(Radio Iowa) – The deadline is next week for Iowa women who use wheelchairs to apply to compete in the upcoming Ms. Wheelchair Iowa contest. State coordinator Tasha DeGroote says the event focuses -not- on disabilities, but rather on the abilities of contestants. She says you must be at least 21 years old and be willing to make public appearances, either virtually or in person. “You have to be a U.S. citizen for at least six months,” DeGroote says. “You have to be 100% wheelchair-bound for 100% of your daily mobility and must be willing to travel.” That travel includes a trip to the national competition for Ms. Wheelchair America next fall in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

DeGroote says a successful candidate will need to be able to communicate their passion to the public, and she emphasizes, this is -not- like the Miss Iowa pageant. “There’s not a beauty contest as far as you don’t do the night gown, you don’t do the swimsuit competition, nothing like that,” she says. DeGroote, who was Ms. Wheelchair Iowa 2013, says the new titleholder will be selected based on what they’ve accomplished since the onset of the disability, whether it was a recent accident or a lifelong condition. “Your accomplishments as far as what you’ve done in your life,” DeGroote says, “so to promote themselves, to fight for other women who may or may or may not be willing to speak up for themselves and help them out.” 

The deadline to apply is October 24th. To apply, contact DeGroote through the Ms. Wheelchair Iowa Facebook page, at tashaswheels@gmail.com or at (319) 464-7574. This year’s contest will be held October 29th at the Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls.

(Sioux City) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Monday afternoon, said a man convicted of 2^nd Degree Robbery and other crimes in Woodbury County, failed to report back to the Sioux City Residential Treatment Facility Sunday, as required.

21-year-old Nevitt Joseph Taylor is a Native American male. He stands 5-feet 8-inches tall and and weighs 230 pounds. Taylor was admitted to the work release facility on October 10, 2022.

Persons with information on Taylor’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Nevitt Taylor

(Radio Iowa) – A man died and three juveniles were seriously hurt following a car crash early Monday morning near Northwest Community College in Sheldon. The Iowa State Patrol’s accident report indicates that just before 6:30 Monday morning, the teenage driver of a car crossed the center line of Highway 18 west of Sheldon and hit a semi head on. All four occupants of the car were trapped inside the vehicle and had to be freed by emergency crews. A passenger in the back seat, 44-year-old Samuel Garcia-Ruiz of Worthington, Minnesota, was killed. The 17 year old male who was driving has life-threatening injuries according to the State Patrol and two 17 year old females who were passengers were seriously injured. All three teenagers are hospitalized in Sheldon.

The semi driver was not hurt. Both lanes Highway 18 were closed for several hours.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear outlined diverging paths on taxes, abortion and carbon pipelines during their debate last night on Iowa P-B-S. Reynolds said eminent domain should be a last resort for pipelines that would ship carbon out of Iowa ethanol plants and she supports current rules for how developers may get authority to seize property along the pipeline routes from unwilling landowners.

“Fifty-five percent of our corn goes to ethanol plants today and if we lose that ethanol industry, that will have a tremendous impact on farmers,” Reynolds said. DeJear said she opposes the use of eminent domain for the pipelines. “I believe that the landowner should have power in this situation because they put their blood, sweat and tears into their land,” DeJear said. DeJear called the individual income tax cuts Reynolds signed into law in March shortsighted.

“The vast majority of Iowans are going to get about $50 to $55 a month…It doesn’t do anything to resolve the issues with our education system today, our mental health care system today and so rather than cutting, I think this is a moment where we should be investing so that we can restore Iowans and they can have sustainability.” Reynolds said: “I’d like to respond to that. Talk to the working families, $55, $25, that matters to them, it makes a difference, especially as they’re seeing grocery prices skyrocket…Everything is increasing across the board, so any time that we can help Iowans keep more of their hard earned money it does matter.”

The two candidates had an extended and sometimes tense discussion about abortion. Reynolds declined to say whether she’d seek new restrictions beyond the 2018 law to ban abortions after about the sixth week of pregnancy, a law that’s in limbo due to a lawsuit. “When it’s going through the courts, I’m not going to weigh in either way,” Reynolds said, “but my goal is to make sure that we make the law that’s on the books law.” DeJear said Roe v Wade had provided reasonable restrictions with exceptions and that policy should become Iowa law.

“I believe that it is undemocratic and irresponsible for us to try to dictate in black and white this situation that has infinite variable as it relates to pregnancy,” DeJear said. DeJear said politicians shouldn’t inject themselves in conversations women have with doctors about a pregnancy. “We cannot put Iowans in those types of situations. My faith teaches me to trust people and I trust women to make that decision,” DeJear said.

Reynolds interjected: “So it’s late term abortion. They believe you can abort a baby right up until the moment it’s born.” DeJear replied: “That’s not what you just heard from me.” Reynolds said: “Yeah, that is what you’re saying. You’re not answering the question. You’re saying it’s up to the woman to decide.”

The hour-long debate was the only face-to-face meeting between Reynolds and DeJear before the November 8th General Election. A debate tonight (Tuesday) between Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson and Liz Mathis, the Democratic challenger in Iowa’s second congressional district, has been cancelled. Hinson was admitted to a Cedar Rapids hospital on Sunday night for treatment of a kidney infection. Last (Monday) night, her chief of staff says Hinson is feeling better, but was still in the hospital undergoing treatment.