ON WEDNESDAY MORNING, ASHLEY HINSON GAVE HER FIRST RADIO INTERVIEW AFTER WINNING IOWA’S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. HINSTON TALKED TO KXEL’S JEFF STEIN ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF COMPETING IN A FEDERAL ELECTION. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH CONGRESSWOMAN-ELECT ASHLEY HINSON ANYTIME IN THE PODCAST SECTION AT KXEL.COM.
STORM DEBRIS CONTINUES TO BURN AT A SOUTHWEST CEDAR RAPIDS PARK. REPORTS OF HIGH, BRIGHT FLAMES OVERNIGHT BROUGHT FIRE FIGHTERS TO THE SCENE. OFFICIALS SAY THE FIRE IS UNDER CONTROL AND IS NOT THREATENING ANY STRUCTURES OR EQUIPMENT AT THE TAIT CUMMINS COMPLEX, WHICH IS HOME TO A NUMBER OF BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL DIAMONDS. THE CEDAR RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT EXPECTS THE FIRE WILL CONTINUE TO BURN FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
THE WEATHER HAS WARMED UP AFTER SOME VERY CHILLY DAYS IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE’S A LITTLE IRONY THAT THIS IS IOWA WINTER WEATHER AWARENESS DAY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IS ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO USE THESE WARMER DAYS TO PREPARE FOR THE COLD THAT AWAITS. THAT INCLUDES WINTERIZING YOUR VEHICLE BY CHECKING YOUR BATTERY AND TIRES AND PACKING A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE A FLASHLIGHT, BLANKETS, NON-PERISHABLE FOOD, AND EXTRA WINTER GEAR. THE WEATHER SERVICE SAYS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE KILLED OR INJURED EACH YEAR AS A RESULT OF WINTER WEATHER.
IOWA REPUBLICANS HAVE MOVED FROM HAVING 53 TO 59 SEATS IN THE STATE HOUSE. SANDY SALMON WON HER FIFTH TERM REPRESENTING BREMER AND PARTS OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY IN DISTRICT 63. SHE TALKED ABOUT HER PARTY’S EXPANDING MAJORITY. SALMON NAMED AN EFFORT TO ADD ABORTION PROHIBITIONS TO THE IOWA CONSTITUTION AS SOMETHING SHE EXPECTED REPUBLICANS TO FOCUS ON WHEN THE NEW SESSION BEGINS IN JANUARY.
AT THAT POINT, ASHLEY HINSON WILL BE IN WASHINGTON RATHER THAN DES MOINES. AFTER SERVING IN THE STATE HOUSE FROM A DISTRICT IN LINN COUNTY, HINSON IS GOING TO CONGRESS FROM IOWA’S FIRST DISTRICT. THE FIRST DISTRICT INCLUDES IOWA AND POWESHIEK COUNTIES IN THE SOUTH, TO AREAS ALONG THE MINNESOTA BORDER, INCLUDING THE CITIES OF WATERLOO, CEDAR RAPIDS, AND DUBUQUE.
IN IOWA CITY WEDNESDAY, A SUSPICIOUS PACKAGE CREATED SOME CONCERN. CITY HALL WAS CLOSED FOR A TIME DURING THE AFTERNOON DUE TO THE PACKAGE, WHICH WAS LOCATED NEAR GILBERT AND WASHINGTON STREETS. FURTHER DETAILS ABOUT THE SITUATION WERE NOT RELEASED AFTER IOWA CITY OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT IN THE EARLY EVENING.
THE IMMEDIATE SUCCESS OF SEPTEMBER 2019 BANK ROBBERY WAS SHORT-LIVED, AND NOW THE BANK ROBBER FACES A NINE-AND-A-HALF YEAR PRISON TERM. LUIS ANGEL VEGA WALKED OUT OF A LIME SPRINGS BANK WITH MORE THAN 68 HUNDRED DOLLARS IN CASH. VEGA WAS CAPTURED JUST THREE HOURS LATER. HE RECEIVED HIS SENTENCE THIS WEEK IN CEDAR RAPIDS FEDERAL COURT. VEGA HAD PLED GUILTY IN JUNE TO BANK ROBBERY AND USING A FIREARM DURING A VIOLENT CRIME.
CONGRESSWOMAN-ELECT ASHLEY HINSON TALKED ABOUT WHAT SHE WILL DO DURING THE MONTHS AHEAD OF BEING SWORN IN AS IOWA’S FIRST DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE. THE REPUBLICAN HINSON UNSEATED DEMOCRAT ABBY FINKENAUER IN A RACE SETTLED BY NOT QUITE 11 THOUSAND VOTES. IT IS THE FIRST TIME CONTOL OF AN IOWA CONGRESSIONAL SEAT HAS PASSED FROM ONE FEMALE OFFICE-HOLDER TO ANOTHER.
AFTER TUESDAY’S ELECTION, IOWA CASINOS CAN EXPECT MORE COMPETITION FROM SURROUNDING STATES VERY SOON. NEBRASKA VOTERS ENDED A BAN ON CASINO GAMING, AND DEVELOPERS SAY NEW FACILITIES COULD OPEN IN OMAHA, LINCOLN, AND SOUTH SIOUX CITY PERHAPS AS SOON AS NEXT YEAR. MEANWHILE, SOUTH DAKOTA HAS LEGALIZED SPORTS BETTING A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER THE FIRST IOWA SPORTS BOOKS OPENED LAST AUGUST. MANY OF IOWA’S 19 COMMERCIAL CASINOS ARE LOCATED IN BORDER AREAS WITH THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF ATTRACTING GAMBLERS FROM OTHER STATES.
