Podcasts about Iowa National Guard

About 1,800 Iowa National Guard soldiers are heading to the Middle East.

The World's #1 Personal Development Book Podcast!  In today's episode we have the pleasure to interview Nick Darland author of “Power in Chaos: Overcoming Adversity with Courage and Hope” Nick is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully launched and scaled multiple ventures, using innovation, strategy, and leadership to deliver solutions for his customers' needs. He is the owner of HomeRevisions   and Waterproofing Solutions of Iowa, Nick is a speaker on entrepreneurship and leadership. In December 2023, Nick's quick thinking and CPR skills saved the life of an employee who suffered a major heart attack. He has been recognized by both civilian and military entities for acts of heroism. He lives with his family in Des Moines, Iowa, where he is a staff sergeant in the Iowa National Guard. Nick didn't come from success, in fact it was quite the opposite, growing up in poverty and abuse, one day he was able to finally take responsibility for the role he played and change his life. He is now on a mission to give you hope and help you realize that no matter who you are or where you come from  you can step into the best version of yourself. In this episode we dive into topics about Nicks book. We talk about Nick's personal journey of overcoming adversity, the importance of taking responsibility for one's life, and the role of transparency and vulnerability in personal development. Nick shares insights from his challenging childhood, the impact of family dynamics, and how he found hope and growth through literature and philosophy.  We hope you enjoy this incredible conversation with Nick Darland To learn more about Nick and buy his  book follow the links below: The Book: https://a.co/d/4CS1pxn Website: https://www.nickdarland.com/ https://www.instagram.com/power_in_chaos/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-darland-946341297/ ________________________________________________ Join the world's largest non-fiction Book community! https://www.instagram.com/bookthinkers/ The purpose of this podcast is to connect you, the listener, with new books, new mentors, and new resources that will help you achieve more and live better. Each and every episode will feature one of the world's top authors so that you know each and every time you tune-in, there is something valuable to learn. If you have any recommendations for guests, please DM them to us on Instagram. (www.instagram.com/bookthinkers) If you enjoyed this show, please consider leaving a review. It takes less than 60-seconds of your time, and really makes a difference when I am trying to land new guests. For more BookThinkers content, check out our Instagram or our website. Thank you for your time!

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is thankful for Iowa National Guard members who have been at the US-Mexico border. Ryan Melton, the Democratic candidate running in the fourth congressional district, says lawmakers need to do more to limit fertilizer in Iowa waterways. And what is the DNR doing about the dropping deer population in western Iowa?

EPISODE #1005 JUSTICE FOR JEFFREY EPSTEIN'S VICTIMS Richard speaks with the Associate Director of Epstein Justice, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization Dedicated to Justice on Behalf of the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein and His Co-conspirators. GUEST: Lt. Col. (Retired) Pete Shinn has an extensive background in the U.S. Air Force as a trainer, journalist, and adult educator. He also served as an executive officer for the Continental NORAD Region Air Operations Center, and as a liaison between the Secretary of the Air Force and U.S. Senate Appropriators. Beginning in 1989, Shinn began providing interactive diversity and inclusion training to Air Force audiences. In 2008, Shinn was selected to provide leadership, communications, problem solving, and critical thinking skills training at the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School. In 2010, he deployed with the Iowa National Guard to provide agricultural training to farmers in Afghanistan's Kunar Province.  After returning from Afghanistan, he provided interactive training on the intersection between agriculture and national defense to a variety of organizations, including the National Agri-Marketing Association, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Pork Board, and National Cattlemen's Beef Association, among others. Pete retired from the Air Force in October 2020 after 36 years of service. He is currently a co-creator at Shinnfluence LLC, a family media and training business. Pete's major military awards include the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, and the U.S. Army Combat Action Badge. His major civilian awards include the 1998 Nebraska Broadcaster's Association Gold Service to Agriculture Award, the National Association of Farm Broadcasting President's Award in 2004 and 2005, and an Emmy Award in 2012 for Best Military Program. WEBSITE: https://epsteinjustice.com BECOME A PREMIUM SUBSCRIBER!!! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Three monthly subscriptions to choose from. Commercial Free Listening, Bonus Episodes and a Subscription to my monthly newsletter, InnerSanctum. Visit https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm Use the discount code "Planet" to receive one month off the first subscription. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes. By using our website and services, you agree to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://strangeplanet.supportingcast.fm/

On today's show, Peter Shinn, the Associate Director of http://www.epsteinjustice.com/, will discuss the work his organization is doing to achieve its goals. GUEST OVERVIEW: Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Peter Shinn has an extensive background in the U.S. Air Force as a trainer, journalist, and adult educator. He also served as an executive officer for the Continental NORAD Region Air Operations Center and as a liaison between the Secretary of the Air Force and U.S. Senate Appropriators. Beginning in 1989, Shinn began providing interactive diversity and inclusion training to Air Force audiences. In 2008, Shinn was selected to provide leadership, communications, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills training at the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School. In 2010, he deployed with the Iowa National Guard to provide agricultural training to farmers in Afghanistan's Kunar Province.  

