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Congressman King, challenger Scholten focus on trade concerns (AUDIO)

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Congressman Steve King is urging his fellow Republicans who are “apprehensive” about President Trump’s trade talk to give Trump “time and room” to make some deals.

“I’ve been asking for years for a president who would play brinksmanship who was also an enigma,” King said Saturday. “It’s really a powerful position to have when you’re doing foreign trade and negotiations and geopolitical maneuvers of all kinds. Well, we elected Donald Trump and I think we got both of those things.”

King made his comments this weekend at the Iowa Republican Party’s state convention.

AUDIO of King’s speech, 6:44

King predicted there will be a “red tsunami” this November. King also spoke up for the nation’s embattled attorney general who’s drawn Trump’s ire at time and who has defended the policy separating children from parents entering the country illegally at the border.

“I’m a supporter of Jeff Sessons. He’s a noble man,” King said. “He believes in the Bible and the Constitution and in the rule of law.”

King’s Democratic opponent, J.C. Scholten of Sioux City, rallied with delegates at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention this weekend.

“Who’s ready to beat Steve King?” Scholten asked, getting a big cheer from the Democratic delegates. “Now my second question: ‘Who thinks this race is unwinnable?’ Because that’s what I’ve been told every day since I launched my campaign back in July and I’m sick of it. I’ve modeled my campaign after two of my political heroes: Tom Harkin and Berkely Bedell.”

Harkin and Bedell — both Democrats — are former congressmen who represented many of counties included in Iowa’s current fourth congressional district. Scholten suggested there’s a reason King recently re-tweeted the views of a neo-Nazi.

“He doesn’t have an answer to farmers who have been struggling for four consecutive years on low commodity prices at a time, now, with tariffs to add on top of that,” Scholten said. “…But this is race is not about the crap that comes out of his mouth. It’s about what we can do.”

AUDIO of Scholten’s speech, 3:35

 

New Hubbell-Hart ticket visits Hart’s home territory

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Fred Hubbell, the Democratic candidate for governor, and Rita Hart, his running mate, went to Clinton today to meet with Hart’s hometown supporters. Hart, a farmer from nearby Wheatland, told the crowd it was a difficult decision to join the Hubbell campaign and end her bid for reelection to the state senate representing Clinton County and parts of neighboring Scott County.

“It has been such a pleasure to serve you guys, to work with you and for you for six years,” Hart said. “I look at each one of your faces and I see a memory there.”

Today’s campaign event was originally scheduled inside Clinton County Democratic Party Headquarters, but moved outdoors to a park across the street because of the overflow crowd. Hubbell promised the audience Governor Kim Reynolds has pursued a “shortsighted and destructive agenda” that he and Hart will reverse. Hart said she and Hubbell are pursing a “put people first” agenda.

“You are the people we need to fight for and with,” Hart said, “and that’s what we’re going to do as we continue on this great journey.”

Democrats from Clinton and Scott Counties will meet soon to select someone else to run for Hart’s state senate seat, but no date has been set yet for the district nominating convention.

(Reporting by Dave Vickers, KROS, Clinton)

Loebsack says GOP doing ‘damage’; rival Peters says 2018 a ‘unique chance’ (AUDIO)

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Congressman Dave Loebsak. (file photo)

Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, suggests Republicans are pursuing “very similar” agendas in the state capitol in Des Moines and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

“We’ve seen so much since this last election, so much of this country being ripped apart, literally sometimes at the border, sometimes in other cases. We have seen so many terrible things done to America by this president and by the Republicans in the congress,” Loebsack said Saturday. “…I knew they would do damage, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

AUDIO of Loebsack’s speech, 9:30

Loebsack made his comments Saturday during a speech at the Iowa Democratic Party’s state convention.

Christopher Peters.

Loebsack’s Republican challenger, Christopher Peters of Coralville, addressed delegates at the Iowa GOP’s state convention.

“We have a chance, a really unique chance I think this November to finally take the last blue corner of this state and paint it red,” Peters said. “I think there’s a great shot.”

AUDIO of Peters’ speech, 4:45

Loebsack, a former college professor, is the only Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation. Peters, who is a doctor, is making his second run against Loebsack, who is seeking an eighth term in the U.S. House .

Cedar Falls boy gains 90,000 Twitter followers by petting dogs

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Kidd with Gunner

A northeast Iowa boy has amassed a tremendous, international following on Twitter thanks to his simple love for dogs.

Nine-year-old Gideon Kidd of Cedar Falls has a website that features photos of himself petting a variety of canines at www.ivepetthatdog.com. It all started when he created a blog when he was seven, with the help of his mom.

“I just thought of it and I love dogs and I wanted to show the world these amazing creatures,” Kidd says.

At the suggestion of his mom, Kidd started posting pictures of the dogs he met on Twitter instead of just the website, and now, @IvePetThatDog has more than 90,000 followers.

Each photo is accompanied by a few sentences about the dogs, just basic questions he’ll ask the owner or caretaker.

