(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump has used an appearance in Sioux City to tout two Iowa Republicans who are seeking reelection this year — and to hint that HE will run again for president in 2024.

During remarks outdoors to a crowd gathered at the Sioux City Airport, Trump called Senator Chuck Grassley courageous and Kim Reynolds a great governor.

Reynolds joined Trump on stage and spoke for a minute.

Trump invited Grassley on stage, too.

As Trump’s plane landed in Sioux City, Mike Franken — Grassley’s Democratic opponent — was rallying with a crowd in Des Moines.

Franken described his campaign’s gathering as “second fiddle” to Trump’s, but Franken told his crowd Trump and Grassley no longer appeal to a winning majority of Iowa voters.

Democratic candidate for governor Deidre DeJear says Reynolds and Trump are focused on dangerous rhetoric rather than solutions to problems.

DeJear made her comments while campaigning last (Thursday) night in Indianola.

(Cass County, Iowa) – Firefighters from Marne and Atlantic were dispatched to a report of a semi tractor-trailer fire this morning, on Interstate 80 near mile marker 54. The incident occurred at around 3:25-a.m. on I-80 westbound. The tractor and trailers were said to be separated and in the north ditch.

No other details were immediately available.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. On Tuesday (11/1), 38-year-old Alicia Marie Biekna, of Lincoln, NE., was arrested at around 1:13-a.m. on I-29, for Theft in the 2nd Degree and Possession of a Controlled Substance ($6,000 bond). And there were two separate arrests Monday, in Mills County:

54-year-old Richard James Linfor, of Shenandoah, was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for OWI (Bond $1,000). And, 49-year-old Brian Jay Anderson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE., Jail, on a warrant for Violation of Probation (Bond $20,000).

And, one person was transported to the hospital following a collision Tuesday afternoon at Highway 34 and 188th Street, in Mills County. Authorities say a 2005 Peterbilt semi driven by 34-year-old Joshua Adams, of Paris, KY, was westbound on Highway 34 at around 1:08-p.m., at the same time a 2011 Acura driven by 41-year-old Elena Detricxhe, of Kansas City, KS, was traveling north on 188th Street.

The woman said she pulled into the intersection, when the semi ran a red light and struck her vehicle. Adams told authorities he was watching the intersection as he was approaching, and the light was still green. He checked his mirror and when he looked back forward, the light changed as he entered the intersection and collided with the car.

Two witness confirmed the semi ran a red light, while another said the car ran the light as the westbound light had turned yellow, just as the semi was entering the intersection. Two passengers in the semi left the scene in order to avoid Adams getting into trouble for being in the vehicle with him. They were later located at returned to the scene. All the passengers in the semi were checked out by rescue but did not want treatment and were cleared.

The driver of the Acura was transported by Glenwood Rescue to the UNMC in Omaha.

(Radio Iowa) – The state’s top election official says there’s “zero evidence” Iowa’s vote counting systems could be hacked or infiltrated. Secretary of State Paul Pate says every ballot is a paper ballot and none of the ballot tabulators poll workers will use next Tuesday are connected to the internet.

“And we have our unsung heroes, the bipartisan teams of poll workers — your friends and neighbors — that give us that transparency and consistency across all 99 counties, so that we can feel confident in our election process,” Pate said today as he hosted a news conference with federal and state officials who are monitoring election-related threats.

Pate referred to a situation in Arizona, where armed people were observing voters putting their absentee ballots at drop boxes. “Because of what people are seeing on the news and reports from other states, there’s something I’d like to address — voters we’ve got your back,” Pate said. “You will be able to cast your vote safely and if anyone tries to impede that process in any way, our friends in law enforcement will deal with them. We have these guys on speed dial.”

Paul Pate. (RI photo)

Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said voter intimidation hasn’t “traditionally” been a problem in Iowa. “In the past, I believe there was one report maybe out of western Iowa of a potential case of either a voter or poll worker intimidation and what we actually found out it was actually a false narrative being spread on social media to discourage people from going to that particular polling place,” Bayens said, “and so, in reality, there was no truth to it.”