In this special Veterans Day episode of "The Rise Of Basic Men," we are honored to welcome a truly remarkable guest, Allan, whose military career spans decades and continents. Allan's story is not just a tale of personal achievement but a vivid chronicle of American military history through the eyes of a dedicated soldier.Allan begins by sharing his compelling journey of joining the Marines, a decision that set the stage for a life dedicated to service. He takes us through his time stationed in Okinawa and Camp Lejeune, delving into the rigorous process and profound experiences that led to him becoming a sniper. His narrative is not just about the discipline and skills of a military life but also about the deep sense of purpose and camaraderie that comes with it.But Allan's service didn't end there. He recounts his decision to rejoin the military, this time with the Iowa National Guard, and his subsequent deployment to Desert Shield and Desert Storm. These experiences, fraught with challenges and triumphs, paved the way for his eventual rise to the rank of Command Sergeant Major, a position that speaks volumes about his leadership, dedication, and skill.In a touching tribute to his family's military legacy, Allan showcases precious artifacts: dog tags from his great-grandfather and father, a Purple Heart awarded to his great-grandfather in World War II, and Life magazines featuring stories related to his military family history and his hometown of Red Oak, Iowa. These items are not just family heirlooms; they are tangible connections to the past, symbolizing the sacrifices and bravery of those who served before him.As the episode draws to a close, Allan addresses a crucial aspect of veteran life – the importance of support and resources for those who have served. He highlights the role of the VA in providing assistance to veterans and shares the critical 988 number, the suicide hotline, underscoring the need for mental health support for veterans and others who are struggling.This episode is more than just a podcast; it's a journey through history, personal sacrifice, and the unbreakable spirit of those who serve in the military.Stay connected, share your thoughts, and let your voice be heard:https://linktr.ee/theriseofbasicmenEpisode Runtime: Approx. 140 minutes

Veterans Day is coming up this weekend on Saturday November 11th. As we all thank and support the Veterans who serve our country, his office says there are few that have done more for those men and women once they return home, than Iowa 3rd District Congressman Zach Nunn. Veterans Day really hits home to Nunn, who served as a member and Commander in the Iowa National Guard. Nunn said it was one of his greatest honors in being in National Guard. https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zach-Nunn-Clip-5.mp3 Nunn's role models include several family members who served the country. Both his father and brother served, but there was none he looked up to more, than his grandfather who served in WWII. Speaking with KJAN's Blake Burris, Nunn says by the grace of God, his grandfather was able to return home after being caught in line of a Nazi sniper's nest. https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zach-Nunn-Clip-6.mp3 Ever since Nunn got into Congress, he says it has been a big factor for him to do anything in his power to help the brave men and women have better lives once they come home. But the one  Nunn is most proud of, is getting a bill passed that allows Veterans to get the proper help once they return home. Suicide rate for Veterans is 4x higher in Iowa than the national level and is a tragedy that Zach Nunn wants to see drop. https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zach-Nunn-Clip-3.mp3 Nunn said he decided to get run for Congress so he can fight for the men and women who sacrifice so much for our freedom that we are so blessed with having, and he gives his thanks and gratitude to those who serve and to their families. https://www.kjan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Zach-Nunn-Clip-1.mp3  

