(Radio Iowa) — President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law and two women who are part of Trump’s 2020 campaign team held events in Sioux City and Des Moines yesterday (Thursday). Lara Trump, who is married to Eric Trump, is a senior digital consultant to the president’s re-election campaign and she’s headlining events aimed at women voters. “When you look at things he’s done, that is helping working mom, working families all across this country,” Lara Trump said in Sioux City.

Senior campaign adviser Mercedes Schlapp and the campaign’s national press secretary Kayleigh McEnany spoke as well. Shelley Stabe (STAYB, rhymes with Abe) from Merrill was in the crowd. “How can you not be energized after listening to a group of women like and knowing that we’re going to win in a landslide in November?” she asked. Republicans are aiming to spur turn-out for their caucuses next month. Stephanie Audino of Sioux City says she’s set on caucusing for Trump on February 3rd and voting for him on November 3rd. “With the impeachment issue, we are so mad,” she says. “The impeachment issue is causing us to burn for Trump and we will be at the polls.”

President Trump has scheduled a rally in Des Moines on January 30th.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)

(Radio Iowa) — More snow is piling up and Iowans are being reminded to clear a path for their letter carriers, or they may not get any mail. U-S Postal Service spokeswoman Kristi Anderson says carriers will make every effort to deliver the mail in virtually all weather conditions, but they need a hand from homeowners. “Make sure that they’re shoveling their sidewalks, their steps, their porch, and if they have a drive-up box, if they shovel around that at least six feet on each side,” Anderson says. “That would allow the carrier to pull up to the box without having to exit or back up when they’re trying to leave.”

Anderson says one side-effect of the winter weather is that some deliveries will be delayed. “Just to keep in mind, too, that as it does get dark earlier, if they could leave their light on, that helps our carriers and can prevent slips, trips and falls as well,” she says. Many letter carriers in Iowa are now using headlamps over their stocking caps to help them see for late afternoon and evening deliveries. Anderson says carriers make every effort to deliver to an entire route, but several factors can often make that tricky. “Especially in the far outlying areas that are going to be a little more difficult,” Anderson says, “but they will make every attempt to try and get to them either by their vehicle or if they can get out and walk and make it safely, then they will do that.”

Carriers on walking routes especially are instructed not to take risks and to skip deliveries to houses where they can’t safely make their way to the mailbox.

Sheriff’s officials in Taylor County report one-person was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident Thursday, southwest of Lenox. Authorities say deputies responded to the scene in the 2800 block of 130th Street (J20), where a 2002 Ford F-150 driven by 60-year old Ricky Scott, of Lenox, was on its side in the north ditch. The sheriff’s office says Scott had swerved to miss a canine on the roadway. His pickup went of control before leaving the road and crashing into the ditch.

Scott was transported by LifeNet helicopter to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. The pickup was considered a total loss. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by Taylor County EMS and Lenox Fire. The accident remains under investigation with assistance from the Iowa State Patrol.

Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden’s campaign has announced the former Vice President’s planned stops in western Iowa today (Friday), have been cancelled, due to the snow storm. Biden was set to speak in Sioux City this afternoon (12:45-p.m.) and in Council Bluffs, this evening (6-p.m.). Other events to be held in Des Moines and Indianola on Saturday, will go on as scheduled, unless otherwise noted on the campaign’s website.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reported on the EMA’s Facebook page, Thursday, that the County took another step toward integration onto the statewide ISICS radio platform. ISICS (Pronounced “Eye-six”) is the Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System. Kennon said Thursday, two new local talk groups were brought on line, which will allow Local Law and Fire to converse with Cass County dispatch. He posted audio of a test dispatch using the new system….

During the Cass County Board of Supervisors meeting on Dec. 31st, Kennon said ISICS is a 700 (or 800) mega-hertz, standards-based P-25 Phase 2 compliant trunked radio system for first responders throughout Iowa. The ISICS platform allows users to seamlessly roam and communicate throughout the State. The Iowa State Patrol is currently using the 700 mhz band, while Pottawattamie County has been using the 800 mhz band for several years.

During the meeting, Kennon said two radios on the ISICS 700 mhz frequency, were installed at the Cass County Communications Center. He said there will be a law enforcement talk group and a fire talk group, which will allow those emergency personnel who were issued the radios. The system as it is now, will allow the County to see what coverage the radios will provide, and where the strength and weaknesses are.

The test conducted Thursday, is part of that process. Kennon said in December, Cass County is in the process of buying additional dual-band radios (VHF/700 mhz). Kennon said if the State Patrol has something going on, such as a pursuit, Cass County can switch on the 700 mhz system and work with them. Right now though, the County has mainly starting dipping its toes into the system, which allows the dispatchers to monitor State Patrol communications traffic.

One person died and another was injured during a collision early this (Friday) morning, in southeast Iowa’s Jefferson County. The Iowa State Patrol says at around 1:10-a.m., a 2002 Pontiac driven by 50-year old Richard Dwayne Boyd, Jr., of Fairfield, was traveling north on Highway 1, when it crossed the center line of the road. The car collided head-on with a southbound 2008 Kia. driven by 28-year old Tylor James Lewman, of Birmingham (IA). Both vehicles came to rest in opposite ditches. Authorites say neither driver was wearing a seat belt. Richard Boyd, Jr. died at the scene. Lewman was transported by Midwest Ambulance to the Jefferson County Health Center, in Fairfield.

The accident remains under investigation.