About 10,000 Iowans will be working at precinct sites around the state next Tuesday and Pate is urging voters to treat them with respect. “It’s a very important job they’re doing because they care about elections,” Pate said. “These are your friends and neighbors, the people you go to church with, the people whose kids and grandkids go to the same schools as your kids and grandkids. Our election officials are made up of bipartisan teams in every polling place and they deserve a lot of credit for the job that they’re doing.”

The day after the election, Pate will order a hand count of ballots cast in a randomly selected precinct in each Iowa county. Two statewide races will be identified as the subject of the recounts. Pate said these post-election audits in the past have clearly shown Iowans that the vote tallies announced on Election Night are accurate. “Come election day when we put those tallies up, we need them to believe in it,” Pate said. “They can’t have a doubt because if they do, our republic has fallen and with that, whether it’s the Chinese or the Russians or the North Koreans, they just won the war without firing a single bullet.”

Pate hosted today’s news conference in the State of Iowa’s Emergency Operations Center. State officials will gather there next Tuesday to monitor and respond to any election-related threats.

(Radio Iowa) – The approaching holiday season can be the hardest time of the year for many of the 73-thousand Iowans who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Megan Benzing, program manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says they offer a wide array of resources, programs and support groups just for caregivers.

“Alz Connected is an online messaging board where they can speak to other caregivers or family and friends who are also going through a similar situation,” Benzing says. “They can ask questions, get guidance and support as they’re going through this difficult time.” The starting point is the website alz.org/iowa, and all of the resources are free. There’s also a 24-7 helpline available at 800-272-3900. The cost of putting a loved one in a “memory care” facility can be several thousand dollars a month, so financial constraints can quickly become an issue for someone with dementia — and their family — making caregiving the best option.

“The goal is to try to keep them in their home as long as possible but because of the progression of the disease, they eventually get to a point where it’s nearly impossible for the caregiver to care for them on their own,” Benzing says. “They have to consider things such as in-home care, or putting their loved one into a care community.” The life expectancy after diagnosis often ranges from four to eight years, but she says it can be up to 20 years, based on conditions. Being a caregiver can be particularly stressful and demanding.

“Caregivers are often having to manage multiple conditions at a time,” Benzing says, “so not just memory loss, but long-term physical conditions, including gradual loss of mobility, emotional issues and behavioral and personality changes.” A survey found about a third of responding caregivers found themselves in declining health, while more than a quarter said they’d delayed or did not do things they should for their own health. More than six-million people nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 66,000 in Iowa.

SWIPCO staff attended the NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference in Pittsburg, PA October 15-18 and received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from NADO.

Atlantic, Iowa – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), which provides grant writing and administration services to its member communities in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties, has received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Post-Disaster Transformational Housing Development.

SWIPCO was recognized based on its support for the southwest Iowa towns devastated by the 2019 floods. SWIPCO secured $90 million in federal flood recovery funds through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery programs for southwest Iowa communities including Glenwood, Hamburg, Logan, Malvern, Missouri Valley, Modale, Tabor, and Woodbine. These funds are being used for property acquisition, new housing construction, and infrastructure development for new housing. As a part of the grants, more than 100 housing units damaged in the 2019 floods have already been demolished and more than 250 new housing units are being built in these impacted communities.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.

Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference, held in Pittsburgh, PA on October 15-18. The 2022 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The Story Map is available online at: https://tinyurl.com/38vbcczu

“Regional development organizations and their partners have played an integral role in supporting local communities during this important time of economic recovery,” said 2021-2022 NADO President Misty Crosby, former executive director of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council, located in Marietta, OH. “This year’s Impact Awards recipients demonstrate the many ways our member organizations serve their communities by promoting economic development, fostering resilience, and improving quality of life for residents.”

The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who was NADO’s first executive director and served 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.