A crowdfunding campaign is underway this month to keep a program afloat that helps sexual assault victims in Iowa. Adam Robinson, executive director of the Iowa City-based Rape Victim Advocacy Program, says they’ve seen severe cuts in state and federal funding in recent months. Robinson says, “In total, RVAP’s budget last fiscal year was about $1.4 million and we’ve lost about $400,000 this fiscal year.”

The deep cuts forced the office to slash its workforce, eliminating 15 of the 30 part- and full-time staff members. “One of the key programs that we’ve been running since 1999 is the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline,” Robinson says. “That program provides 24-hour, confidential, free support to anyone impacted by sexual violence and that particular program was defunded.”

Even though that hotline was defunded, Robinson says the 800-number is still active and is being staffed by the remaining personnel and volunteers. While the office lost some 400-thousand dollars in funding, the modest goal for the month of August was to raise ten-thousand dollars via the crowdfunding effort. “We’ve raised $7,300 so far, which is tremendous,” Robinson says. “We have a lot more money to raise to try to recoup the dollars we’ve lost in funding but it’s been a great start.”

The fundraiser will help to sustain some services that would otherwise be at risk of vanishing. To donate money or time as a volunteer, visit the Rape Victim Advocacy Program website: rvap.org.

(Radio Iowa)

An R-V carrying some of the state’s historical artifacts is parked at the Iowa State Fair this week. Officials call it a “mobile museum” and they’ve assigned the phrase “Iowa History 101” to describe the experience of touring the interior. Mary Cownie is director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. “The State Historical Society of Iowa maintains more than 200 million documents and artifacts,” Cownie says, “but they’re only valuable if people can see them.”

The R-V already has traveled to 24 counties, with the goal of making stops in each of Iowa’s 99 counties by the end of 2019. The mobile museum is parked near the livestock pavilion on the state fairgrounds from now through Friday. Governor Kim Reynolds says it’s one way to share Iowa’s legacy with the state’s citizens. “If you get a chance, be sure to walk through the RV and see some of the highlights,” Reynolds says, “things like a patch from astronaut Peggy Whitson with her spacesuit, a jersey from Lynne Lorenzen’s glory days in six-on-six basketball and, one of my personal favorites, the pen that Governor Harding used to sign the 19th Amendment in 1919 — and this made Iowa the 10th state to ratify the 19th Amendment and give women the right to vote.”

The mobile museum will be parked at the Clay County Fair in Spencer from September 9th through the 17th. It’s next stop, though, is this Sunday in northeast Iowa. It will be at the Parkersburg Historical Home on August 20th.

(Radio Iowa)

The man sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for killing Pottawattamie County Deputy Mark Burbridge in May during an escape attempt was still plotting a get away as he waited for his trial. Twenty-year-old Wesley Correa-Carmenaty changed his pleas to guilty for first-degree murder, attempted murder, escape and other crimes before his sentencing. Major Tony Wingert of the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department says Correa-Carmenaty didn’t cause problems while being held in the Woodbury County Jail in Sioux City — but he also didn’t give up on plotting another escape.

“He was a quite prisoner. He’d make comments that he just wanted to get this behind him so he could get to Oakdale,” Wingert says. Wingert says Correa-Carmenaty said in his mail that he wanted to get to Oakdale so he could try another escape, and that information has been passed down to the Department of Corrections.

Oakdale near Iowa City is where prisoners are taken for an evaluation to determine where they will be sent in the state prison system. Wingert says the shaved Correa-Carmenaty’s head after obtaining information that he may have freed himself from handcuffs at the Pottawattamie County Jail by hiding a lock pick in his long dreadlocks.

Wingert says the state D-C-I agents warned them of that his hair was a possible hiding place for the lock pick. “We were able to get a full body x-ray machine — a portable one — brought into the jail. And the state had a search warrant written up,” Wingert explains. “If the x-ray tech saw anything on the x-rays that they didn’t know for sure, we were going to take his hair.” He says during the course of the x-ray the technician saw a spot that he couldn’t confirm that there wasn’t something there, so his hair was cut by jail staff.

The hair was turned over to the State division of Criminal Investigation as evidence. Major Wingert says the haircut prompted a new threat from Correa-Carmenaty. “He was not happy with that,” Wingert says. “He made several comments that he was going to kill the D-C-I agent if he ever got the chance. He was not happy with losing his hair.”

Correa-Carmenaty was held in the Woodbury County Jail as he awaited legal action to avoid any problems that might have occurred by returning him to the Pottawattamie County Jail where the escaped and shootings happened. Correa-Carmenaty escaped that jail shortly after appearing in court May 1st and being sentenced to 45 years in prison on a murder charge.

