IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The campaign manager for Gov. Kim Reynolds has left her staff months before the contested Republican primary election. Reynolds confirmed Thursday that Phil Valenziano, one of the state’s top GOP organizers, has moved on and that she would name his replacement in coming weeks. Reynolds had kept Valenziano despite an incident last summer, when he was arrested for public intoxication after being seen urinating outside a West Des Moines bar.

In a statement to The Associated Press, Reynolds thanked Valenziano for helping build grassroots support for her campaign and predicted he would “continue to be a force in Republican politics.”
Valenziano says “now is the appropriate time for me to pursue other opportunities” after working for Reynolds and former Gov. Terry Branstad in different capacities for 8 years. Former Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is challenging Reynolds in the June primary.

Today (Friday) marks a full decade for the annual Day of Service and Giving on what would have been the 24th birthday of an Eagle Grove boy. Aaron Eilerts was 14 when he was killed by a tornado that hit the Boy Scout camp in Harrison County in 2008. Beth Stephas, a counselor at Robert Blue Middle School, says students at Aaron’s old school are tackling a list of projects, several which were started by Aaron. “We will have students that will be sewing pillow cases like he used to do and donating those to hospitals and care centers,” Stephas says. “We’re going to be decorating pillow cases to send to soldiers. We’ll be making dolls to send to orphanages, pet blankets to send to different veterinary clinics.”

Students have branched off and launched their own community service projects which Stephas says are inspired by Aaron’s memory. “We’ve got some projects that are going to go out to some of our senior citizens and shut-ins, some painting of pots and planting of flowers and making baskets,” Stephas says, “just a variety of projects going on throughout the day.” Stephas says it’s such a treat for the students to be carrying on Aaron’s thoughtful volunteer efforts year after year. “We are honored that we are able to continue this legacy,” she says. “A proclamation was made ten years ago that every year on Aaron’s birthday, there would be a Day of Service and Giving.”

Former Iowa Governor Chet Culver signed a proclamation in 2008 marking February 24th as a statewide Day of Service and Giving in memory of Eilerts. The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center gives out an award each summer to an Iowan who follows the lead of Aaron Eilerts in giving back to their communities during the Iowa Character Counts Awards ceremony.

(Radio Iowa)

Creston Police, Thursday night, arrested 52-year old Craig Allen Hauser, of Creston. Hauser was arrested at around 10-p.m. in the 300 block of E. Montgomery Street, for Public Intoxication. He was being held in the Union County Jail this (Friday) morning, on a $300 cash or surety bond.