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for October 25, 2023.According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy Wednesday with a high near 70 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Rain is predicted again for Wednesday evening, with a 100 percent chance of precipitation. New rainfall could reach as much as half an inch.As the 2023 harvest comes to a close, farmers in east-central Iowa are seeing variable but overall lower than normal crop yields.Lower yields concentrate in areas hit hardest by drought, like Benton and Linn counties, said Rebecca Vittetoe, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist for east-central Iowa. Earlier this month, that region marked the epicenter of the worst drought on record in Eastern Iowa.For Iowa as a whole, the USDA forecasts average corn yields to reach 199 bushels per acre — one bushel less than its prediction last month. Its soybean yield forecast held steady at 58 bushels per acre. Forecasts for both crops are marginally less than last year's yields.The 10-year average corn yields for Benton and Linn counties hover around 195 bushels per acre. So far, Vittetoe has heard corn yields vary from 130 bushels per acre to more than 200 bushels per acre this year. Last year's corn yields hovered around 218 bushels per acre.Soybean yields in Linn and Benton counties will likely also be down this year, Vittetoe said, with early reports varying between 40 to 60 bushels per acre.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on a visit to Iowa Tuesday, praising the relationship between the state and country.Osmani is in Iowa for the World Food Prize Week of Events, an annual conference put on by the global foundation based in Des Moines. She will give the opening keynote at the conference on Thursday.Kosovo, a Balkan country that borders Serbia and Albania, became Iowa's ninth sister state in 2013 under then-Gov. Terry Branstad. The partnership includes a military partnership between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Forces.Osmani said Kosovo's partnership with Iowa is a reflection of the country's partnership with the U.S. at large.Kosovo is one of the world's youngest countries, having declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Its independence was supported by the U.S.Traffic fatalities in Iowa are higher than they've been at this time of the year for at least the previous five years — with more than 300 people killed so far, already surpassing the target that officials had hoped not to exceed this entire year.The average number of traffic fatalities by Oct. 23 in the past five years is 268, but this year there have been 301, according to Iowa's daily fatality count.The number of traffic fatalities so far actually could be higher than what's been recorded online by the state, since roadway deaths are considered traffic-related if they occur within 30 days of a crash. Two deaths also occurred Sunday and Monday in Iowa — one of a firefighter who died after two fire vehicles crashed into each other near Ionia, and the other of a 25-year-old who drove off the road early Monday in Davenport.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for September 13, 2023.According to the National Weather Service there may be some patchy fog before 8 a.m. on Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area, but besides that it will be sunny with a high near 72 degrees.A dead man who was found last week on the University of Iowa campus has been identified as Gabriel Moliter, 44, of Iowa City, according to university police.Emergency responders were called to the north patio of the Stanley Hydraulic Laboratory, on Riverside Drive, at 7:15 a.m. Sept. six on a report of an unconscious and possibly deceased male, according to UI police. When they arrived, responders confirmed the death.Based on a preliminary investigation and help from the Johnson County Medical Examiner, officials don't believe foul play was involved in the death, a news release states. The release does not say what Moliter's cause of death was.Moliter was not a student or employee at the university, authorities said last week.A magistrate concluded Tuesday, following last month's non jury trial, that a North Liberty teen driving a sport utility vehicle on May 22 failed to yield to a jogger who he struck in a marked crosswalk on Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City.Sixth Judicial District Magistrate Mark Neary ruled Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 16, at the time, “did not comply with the common law requirements under the circumstances.” McCaffery approached the pedestrian crosswalk at a little over the speed limit, according to what McCaffery told a police officer. At the scene, McCaffery said he was driving at “full speed.”McCaffery is the son of University of Iowa head basketball coach Fran McCaffery.Neary, in the ruling, said there is no evidence, according to police, that the teen was speeding, driving in a reckless manner, that he was distracted while driving or using his cellphone, or that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.Three witnesses said McCaffery didn't slow down until the vehicle hit Corey Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids. Witnesses also testified that another motorist had waved Hite into the intersection before McCaffery's vehicle arrived.Hite, an Iowa National Guard soldier, later died from his injuries.Under Iowa law, there is an enhancement for this misdemeanor when it results in a death, which includes a $1,000 fine, a driver's license suspension of up to 180 days or both, according to police.The NCAA has denied Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon's appeal of his yearlong suspension for sports wagering, Coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday.The failed appeal essentially marks the end of college football for Shannon, a sixth-year senior and two-year starter on the defensive line.Ferentz previously said Shannon placed a bet on a different University of Iowa sports team. The NCAA's updated sports gambling guidelines suggest an athlete who does so “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”“I don't agree with or understand, quite frankly, the decision, especially when it comes to the severity of the punishment,” Ferentz said Tuesday. “The panel that heard the appeal had an opportunity to really do something, make a decision that to me would...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for August 23, 2023.The heat continues. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday with a high near 103 degrees. Heat index values could rise as high as 115.Expect the extreme heat to hang around at least through Thursday.The meteorological reason behind the heat wave is similar to that behind the heat dome that trapped much of the nation in late July. There's a high-pressure air mass currently centered over southern Iowa that encompasses most of the central U.S. It's trapping hot summer air underneath, scorching communities.Eastern Iowa schools are preparing for the extremely hot temperatures — announcing early releases and stocking water bottles on buses — as students start heading back to school Wednesday.Cedar Rapids Community Schools will be dismissing middle and high school students at 10:50 a.m. and elementary school students at 11:50 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday. College Community and Linn-Mar school districts will have a three-hour early dismissal both days.Iowa City Community Schools are planning no early dismissals.Outdoor events are also experiencing delays. Taste of Iowa City, an annual culinary street event hosted by the Iowa City Downtown District, is postponing the popular celebration. Originally set for Aug. 23, will now be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 4 to 8 p.m.Iowa will receive more than $171 million in additional payments from tobacco manufacturers under a new agreement announced Tuesday by Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird that resolves an 18-year legal dispute.Bird announced Iowa is set to receive an additional $136 million in April 2024, with the rest disbursed annually from 2025 to 2029.Under Iowa law, 78 percent of the payments will pay down the State's debt to bondholders and the remainder will be deposited in the State Treasury's Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.The settlement resolves a long-standing dispute between the state and tobacco companies over annual payments owed under a 1998 agreement among 46 states and four major tobacco industry manufacturers.Iowa was one of nine states that was still litigating its dispute in slow-moving arbitration over the payments, which had been unresolved for more than 18 years.A North Liberty teenager cited for a traffic violation in a May 22 crash that resulted in the death of an Iowa National Guard soldier is asking the court to waive his personal appearance at his trial set to start next week in Johnson County.Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 17, waived his right to appear during the bench — or non-jury — trial, which he can do for a simple misdemeanor. He previously pleaded not guilty to failure to yield to a pedestrian in the right of way, according to court documents.McCaffery will appear next Tuesday through his attorney, Joseph Moreland, at trial, according to the motion filed Friday.McCaffery, who was 16 at the time of the crash, goes by the name Jack. He is the son of University of Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery.

