(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand, the only Democrat in statewide elected office, is running for governor in 2026. Sand, an attorney and former prosecutor in the Iowa attorney general’s office, has been state auditor since 2019. During an interview with Radio Iowa, Sand said it’s time for new leadership in the governor’s office. “Refocusing on public service, not just politics; all of state government focused on serving all Iowans, not just a select few.” Sand said. “…This state really needs a new direction. I think most Iowans agree with that.” Sand calls the state budget Republicans have developed a ticking fiscal time bomb because it relies on withdrawals from the state’s reserves.

“We are on track to run record structural deficits as far as the eye can see,” Sand said. “That surplus will only last so long. The fundamental problem in this state is that our leadership over the last 10 years has continued to increase spending while drastically cutting revenue.” Republican Terry Branstad returned to the governor’s office in 2011 and Kim Reynolds took over as governor in mid-2017. She’s signed five tax cuts into law over the last seven years. Sand says the state’s current flat income tax is of tremendous benefit to the wealthiest people in Iowa. “We really haven’t done a lot for the people that are struggling, which is a good chunk of Iowans,” Sand said. “…If we are looking at structural deficits as far as the eye can see the highest earners in this state, I think some of them would feel some sense of patriotic willingness to say, ‘O.K., look, we got a tax cut. That was nice for a few years, but the budget’s upside down and we’ve got to see where we can go.” Sand also says it’s time to tax marijuana at the same rate alcohol is taxed.

State Auditor Rob Sand

“We are losing tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars of revenue every year because Iowans are leaving the state and bringing that tax revenue somewhere else,” Sand said. Illinois collected nearly half a million dollars in taxes from marijuana sales last year. Missouri took in 241 million dollars in tax revenue during the first year marijuana was legalized there. In a clear signal Sand was considering a run for governor, he raised over eight-and-a-half MILLION dollars in the last calendar year. Republicans say the paperwork shows Sand’s family is trying to buy his political future. His wife and in-laws accounted for seven million dollars of his 2024 fundraiser. Sand says he has more small dollar donations than Governor Reynolds has ever had.  “Every one of my campaigns has had substantial financial support from my in-laws, which I appreciate. They know me really well and they trust me to do the right thing,” Sand said. “I’ve also in every one of those campaigns have had record breaking grassroots support.”

Sand’s in-laws donated to Governor Reynolds in the past. Sand says the governor’s decision not to seek reelection was not a factor in his decision to run for the office in 2026. “I think we need to recenter ourselves not on personalities or on colors. Red versus Blue, right? I don’t want an Iowa that is bluer or redder,” Sand said. “I want Iowa that is truer and better and I think most Iowans do, too.” Sand, who is 42, grew up in Decorah and earned a degree in political science from Brown University. He got his law degree from the University of Iowa. As an assistant Iowa attorney general, he won a conviction in the case against a man who rigged Hot Lotto Jackpots in five states.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a Creston man was arrested Friday evening on an Assault charge. 72-year-old Robert Lee Stow was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault – 1st Offense/Causing Bodily Injury. Stow was taken to the Union County Jail and later released after posting a $1,000 bond. At around 2:35-a.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested a man from Adair County, following a traffic stop. 30-year-old Thomas Michael Taylor, of Greenfield, was charged with OWI/1st Offense. Taylor later posted a $1,000 bond, and was released.

Authorities also received reports of incidents to property. Sometime between 5:30-p.m. Saturday and 7:30-a.m. Sunday, a Creston resident had the windshield of their vehicle bashed-in. The incident happened in the 400 block of S. Pine Street, in Creston. The damage was estimated at $300-to $750. And, a man from Creston reported Sunday afternoon, that someone had stolen the license plates off his vehicle, which was parked in the 300 block of S. Cherry Street.

WASHINGTON, D-C  — The stories of 12 Iowa veterans from Polk, Linn, Dubuque, and Johnson counties have been archived in the Library of Congress through the efforts of Sen. Chuck Grassley and Kirkwood Community College students during a Veterans Day visit to eastern Iowa. KCCI-TV reports the Veterans History Project allows people to access personal accounts of American veterans so future generations can hear from them directly. Grassley said he has submitted stories from 95 Iowa veterans for this project.

“Veterans are an important part of our communities. The sacrifices of the brave men and women who have served our country should never be forgotten,” Grassley said.

Grassley is hoping to do another event in western Iowa. Anyone wishing to submit their stories can get in touch with Grassley’s office.

(Creston, Iowa) – No injuries were reported and no citations were issued, following a collision Friday afternoon, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, a 2014 Toyota Avalon driven by 59-year-old Jamiesson Edward Brown, of Iowa City, was stopped, and pointed east in the inside lane of Taylor Street, while Brown was waiting for a vehicle in front of his, to turn north into a parking lot. A 2017 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 69-year-old Phillip Lee Rich, of Chariton, was traveling eastbound on Taylor Street.

