Governor Kim Reynolds announced today she’s giving 100-million dollars of federal American Rescue Plan funding to Iowa’s eight commercial airports, including Sioux City.
Ten million dollars will be split equally among airports in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo, Mason city, Fort Dodge, Burlington, and Sioux City. The other $90 million will be distributed based on passenger traffic in 2019. That means Sioux City will receive more than $3.1 million in all.
Former congressional candidate J.D. Scholten is running for the Iowa House. Scholten announced today that he wants to give back by representing his hometown of Sioux City. Scholten, a Democrat ran for the U.S. House in 2016 and 2020 and narrowly lost to incumbent Steve King in his first race for public office. Scholten is seeking the seat for the newly-drawn up District 1 seat that does cover the southern and western parts of Sioux City.
Democrat Chris Hall who currently represents this area that is in House District 13 decided to not run again after serving more than 10 years at the statehouse.
A candidate who calls himself a constitutional conservative announced his campaign for Iowa House for District 13. Ken Carlson is a recently retired small business owner and farmer who grew up near Whiting. He also spent a dozen years as a public-school teacher and coach. House District 13 now includes all of Monona County with portions of Woodbury, Plymouth, and Cherokee.
Jury selection started today in the trial of a little-known Republican congressman from Nebraska who’s accused of lying to federal authorities about illegal campaign contributions from a Nigerian billionaire. U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry faces a high-stakes trial in Los Angeles that could cost him his job and his freedom. The nine-term congressman faces allegations that he lied to federal investigators about an illegal 2016 contribution to his campaign from a foreign national and didn't properly disclose it in campaign filings. He's also running for reelection at a time when many prominent Nebraska Republicans have already abandoned him ahead of the state's May 10 primary.
Governor Kim Reynolds blamed schools when asked about calls for stricter gun laws following a recent shooting outside of East High School in Des Moines.
Reynolds says the six people arrested in connection with the shooting and the three victims were all between 14 and 18 years old. She says five of them weren’t enrolled in school, and four were, but they weren’t in class.
Reynolds says it’s heartbreaking that 15-year-old Jose David Lopez was killed, but she says all the people involved should’ve been in school.
“I think the tragedy is our educational system is letting these kids down. They should have been in school. We should be figuring out resources to help them stay there, and to help them get an education and a life where they can take care of themselves and their family.”
Reynolds says she believes the guns used in the shooting weren’t obtained legally. Democratic lawmakers called for stricter gun laws at a news conference on Tuesday. Last year, Reynolds signed a bill into law that allows Iowans to buy and carry a handgun without a permit.
Law officers plan to increase patrols for the St. Patrick’s Day holiday. A news release from the Sioux City Police Department says the enforcement will also include deputies and troopers from the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol.
The Nebraska State Patrol also says their troopers and several other law enforcement agencies will be patrolling for impaired drivers this holiday.
The head of the agency is urging motorists to drive sober by using a designated driver or other means to get home.
According to the Nebraska State Patrol, nearly 300 people died in drunk-driving incidents across the nation on St. Patrick’s Day from 2016 to 2020.
The National Park Service has denied South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s request to mark the Fourth of July with fireworks at Mount Rushmore, citing opposition from Native American tribes and the possibility of igniting wildfires. The Republican governor said in a statement Tuesday that she would continue her court battle to hold the fireworks. She filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration after it refused to issue a permit for a similar celebration last year. A federal judge rejected her arguments in June, prompting an appeal. A letter dated Monday from the U.S. Department of Interior said a fireworks event would not be “safe and responsible.”
Submitted news release:
Ken Carlson Announces Campaign
for Iowa House
For Immediate Release Contact: Ken Carlson, 712-420-2328
(Onawa, IA) Today, Ken Carlson announced his candidacy for the republican nomination to represent Iowa House District 13.
Carlson is a constitutional conservative, who is committed to protecting Iowans rights and liberties.
“I strongly believe that government exists to protect our inalienable rights granted by God. Defending the unborn, protecting the Second Amendment and ensuring our liberties are guiding principles that will drive my decision making,” said Carlson.
Ken is an Iowa native, born and raised outside of Whiting. As a recently retired small businessman and farmer of 37 years, Carlson understands the many challenges rural Iowa faces.
“Lower taxes and less regulation are key to helping rural Iowa grow. My background has given me the experience to support our job creators and family farmers at the State Capital,” said Carlson.
Carlson also spent twelve years as a public school teacher and coach. “I learned a long time ago that it’s invaluable to have parents involved in their kid’s education. Parents should always have a voice and a seat at the table. As a State Representative, I’ll always protect parental rights,” added Carlson.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to serve my community and fellow Iowans. I’ve spent my lifetime in Northwest Iowa and my conservative values reflect the communities and people that I want to represent,” concluded Carlson.
Ken and his wife, Carolyn have been married for 51 years and have three children and seven grandchildren.
Iowa House District 13 includes all of Monona County along with portions of Woodbury, Plymouth and Cherokee counties.
Submitted news release:
J.D. Scholten Announces Run for Iowa House District 1
Sioux City, Iowa — J.D. Scholten officially announced today that he will run for the Iowa House in the new District 1, representing the Sioux City area. Representative Chris Hall announced earlier this month he won’t be seeking re-election.
“Growing up in Sioux City, graduating high school, attending college, playing professional baseball for the Explorers, and now living here as an adult, this is my home through and through. Sioux City has given me so much, I want to give back to the city I love.
I see too many of my classmates and kids that grew up in Sioux City move away. I see too many families rely on donation boxes at gas stations, pancake breakfasts or GoFundMe accounts to pay for medical costs. I am running for the Iowa House to fight for the people who make Sioux City such a strong community.”
Issues: “Two of my top priorities will be addressing the exorbitant cost of health care, and ensuring every Iowa family has access to a quality education. I am very passionate about growing Iowa’s economy, but not at the expense of workers, consumers or communities. Iowa is long overdue for campaign finance reform. Lastly, I will fight to make Major League Baseball blackouts illegal in the state of Iowa.”
Chris Hall’s retirement: “Chris Hall is a dear friend and has been a great advocate for Sioux City. The Iowa House will miss his leadership.”
ABOUT J.D. SCHOLTEN: Raised in Sioux City, J.D. Scholten is a 5th generation Iowan. J.D. served as the 2018 and 2020 Democratic nominee in Iowa’s 4th District. In 2018, his campaign earned nationwide attention for his people-powered grassroots campaign that fell just 3 points short in a district that Donald Trump won by 27 points in 2016. In 2020, his campaign was one of the few non-incumbent campaigns that outperformed the top of the ticket.
J.D. played baseball at Morningside College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After college, he pursued a professional baseball career, including 4 different seasons with the Sioux City Explorers, and pitched in 7 different countries. He then worked as a paralegal, specializing in civil litigation, but found his true passion in helping others through pro-bono cases. He later launched his congressional campaign and continues to be a powerful voice for rural, working, and underserved communities in Iowa. Currently, J.D. serves as a Senior Advisor at the American Economic Liberties Project.
ABOUT IOWA STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 1: President Biden received 52% of the votes in the 11 precincts that make up the district in 2020. J.D. Scholten’s 2018 campaign received 62% of the votes.