Senator Joni Ernst has credentials that check some of the boxes on Donald Trump’s list of qualities he’s seeking in a running mate. Ernst is a combat veteran and she has experience in government at the county, state and federal level. So, if asked, would she agree to be Trump’s V-P? “That’s a hypothetical, of course, and I’m very focused on Iowa issues right now,” Ernst says. “No one from the campaign has reached out.”

Earlier this month, Governor Branstad indicated he was seeking a private meeting with Trump in order to tout Ernst as a running mate. Ernst has not met personally with Trump, but she’s talked with other members of congress who did meet Trump privately last week. “A number of my colleagues stated that they really appreciated the fact that he was very thoughtful in his responses to them,” Ernst says. “He was very serious. He was very different in those meetings maybe than what you’ll see out on a stage somewhere, what you might see in Twitter.”

A few months ago Ernst aired concerns about some of the comments Trump made on the campaign trail. “I did have concern about his tone,” Ernst says. “…I don’t agree with every statement that Donald Trump has said, but I will tell you that there are other candidates as well that I would probably not agree 100 percent with their statements either. I would like to see as we move forward more talk about policy…Now that he is the presumptive nominee, I think he has that opportunity.”

Ernst made her comments during taping of the Iowa Press program that will air at 7:30 this evening (Friday) on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The parties involved apparently have settled a lawsuit stemming from a medical helicopter crash that killed three people in northern Iowa.
The helicopter carrying pilot Gene Grell, nurse Shelly Lair-Langenbau and paramedic Russ Piehl went down Jan. 2, 2013, near Ventura while on their way to pick up a patient. Federal investigators blamed ice on the helicopter and said the aircraft was not equipped to fly in winter weather.

Lair-Langenbau’s family sued the helicopter operator, Med Trans Corp. Mason City television station KIMT reports that settlement details haven’t been released. Court documents filed this week show the case has been removed from the court calendar and that documents to dismiss the case will be filed by mid-June.

A federal trial in Sioux City was scheduled to begin June 6.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man early this (Friday) morning, on a Trespassing charge. 29-year old Benjamin William Hrabik, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 300 block of E. Washington Street in Red Oak, at around 12:10-a.m. He was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center has held on a $300 cash bond.

Fremont County Sheriff’s Department said today (Friday), deputies discovered a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of 220^th St and 230^th Avenue. A deputy with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office observed a 2004 Mazda RX8 partially submerged in the drainage ditch located east of the intersection of 220^th Street and 230^th Ave.

An investigation determined the driver of the vehicle, 18-year old Dustin Rutledge, of Sidney, was westbound on 220^th Street when he lost control of his car, which entered the north ditch.  The vehicle traveled in the ditch along the creek bed, struck a culvert and came to rest in the drainage ditch. The car was a total loss. Rutledge was not injured, and left the scene prior to law enforcement arrival.

Alcohol is not believed to be a factor, seatbelts were in use, and authorities say charges are pending.

Authorities in Montgomery County said Thursday that a Villisca man was arrested that day on a charge of 2nd Degree Sexual Abuse. The arrest of 30-year-old Robert Dumler was the result of an investigation involving officials with Project Harmony and the Iowa Dept. of Human Services that began May 2nd. Dumler was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $25,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

Authorities in Fremont County, Wednesday, arrested a man in connection with an investigation into an incident involving a gun that took place Monday morning. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Todd Michael Guiser, of Tabor, was arrested for Reckless Use of a Firearm and Child Endangerment.

Todd Guiser

An investigation determined that during the early morning hours, Monday, Guiser negligently discharged a round from a .357 revolver, inside his apartment at 204 Orange Street, in Tabor. The bullet struck a child’s Pack ‘n Play and lodged in the floor of the apartment. It was also determined that an infant was in the home, sleeping in a room adjacent to where the shot was fired.

Guiser was being held without bond pending an initial appearance with the Magistrate.

The Griswold Community Center was the site for a candidate forum that lasted slightly more than 90-minutes, Thursday night. Persons running for the County Board of Supervisors offices in Cass County were on-hand to introduce themselves, their position on certain issues, and to answer questions from the audience, in advance of the June 7^th Primary.

Among those candidates running for a seat on the Cass County Board of Supervisors, are: District 1: Republicans – Steve Green, Dave Jones, and Dale Retallic; District 4: Democrat – Dana Kunze, and Republicans – Rocky Anderson, Ryan Askeland, Steve Baier, Todd Hansen, Nick Hensley, and Barry Moore; District 5: Republicans – J. Ford Lillard, Bernard Pettinger, and Frank Waters.

There were only a few questions asked from the audience. They covered topics that included grants for County improvements, fracking and the impact on water quality, and what the candidates thought were their top issues of concern.

With regard to the latter, candidates for the Board of Supervisors in District 1 were the first to respond. Steve Green said his main focus would be to make sure the County entities (Cities/governments), work together toward a common goal of solving issues. He said often times, the individual cities are in the “What’s In It For Me?” mindset. He said “We need to pull together, and we need to roll-up our sleeves, innovate, think outside the box, and come up with solutions to our county-wide issues. All of them.”

Dave Jones said from what he’s gathered, the top issue is infrastructure, especially with regard to the condition of county roads and the damage caused by heavily loaded semi’s. Dale Retallic said “We need business. We need jobs. We need young people to stay in Cass County…to come into [the County]. I’ve seen it many times, where we are in a slow death because we are turning into a retirement village/retirement county. We need young people to make this county work.” The rest he said, will fall into place.

District 5 candidates’ responses include: From Bernard Pettinger, who suggested running tile lines across the soft spots on county gravel roads to eliminate “soft spots.” J. Ford Lillard agreed with Dale Retallic, that roads are a problem, but bringing young people into the county and retaining them, is key to building the base for investments in roads and other issues.

Among the District 4 candidates….Ryan Askeland said jobs is one of the reasons he’s running. “I’m scared to death in the next 10-to 20-years we might lose our school district….we need to develop the jobs to keep the enrollment up for us to keep the smaller and bigger schools going.” Barry Moore and Steve Baier both said economic development is important, but finding ways to stop “exporting” our young people after they graduate, is vital. Baier said creating a new means to incubate start-up entrepreneurs in the County will bring technologically minded young people here.

Rocky Anderson said “Quality, affordable housing,” will bring and keep people …especially young people…in the county. Todd Hansen said economic development is a good way to start, to circulate money and grow the communities, which will in-turn sustain the infrastructure. Nick Hensley said lower taxes will be his focus.

And, Dana Kunze said what’s needed is a consortium of nearby counties to get students trained nearby in vocational areas. He said the schools themselves don’t have enough political pull with colleges like Iowa Western to make them want to partner with local schools under “Our terms, because it’s our tax money that makes that entity work. When they don’t want to partner with us, there’s something wrong.”