(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley spoke to a crowd of about a hundred people at Morningside University in Sioux City last (Sunday) night. The former South Carolina governor and U-N ambassador started her address by talking about the attack on Israel over the weekend by Hamas terrorists. Haley says, “Communities were bombarded, families were murdered, kids were taken out of their homes and taken hostage, the elderly were taken hostage, women were dragged down the streets.”

Haley says as Israel prepares for full scale war with Hamas, America must support its long time ally. “We always have to remember the importance of moral clarity, knowing the difference between right and wrong, and knowing the difference between good and evil,” she says, “that’s what we’re faced with right now.”

Haley concluded by calling for prayers for Israel, where reports say at least four Americans are among the thousand dead.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department has released a report on arrests that took place over the weekend.

Saturday night, 30-year-old Christopher Michael Murphy, of Creston, was arrested at a pub in Creston, for Providing False Identification Information, Consuming an Alcoholic Beverage in Public Place/1st Offense, and Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. Murphy was later released on $900 cash or surety bond.

Five arrests occurred Sunday, in Creston:

At around 1:50-a.m., 18-year-old Colby Dean Nelson, of Lenox, was arrested at the intersection of Spencer and Spruce. Nelson was charged with OWI 1st, Persons Ineligible to Carry Dangerous Weapon, Interference with Official Acts, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense, and Carry Weapon while Intoxicated. He was later released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a $4,300 cash or surety bond. About 15-minutes later, 19-year-old Jamison William Reed, of Creston, was arrested at the same location. Reed was taken into custody on a Polk County Warrant for Probation Violation on an original charge of Assault with bodily injury or mental illness. Reed was being held in the Union County Jail without bond awaiting while extradition to Polk County.

At around 4:18-a.m. Sunday, 20-year-old Hunter Michael Ray Patterson, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC for Disorderly Conduct-Loud Raucous Noise. Patterson was released on Promise to Appear. And, at around 5:15-a.m. Sunday, 25-year-old Isaac Wayne Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC for OWI/1st Offense. Hayes was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Sunday afternoon, 28-year-old Emily Louise Maxfield, of Melcher, was arrested at the Creston Union County LEC. She was taken into custody on a Union County Warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd Offense, a Class-D Felony. Maxfield was being held in Adams County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

(Villisca, Iowa) –  A teenage driver was cited following a collision Sunday evening, in Montgomery County. The Sheriff’s Office reports the accident happened at around 6:53-p.m. at the intersection of E. 6th Street and S. 2nd Avenue, in Villisca. Authorities say a 2012 Ford F-150 pickup driven by Riley Graham, of Stanton, was traveling westbound on E. 6th, and had entered the intersection with 2nd Avenue, when the 16-year-old driver of a 2008 Ford Edge failed to yield the right-of-way.

The SUV struck the pickup, causing minor damage to both vehicles, estimated at $4,000 each. The unidentified teen was cited for no insurance. They were also issued a written warning for failure to yield the right-of-way.

(Radio Iowa) – A-A-R-P Iowa and the Alzheimer’s Association are holding a joint statewide tour to present educational workshops focused on the importance of cognitive health. A-A-R-P State Director Brad Anderson says they want to be sure that older Iowans are doing all they can to stay healthy. “Our main overarching point that we would like to make to Iowans is it’s never too early, and it’s never too late to prioritize your brain health. And that’s the message we intend to get across,” Anderson says. They have identified six pillars of brain health, that are healthy habits people can implement every day, to boost brain health.

“Some of the things that we talked about are is the importance of being social, and the danger of social isolation,” he says. “We also talked about the importance of engaging your brain, managing stress, exercise, getting enough sleep is incredibly important. And we see more and more research about that.” He says those all go along with good nutrition. Anderson says the concepts may seem familiar. “If you think about it, it’s the same stuff that we would be talking about for heart health, yet, people don’t associate it with brain health. And so we’re talking about it in the context of brain health,” he explains. “And then Alzheimer’s Association is there to talk about support for people with dementia and people who have died been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.”

There are several workshops available. “Some of the stops are full, but there are still spaces available throughout the throughout the state. So we encourage you to check if you’re interested in the topic of brain health, go to AARP.org/IA and register for a stop near you,” he says.

Anderson says the registration is free and and you don’t need to be an A-A-R-P member to register.

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Monday), is Indigenous Peoples’ Day and some activists in Iowa’s Native American community want the holiday to permanently replace Columbus Day on the calendar. Trisha Rivers, Siouxland project director of the Great Plains Action Society, calls Columbus Day problematic, and she recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead on the second Monday in October. Rivers says, “The importance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is that we still are here, after all of the atrocities that we have survived through as a people.”

Indigenous Peoples’ Day was recognized by Iowa’s governor five years ago, however, neither it nor Columbus Day are official state holidays. Rivers, who is based in Sioux City, is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation. She says the annual celebration of Columbus Day perpetuates a false narrative. “That basically was the beginning of our genocide, the Indian boarding school era, and everything that has followed from that, that still impacts us as Indigenous peoples today.”

The Great Plains Action Society is a nonprofit group that focuses on social justice and political engagement. Members organized a celebration for Indigenous People’s Day today in Iowa City. The Native American Student Association at the University of Iowa plans a rally on campus as well.

(Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)

(Hartley, Iowa) – A crash between two pickup trucks Saturday morning in northwestern Iowa resulted in one of the driver’s being transported to the hospital with serious injuries. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2009 Dodge Ram 2500 and a 2011 GMC Sierra 3500 collided at around 10:42-a.m. west of Hartley, at the intersection of 310th Street and Tanager Avenue, in O’Brien County.

The crash happened at the uncontrolled intersection, when the driver of the Dodge, 61-year-old Jeffrey Gerritson, of Sanborn, failed to yield to the GMC pickup driven by 56-year-old Kevin Gonnerman, of Sanborn.

Gonnerman, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported by helicopter to the Sanford Sioux Falls Hospital. The crash remains under investigation.