AFTER SPENDING MUCH OF 2021 IN DROUGHT, HEAVY STORMS LAST WEEK MEAN FLOODING CONCERNS. ON THE WAPSIPINICON RIVER, LEVELS CRESTED IN TRIPOLI SUNDAY JUST INCHES SHY OF A RECORD. THE TURKEY RIVER NEAR ELGIN WAS EVEN CLOSER TO ITS ALL-TIME HIGH. ELKADER IS EXPECTED TO SEE THE TURKEY CREST TODAY. THE CEDAR RIVER IN JANESVILLE IS ALSO FORECAST TO PEAK TODAY AT MINOR FLOOD STAGE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PREDICTS THAT MANY AREAS DOWNSTREAM FROM THOSE GAUGES WILL SEE FLOODING AS THIS WEEK CONTINUES, INCLUDING CEDAR FALLS, INDEPENDENCE, AND ANAMOSA.
DURING A RALLY IN THE NEWBO AREA OF CEDAR RAPIDS SUNDAY, VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS SPOKE ABOUT FLOODING AND CLIMATE CHANGE. SANDERS WENT ON TO NOTE RESEARCH FROM PRINCETON AND M-I-T PREDICTING THAT HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD EVENTS ARE LIKELY TO BECOME MORE COMMON AS AN EFFECT OF CLIMATE CHANGE. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS WERE PART OF A LONG LIST OF CHALLENGES SANDERS SAYS THE NATION CURRENTLY FACES.
OFFICIALS IN MISSOURI SAY A 12-STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OPERATION RESCUED 47 VICTIMS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND LED TO THE ARREST OF MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE. THOSE ARRESTS WERE MADE LATE LAST WEEK. THE EFFORT WAS DUBBED OPERATION UNITED FRONT. UNDERCOVER OFFICERS ARRANGED TO MEET POTENTIAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS OR POSED AS VICTIMS TO IDENTIFY A BUYER OR TRAFFICKER. IOWA WAS ONE OF THE STATES WHERE THE OPERATION WAS CONDUCTED.
ONE OF THE 13 AMERICANS KILLED IN AN AFGHANISTAN BOMBING LAST WEEK HAD IOWA TIES. THE FAMILY OF 23-YEAR-OLD MARINE CPL. DAEGAN PAGE SAYS HE WAS AMONG MORE THAN 170 VICTIMS OF BOMBS WHICH EXPLODED NEAR A CROWDED KABUL AIRPORT GATE. PAGE WAS RAISED IN RED OAK, BEFORE HIS FAMILY MOVED TO THE OMAHA METRO AREA. A WING OF THE ISLAMIC STATE GROUP CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ATTACK.
HIGH WATER ON THE CEDAR RIVER REQUIRED A WATER RESCUE IN CEDAR FALLS LATE SUNDAY. NEAR SUNSET, ONE BOAT STUCK A TREE. ANOTHER ATTEMPTED TO TOW IT FROM THE SCENE BEFORE THE SECOND BOAT’S ENGINE FAILED. CEDAR FALLS FIRST RESPONDERS LOCATED THE BOATS UPSTREAM FROM BLACK HAWK PARK AND SAFELY BROUGHT SIX PEOPLE TO SHORE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT CEDAR FALLS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS NOTED THAT FAST CURRENTS AND FLOODED AREAS ARE DANGEROUS. HIGH WATER IS EXPECTED IN THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEK DUE TO RECENT RAINS.
IOWA REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR JEFF KAUFMANN WILL LEAD THE NATIONAL PANEL PLOTTING THE CALENDAR FOR CAUCUSES AND PRIMARIES IN 2024. HE SPOKE ABOUT PRIORITIES FOR SCHEDULING THE EVENTS RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. IN PAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEARS, SOME STATES HAVE TRIED TO PUSH THEIR CAUCUS OR PRIMARY AHEAD OF EVENTS IN IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE.
APPROXIMATELY 700 PEOPLE GATHERED TO HEAR VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS SPEAK DURING AN OPEN AIR RALLY IN CEDAR RAPIDS’ NEWBO DISTRICT ON SUNDAY. THE STOP WAS ONE OF TWO WHICH SANDERS MADE IN THE MIDWEST TO TOUT MULTI-TRILLION DOLLAR SPENDING PLANS BEING CONSIDERED IN CONGRESS. SANDERS WAS FOLLOWED TO THE LECTERN BY SPEAKERS OF VARIOUS BACKGROUNDS WHO IDENTIFIED WAYS THE LEGISLATION WILL IMPACT THEM. CONGRESS MAY ACT ON THE BILLS DURING SEPTEMBER.
MORE THAN TWO YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING PROCESS BEGINS, SPECULATION HAS ALREADY STARTED ABOUT WHETHER IOWA AND NEW HAMPSHIRE WILL LEAD THE NATION. JEFF KAUFMANN CHAIRS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA AND ALSO WILL LEAD THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE BODY WHICH MANAGES THE TIMELINE. KAUFMANN SPOKE TO KXEL ABOUT PUTTING IOWA AT THE FRONT OF THE LINE. FIND MORE OF KAUFMANN’S COMMENTS AT KXEL.COM.
WHEN CEDAR RAPIDS FISHERMAN ED YERKES TALKS ABOUT “THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY,” HE MIGHT MEAN LAST WEEKEND. YERKES GOT LOST AND DISORIENTED WHILE LOOKING FOR A FISHING SPOT ON THE CEDAR RIVER. AFTER BEING ON HIS BOAT FOR APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS AND CALLING THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND HIM NEAR PALO. YERKES WAS EVALUATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL DUE TO HIS PRIOR MEDICAL HISTORY.