Gov. Kim Reynolds is in Texas where she sent 109 Iowa National Guard troops this month she says to prevent the illegal trafficking of fentanyl by cartels. As a new school year begins for students across Iowa, a message sent out by the Sioux City Community School District is causing concern with a local LGBTQ organization. Plus, the final public hearing for the Summit Carbon Solutions' carbon capture pipeline begins.

Governor Kim Reynolds is deploying more than 100 Iowa National Guard soldiers to Texas. The board that governs the three state universities approved budgets for the schools. Plus, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is smaller this year, but that's largely because of dry conditions in the Mississippi River basin.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Thursday, August 3.According to the National Weather Service there will be areas of fog before 10 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 90 degrees. On Thursday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 69 degrees.More was revealed Wednesday about a sports gambling investigation that now involves both Iowa State and University of Iowa athletes.Three months after the UI and ISU confirmed some of their student-athletes were being investigated for betting on sports in violation of NCAA rules, charges have been filed against seven current and former athletes at the schools.The seven were charged with tampering with records as part of the state's “ongoing” investigation, which could still result in more charges.The three current Iowa State athletes facing charges are quarterback Hunter Dekkers, wrestler Paniro Johnson and offensive lineman Dodge Sauser. Former Iowa State defensive lineman Enyi Uwazurike, who was a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, also faces the tampering charge.Current Iowa kicker Aaron Blom, former Iowa men's basketball guard Ahron Ulis and former Iowa baseball catcher Gehrig Christensen face the same charge, which is an aggravated misdemeanor.Court documents allege the athletes made sports wagers in accounts under others' names.The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, which has been leading the investigation, said in a statement Wednesday its investigation into Iowa and Iowa State athletes “is ongoing and may result in the filing of additional charges.”Iowa indicated 26 current athletes were involved in the sports gambling probe, and Iowa State had “approximately 15” current athletes involved.Not every player known to be involved in the NCAA's sports wagering investigation has been charged in law enforcement's sports gambling investigation.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will use federal COVID-19 relief dollars to cover all expenses for the deployment of Iowa National Guard soldiers and state law enforcement officers to Texas to assist with security along the southern border.Reynolds announced 109 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard on Wednesday deployed to Texas in support of Operation Lone Star, with the mission of “deterring illegal border crossings and preventing the trafficking of illegal substances by cartels through Texas.” The deployment will last until Sept. 1, the governor's office said.Iowa State Patrol officers will deploy Aug. 31 for a separate 30-day stint to support Texas state troopers with criminal interdiction, crime prevention, traffic enforcement and law enforcement assistance. An investigative team also will support Texas investigations of narcotics, weapons and human trafficking along the border, according to a news release from the governor's office. That deployment will end Oct. 2.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, July 19.It will be mostly sunny Wednesday with a high near 89 degrees. According to the National Weather Service it will become partly cloudy as the day goes on, with a low of around 66 degrees.Former President Donald Trump made light of his mounting legal troubles and continued his relentless, unproven claims that the 2020 presidential election was “rigged” and stolen during a visit to Cedar Rapids Tuesday.“I didn't know practically what a subpoena was and grand juries and all of this,” Trump said Tuesday evening during a stop at the monthly meeting of the Linn County Republican Party after taping a town hall with Fox News' Sean Hannity at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in downtown Cedar Rapids.“Now, I'm like becoming an expert. I have no choice. It's a disgrace,” Trump told about 170 people squeezed into the Elks Lodge on the city's southwest side. “If you say something about an election, they want to put you in jail for the rest of your life. It's a disgrace.”Trump said Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform that he has received a letter informing him that he is a target of the Justice Department's investigation into efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, an indication that he could soon be indicted by federal prosecutors.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds unveiled a new logo and marketing plan Tuesday as part of an attempt to draw people to live in Iowa.The governor also said the executive branch of state government is now operating under its newly restructured and streamlined form, which she signed into law in April.Reynolds offered the updates during a news conference Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol.The marketing plan includes a new state logo, which Reynolds said will be used to market Iowa to attract new businesses and residents, will be used by state agencies and will be displayed on welcome signs across Iowa on the two interstates that run through the state and on other roadways. The logo features a landscape scene and the tagline, “Freedom to flourish.”The new slogan will replace “Fields of opportunities.”“Iowa's national profile is on the rise, our reputation is strong, and Americans have taken notice,” Reynolds said, while saying that Iowa's net migration recently increased for the first time in “a generation.”Reynolds also told reporters that she will direct the state to appeal that ruling that currently is blocking the recently passed fetal heartbeat bill. She said she believes the bill is constitutional and, despite the Iowa Supreme Court recently ruling against a very similar bill, that the out outcome will be different this time.Jack McCaffery entered a not guilty plea Monday for a traffic violation in a May 22 crash that resulted in the death of an Iowa National Guard soldier. McCaffery will have a trial in August. He is the son of the University of Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery.McCaffery was cited last week for a traffic violation stemming from a crash at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City on May 22. Investigators say he was driving the vehicle that struck Corey Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids, who was out for a jog.A statement released by McCaffery's parents through a lawyer said that the accident happened when another motorist waved Hite into the path of McCaffery's vehicle as he was...