(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird used her prime time speaking slot at the Republican National Convention to tout former President Donald Trump’s approach to crime-related issues, but she began with her own biography.  “A few years ago, I was a local prosecutor, locking up bad guys, but in 2022 I ran for Attorney General and beat the incumbent Democrat who was first elected when I was just two years old,” Bird said, to laughter and applause.

Bird says she was elected because Iowans want a judicial system that protects them, not the criminals. “Democrats like Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have made life miserable for law enforcement,” Bird said. “They treat police like criminals and criminals like victims.” Bird focused on Vice President Harris, a former local prosecutor who was California’s attorney general for six years.

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird speaks at the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024. (Photo from Bird’s staff.)

“Democrats like Harris use words like ‘reimagine’ the police,” Bird said. “…The Democratic Party is the party of defunding the police. They said it, they mean it and they can’t wiggle out of it.” Bird says Trump has repeatedly shown his support for law enforcement and will put criminals in jail where they belong. “The radical left believes in handouts, not handcuffs,” Bird said.

The Biden campaign points to recent data showing violent crime is at a 50 year low and the number of murders in America declined 13 percent between 2022 and 2023. Bird is the only statewide elected official who endorsed Trump before the Iowa Caucuses and Trump has predicted she’ll be Iowa’s governor some day.

(Iowa News Service) – AARP Iowa is on a road trip, taking knowledge to family caregivers wherever they are and helping them learn more about the resources that may be available to them. It is part of the association’s larger effort to educate people about caregiving in Iowa.

AARP Iowa data show the state’s 330,000 unpaid family caregivers provide $310 million of care every year in the state, which is valued at more than $5 billion. Brad Anderson, state director for AARP Iowa, said caregivers are busy and often do not know what to expect or where to get information. “For example, they need to know, ‘How do I get in touch with the Area Agency on Aging?’ They need to know, ‘How does Medicare work?’ They need to know, ‘Is my loved one on the right prescription drug program?'” Anderson outlined.

AARP is traveling the state from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River in a big red RV to distribute information. Anderson noted they are making stops at grocery stores, hospitals, clinics and pharmacies; the most likely places to run across people who have just inherited caregiving duties.

There are other, more ‘hands-on’ things caregivers need to know but Anderson added since most people fall into the role, there is no real formal training and they have to learn their new role on the fly.

“How do I feed my loved one? How do I care for a wound? Maybe how do I even lift this person up and help them into bed?” Anderson explained. “These are all things that sometimes happen, literally, overnight.”

The informational tour is scheduled to last into August.

• Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
• Call FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
• Download and use the FEMA app
• Visit any Disaster Recovery Center to apply or get application assistance

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ATLANTIC, IOWA – July 16, 2024 – If you travel on eastbound Interstate 80 to reach westbound I-880 in Pottawattamie County you need to be aware of an upcoming maintenance project that may slow down your trip, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office.

Crews will close the ramp from eastbound I-80 to westbound I-880 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24 and July 25, weather permitting, so work can take place. While the ramp is closed you will follow a marked detour route by traveling on eastbound I-80 to Exit 29, then travel on westbound I-80 to reach westbound I-880 (see map).

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.