STRAWBERRY POINT, Iowa (KCRG) – At approximately 8:45 pm, Thursday, the Strawberry Point Fire Department in eastern Iowa, ceased to exist. In a message on their Facebook page, the department said the unanimous decision was influenced by a lack of support from the city council and the mayor.

The department says that they have not made the decision lightly, and that they have contacted surrounding agencies to provide coverage during this time as part of their 28E agreement.

The message posted by the Strawberry Point F.D. is as follows:

“It’s with a heavy heart that the Strawberry Point Fire Department has voluntarily made the unanimous decision to turn our pagers in effective immediately. Our decision has been influenced by the continued lack of support from the city council and mayor. This has had a devastating effect on member recruitment, retention, day-to-day operations and morale.This decision has not been made lightly as many of us have friends and family who live, work and visit the City of Strawberry Point and we genuinely care about all of our citizens. Certain members of City Council have placed our department under tremendous strain, and it is imperative that the lack of support, failure to communicate and personal bias be addressed promptly. The safety of our citizens and the effectiveness of our emergency response team depend on it. We are contacting our 28E agreement surrounding agencies to provide coverage during this time.”

(Radio Iowa) – Two of the Iowa Democrats running for congress are calling on President Biden to end his bid for reelection. Christina Bohannan of Iowa City is the Democrat running against Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Bohannan says it’s time for Biden to pass the torch to a new generation of leadership. Sarah Corkery of Cedar Falls is the Democrat runninng against Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson. Corkery says now is the time for Biden to pass the torch to Vice President Harris. State Auditor Rob Sand — the only Democrat elected to state office — and Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart have not responded this week to Radio Iowa messages seeking comment about Biden’s candidacy.

Ryan Melton of Nevada, the Democrat running against Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra, issued a statement on social media last wek. Melton said it’s fair to question whether Biden or Trump are fit to serve a second term. Radio Iowa also has reached out to several Iowans who’ll be delegates at next month’s Democratic National Convention. Only one responded, noting by party rules he is a committed Biden delegate. One Democrat serving in the state legislature has called on Biden to end his campaign.

Christina Bohannan of Iowa City, the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s first congressional district, pictures as she delivered her nominating petitions for the June 2024 Primary. (RI file photo)

Representative Austin Baeth of Des Moines posted a statement on social media on Monday, saying Biden did follow through on his Build Back Better agenda, but Baeth said to ensure the durability of his handiwork, Biden must pass the wrench to the next generation.

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party is scheduled to deliver the speech that officially nominates Donald Trump for president. Jeff Kaufmann says it will be an honor to speak Monday afternoon at the G-O-P’s national convention. “There’s an energy in the room when you’ve got that many people gathered together for one cause,” Kaufmann said. Party officials believe this is the first time an Iowan has nominated the G-O-P’s presidential candidate.

Kaufmann’s son ran Trump’s 2024 Iowa Caucus campaign. The elder Kaufmann says his mission at next week’s convention will be to secure Iowa’s spot at the beginning of the 2028 presidential race. “Anything that we do to get Donald Trump elected at this point is going to be helpful for us keeping first in the nation status because unlike Joe Biden, I believe he’s going to ask us to the first in the nation state again,” Kaufmann said, “and unlike the Iowa Democratic Party, I will fight and not take, ‘No,’ for an answer.”

David Barker, a member of the Iowa G-O-P’s governing board, says by giving Kaufmann Monday’s speaking slot, the Trump campaign is acknowledging the role Kaufmann and the Iowa G-O-P had in managing the 2024 Iowa Caucuses. “We ran the Caucuses in a very neutral and even handed way so that the voters could decide,” Barker says, “and the way it ended up was they decided on him.” Trump finished with just over half of the Caucus Night votes — and nearly 30 points ahead of his closest challenger.

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann on the “Iowa Press” during a recent appearance on the program. (Iowa PBS photo)

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was the only statewide elected official who endorsed Trump before the Caucuses and she is scheduled to speak at the party’s national convention in Milwaukee on Tuesday night. The evening’s theme is “Make America Safe Again” and Bird, in a written statement, says the last three and a half years have made it clear Trump’s leadership is desperately needed back in the White House.

At the Republican Party’s National Convention in 2016, the Trump campaign scheduled Iowa Senator Joni Ernst for a prime time appearance on the convention’s opening night. However, people who took the stage before Ernst spoke so long that Ernst’s started speaking well past 11 p.m. — as most convention delegates were leaving the arena.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Late-night TV icons with Iowa ties will be immortalized in butter at next month’s Iowa State Fair. Johnny Carson, who was born in Corning, and Des Moines native Steve Higgins will be in the Agriculture Building’s cooler next to the wildly popular butter cow and another special guest — “The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon. State Fair butter sculptor Sarah Pratt and her team will also make a butter version of the sky glider to celebrate its 50th year.

Fallon, known for his on-air impressions, will get his own impression in butter at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. Fallon will be sculpted alongside the Tonight Show’s announcer, producer and Des Moines, Iowa, native Steve Higgins in celebration of 10 years with Jimmy Fallon as the host of the show.

Another Iowa native will also be featured in butter – longtime Tonight Show host Johnny Carson. Johnny Carson lived in Corning, Avoca and Red Oak as a child. Carson took over the Tonight Show in 1962 for a run that lasted three decades.

