(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Democrats will have a chance to make the case to national party leaders that the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses should move back to a lead-off position in the next presidential election. A panel of national Democrats met this weekend and agreed Iowa and 11 other states will be competing for up to five early voting slots in 2028. Minyon Moore is chair of the group that will make the decision and she says they are looking for one thing.

“The calendar that produces the strongest possible Democratic nominee for president,” she said. Iowa will be competing against Illinois and Michigan to host one of the four regional voting events that will kick-off the 2028 presidential election. Some committee members like David McDonald of Washington state are raising concerns about having large states like Illinois host the opening contests for Democratic candidates in 2028.

“We make a trade off if we put one of those states up front,” McDonald said. “It is both more expensive and it is less retail campaigning and historically we have tried to emphasize person-to-person contact as much as possible by using small states up front to get a read on the candidates.”

Two other members of the panel that will consider Iowa’s pitch say Iowa Democrats must make clear in their presentation how they plan to conduct the 2028 Caucuses rather than present a menu with early voting options alongside Caucus night voting.

The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee is scheduled to meet again in April, but there’s no date set yet for Iowa and other states to make their presentations about hosting early primaries — or the Iowa Caucuses — in 2028.

(Red Oak, IA) – Police in Red Oak report the arrest of a man early this (Sunday) morning, on a Public Intoxication charge. Authorities say 32-year-old  Joshua Dean Jones, of Red Oak, was taken into custody on the simple misdemeanor charge at around 12:18-a.m. in the 1200 block of Senate Avenue, in Red Oak.

Jones was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Mason City, IA) – A person walking in the traveled portion of a grocery store parking lot  in Mason City, was struck by an SUV Saturday afternoon. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the accident happened at around 2:40-p.m., as a 2004 Chevy Tahoe was traveling south in a parking lot. The pedestrian was transported by Mason City Ambulance to the hospital but died from their injuries.

The name of the pedestrian was being withheld by authorities, pending notification of family. The name of the SUV driver was also not immediately released. The incident remained under investigation.

Mason City Police assisted State Patrol at the scene.

(Des Moines, IA) – [KCCI-TV] – Officials with the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CASA)  announced this week that after more than 40 years of advocacy work in shaping Iowa’s response to sexual violence, Iowa CASA’s Board of Directors voted to dissolve the organization, with Friday marking the final day for most of its work.  The decision also brings to an end to a national program it led to strengthen sexual assault survivor services across the country.

IowaCASA provided training, policy advocacy and technical support to rape crisis centers and victim service providers statewide.

The closure also ends IowaCASA’s involvement in the Resource Sharing Project, a national initiative designed to help state and territorial sexual assault coalitions build capacity, share best practices and improve services for survivors. It is the primary resource that similar sexual assault advocacy organizations rely on to build training and guidance. RSP materials addressed complex and emerging issues facing survivors, including access to housing, services for underserved populations and how agencies can respond when sexual violence intersects with other forms of victimization.

IowaCASA previously announced that its legal advocacy program will continue operating during a wind-down period before ending March 31, 2026.

Sexual assault resources:

• Text: IOWAHELP TO 20121
• Iowa Victims Hotline: 1-800-770-1650
• Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual & Domestic Violence: 402-476-6256
• National Sexual Violence Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
• National Domestic Victim Hotline: 1-800-799-7233

•   Estimated Total Award Amount: $66,002,161.76

• Imaging Systems: Multiple MRI systems, CT scanners, PET/CT systems, nuclear imaging (SPECT), digital X-ray systems, and a digital mammography unit with advanced imaging and compliance features.
• Robotic Surgical Systems: Multiple da Vinci 5 robotic systems (single and dual console), Mako Robotic-Arm Assisted Surgical System, Ion Robotic Bronchoscopy System.
• Other Advanced Equipment: Linear Accelerator for radiation therapy and Olympus Endoscopy System.

• Estimated Total Award Amount: $12,600,000.00

• Physicians: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Psychiatry, General Surgery, and Cardiology.
• Advanced Practice Providers: Nurse Practitioners, Certified Nurse Midwives, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists.
• Physician Assistants: Primary Care, Pediatrics, Surgical specialties.
• Registered Nurses: Clinical, OB, Oncology, Emergency Department, and specialized care roles.
• Specialty Providers: Radiology and Behavioral Health.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports Richard Wayne Shaul, convicted of Theft 2nd Degree in Henry County, Burglary 2nd Degree and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card $1K Theft 2nd Degree in Marion County, and Habitual Offender, Failure to Affix Tax Stamp, Theft 1st Degree, and Robbery 2nd Degree in Polk County, failed to report back to Fort Des Moines – Bldg. 70, as required on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

Shaul is a 55-year-old, 5’11”, 216-pound White male. He was admitted to the work release facility on July 30, 2025.

Persons with information on Shaul’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Richard Wayne Shaul

(Radio Iowa) – Four of the Republican candidates running for governor say they support a ban on vaccines developed with m-R-N-A technology, like the Moderna and Pfizer COVID vaccines. The subject came up during this week’s debate sponsored by Moms for Liberty. Zach Lahn says he would pull all COVID shots off the market in Iowa — and end all childhood vaccine requirements connected to enrollment in Iowa schools.

“We cannot trust the medical establishment in Iowa anymore. They have lost our trust,” Lahn said, getting applause and whistles from the crowd, “and they have done nothing to earn it back.” Adam Steen, former director of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services, says he absolutely would consider a ban on m-R-N-A vaccines.

“My father passed away three and a half years ago,” Steen said. “He was healthy as a horse, he got the COVID shot, ends up with diabetes, ends up with cancer, now he’s passed away.” Brad Sherman, a former member of the Iowa House, says his son-in-law, who’s a doctor, refused to take the COVID vaccine and faced losing his job before he was granted a religious exemption. “All we have to do is take a stand,” Sherman said. “We need medical freedom. We need to make sure we have it in this state.”

And State Representative Eddie Andrews says he wants a state law that would allow Iowans to sue the companies that made the COVID vaccines. “I remember in the early days of COVID, it didn’t take long to realize they’re just lying through their teeth,” Andrews said. Congressman Randy Feenstra, the other Republican running for governor, declined the invitation to debate Tuesday night and flew back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One with President Trump.

Last May, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the C-D-C would no longer recommend COVID shots for healthy children and pregnant women and, in August, Kennedy ended federal funding of m-R-N-A vaccine development.

Five associations that represent doctors in the U.S. say they’re dismayed and alarmed by that decision because research using m-R-N-A technology is showing promise in developing treatments for serious diseases like cancer, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court is siding with the Davenport Public Defender’s office in dealing with an overloaded court system. The Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that the district court exceeded its limited role in determining whether the Davenport Public Defender should be allowed to withdraw from six cases.

The district court wanted a hearing detailing the office’s workload instead of accepting Public Defender’s determination they don’t have enough lawyers to handle the six cases where the defendants can’t afford their own lawyers.

The Supreme Court acknowledged the shortage of public defenders is an epidemic in the state, but said its ruling is limited to the Davenport situation and the role the district court plays in deciding if there is a temporary overload of cases.