(Radio Iowa)

No injuries were reported following two separate accidents Tuesday, in Red Oak. Authorities say Officers with the Red Oak Police Department responded at around 4:45-p.m. to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, to speak with a woman about an accident that took place in the 1500 block of 1st Street, in Red Oak. 62-year old Lynn Reynolds told police her 2008 Chrysler Sebring sustained nearly $2,000 damage. Another woman, 55-year old Shelly Shuffler, admitted to the accident, but could not provide proof of insurance. Shuffler was cited for Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability/Accident related.

The other accident happened earlier in the day, Tuesday. Just after 11-a.m., Red Oak Police responded to the area of Highway 34 and 4th Street, in Red Oak, for a two-vehicle accident. Authorities say 87-year old Fred Elmer Sowers, of Red Oak, was traveling south on 4th Street, when he failed to yield to clear the intersection and was struck by an eastbound 1998 Dodge Grand Caravan, driven by 44-year old Tammy Rae Wiechmann, of Red Oak.

Neither driver had insurance. Sowers was cited for Failure to show proof of insurance-accident related, No valid driver’s license, and Failure to obey a stop sign and yield the right of way. Wiechmann was cited for Failure to show proof of insurance/accident related. Damage to both vehicles amounted to $2,800 altogether.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Tuesday, reported four people were arrested on separate drug charges last week. On August 8th, 56-year old Sherry Renee Harrison, of Pleasant Hill, was arrested by Adair County Deputy after he conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle on Highway 92, at mile marker 70. During a “probable cause” search of Harrison’s purse, Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were located, including a meth pipe, digital scale, and syringes. Harrison was arrested at around 4-p.m. that day, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. She was released Aug. 10th on a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

Also arrested Aug. 8th following a traffic stop on Highway 92, was 56-year old Dennis Ray Wentland, of Altoona. He was charge with Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender, Speeding, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia/syringes, which were found on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle. Wentland was arrested at around 3:40-p.m. and released the next day on a $2,000 bond or surety.

On Aug. 7th, 44-year old Stephen Dennis Kunkle, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (a marijuana pipe), Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense (a clear baggy w/marijuana), a felony charge of Burglary in the 3rd degree, and Possession of Burglar tools (a pry bar and bolt cutters). The Burglary charges were with regard to an incident which took place July 22nd, according to the Sheriff’s report. Kunkle was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond or surety.

And, on August 4th, 25-year old Dalton James Cormeny, of Corning, was arrested in Greenfield following a traffic stop at around 12:55-a.m. on a pickup, which has expired and incorrect license plates, as well as defective equipment. Cormeny admitted to the Deputy, that he did not have a valid license to drive. A search of his person resulted in the discovery of a pipe used to ingest marijuana, along with a small quantity of the drug in the pipe’s bowl. A search of the pickup resulted in the recovery of meth and drug paraphernalia. Cormeny was taken into custody for Possession of Meth, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond or surety.

In other news, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports 31-year old Thomas Allen Doherty, of Stuart, was arrested Aug. 7th, for Driving While Barred and Open Container/Driver. He was released from custody the following day on a $2,000 cash bond. Also arrested over the past week in Adair County, was: 19-year old Morgan Lawrence Powell, of Adair, for Driving While Barred, Operating a vehicle without registration, and Failure to show proof of insurance. His bond was set at $2,000; 25-year old Benjamin Riser Feller, of Dexter, was arrested Aug. 9th, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $2,000; and, 35-year old Brian Harold Eilts, of Massena, was arrested Aug. 4th on Highway 92 near 250th Street in Adair County, for Driving While Suspended. He was released the following day on a $2,000 cash bond or surety.

Governor Kim Reynolds says “words matter” and she rejects the kind of “racist bigotry” on display this past weekend in Virginia. “It’s unacceptable. It can’t be tolerated,” Reynolds says. “There is absolutely no place for the hatred we saw on display there.”

Reynolds made the comments during her weekly news conference Tuesday morning — a few hours BEFORE President Trump made his latest remarks about Charlottesville. Reynolds told Iowa reporters she was not aware of any white nationalist groups planning to have rallies in Iowa. Reynolds says Iowans should be “proud” of the state’s role in advancing civil rights. “And we have got to come together and really fight for what unites us,” Reynolds says.

The “fabric” of Iowa is stitched together with kindness rather than hatred, according to Reynolds. “I think we’re known for ‘Iowa nice,'” Reynolds says. “We are humble, caring people. I see that in communities all across the state. As Iowans, I think that’s part of our very core. We step up. We help.”

This past Friday night’s torch-lit rally by white supremacists was staged on the University of Virginia campus. Iowa State University’s interim president and the president of the University of Northern Iowa wrote messages for incoming students and those who work on their campuses. Both denounced bigotry and both pledged vigilance should some group consider Ames or Cedar Falls for something similar to what happened this past weekend in Virginia.

(Radio Iowa)