(Radio Iowa) — A woman who many consider to be a presidential candidate of the future will be the keynote speaker at Senator Joni Ernst’s fundraiser next month. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for the past two years. Ernst and Haley recorded a brief video about the 5th annual Roast and Ride fundraiser for Ernst’s 2020 campaign.

File photo: Sen. Joni Ernst on the 2016 “Roast and Ride.” (photo from Radio Iowa)

“I’m so excited to be supporting Joni and can’t wait to see all the Harley riders and go see everybody in Iowa,” Haley said. “We’re going to have a blast.”

Haley left her role as U.N. Ambassador at the end of 2018. She has a book coming out in November. It’s titled “With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace.” Haley, the daughter of immigrants from India, is the first woman and first minority to be elected South Carolina’s governor. She endorsed Marco Rubio before the 2016 South Carolina Primary.

After Rubio exited the race, Haley backed Ted Cruz. Haley tamped down speculation she might challenge Trump in 2020 and has endorsed Trump’s bid for a second term.

(Radio Iowa) — Temporary barriers in Hamburg that have been keeping floodwater at bay have been extended. An earthen berm was built along the western side of Hamburg after March flooding swamped the city and three feet of dirt was added to the top of the berm this week. Fremont County Emergency Management coordinator Mike Crecelius says Hesco barriers in the center of Hamburg have been fortified as well.

“Where the city had installed the first set of Hesco bags, the Corps has gone in there and reinstalled a double set of Hesco bags,” Crecelius says, “so that if the water does get into town, hopefully the Hesco bags hold up and it’ll only get that far.”

After making some progress in recovery efforts, previously flooded areas in southwest Iowa are being flooded again due to recent heavy rains. Travel in the area is dicey. Many roads that were cleared and reopened are closed again due to this new round of flooding. Crecelius says sight-seers are another concern.

“With the Hesco bags set up down there, we don’t need a bunch of traffic going through there and possibly damaging or destroying that barrier that the Corps of Engineers has set up for the city,” Crecelius says. A new weather pattern would be welcome, according to Crecelius.

“A lot of nice warm days and a nice summer breeze would be nice right about now,” Crecelius says. “It would help some things dry out and might help evaporate a little bit of this water. Not a whole lot of it, but some of it would be evaporated for us.” Crecelius says more than 10-and-a-half inches of rain has fallen in the Hamburg area this month, making the flood situation even worse.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:57 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to increase releases of water Saturday from the Gavin’s Point Dam into the Missouri River. Missouri River Basin Management Chief John Remus said Thursday that the Corps is increasing releases because of water on the ground and runoff into the Oahe and Fort Randall reservoirs in South Dakota. He said the releases would increase by 5,000 cubic feet per second, to 75,000 cfs.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Midwestern farmers are enduring a spring like no other. Most of the nation’s corn and soybeans are grown in the Midwest, and farmers in the region have for years struggled with low prices that got even worse due to a trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Amid those problems, farmers haven’t been able to plant because of seemingly endless storms. President Donald Trump promised $16 billion in aid but that led to confusion because details about the payments won’t be released until later.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — An ex-nurse at the Independence Mental Health Institute is blaming changes to collective bargaining rules for a decision to fire her after a patient severely beat her last fall. The Des Moines Register reports Tina Suckow was fired in March, days after her federally entitled medical leave expired. A patient beat Suckow with his fists last October, requiring surgeries and neurological treatments. Suckow and union leaders blame reduced staffing and more limited bargaining rights approved in 2017.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Officials in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport say the city is building a bigger flood barrier in the wake of a breach in April that sent floodwaters rushing into downtown streets. Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel tells the Quad-City Times that the city will build larger flood walls when there is a high probability the river cresting above 21 feet. Days after the last temporary barrier broke on April 30, the river hit a historic crest of 22.7 feet.