“For starters, can I pet your dog and what’s his name?” Kidd says. “Then, I ask about the dog, like, where did you get the dog, how old is your dog, what type of breed, your dog’s personality, any funny stories? Does he like playing? Any favorite toys?”

Besides dogs in his neighborhood, Kidd meets new dogs at places like the farmers market or the Cedar Bend Humane Society. He and his mom go out nearly every day to “get” a dog.

Rachel Braunigan says her son is “extremely social” and she thought it would be a good way for him to meet people.

“He said he wanted to take pictures of all the dogs he met and I was confused at first,” Braunigan says. “Then, he said he wanted to put them up for people to see and I said, ‘Like a website?’ and he said, ‘Yeah!’ So, we decided to try it and I didn’t think it would last this long.”

After being featured on “The Today Show,” Kidd’s number of followers on Twitter bounded from the hundreds into the tens of thousands. Why is it so popular?

“I think it’s just the simplicity of it,” Braunigan says. “It’s a boy, a dog and a short story. It’s not an opinion. It’s nothing polarizing. It’s just the simplicity and people love dogs.” Braunigan says she monitors her son’s online activities. “Everything he posts I’m there to make sure it’s okay, so he doesn’t see things I don’t want him to see and I monitor who he follows,” she says. “It’s such a surreal experience.”

The two made their comments on the Iowa Public Radio program “Talk of Iowa.”

Thanks to Charity Nebbe, Iowa Public Radio

City of Burlington paying $2 million to settle 2015 police shooting case

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Two weeks ago, a settlement was announced between the City of Burlington and the family of Autumn Steele, who was shot to death by a Burlington police officer three and a half years ago. Dave O’Brien, the Steele family’s attorney, today announced the family agreed to a settlement of two million dollars, but it “absolutely” does not end the family’s effort to have more information about the case released to the public.

“The family feels very strongly about the need to release this body cam video and other evidence in the case,” he said. “However, we are going to comply with confidentiality put in place and until we can get the details of that sorted out, we won’t be releasing any additional information.”

O’Brien said he has no time frame for when a final agreement about what may be released to the public will be completed.

“As the court order regarding confidentiality and what materials that we developed as part of this case and discovered as part of this case — as that becomes available and we know whether or not be can release it, we will be releasing more information,” he said.

The Iowa Freedom of Information Council has joined the family’s effort to get more than 12 seconds of the policeman’s body-cam video and other information related the case released to the public. The watchdog group is still engaged in a fight in U.S. District Court for all sealed documents in the case to be released. In January of 2015, 34-year-old Autumn Steele was shot by a Burlington policeman responding to a domestic call. The policeman says he fired his gun at a dog who was attacking him.

(By Steve Putney, KBUR, Burlington)

Children recovering after water rescues at state park beaches

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Two children were flown to Des Moines hospitals in separate near-drowning incidents over the weekend at state park beaches.

Alex Murphy, spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, is reminding parents to keep a close eye on their kids’ whereabouts and have them wear life jackets – even though they’re not required for swimming at a state park beach. “There are no laws that say kids or anyone has to wear a life jacket when they’re in those swimming areas,” Murphy says. “But, I always tell people it’s the best idea to wear a life jacket. That could literally save a life.”

A two-year-old girl disappeared while swimming at Big Creek State Park near Des Moines on Saturday night — and was found underwater. CPR was performed, the child was revived and last reported in critical condition. A similar situation happened Sunday at Rock Creek State Park in Jasper County where a nine-year-old was rescued.

Murphy says swimming at a state park beach can be dangerous, as the floor of the lake can drop off suddenly. “When you’re visiting the lakes and beach areas, you’re going in at your own risk. This isn’t a controlled swimming pool, like a city swimming pool where there are lifeguards on duty. There are no lifeguards on duty (at state park beaches),” Murphy says. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re an avid swimmer or not, nobody knows exactly what those conditions are like under there. Everybody needs to take extreme caution when you’re out there at the beach.”

Two other incidents on Iowa waterways claimed lives over the weekend. On Friday, a Minnesota man drowned in the Des Moines River while trying to save his 7-year-old niece. It happened below Red Rock Dam in Marion County. The girl was rescued by a boater and transported to a hospital.

In Wapello County, a fisherman disappeared Saturday morning on the Des Moines River in Ottumwa. His boat was found, unoccupied, later in the day. The body of 79-year-old Richard Mart, of Ottumwa, was recovered from the river Monday morning.

 

Young, Axne speak to grassroots party activists (AUDIO)

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Republican Congressman David Young says America is “leading the way” again, internationally, now that President Trump is in office.

“Getting out of the Iran agreement, sitting down at the table with the leader of North Korea, moving our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in Israel — some incredible things are happening right now,” Young said during a speech at the Iowa GOP’s state convention on Saturday. “We need to keep the momentum going. The last eight years, it takes a while to dig out of that. That status quo was not working.”

AUDIO of Young’s speech, 6:00

Cindy Axne of West Des Moines, Young’s Democratic challenger in the third congressional district, addressed delegates at her party’s state convention on Saturday as well.

