(Radio Iowa) — Dozens of young people working in Iowa on presidential campaigns were planning a “Friendship 2020” dodgeball tournament Saturday. After the mass shooting in El Paso, the teams representing El Paso native Beto O’Rourke immediately withdrew — and all the other teams decided not to play out of respect for the shooting victims.

Amanda Wager, the tournament’s main organizer, says this is another example of how important the Iowa Caucus experience can be — even if people don’t work on the same campaign. “I think it just instills a sense of community and a lasting friendship,” Wager says.

The dodgeball tournament had been scheduled in Des Moines on a day when nearly all the candidates were in the state of Nevada. With a packed campaign calendar over the next few months, Wager says rescheduling the tournament is too difficult.

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The National Weather Services report an enhanced risk for severe weather is forecast for mid-afternoon through mid-evening, today. Storms are expected to fire-up between 3-and 11-p.m. Damaging winds are the primary threat, with large hail a secondary threat. There may be periodic heavy rainfall, however the threat for flash flooding is low at this time- largely due to the lack of rainfall over the past few weeks.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two people died when a vehicle going the wrong way on U.S. Highway 30 in Cedar Rapids hit another vehicle. The collision occurred around 11:40 p.m. Sunday, shortly after police were notified about an eastbound vehicle traveling in a westbound highway lane. Police say the collision killed both drivers. Their names haven’t been released.

(Radio Iowa) — The State Board of Education has given final approval to a change that  requires all NEW school buses to have seatbelts in them — but that wasn’t the only change made to the rules. Department of Education Transportation Director, Max Christensen, says another change is the doubling the number of the retractable stop signs on buses.”We currently have one stop sing that is basically positioned where the driver is located. The second stop sign will be located on the left rear corner of the school bus,” according to Christensen.

He says the additional stop signs will be required on new buses. It’s a step they hope will cut down on the number of people who drive through when the stop signs are out on a stopped bus. “We estimate there’s about 700 per day here in Iowa,” he says, “and we feel that having that second stop arm on that back corner of the school bus, the vehicles coming up from behind will be more able to see that that bus is stopped and see that stop sign,” Christensen says.

The stopped signs are required to have flashing lights on them. Another rule change requires that the two yearly inspections include ALL vehicles used for student transportation. Christensen says they are now limited to inspecting only vehicles used as school buses — not those driven to and from activities and sports. They inspection fee be raised from 40 to 50 dollars on July 1st. The National Transportation Safety Board recently released its findings on the fatal 2017 Riverside School District bus fire near Oakland which killed the driver and the student. Christensen says the recommendations in that report won’t directly impact the state. “All of those recommendations went to the manufacturers — so that will be more on them than the state agency,” Christensen says.

He says they will see the changes as they are implemented in new buses. He says the manufacturers have been asked to strengthen their firewalls so that the firewall is stronger between the engine and the passenger compartment. Christensen says more students than you might think ride school buses every year in Iowa. “Believe it or not — about 240-thousand a day — twice a day,” Christensen says.

The rule changes for buses are expected to go into effect in October, after being checked by the Legislative Rules Committee.

(Radio Iowa) — A report from 24-7 Wall Street names the northwest Iowa community of Le Mars as the best place in the state to live. Le Mars Mayor Dick Kirchoff says he’s pleased to see others recognize Le Mars as a friendly, desirable community. Mayor Kirchoff says, “They were talking about the affordability category, the economy category, the quality of life in this town, the population, the number of entertainment and culture venues, restaurants and everything that we have here.”

The report says goods and services in Le Mars typically cost 15-percent less than the national average. It also says housing in Le Mars is particularly inexpensive, with the average household spending about $4,000 less than the average annual housing cost nationwide.  “This really puts the frosting on the cake in regard to what we’ve been trying to do and talk about,” he says. “We want to make this town a destination city.”

Kirchoff believes the recognition for Le Mars may help with the community’s economic development, attracting businesses and families. “The new people that are coming in here for jobs, particularly in our industries, quality of life is a very, very important factor, taking care of their families,” Kirchoff says. “It’s a big asset, what they’re looking at. We’ve been very fortunate to keep our quality of life program going very strong.”

The report shows Le Mars has a population of just under 10-thousand, and rising. It’s home to a Blue Bunny manufacturing plant which churns out more ice cream from a single company than any other city, earning Le Mars the nickname “The Ice Cream Capital of the World.”

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ refusal to specify why she forced the head of the Iowa Department of Human Services to resign has prompted accusations that she’s violating a 2017 law requiring the state to disclose why it has fired employees or officials. Then Gov. Terry Branstad sought the bill, which Republicans included in a larger collective bargaining measure that reduced public worker union rights. But after asking DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven to resign, Reynolds has declined to specify the reason.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state board has approved a measure expanding the number of medical conditions that can legally be treated by medical marijuana in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports the Iowa Medical Cannabidiol Board voted Friday to allow those with chronic pain to have legal access to medical marijuana. The board denied allowing generalized anxiety disorder and opioid dependency as qualifying conditions.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A former eastern Nebraska postmaster has been sentenced to probation for embezzling from the Fort Calhoun Post Office. Federal prosecutors say 54-year-old Steven Whitesel, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced Friday in Omaha’s federal court to four years’ probation, 160 hours of community service and ordered to pay nearly $70,000 in restitution. Prosecutors say Whitesel submitted false mileage reimbursement requests to illegally collect nearly $70,000.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Swarms of mayflies have emerged from under water along the Missouri River and are caking drivers’ windshields. The Omaha World-Herald reports mayflies spend 99% of their lives in water, but they rise above when they become winged adults to take part in a mating swarm. They quickly die after that. Dominator Fuel in Rock Port, Missouri, sold out of windshield wiper fluid in light of the mayflies’ arrival. Urban entomologist Jody Green says mayfly hatches are a yearly event.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a homicide. Authorities say officers were called at around 5:15-p.m. Sunday to 2103 6^th Ave. in Council Bluffs to assist the medics with a suspicious death.  When they arrived, officers found 52-year old Jerrot Clark deceased inside of his residence.

