Disagreement continues in Washington, D.C., over further financial aid tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdown. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst told me Friday that Republicans in the U.S. Senate are ready to move forward but that Democrats are unwilling to be reasonable. You can hear the full conversation with Sen. Ernst during the 9 o’clock hour of KXEL Live & Local today.
The Iowa Secretary of State’s office has begun mailing absentee ballot request forms to all registered voters in the state. Secretary of State Paul Pate has a special message to voters in two Iowa counties which have been the subject of lawsuits. A hearing has yet to be held in a third lawsuit, tied to actions of the Johnson County auditor.
One person is dead after a motorcycle accident in Buchanan County. It happened early Labor Day morning on northbound I-380 near the Brandon interchange. Iowa State Patrol officials say the driver lost control, and was ejected from the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.
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Less than two months from the November general election, and the Iowa Secretary of State’s office has begun mailing absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter in Iowa. Various interest groups and political parties have already sent similar forms. Secretary of State Paul Pate says the effort is especially important in light of COVID-19 to make sure voters turn out and feel safe in casting ballots. Voters in Linn County who returned forms improperly sent by the county auditor will need to complete a new ballot request form.
We spoke at length with U.S. senator and candidate for re-election Joni Ernst on Friday, a conversation you can hear in the 9 o’clock hour of KXEL Live & Local today…one KXEL listener wanted Sen. Ernst to explain her views on the environment in light of her calling some positions extremist.
Many state parks were closed after the August 10th derecho due to damage. While the Iowa DNR has been able to reopen some, but Palisades-Kepler State Park is closed “indefinitely” due to extensive tree damage. Officials say many trees were compromised and are unsafe to be around. While debris has been cleared from roadways, there are many large trees and hanging branches over roads and trails that need to be removed before the park can be reopened.
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U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has introduced legislation called the “no anarchy” bill, which would deny some federal funding to cities that did not stop rioting and looting as we have seen in many major cities this summer. While that measure is pending, Sen. Ernst told me Friday that the President may take similar action. You can hear the full conversation with candidate for re-election Joni Ernst on KXEL Live & Local; the program begins today at 9.
As demand continues to surge at food banks, the federal government is preparing to spend another $1.5 billion on a program that has provided a key source of fresh food to charities this summer as they work to feed the hungry. Food banks have praised it for helping provide high quality produce, meat and dairy products to millions of Americans who abruptly lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. They say the government could help more by expanding the food stamp program, known as SNAP, which reaches far more people.
A 3-year-old boy has died after driving a utility terrain vehicle into a parked trailer in Leon in southern Iowa. The boy had been riding in the UTV as a passenger with two relatives, but got into the driver’s seat after his two relatives got off. The child then drove the vehicle into a parked fifth-wheel trailer. The Iowa State Patrol says he was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says $100 million from the federal government will be used to maintain the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity. The governor says she wanted to make sure the state has enough tests as schools reopen and flu season begins. But the governor says she also wants the state to be flexible in case testing needs change quickly. For example, she says the state later might want to buy saliva tests or tests that check for both COVID-19 and the flu.