“When I’m out talking with people across this district, Iowans are working incredibly hard and they’re playing by the rules, but one thing is for sure: Washington doesn’t have our back and we deserve better,” Axne said.

AUDIO of Axne’s speech, 4:00

The Cook Political Report — an agency that analyzes federal political candidates and races — classifies Iowa’s third congressional district as “leaning Republican” heading into November. The district covers 16 southwest Iowa counties and includes the cities of Des Moines and Council Bluffs.

Blum, Finkenauer outline General Election pitches (AUDIO)

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The candidates facing off in Iowa’s first congressional district made their pitches to grassroots activists at their state party conventions this weekend.

“My friends, I’m the number one target of the Democrats in the nation. I’m the number one target of Nancy Pelosi’s. And I was two years ago as well, but we’re still here, right?,” Republican Congressman Rod Blum of Dubuque asked Saturday, getting cheers from Iowa GOP delegates in Des Moines.

AUDIO of Blum’s speech, 8:30

Challenger Abby Finkenauer of Dubuque spoke across town to Democratic Party delegates.

“It is the honor of my life to be the Democratic nominee..and send Rod Blum home packing,” Finkenauer said, getting interrupted by cheers from Democratic delegates before she continued, “and make sure we bring some common sense and decency back to Washington, D.C. in November.”

AUDIO of Finkenauer’s speech, 4:40

The first congressional district covers 20 counties in the northeast quadrant of the state. It has a slight voter registration edge for Democrats compared to Republicans, but independents are the largest block of voters. The race is a battle to win over the independents who voted for President Obama in 2012 and President Trump in 2016, as both men won the district by a comfortable margin.

Finkenauer made a pitch to independents during her Saturday speech.

“Talking to folks in rural Iowa and our cities, what I realized really quickly was that 2018 wasn’t going to come down to whether you were a Democrat or a Republican, it was going to come down to our values and who are we as a state and as a country,” Finkenauer said.

Blum told his fellow Republicans that Democrats are trying to “demoralize” Republican voters so they won’t show up at the polls in November.

“The Democrat Party, aided and abetted by a biased media…they want you to believe that our president…is very unpopular. Not true,” Blum said. “…They want us to believe this economy is good because of former President Obama’s policies. LOL. Are you kidding me?”

Congressman Blum, a businessman seeking a third term in the U.S. House, beat the former speaker of the Iowa House in 2014 and a Cedar Rapids city councilwoman in 2016 to retain his seat. Finkenauer has been a state legislator since January of 2015 and would be the youngest women ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives if she prevails in November.

 

When facing a bee infestation, this guy won’t tell you to buzz off

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Photo by Matthew McGuire, Des Moines Backyard Beekeepers

Discovering a large swarm of bees in a hollow tree or in an abandoned building can be unnerving. For some Iowans, the first instinct is to destroy the insects, but there are alternatives.

Sixty-two-year-old Jeff Becvar of Indianola is a bee removal specialist. He says it’s not an easy task, but the honeycomb and its residents can be relocated.

“I use a bee vacuum to collect up all the excess bees,” Becvar says. “They are not harmed. They are actually put into a hive-box that’s converted into a vacuum with a vacuum head on top of it and they’re ventilated as well so they don’t suffocate or overheat.”

Becvar has been using this specialized skill for more than 26 years. He says it’s hard work and it can be dangerous for both the bees and those doing the removal.

“It’s extremely difficult,” he says. “The one I’m working on currently, three beekeepers have looked at it and all three have backed away from it. Not everyone is prepared for this. It’s a pretty daunting task to open up somebody’s house, get in there and remove bees.”

Becvar and a few other bee removal specialists in Iowa are called on an average of 85 times each year. He says the prime time for “cut outs” as they’re called is mid-May through August.

He says he gets stung nearly every time.

Thanks to Pat Blank, Iowa Public Radio

 

 

Iowa pork producer donates 30 tons of pork loins to state’s needy

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Today marks the start of a two-week effort to feed the needy in Iowa called “Haul Out Hunger.”

The state’s largest pork producer will be filling freezers at food banks, pantries, schools and churches.

Allyson Ladd, spokeswoman for the Iowa Falls-based Iowa Select Farms, says they’ll be delivering boneless pork loins by the ton.

“School is out for summer so food pantry supplies are at an all-time low,” Ladd says. “We schedule our donations so that it’s timely and so these pantries can have access to fresh, high-quality, protein-packed products like pork when families need it most.”

Ladd says the total donation will be around 60,000 pounds of pork, or about 30 tons.

“The pantries really appreciate the five-pound pork loins we donate,” Ladd says. “From each pork loin, families are going to get about 24 servings of pork, so when it’s all said and done, we’ll have donated about 292,000 servings of pork for families in need here in Iowa.”

The effort is also being made possible by the Deb and Jeff Hansen Foundation. The pork is being delivered through July 2nd.

Deliveries at many of the food pantries will be live-streamed on the Iowa Select Farms Facebook page.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City