The Exchange 091918
Coming up this week on The Exchange, we talk with Sioux City fourth district Democratic Congressional Candidate JD Scholten about his campaign and a new poll that shows him gaining on the incumbent Steve King.
Also, we talk with the author of a new mystery based in Okoboji and get a preview of Riverssance.
BBNews/Wx
Intro
Welcome to the Exchange, on Siouxland Public Media. The mid-term elections are set for, that’s only seven weeks away from today. In Iowa’s congressional districts, there is a lot of buzz around three Democratic Candidates. Cynthia Axne is challenging David Young just south of here in District Three in southwest Iowa, and Abbie Finkenhour is running for the 1stdistrict in Northeast Iowa against Rod Blum. Here in the 4thdistrict, 38-year old JD Sholten is challenging longtime Republican Congressman Steve King. Scholten is a native Sioux Citian and a former professional baseball player. King has had a lock on the seat since 2003. In fact, Despite regularly making comments on issues like immigration that produce a widespread backlash, sometimes from his fellow Republicans, King has won his re-election bids by 27, 22, 22, 32, 8, 23 and 22 percentage points.
However, as of last week, Steve King leads Democratic challenger Scholten by just 6 points in a poll made available this weekend by Scholten’s campaign. The poll was conducted by Washington, D.C.-based Expedition Strategies. The poll surveyed 380 likely voters from Sept. 5 through Sept. 9. King received support from 43 percent of likely voters in the poll; Scholten was at 37 percent. Scholten says the survey and others are a sign his campaign is in "striking distance" of knocking off King in the heavily Republican district. In 2016, King defeated Democrat Kim Weaver by 22 points. The Democratic challenger also pointed to recent movements by political prognosticators as moving the race in his favor.
However, King's son, Jeff King, who is an official on the campaign team, said the Emerson College poll has a flawed methodology. Talking with Scholten last weekend, over the most recent survey was released, he said he was glad to see the campaign had ample room to grow.
Sholten
That was Democratic Fourth District Candidate JD Scholten, who is taking on veteran Republican Incumbent Steve King on this fall’s midterm elections. Next week, we will talk with Steve King about his campaign.
Woodbury County is preparing for the mid-term elections, realizing that it needs new voting machines. Although they won’t arrive in time for the November 6thelection, the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase of A new collection of optical-scan voting machines costing nearly $380,000. They will replace machines that are more than a dozen years old.
The board yesterday approved a plan described by Auditor Pat Gill, the county's chief election official, to spend $375,656 for 46 machines. That number is enough to cover the 44 county voting precincts in Sioux City and more rural areas, plus two extras for future or backup needs.
Gill said the new machines would be more technologically advanced. He said the current ones have an expected life of teen years and have recently been balky at times. Gill told the board that he had hoped the county could use the voting center system for elections, which requires fewer voting locations and equipment.
Gill
The machines should arrive by December so that they won't be used in the November midterm elections. They will be on hand in 2019 for use in Sioux City School Board and Sioux City Council elections.
The county in 2005 spent $550,000 to buy 50 optical-scan voting machines, 45 voter-assist terminals, and software. Most of that funding came through the federal Help America Vote Act, which sought to modernize voting machines nationally.
You’re listening to The Exchange; I’m Mary Hartnett. Now the school year is well underway, the specter of bullying is once again an issue. But research shows that bullying has effectively moved on beyond the schoolyard to social media and can be very damaging for the bullied and the bullier. A new study by the non-profit CNA education research organization takes a look at the most effective support practices to support the victims of bullying. Simone Robars is the author of the study.
Bullying
That was Simone Robars, she’s the author of a new study on practices to help victims of bullying. She is based in Arlington, Virginia.
You’re listening to The Exchange on Siouxland Public Media; I’m Mary Hartnett. Journalist and author Bill Zahren is a native of Lake View, Iowa, and when you read his books, you can see that he’s never forgotten that. His new book is based in Okoboji, and it’s the fourth his success series of mystery books based on the adventures of Sioux City Prosecutor Hillary Reed and Sioux City Sentinal reporter Tom Kingman. The two have progressed from a professional friendship to a romance, and they are in Hillary’s hometown to meet the family. Tom says the couple once again are presented with a crime.
Tipsy House
That was Bill Zahren, the author of Tipsy House, the fourth in his series of mysteries with Sioux City prosecutor Hillary Reed and journalist Tom Kingman. Zahren is now working on a book set in rural Woodbury County.
You’re listening to the Exchange on Siouxland PUBlic Media; I’m Mary Hartnett. The Sioux City Art Center holds many treasures. One of them tucked away upstairs in the.H. H. Everist Gallery. The Corn Room mural was one of four murals commissioned by Omaha businessman Eugene Eppley for his hotels in Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Sioux City. Originally part of the historical Martin Hotel, the Corn Room was created by Grant Wood in 1926, then lost for decades under paint and old wallpaper, only to be rediscovered in 1979. I talked with art center curator Todd Behrens about the history of the mural and the life of Iowa’s most revered artists, Grant Wood.
That was Todd Behrens of the Sioux City Art Center talking about the Corn Mural, a seven-panel work of by Grant Wood on permanent display at the art center.
You’re listening to the exchange on Siouxland Public Media, I’m Mary Hartnett. You can Step Into The Renaissance with Full Armoured Jousting, Birds Of Prey, Knights and Princesses,
Kings & Queens, Peasants & Wenches, Pirates & Scallywags,
Wizards & Fairies, Food, Singing & Dancing... All of that awaits visitors at this year’s Riverside Riverssance at Riverside on October 6thand 7th. I talked with Riverssance organizers Phil Claeys and Garie Lewis about the festival
Riverssance