At this time the cause of death is being withheld due to this being an ongoing investigation.  If anyone has information on this incident please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.  As updates arise information will be provided.

DES MOINES — Sen. Bernie Sanders will return to Iowa for stops next Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Clear Lake, Williams, Carroll, Adel, Avon and Orient. Sen. Sanders last visited Iowa in July and held stops in Council Bluffs, Afton, Nevada, Ottumwa, Fort Madison and announced a comprehensive plan to expand and improve healthcare for senior citizens.

Here is the itinerary for the area:

Saturday, August 10

1:30 p.m. Rural Healthcare Town Hall with Sen. Bernie Sanders
Cafeteria, Carroll High School, 2809 North Grant Road, Carroll, IA 51401
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis.

4:00 p.m. Adel Sweet Corn Festival with Sen. Bernie Sanders
301 South 10th Street, Adel, IA 50003
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis.

Sunday, August 11th
12:00 p.m. 21st Century Economic Bill of Rights Town Hall with Sen. Bernie Sanders
Henry Wallace Farms, 2773 290th St, Orient, IA 50858
Information for the public: This event is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, but an RSVP is encouraged. Entrance is provided on a first come, first served basis.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Sunday, that at around 2:30-p.m. Saturday, 28-year old Daniel Ryan Linderman, of Waukee, was tubing behind a boat being operated by Timothy Heitland of Buffalo Center, when Linderman fell off the tube into the water. The accident happened at Clear Lake. According to witnesses, Linderman was swimming back to the boat when he possibly suffered a medical emergency and went face down in the water for a short period of time. Linderman was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident. A DNR Water Patrol Officer was nearby and immediately rushed to the scene while one person from Heitland’s boat tried to hold Linderman above water. The water patrol officer and the other person were able to get Linderman’s body into a DNR boat.

Another DNR Water Patrol Officer and a DNR Conservation Officer arrived on scene and took Linderman to shore and performed CPR. He was then transported to MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy will be performed at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny to determine the exact cause of death. The Clear Lake Fire Department, Ventura Fire Department and Mason City Fire and Rescue assisted the Iowa DNR with this incident. The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa DNR.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ refusal to specify why she forced the head of the Iowa Department of Human Services to resign has prompted accusations that she’s violating a 2017 law requiring the state to disclose why it has fired employees or officials.

Reynolds was lieutenant governor and stood by then Gov. Terry Branstad when he signed the disclosure bill into law. Branstad had pushed for the bill, which Republicans included in a larger collective bargaining bill that reduced union rights for 180,000 public workers.

But after asking DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven to resign June 17, Reynolds has declined to specify the reason other than saying “there are several factors that went into this decision and I made the decision to go in a different direction.” On Thursday, Foxhoven said he would file a whistleblower claim with the State Appeal Board, the first step toward pursuing a lawsuit against Reynolds and the state.

Foxhoven alleges wrongful termination and retaliation for being ousted after objecting to a request to have his department continue funding the salary of Paige Thorson, deputy chief of staff for Reynolds. Foxhoven, a former law professor, said he was pushed out after saying he wanted to get a legal opinion to be sure the arrangement was proper.

Reynolds has repeatedly said Foxhoven never raised concerns about the matter and isn’t being truthful. Foxhoven responds that it’s the governor’s staff that isn’t being honest. Regardless of who is telling the truth, Reynolds may be violating the 2017 law that requires disclosures of the factors behind a state employee’s firing.

The law states that when “officials, officers and employees of government bodies” are fired or asked to resign as the result of a disciplinary action, the documented reasons and rationale must be publicly released. The 2017 law does not offer an exemption for the governor. A spokesman for Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said the office has not issued a legal interpretation of how the law applies to the governor’s appointees.

When asked Tuesday why she feels she doesn’t have to comply with the law, Reynolds answered: “We have complied with the law.” She didn’t elaborate further on how she believes she’s complied. Democrats have said Reynolds isn’t complying with the law and sought Government Oversight Committee hearings about Foxhoven’s ouster.

“Right now she is not following the law,” Senate Democratic leader Janet Petersen said. “Iowans shouldn’t have to play a guessing game about one of the top state officials running programs Iowans depend on. She should not be above the law.”
Republican legislative leaders rejected Democrats’ call for oversight meetings.

Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver said he considers the Foxhoven matter closed. He said Reynolds should be free to select department directors to best implement her priorities. He didn’t directly respond to a question about whether the governor should comply with the disclosure law.

However, he debated a similar proposal on April 25, 2014, as Republicans were pushing to include the provision in an amendment to a Democratic Senate bill establishing new hiring procedures and expanding whistleblower protection for workers.

“This amendment would add that the public should know if someone has resigned in lieu of termination or if they were demoted in lieu of termination so it gives the public the entire story on what is happening with the terminations and settlement agreements,” he said. “Iowans have the right to know about the misconduct of state workers when it’s serious enough that they’re fired.”

The Iowa Freedom of Information Council, a nonprofit consortium of newspapers, radio and television stations, educators and others interested in openness in government and First Amendment rights, contends the governor cannot ignore the law. “She was part of the team when this change in personnel records law was made two years ago,” said Randy Evans, the council’s executive director. “If she disagrees with the premise, which was Gov. Branstad’s position on this change was based, she ought to share that with the public and be asking the Legislature to change the law rather than choosing to ignore the law.”