Republican Congressman Steve King opened a campaign headquarters in Ames this week — the city where his Democratic opponent, Christie Vilsack, moved last year to launch her run in Iowa’s new fourth congressional district.

Congressman Steve King

King says he has a solid base of support in conservative northwest Iowa, so he’s been focused on introducing himself to people in the 20 counties that are part of the new district that he’s never represented before.  “And the communities that are new and those who present the greatest challenges are Fort Dodge, Mason City and Ames,” King says, “in ascending order.”

King’s visit to Mason City this week featured a confrontation with someone who called King a “professional liar.” “No,” King said, adding: “You’re done.” The man was escorted from the room by police. Democrats also blasted King for comments he made this week in Pocahontas. King suggested the best immigrants to the country are those who are like “bird dogs” with an “aggressive…frisky” demeanor. While the new fourth district is not as heavily Republican as King’s current congressional district, it still has a sizable Republican voter registration edge with about 40-thousand more Republicans than Democrats. And some areas like Story County where Democrats have held an advantage in the past have seen margins narrow.

Cory Adams is chairman of Story County Republicans. “The Democrats only have…less than 600 voters over us and we’re going to do our best to find 601 Republicans,” Adams says. King in the past has relied on a core of volunteers to run his reelection campaigns and his son has served as campaign chairman.

Christy Vilsack

This year — with the well-financed challenge from former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack — King has raised more money and hired two of Governor Branstad’s aides to work on his campaign.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

A woman from Walnut was injured early Thursday afternoon when she was hit by a car that crashed into a bank in Avoca. Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Sgt. Dwayne Riche told KJAN News the incident happened at around 1:15-p.m., in front of the U-S Bank, in Avoca. He said the driver of a 1997 Buick LeSabre, 85-year old Dennis Allgood, of Omaha, was pulling into a parking stall in front of the bank, when his foot slipped-off the brake and onto the gas pedal.The car jumped the curb and struck a pedestrian.

Sarah Nelson, age 32, of Walnut, was hit and knocked over by the car, which continued across the sidewalk and hit the front of the bank, causing an estimated $100 damage. Nelson was transported by Avoca Rescue to Myrtue Memoral Hospital in Harlan, for treatment of back pain, left arm and right leg injuries. Sgt. Riche said the woman’s injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Allgood was cited by authorities for Failure to Maintain Control. His vehicle sustained an estimated $5,000 damage.

The Sioux City city council has approved the expansion of Sabre Industries into a new business park. Economic Development director Marty Dougherty says Sabre is anxious to get started on the new facility. “Sabre is doing a major expansion they are actually going to build a whole campus,” Dougherty says. He says the campus will have seven buildings and be the first business in the new Southbridge Industrial Park. The company makes cellphone and other types of towers. “They have about 200 jobs currently in Sioux City that will move over to the site when it is completed, and they will be adding an additional 200 jobs in phase one,” Doughterty says. He says they are skilled, well-paying jobs.

Sabre’s Darwin Gamm says the company hopes to have the first production plant ready by mid-November. “This facility will be utility pole structures that will complement our Sabre facility in Alvarado, Texas,” according to Gamm. Gamm says the company is experiencing a growth period with orders increasing. “And especially in the utility segment, the energy grid is so far behind, that there is a lot of business to update transmission lines. Especially when the renewable energy continues to be an issue, then you have to move that electricity to the open markets,” Gamm says. A second phase of the project could bring in another 100 jobs.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

The executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, Mark Wyatt, is renewing his call for a new state law that would require motorists maintain a distance of three feet between their vehicle and a bicycle they’re passing on the road.”We had two fatal crashes over this past week where a bicyclist was hit from behind while the motor vehicle was passing,” Wyatt said. “I think that provides an opportunity to reinforce that we really need this education out there and to let people know that at least three feet is a safe passing distance.” Initial report indicate the two bicyclists who were killed last weekend were both operating lawfully. A 37-year old man was struck from behind on a rural Clayton County road and a 67-year old man was killed in a hit-and-run crash in rural Dallas County. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition has pushed for the three-foot passing distance law over the past four years.

Critics of the proposal have said the safe passing of a bicyclist should be common sense and it shouldn’t have to be written as a law. Wyatt agrees it should be common sense, but he believes reminding motorists with a three-foot passing law could help save lives. “This is a number that can be taught in driver’s education. This is something that can be on the driver’s ed exam and included in the driver’s ed manual,” Wyatt said. “I think there’s an education component, along with that common sense component, that we should be giving bicyclists some space.”

Other states have enacted the three-foot passing law and Wyatt said it’s time for Iowa to follow suit. “Approximately half of the states have passed something, including our neighboring states of Nebraska and Minnesota,” Wyatt said. “Wisconsin has had it on the books since 1973.” The League of American Bicyclists recently issued their annual ranking of states according to “bicycle friendliness” and Iowa dropped from 6th to 16th on the list. Wyatt said Iowa’s failure to approve a three-foot passing law contributed to the state’s fall in the rankings.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)