The butter cow, along with butter versions of Higgins, Carson and Fallon, will be featured alongside an iconic sky glider chair as the main Sky Glider celebrates 50 years in 2024. All of the sculptures will be on display in the John Deere Agriculture Building 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., during the Fair, August 8-18.

The butter cow has been an annual attraction at the State Fair since 1911. Sarah Pratt of West Des Moines was named the fair’s fifth butter sculptor in 2006 after 15 years as an apprentice to Duffy Lyon. Companion sculptures of the butter cow have been a tradition since at least 1996 when Grant Wood’s famous “American Gothic” painting was immortalized. Last year’s fair featured iconic Iowa athletes Jack Trice, Kurt Warner and Caitlin Clark.

The 2024 Iowa State Fair annual parade kicks things off Aug. 7 in downtown Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest Drought Monitor report for Iowa is dramatically different than it was one year ago. One year ago 100 percent of Iowa was either in drought or abnormally dry conditions. The latest Drought Monitor map shows just Scott County and a small part of Clinton County now show abnormally dry conditions. That amounts to less than one percent of the state.

State Climatologist Justin Glisan says the last time Iowa had no abnormally dry areas was in early May of 2020. The state has been free of actual drought conditions since late May of this year – which stopped four-years of drought conditions.

(Radio Iowa) – A Dickinson County Jury has found Kyle Lou Ricke guilty in the shooting death of Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram in September of 2023. Judge Nancy Whittenburg read the verdict just before noon.

The jury received the case around 10:30 A-M and deliberated for roughly an hour before returning the verdict. The trial began Monday with jury selection, there was testimony on Tuesday and closing arguments Wednesday. The defense did dispute that Ricke shot Officer Cram, but claimed the act was not premeditated, and did not call any witnesses. The prosecution said Ricke executed Cram, who came to arrest Ricke for a misdemeanor charge of harassment from Palo Alto County. The trial was moved from Kossuth county due to concerns about finding an impartial jury due to pre-trial publicity. A sentencing date will be set later. The mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Iowa is life in prison without parole.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Representatives with the Iowa West Foundation are once again hitting the road and taking their Grants Workshop to another rural community – this time to Harlan on July 31st. The hope is that the workshop makes it easier for the non-profits and government entities in the IWF greater funding region, to access information on how to apply in person and hear directly from IWF program officers about budget inquiries and the grants management system, among other topics, in advance of the third and final funding cycle of 2024. Here is the link to register. https://bit.ly/iwfHarlan.

The grants workshop will be held on July 31st from 9-until 10:30-a.m., In-Person ONLY. It will not be offered on Zoom.Venue details will be shared upon registration. Registrations will be accepted until noon on Friday, July 26 or until registrations meet our workshop’s maximum capacity.

Ideally, attendees will come to the grants workshop with a specific grant idea in mind. They will have an opportunity to:

• hear from program officers,
• ask questions about the grant application process,
• work through budget inquiries, and
• learn about the IWF new grants management system.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon City Council met in a regular session Monday evening, and discussed the use of personal fireworks within the City. It was noted in the minutes of the meeting, that there have been many complaints regarding the discharging of fireworks. Councilman Richardson motioned and Councilman Grabill seconded, an amendment to Ordinance No. 739, entitled “Fireworks,” to read that a person shall be at least 100-feet away from a neighboring property to discharge a fireworks device, unless consent has been given. The motion passed. The Council acted also, to permit the use of fireworks on July 3rd and 4th from 6-until 10-p.m.  Fireworks will no longer be allowed on New Year’s Eve.

In other business, the Audubon City Council approved the installation of Stop and Yield sign(s) at the intersection of 3rd Ave. & Chicago St. to match the intersection of 3rd Ave. & South. Audubon Police Chief Coby Gust discussed with the Council the topic of speed signs on Highway 71 (Market St.). Chief Gust said the Iowa D.O.T. will need to remove the 30-mph signs, and then do a speed survey to determine if the 30-mph signs are necessary.

Audubon Parks and Rec Board member Ashley Hartl told the Council that there will be a zip line installed at Bluegrass Park (Dinosaur Park). Hartl was going to check also, to see if it is possible to get AED certification for the lifeguards.

(Radio Iowa) – All of members of Iowa’s U-S House delegation voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that prevents non-citizens from registering to vote in U-S federal elections. Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says the bill strengthens the election process. “This bill will prevent illegal immigrants and non-citizens from voting in U-S elections by requiring our state election officials to ask about citizenship before providing voter registration forms. It would require an individual to provide proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections,” Hinson says. The Republicans from Marion says voting is a sacred right.

“Only American citizens should be able to vote in American elections,” she says. “I will continue working on common sense election integrity measures that make it easy for American citizens to vote and hard to cheat.” Hinson says the Biden Administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our country and wants to maintain loopholes that them to vote. Only five Democrats voted for the measure, as Democrats who voted against it say the number of voters who illegally vote is very small. Hinson says if Democrats believe illegals should not vote, they should support this measure.

“It’s a vital election integrity issue. It still protects states’ rights to run their own elections, but it makes sure that people understand that their vote counts and that the integrity of their vote counts,” she says. Hinson made her comments in her weekly conference call with reporters.