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Thursday, July 13.According to the National Weather Service patchy fog before 8 a.m. will give way to a sunny day in the Cedar Rapids area. The high will settle in at 86 degrees. On Thursday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 67 degrees.A North Liberty teenager was cited Monday for a traffic violation in a crash at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City, which resulted in the death of an Iowa National Guard soldier who was out for a jog on May 22.Iowa City Police identified Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 16, of North Liberty, as the driver of a 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe that struck Corey Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids at 4:16 p.m. on May 22. McCaffery, who goes by the name Jack, is the son of the University of Iowa men's basketball coach Fran McCaffery.Following a “thorough investigation, and after consultation with the Johnson County Attorney's Office,” the teen was cited Monday with failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, a simple misdemeanor.Under Iowa law, there is an enhancement for this misdemeanor when it results in a death, which includes a $1,000 fine, a driver's license suspension of up to 180 days, or both, police said.Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said this is a pending case and she couldn't talk about the facts of the case.In a statement distributed Wednesday by an Iowa City law firm, Fran and Margaret McCaffery — Jonathan McCaffery's parents — called the crash, which happened just after their son left school, a “tragedy” that has “devastated” their family.“Investigators have told us that it was an unavoidable accident with no evidence to suggest distracted driving,” the McCafferys' statement says. “The pedestrian, who was jogging at the time of the accident, was waved in front of our son's passing vehicle by the driver of another vehicle.”The McCafferys' statement says they refrained from releasing a statement before this week out of respect for the Hite family and “to allow the Iowa City Police Department to conclude its investigation.”New restrictions on abortion in Iowa will not be signed into law until Friday, but challengers are not waiting.The Republican-led Iowa Legislature during a special session passed a new version of a bill late Tuesday that bans abortions once cardiac activity can be detected, usually around six weeks of pregnancy.Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will sign the bill into law at a political event hosted Friday by the Christian conservative group The Family Leader. She is scheduled to deliver remarks and sign the bill at 2:15 p.m. Friday.Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, the Emma Goldman Clinic and the ACLU of Iowa announced Wednesday they already challenged the pending new law in district court. A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Friday in Polk County District Court on their petition to temporarily block the law from taking effect.The legislation would go into effect upon Reynolds' signature unless the court grants a temporary injunction that would prevent enforcement of the law.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, June 28.According to the National Weather Service haze will return Wednesday, otherwise it will be mostly sunny with a high near 88 degrees. There will be a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly after 2 p.m. The haze and rain chances will linger into the evening, with a low of around 70 degrees.Expect the haze to linger until at least Thursday, when northeast winds will push the worst of it back into WisconsinMaking good on a vision announced more than a year ago, a swath of land in northwest Cedar Rapids near downtown may soon be earmarked for a potential casino — should a state panel ever award a license to operate a gaming facility there.The Cedar Rapids City Council next month will consider an option-to-purchase agreement through Dec. 31, 2025, with the Cedar Rapids Development Group, the city's preferred casino developer, as well as preliminary terms of the potential facility.If approved, this deal would set aside city-owned property between F and I Avenue NW and First and Fifth Streets NW to be purchased and redeveloped into a casino and entertainment complex.State lawmakers last year enacted a two-year moratorium blocking new casino licenses until June 2024, thwarting the hopes of a gaming facility for Cedar Rapids at the site of now-demolished Cooper's Mill.A Cedar Rapids woman was arrested and charged with first-degree arson after a fire broke out Monday in her apartment.Meredith Hendricks, 33, had her first appearance in court Tuesday and was being held in the Linn County Jail on a cash-only $50,000 bail.Cedar Rapids firefighters were called just before 8 p.m. Monday to the fire at 2939 12th Ave. SW. Firefighters found a small fire contained to a single room in a second-floor apartment. Occupants were able to evacuate safely and no injuries were reported, according to the fire departmentHendricks' apartment was the one on fire and she was still on scene when first responders arrived. According to a criminal complaint, police officers spoke with Hendricks and she admitted she had lit some papers on fire in her bathtub in order to dispose of them, and then smoked methamphetamine with another resident of the apartment complex. The complaint doesn't say whether she was smoking in her apartment at the time of the fire or if she had left to smoke elsewhere.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has completed the second leg of her two-week overseas trade mission, stopping in Kosovo before traveling to Israel.Reynolds previously stopped in Italy, where she met with Italian officials to discuss future trade opportunities and met with Italian owners of Wells Enterprises in Le Mars; SPAL Automotive, which has a sales and distribution center in Ankeny; and Maschio Gaspardo, an agricultural manufacturer with a branch in DeWitt.While in Kosovo, the governor met with President Vjosa Osmani, the chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo and several ministers to discuss a state partnership with Kosovo and the Iowa National Guard and opportunities for commercial partnerships, Reynolds' office said.

