(Atlantic, Iowa) (Updated 2/24) – Iowa Third-District Democrat Congresswoman Cindy Axne (D) held a Town Hall meeting in Atlantic, Wednesday evening at the Atlantic Public Library. She discussed issues she’s worked on, and continues to try and hash out with her fellow Congressmen and Senators. Like Republican Senator Charles Grassley, who spoke earlier in the day Wednesday, in Atlantic, Axne focused on the Infrastructure Bill and the money that’s coming to Iowa for: Highway Aid; Bridge Repairs; Public Transportation; Broadband service; Cybersecurity and more.

Rep. Cindy Axne (2/23/22) Ric Hanson photo

That breaks down into: $3.4-billion to address Iowa’s 403 miles of highway that are in poor condition; $432-million for repairs and revitalization of more than 4,500 bridges; $305-million to address the 40% of transit vehicles that are beyond their expected lifespan.

Axne said “It’s been a heck of a whirlwind” of activity in Congress over the past year to keep towns alive while COVID was still making its presence known. She said “I spent most of last year working on bills that would literally just ensure that Atlantic, southwest Iowa, Iowa and this great country of ours can stay afloat, and prosper.” She added, “We made it through…with more money in people’s pockets, more health care opportunities for people to get vaccinated…”

Axne spoke about the benefits to Iowans of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). During the Q&A from those who attended the Town Hall. One of the questions from a person whose brother is a severe diabetic and has trouble getting his medical equipment.  Axne said every year since she’s been in office, she and others have tried to find ways to lower the cost of prescription drugs, but “We are stopped at every turn,” according to the Congresswoman. “The Senate isn’t moving anything that we need to move.”

The best she and her colleagues can do right now, though, she says is to start with the most expensive and most used drugs, and getting those costs reduced. She spoke also about the Surprise Medical Billing Act, which was written into law and protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers.

She’s also currently working on a bill that helps provide greater access to funding from the U-S Department of Justice for small police departments (with less than 200 employees).

There are also items in the bill to provide “De-escalation training” for officers, to give communities a chance to overcome issues police have to address, like mental health and domestic issues. The bill includes support for body cameras and more.

(Dedham, Iowa) – A collision Tuesday morning between a pickup and a van in Carroll County, left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol, on Wednesday, said a 2010 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 58-year-old Rae Jean Lepird, of Carroll, was traveling east on Highway 141 south of Dedham and west of Olympic Avenue, when the vehicle went out of control on the icy roadway.

The pickup crossed the center line of the highway and struck the driver’s side door of a westbound 2018 Dodge Caravan driven by 32-year-old Ashley Dawn Kesselring, of Coon Rapids. The crash happened at around 8:50-a.m.

Kesselring, who was wearing a seat belt, died at the scene from her injuries.  Lepird, who was also wearing her seat belt,  suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported by Carroll County Ambulance to St. Anthony Regional Hospital, in Carroll.

The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The Woodbury County attorney has cleared the deputy involved in the January 12th shooting that claimed the life of a man in Sergeant Bluff. Attorney Patrick Jennings says Deputy Eric Fay was justified when he fired his gun at Michael Meredith — who came at the deputy and hit him with a tire iron. “Fearing for his life and safety, deputy Eric Fay did discharge his firearm. He discharged his firearm twice — striking Michael Meridith once — and in doing so was able to end the threat,” Jennings says.

Fay along with deputy Devin Groenhagen and Sergeant Bluff officer Jereme Muller had responded to a disturbance at a trailer where a man and woman were shouting. Groenhagen had backed away and fired his taser while Fay fired his gun. (Here is sound from the bodycam video of the shooting)

Jennings says an autopsy showed Meredith died from a single shot to the chest. The taser strike did not contribute to his death. Jennings ruled based on evidence from an investigation by the Iowa D-C-I and body camera footage from the three officers that Fay was justified in using deadly force to defend himself. Woodbury County Sheriff Todd Sheehan says an internal investigation of the shooting found no department policies were violated. “Deputies Eric Fay and Devin Groenhagen were forced into a life and death situation and had approximately four seconds or less once confronted with the attack. No law enforcement officer wants to be forced to take the actions that were taken that evening — but I thank God there are men and women willing to place themselves in harm’s way, willing to keep our citizens safe,” Sheehan says.

Sheehan says Fay has 12 years of law enforcement experience. “Deputy Fay is still on paid administrative leave as he continues to process and deal with the emotional effects this incident has had both on him and his family,” according to toe Sheehan. “We will continue to support him, and we will welcome him back to full duty as soon as he is ready.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Republican Iowa Senator Charles Grassley stopped in Atlantic Wednesday afternoon, and spoke with some of the 150 employees at Henningsen Construction. The company is very busy working on buildings and roads around the State and the Midwest. Appropriately enough, one of the things Grassley spoke about was the bipartisan Infrastructure bill he voted for last year, which includes funds for bridges ($432 million in bridge funding over a five-year period), locks and dams ($829 million on the upper Mississippi River) and at least $100-million for broadband.

Henningson Construction President Brad Henningsen (Left) & Sen. Charles Grassley

He says a major reason he did so, even though he received some criticism, is because approximately 23-percent of the bridges (4,500) in Iowa are structurally unsound, and that’s the worst of all 50 states.

One question Grassley was asked was if he thought President Biden should be tested for his cognitive abilities, such as some suggested for former President Trump when he was in office. Grassley said “Susan Rice might be running the country…Obama’s top person.”

He said in the only face-to-face meeting he’s had with Biden since he became President. He suggested Biden has changed from how he acted as Senator, due to outside influences.

But he says he doesn’t think however, that there’s any reason to conclude Biden’s thinking processes make him unfit to hold the office.

The Senator was asked if the U-S is handling the situation in the Ukraine appropriately. He said “From now on, I would have to say ‘Yes’, because the only thing we’re presumably going to do is institute the sanctions.” He said the U-S has to draw a “line in the sand” with the sanctions, but he has some reservations about whether the sanctions will work at this stage in the situation.

He was asked also if a statement made by former President Trump that Russian President Putin made a “Genius move,” by putting Troops along the border as “Peacekeepers.”

Prior to coming to Atlantic, Senator Grassley spoke earlier in the day, Wednesday, at the Audubon County Economic Development Corporation’s meeting, in Audubon.