both disgusted and disheartened by vulgar comments Donald Trump made about women on a “hot mic.” Patty Judge — the Democrat challenging Republican Senator Chuck Grassley’s bid for reelection — told her fellow Democrats last night that Grassley “thinks just like Donald Trump.”

“Chuck Grassley voted against the Violence Against Women Act in 2012 and then he doubled down and he did it again in 2013,” Judge said, and a woman in the crowd yelled: “That ain’t right.” Judge continued: “It is clear to me that he shared Trump’s warped views about women.” Grassley has called Trump’s comments “shameful,” but neither Grassley nor other top Republican officials in Iowa have not withdrawn their support of Trump. Dave Loebsack of Iowa City — the only Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation — says Republicans who support Trump are putting politics “over the human race.”

“I remember when Barry Goldwater ran. I remember when George Wallace ran,” Loebsack said. “This is way scarier than that, folks.” Jim Mowrer of Des Moines, the former Iowa National Guardsman who’s the Democrat running in Iowa’s third congressional district, drew last night’s crowd to its feet with this: “Donald Trump cannot become commander in chief and the Republicans who support him deserve to be thrown out of office,” Mowrer said. Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro, the evening’s keynote speaker, put it like this: “This is not a time for clowns,” Castro said. “…For America to win in November, Donald Trump has to lose.”

Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann issued a written statement Friday, saying he’s confident Republicans “will have the voted needed to turn Iowa red in November.” Kaufmann said Republicans had gotten more inspiration to vote over the past few days because BILL Clinton had been campaigning here.

(Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors plan to ask the former city clerk for the small western Iowa city of Casey to pay more than $2 million in restitution as part of her sentence for mail fraud and malicious use of fire. Dorothy Dillinger entered a plea agreement in May admitting she lit the City Hall building on fire in August 2014, the night before state auditors were to arrive to investigate missing money she’d taken and used for personal expenses since 2009.

CHARLES CITY — A woman and a teen from Charles City died following a crash late Friday afternoon in northern Iowa’s Floyd County. The Iowa State Patrol says the driver of a Honda Civic, 75-year old Marilyn Wulff and her passenger, 14-year old Jaden Wulff, died after being flown from the scene to the hospital in Mason City. Neither was wearing a seat belt. Authorities say the car was struck by a pickup truck when Wulff failed to obey a stop sign. The 25-year old driver of the pickup was not seriously injured.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University President Steven Leath was flown in a school airplane to the Des Moines airport at least once so he could catch a commercial flight. Records show university pilots flew Leath and his wife from Ames to Des Moines on Feb. 17. The 84-mile roundtrip was billed to private donations for $380.

PEOSTA, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa legislative candidate says she and her husband have been the victims of repeated vandalism she thinks is linked to her campaign. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports Republican candidate Shannon Lundgren, of Peosta, told authorities early Friday that some of her campaign signs were stolen from supporters’ yards and others were vandalized with spray paint. Lundgren also reported a vehicle had been damaged with spray paint. Paint balls also hit the family’s home and business.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An off-duty Black Hawk County sheriff’s deputy has been accused of having a weapon with him while intoxicated. A news release from the Sheriff’s Office says Waterloo police arrested Erick McFerran on Friday. Court records don’t list an attorney for him. He’s been placed on administrative leave.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement (MVE) will be participating the Operation Safe Driver week, an effort by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to bring attention to motor carrier safety issues. The one week enforcement and educational blitz concentrates MVE’s efforts on detecting unsafe driving behaviors by both commercial motor vehicle drivers and other vehicle drivers operating around CMVs in an effort to combat the number of deaths and injuries from crashes.

The Iowa DOT’s MVE officers will concentrate enforcement activities on behaviors including: following too close, lane change violations, speeding, seat belts, and cell phone use. This targeted enforcement will take place on the following interstates, U.S. and state highways:

Monday, Oct. 17 –  Des Moines Metro I-80/35 corridor, along with I-35 including the Bevington work zone
Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Davenport area on I-80 , I-280,  and I-74,
Wednesday, 19 –  Cedar Rapids to Iowa City on I-380, U.S. 30,  U.S. 151, and Iowa 13
Thursday, Oct. 20 Council Bluffs area on I-80 and I-29
Friday, Oct. 21  Sioux City area on I-29 , U.S. 20, U.S. 75, and the Iowa 520 bypass
Operation Safe Driver holds activities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico to increase enforcement of traffic, seat belt, unsafe driving, speeding, and cellphone laws. The focus of the program is to improve driver compliance and increase the awareness to the public about safe operations around commercial motor vehicles. CVSA in partnership with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration along with law enforcement and the industry believe Operation Safe Driver is an effective tool in reducing crashes with and around Commercial Motor Vehicles.