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, June 6.There will be a chance for rain Tuesday, but it will again be a low chance. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 20 percent of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. in the Cedar Rapids area, growing slightly more likely Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Besides that it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 89 degrees. On Tuesday night there will be mostly cloudy skies and a low of around 61 degrees. A Cedar Rapids teen who killed his parents with two knives and an ax on Oct. 14, 2021, will have to serve a mandatory minimum of 50 years of a life sentence before being eligible for parole.Ethan Orton, who attacked his mother, Misty Scott-Slade, 41, after she fell asleep in a chair and his father, Casey Arthur Orton, 42, who was asleep on a sofa, told a psychologist they emotionally and verbally abused him all his life. And when his mother sent him an email the day before, saying he had to move out when he turned 18 — in five months — it pushed him to attack.Sixth Judicial District Judge Ian Thornhill considered the factors for a youthful offender facing a life sentence to determine the appropriate sentence. The Iowa Supreme Court banned life sentences without a chance for parole for juveniles in 2016, following the U.S. Supreme Court's same decision in 2012.Thornhill sentenced Orton to two life sentences but ran them concurrently, and found a mandatory 50-year minimum isn't equal to a life sentence because he would be eligible for parole at 67, which is retirement age for many people.An Iowa National Guard soldier who was three weeks away from retirement from the Guard has died after being struck by a vehicle May 22 in Iowa City.The Iowa City Police Department confirmed Monday that Corey J. Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday morning nearly two weeks after the crash. The department had not previously identified the pedestrian hit in the crash, which happened just after 4 p.m. that day at the intersection of Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway.The police department also hasn't released information about the driver of the vehicle that struck the soldier, or whether any charges related to the crash are being contemplated. The Gazette requested a recording of the 911 call related to the crash, but the request was denied because police said the crash remained under investigation.Hite was out for a jog when he was hit. He had spent the last couple of weeks in the hospital with serious injuries, including a pelvis fracture, multiple skull fractures, holes in his lung and kidney and brain swelling, according to a GoFundMe page started on behalf of the family. The fundraising page had raised over $4,600 by Monday afternoon.According to reporting from the Associated Press, the remains of all three men caught inside the Davenport apartment building that partially collapsed last week have been recovered, the city's police chief said Monday, as survivors began filing lawsuits asserting that negligence led to the structural failure.The police chief said Branden Colvin Sr., 42, was recovered Saturday. Ryan Hitchcock, 51, was recovered Sunday and Daniel Prien, 60, was recovered early Monday. He did not say if they died immediately after the May 28 collapse, but autopsies will be performed on all three.

This Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, May 31.Believe it or not there may be a chance for rain Wednesday, but it will not be very high. It will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 89 degrees. There will be a 20 percent chance of precipitation between around 2 and 6 p.m., but outside of this the chance for a return of rain is more likely on Thursday and Friday. The low temperature is predicted at 67 degrees with partly cloudy skies.According to reporting from the Quad-City Times, at least five people are unaccounted for and two are likely to be inside the apartment building that partially collapsed over the weekend in downtown Davenport, city officials said Tuesday in an emotional hourlong news conference.Spurred by the Monday night discovery of a survivor — more than a day after the Sunday evening collapse — and by protesters calling for further searches before the building is demolished, the city conducted another sweep despite the increasingly perilous condition of the six-story structure called The Davenport.On Tuesday morning, protesters worried about the impending demolition of the building pleaded for another search. “Find Them First” and “Who is in the Rubble?" their signs said. Some used a megaphone to shout out names of building residents.Tuesday afternoon, the city issued an update that a rescue team had conducted a search within portions of the building "that presented an acceptable risk for emergency response entry." While several animals were rescued and delivered to the Scott County Humane Society, no "human activity" was detected.A structural engineer hired by the city has concluded that rescuers cannot go into the debris pile without destabilizing the building, said Davenport Fire Marshal Jim Morris."We want to get everybody out. And we want to do it right now," Morris continued, but said the city had to do so in a safe manner.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Tuesday that she plans to send about 100 Iowa National Guard soldiers and 30 law enforcement officers to Texas to assist with border security between the United States and Mexico.The Iowa National Guard troops and state law enforcement personnel would deploy for separate 30-day stints in August and September, respectively, according to Reynolds' office.It is the second time in a two-year span that Reynolds has directed state troops and law enforcement to Texas. In 2021, up to 30 Department of Public Safety officers and 24 Iowa National Guard members assisted in law enforcement efforts at the border in response to requests from fellow Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona and the federal government, costing the state about $300,000.During the first deployment, Iowa troopers assisted with 240 criminal arrests and 51 vehicle pursuits. Troopers also seized 18 firearms, $1.7 million dollars, 948 pounds of marijuana and 37 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine, according to the governor's office.

This edition features stories on Afghan and coalition forces capturing insurgents involved in attacks on the recent voting day in Afghanistan and the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-business Development Team in Kunar province mentoring and advising Afghans on agriculture and veterinary sciences. Includes soundbites from Maj. Loren Adams - veterinarian with 734th ADT, from New Liberty, Iowa. Hosted by Petty Officer Dustin Diaz.

This edition features stories on how ISAF Forces are fighting back against foreign fighters who interfere with Afghan affairs and Forward Operating Base Wright in Afghanistan's Kunar Province is home to the deployed Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe Woolston tells us how the A.D.T helps keep the local area safe in Afghanistan. Hosted by Petty Officer 1st Class Dustin Diaz.

This edition features a stories on Afghan and Coalition forces killed an insurgent in Logar Province, Afghanistan October 1st and the Iowa National Guards 734th Agribusiness Development Team manages various projects to enable Afghan locals to better their own lives. Air Force Staff Sgt. Joe Woolston introduces us to a Guardsman whose experience in irrigation is helping Afghans do just that in Kunar Province, Afgahnistan. Sound bites include Lt. Col. Neil Stockfleth, 734th ADT AG Section OIC; from Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. Hosted by Petty Officer 1st Class Dustin Diaz.

Governor Kim Reynolds' plan to create taxpayer-funded accounts to help families pay their way at private schools has crossed its first hurdle in the Iowa Senate. The head of the Iowa National Guard told lawmakers the Guard has been having trouble recruiting new members. Plus, the wife of a Woodbury County supervisor was arrested for allegedly committing voter fraud during the 2020 election cycle.

What lover of American literature doesn't remember these haunting lines: “Tell about the Midwest. What's it like there. What do they do there. Why do they live there. Why do they live at all.” Of course that was, as some of you quickly recognized, a deliberate mangling of a famous passage from William Faulkner's Absalom Absalom. It's more than a little disconcerting, as I hope you noticed, to substitute Midwest for South. The South is haunted, and mysterious, and interesting. The Midwest…isn't. But the charge that Shreve McCannon laid upon Quentin Compson  can be laid upon any historian of any place in any era.  Even the Midwest, as Jon Lauck would certainly agree. He's the author of The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. The last time he was on the podcast was way back in Episode 13, when we talked about his manifesto The Lost Region: Toward a Revival of Midwestern History. For Further Investigation We haven't had that many talks about the Midwest, or its people; but recently we talked about South Dakota with Jon Lauck's friend and neighbor Ben Jones. Much farther in the rear view mirror is a conversation with Jane Simonsen about Black Hawk, chief of the Saux and Meskwaki tribes, which involved the forced removal of those people from the lands in the Midwest. The Midwestern History Association The Midwestern History Association has a journal, the Middle West Review; and a podcast, Heartland History Was the Midwest the American Boeotia? There's a comparative history question for you. Episode 294: Black Suffrage The Town That Started the Civil War was mentioned in the course of the conversation; the book for children or teens I was thinking of is The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery One book to read about Oberlin, Ohio as a utopian community that failed is Elusive Utopia, which focuses on Oberlin after the Civil War I was trying to remember Rick Atkinson's An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943, which focuses on Villisca's Company F (which is the only company in the Iowa National Guard to build its own armory with funds raised from the local community) as well as other units from southwest Iowa that served in the battles for North Africa. Know Your Memes: "This is Fine"

