Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez says the handful of 2020 presidential caucuses should be the last the party ever holds. He didn’t specifically name Iowa, which for decades has led off the nominating calendar, but his position would represent a seismic shift in the party’s traditions. Perez’s term as chair will end before the 2024 nominating calendar is determined.

But he told The Associated Press on Monday, the opening day of the Democratic National Convention, that he plans to “use the bully pulpit as a former chair to make sure we continue the progress” of changes after the bitter 2016 primary fight between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Officials with the Glenwood Police Department, Monday (Today) said all of the suspects associated with a July 30th shooting incident outside of a residence in the 500 block of South Locust Street, have been taken into custody, and are being held at the Mills County Jail.

Authorities said also, due to the age of the suspects involved, no names or any further information will be released at this time. One minor-age victim was sent to the hospital by LifeFlight following the incident.

Nearly 200 Soldiers and Airmen have been mobilized to eastern Iowa to assist emergency management crews in their efforts to clear and remove debris from the Aug. 10 derecho. Since beginning operations, 135 truckloads of debris have been removed, totaling nearly 2.25 million pounds. A dozen different military crews have cleared roughly 68 city blocks.

Soldiers and Airmen are currently working closely with local authorities to clear debris from critical infrastructure such as powerlines and roadways to help restore electricity to affected areas. The Iowa National Guard’s efforts have been focused in Linn County, one of the most heavily impacted areas in the state.

The 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 734th Regional Support Group and the 185th Air Refueling Wing deployed around 30 dump trucks and additional excavators, backhoes, skid loaders and chainsaws to the Cedar Rapids area on Aug. 14.

The Iowa National Guard continues to hear stories of how local Iowans, and in particular veterans, have been impacted by the derecho. Citizen Soldiers and Airmen, like many other Iowans, have been greatly impacted by this storm as well. The Iowa National Guard remains ready to mobilize additional assets to areas that may need more support.

To request support, Iowans are encouraged to reach out to their respective local emergency management coordinators. EMCs are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security and the Iowa National Guard to coordinate aid.

The Iowa National Guard also continues to support the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. There are nearly 200 Soldiers and Airmen currently on duty to support Test Iowa sites and assist with contact tracing.

(Radio Iowa) – The pandemic is -not- a valid excuse for skipping state-required vaccinations as children prepare to go back to school. The number of vaccinations for Iowa children fell sharply in March and April, compared to the same months in 2019. While parents may be wary about taking their kids in for check-ups due to COVID-19, Jessica Schultz, at the state health department, says it could put them at risk for preventable disease outbreaks.

Schultz says, “There is that increased risk when children don’t have protection, that they could be exposed to a vaccine-preventable disease and not have that full protection.” Schultz is encouraging health care providers to reach out to families who may have missed or canceled previous appointments, as some Iowa schools are already back in session and others will be starting soon.

She says, “There could be a risk for a vaccine-preventable outbreak at that school, especially as kids are going back into school and in closer quarters than previously through stay-at-home or just isolating away from other people as well.” Schultz says the department will -not- suspend immunization requirements for schools or licensed childcare centers.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — The number of Iowans being treated in a hospital for COVID-19 has risen to 283. That’s a 19 percent increase compared to the number of patients hospitalized on August 1st.

The state’s coronavirus website shows at a peak in early June, 418 Iowans were being treated in a hospital for the virus. That gradually fell, to about a quarter as many patients by the end of June, but it has been rising since then. The number of Covid patients in intensive care units at Iowa hospitals has increased over the past 10 days as well.

State records currently show the deaths of 978 Iowans have been linked to the virus since the first cases were identified here in March.