Rich failed to notice Brown’s car was stopped in front of him. The pickup struck the car in the rear, causing a total of $4,500 damage. The accident happened at around 4-p.m., Friday.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R is moving closing to making some changes in hunting and trapping regulations. The D-N-R’s Chris Ensminger discussed findings from public input meetings during the recent Natural Resources Commission meeting. “For deer, just general comments, we received 427, which is over half of the total comments received for just general comments, 110 for Waterfall, 112 for furbearers. Turkeys received 32 upland 66,” he says. Ensminger says the deer comments focused on some key areas. “Our population is too low, saw too few deer. E-H-D numbers were much higher than reported. People are asking to reduce or eliminate party hunting, reduce or eliminate antlerless tags, limit everyone to one buck, or need a buck only in all gun seasons. And so those six comments, out of 106 unique comments, that represent 42 percent of the total,” Ensminger says.

He also talked about in more detail about the furbearer comments. “Support a bobcat season in additional counties, increase the bag limit for bobcats, increased the otter bag limit, and I would like a bounty program. Those four comments resulted in 60 percent of the program discussions,” he says. Ensminger says the upland comments focused on the population of pheasants and game birds. He says there were also comments about allowing out-of-state hunters. “Eighty percent of the people would like to see us do something different, further regulate non-resident opportunity. Twenty percent would not like to see that. So you can think of that one as about an 80-20 issue,” Ensminger says.

Ensminger says the D-N-R staff will start to look at some rule changes based on the comments. He says they do have some three public meetings scheduled for May 19th through the 21st to get some input on possible changes. “We do have public meetings scheduled for May 19th through the 21st, three meetings, and we will have a kind of more defined proposal that will be taken out to those folks as far as what the core regulations might look like, the core concept would look like, and then we’ll be asking for them, obviously, do they support that still?,” he says. “And what other additional things, you know, do you want to have party hunting as part of those regulations? Do you want to, what do you want to do with the youth season? You know, because we’ve heard people say that, youth should not be impacted by any kind of additional regulations.”

Ensminger says they will be releasing information on antlerless deer licenses in June. He says proposed rule changes would come in July and go into effect in 2026.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Friday morning, of a woman from Cass County. Authorities say 41-year-old Brenda Nichole Leah Kinzie, of Griswold, was arrested at around 10:46-a.m., on a warrant for Operating (a vehicle) without the owner’s consent. Kinzie was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

And, at around 2-p.m. Sunday, Montgomery County deputies arrested 40-year-old Bradley William Worthington, of Keokuk, for Theft in the 1st Degree. The charge was with regard to the theft out of Burlington, IA, of a 2003 Nissan Xterra (SUV). Worthington was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s not yet clear that the 2025 Iowa legislature will be able to finish work on the state budget this week and adjourn for the year. Twelve Republicans have said they won’t vote on state spending plans until the Senate votes on a bill with new rules for land access for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. All 34 G-O-P Senators spent most of the workday Friday in private meetings, but didn’t resolve the dilemma.

During an interview LAST Monday, Senator David Rowley, of Spirit Lake, said he and the other 11 Republicans are standing with property owners who don’t want the pipeline on their land. “The idea of having a private company come in and have the authority to use the government’s authority to take land away from people for public use, supposedly, is just wrong,” Rowley said. “…Their frustrations are our frustrations because every one of us are at risk if this goes forward.”

Proposals from two lawmakers may show how negotiations among Senate Republicans have gone. Senator Mike Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny worked for the company that owns Summit Carbon Solutions, has filed an amendment that would prohibit the use of eminent domain for any hazardous liquid pipelines IN THE FUTURE, along with a 25-year limit on operating any carbon pipeline, including Summit’s.

Republican Senator Kevin Alons, of Salix, has proposed an outright ban on seizing farmland for any hazardous liquid pipeline now and in the future.

(Clarinda, Iowa) -This week (May 11th through the 17th), is National Police Officer’s Memorial Week, 2025. The week is reserved to recognize the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. As part of the observances, the Clarinda Police Department will conduct a memorial services beginning at 2-p.m. Tuesday, May 13th, at the Clarinda Cemetery Armed Services Flag Stand/ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  American Legion Sergy Post 98 will provide a three-volley salute and Taps honor guard.

In 1962, President Kennedy issued the first proclamation for Peace Officers Memorial Day and National Police Week to remember and honor law enforcement officers for their service and sacrifices. Peace Officers Memorial Day, which every year falls on May 15, specifically honors law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty.

Clarinda Chief of Police Keith Brothers and his staff cordially invites you to attend the memorial service and pay tribute to those law enforcement officers who have given their lives in the line of duty. 147 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2024 according to preliminary data provided by the FBI.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report the arrest at around 5:40-p.m. Saturday, of 18-year-old Cylis Daniel Johnson, of Red Oak. Johnson was taken into custody in the 400 block of N. 2nd Street, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree (a Simple Misdemeanor). He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.