(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says this is a make-or-break moment for our republic and now is not the time to give up on election reform legislation that cleared the U-S House earlier this year.  “The fact that we cannot see that bill getting passed right now, that the senate is struggling to pass that bill — I’m astounded that anybody who is an elected office that takes influence out of elections…and allows people to have free and fair voting,” Axne says.

The bill includes new campaign finance disclosures and would require at least 15 days of early voting in every state. Axne says the measure as a necessary response to this political moment. “Right now we have some people who I work with who don’t even believe we have a valid president,” Axne says. Axne plans to personally urge West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin to change his stance on the bill. Manchin announced Sunday he won’t vote for an election bill that has the backing of just one party.

“I’m going to talk to him,” Axne said. “Listen, I take a lot of hard votes in states like Iowa. I think people who are authentic and true to their convictions and are representing the people who they serve, they’re going to make it back and I think anybody who stands up for the constitution and for people’s right to vote, they’ll make it back.” Axne spoke to about three dozen people last (Monday) night at a town hall forum in West Des Moines

(Radio Iowa) – With the forecast calling for high temperatures statewide in the 80s and 90s all week, many Iowans will be heading to their nearest municipal swimming pool for a cool dip. Some pools and water parks remain closed, however, due to a lack of lifeguards. Red Oak City Administrator Brad Wright says they just opened a new outdoor aquatic center last Friday with ten staffers, but they could use at least five more lifeguards.

“Communities all around are dealing with the same thing,” Wright says. “Some pools are unable to open because of staffing, others are opening at a limited capacity. We continue to work on that, and try to find ways to encourage young kids to come out, get certified and work for us.” Wright says the word “excitement” doesn’t adequately express his thoughts over the facility’s opening. The project entailed a massive overhaul of the original pool, complete with modern amenities.

Red Oak Aquatic Center (Tess Nelson/photo)

“We basically tore out the north third of the pool. So, what was a three-foot depth area, we replaced that with a zero-depth entry area,” Wright says. “There’s a couple of water features for little kids to run under — mushrooms and stuff that pours water on your head. There’s a couple of slides — a family slide, and a large slide for the bigger kids.” Construction of the aquatic center in Red Oak was completed in the summer of 2020 but due to COVID-19 and some minor complications, it stayed closed until this past weekend.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests took place over the past week;

• Last Saturday night, 76-year-old Jerry Floyd Crossley, of Silver City, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail; 32-year-old James Thomas Hume, of Sidney, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond: $10,000.
• Friday afternoon, 36-year-old Megan Renee Daugherty, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear (FTA) on a Fugitive From Justice charge. No Bond.
• Thursday afternoon, 33-year-old Samantha Renee Martin, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice. No Bond; Thursday morning, 27-year-old Diego M. Juaquin, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond: $1,000.
• Last Wednesday, 58-year-old Vicki Kay Delezene, of Omaha, and 48-year-old Walter Jay Colvin, Jr., of Council Bluffs, were each arrested on a charge of Interference with Official Acts. Their bonds were set at $300 each.

Elk Horn, IA—Travelers driving hybrid and electric vehicles between Omaha and Des Moines I-80 can unplug and recharge at the same time by hopping off the interstate at exit 54 and taking a short drive north on the Western Skies Scenic Byway to the Danish Windmill in Elk Horn.

Lisa Steen Riggs, the Windmill’s manager “We are excited to offer travelers the latest generation of ChargePoint EV stations. Ours is one of just two EV charging stations along I-80 between the Council Bluffs and Des Moines metro areas. The Danish village of Elk Horn offers travelers a fun place to “recharge their batteries”—both literally and figuratively—while exploring the area’s Danish cultural heritage.”

Bob Mortensen of Elk Horn recharges his hybrid vehicle at the Danish Windmill’s new ChargePoint station in Elk Horn, Iowa.

The Danish Windmill recently replaced its electric vehicle charging stations with a new ChargePoint® CT4000 dual port station which features intelligent power management options and allows two charging ports to share the same electrical circuit. The project was funded in part by the Mike & Lou Howard Foundation. Mike Howard brought the first electric car charging stations to Elk Horn in 2009.

The new unit is driver-friendly and features an instructional video showing how to use the station in multiple languages giving drivers the choice of English, French or Spanish. You can access 24/7 driver phone support. Its rugged design is built to withstand the elements so its touch button works in rain, ice and with gloves. The station is accessible 24/7. The CT4000 is the first ENERGY STAR® certified EV charger. It charges efficiently and conserves power when not charging.

“The Danish Windmill has been “green” since 1848! It’s interesting to note that once our mill was one of thousands scattered across the Danish countryside, and that today it stands amid fields of modern wind turbines on the Iowa prairie. The VikingHjem is partly dug into the ground with a turf roof like a Viking pit house,” Riggs continued. “Renewable energy is at the core of our educational messaging for the museum. Denmark has made green energy a top priority so it’s part of our cultural heritage story.”

The authentic 70’ Danish Windmill was originally built in Nørre Snede, Denmark in 1848 and is one of Iowa’s top tourism attractions. In the mid-1970’s the Mill was brought to Elk Horn, rebuilt and restored to working condition by the community in honor of their Danish ancestor farmers. The complex also features a 900 AD replica of Viking smithy’s home and workshop, a tiny chapel, an interpretive path and Danish import museum store. Elk Horn is a walk-able community with interesting shops and eateries to explore.

The Windmill is an official Iowa Welcome Center with trained travel counselors who can help with trip planning, things to do, places to go and more. The Mill is open daily. To find out more visit danishwindmill.com or contact the Danish Windmill at 712.764.7472.

A Special Traffic Enforcement Project (STEP) begins Wednesday and concludes on Saturday, across Iowa. Law enforcement agencies around the State will be keeping a close eye out for impaired drivers. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ryan DeVault says the upcoming four-day STEP time frame was identified by the Fatality Reduction Task Force.

The Task Force was formed, he said to determine when spikes in traffic fatalities occurred by reviewing data from over the past 10-years, and try and curb the alarming trends authorities have been noticing. And, while the focus will primarily be on impaired drivers, they’ll also be looking for distracted drivers.

Since the beginning of 2021, there have been 118 traffic-related fatalities in Iowa, which is up 24 deaths from last year at this same time. The data show: Every 48 seconds someone dies in a crash involving an impaired driver; Impaired driving claims more than 10,000 lives each year; and, 34% of fatalities are linked to impaired drivers. Trooper Devault says in addition to the efforts by law enforcement to slow the spread of deaths in motor vehicle crashes, there’ something you can do to not become another statistic.

In addition to buckling your seat belt, choosing a designated driver if you are impaired can save not only your life, but those of everyone else on the road.

Impaired drivers are more than those who have had too much alcohol. It includes those who either intentionally or accidentally take too much of a prescription medication, and, illegal substances. A person who gets an OWI will see stiff fines, jail time, and the possible loss of their job.

And if your actions result in a death or deaths, you face much more severe penalties, in addition to being saddled with a crash survivors’ guilt.