Sound advice and wisdom from his father allowed Josh to navigate his entry into the United States Army. Always having confidence in his athletic abilities and physical fitness, Josh enlisted as an 11B - Infantryman as part of the Iowa National Guard. Following graduation from basic training and advanced individual training, Josh was sent back to Iowa to start school at the University of Northern Iowa pursuing a degree in elementary education. With a deployment to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and 15 months to the Anbar Province of Iraq, Josh's life changed forever. Listen to how the drudgery of war still remains present in Josh's life today and how we must continue to pick ourselves up and fight another day.

Sound advice and wisdom from his father allowed Josh to navigate his entry into the United States Army. Always having confidence in his athletic abilities and physical fitness, Josh enlisted as an 11B - Infantryman as part of the Iowa National Guard. Following graduation from basic training and advanced individual training, Josh was sent back to Iowa to start school at the University of Northern Iowa pursuing a degree in elementary education. With a deployment to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and 15 months to the Anbar Province of Iraq, Josh's life changed forever. Listen to how the drudgery of war still remains present in Josh's life today and how we must continue to pick ourselves up and fight another day.

Coach Jensen talks Military Appreciation Night and opening night. Sgt Green of the Iowa National Guard surprised the team with special uniform for the game. Sigourney/Keota Cobra's will line up against Durant. Coverage by Thunder County. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Lt Col Ihme is the Commander of th 232nd Intel Squadron ,132nd  Wing, Iowa National Guard.   I was interested in her journey with being a parent of two autistic children and how she navigated the entire process of getting resources before and after a PCS and the  issues with getting children the help they needed and the energy required to advocate for them while being an active duty commander.    Her story is compelling but as I am learning not unique.  I hope by doing this segment as with the other segments on parents with special needs children, I have opened the door to more discussion on how we can navigate this journey together. Support the show

Don Schmitt is the former co-director of the J.Allen Hynek Center for UFO studies in Chicago where he served as Director of Special Investigations for ten years. He was a special investigator for Hynek before that. A seven-time best-selling author, his first book UFO Crash at Roswell was made into the Golden Globe nominated movie Roswell and his book Witness to Roswell was the no. 1 UFO book in the world for two straight years. He is also the co-founder of the globally famous International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. ANDKevin D. Randle is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and Aircraft Commander, accumulating more than 1100 hours of combat flight time. In 2003 he deployed to Iraq as an intelligence officer. He served on active duty with the Army and later the Air Force. He was a member of the Iowa National Guard on his deployment into the Middle East. He retired from the National Guard in 2009. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, has advanced degrees from California Coast University and American Military University. He has taught classes at both the community college and the university level. His interest in UFOs began as a teenager when he investigated a sighting while living in Colorado. His big question then was if the object had been sharply defined or had a been a ball of light. From that point on he has investigated hundreds of sightings around the country including nearly three decades researching the events in Roswell. He has written more than 25 books about UFOs

The Iowa National Guard has confirmed the gunman who killed two women outside an Ames church last week was a sergeant in the Guard and one of his victims had been in the Guard since 2019. Candidates running in Tuesday's U.S. Senate primary elections are making their final pitch to voters. IPR's Natalie Krebs reports how alcohol use has soared during the pandemic.

The Iowa National Guard offers Iowans the chance to gain valuable on-the-job training while serving their communities.  Join us as we speak with Iowa Army National Guard First Sergeant Jesse Howard about how the National Guard can be a professional stepping stone for Iowans interested in serving their country.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, February 5, and Sunday, February 6. We are warming our way back toward freezing again. That sounds counterintuitive, but trust me, it will feel better. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny Saturday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 28. It will be moderately windy, but that wind should die down by late Saturday, which will be partly cloudy with a low around 17 degrees. On Sunday it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 32 degrees. On Sunday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low around 5. It will drop back in the 20s on Monday but I am seeing forecasts for highs in the 40s after that. The final curtain has fallen on the Old Creamery Theatre. The not-for-profit professional troupe, founded in Garrison in 1971 and relocated in the former Amana Colonies Welcome Center in 1988, intended to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021. Instead, the pandemic pause pushed those plans to 2022 — but now, unable to financially sustain its operations, the theater is permanently closing. On Thursday, it returned the building to the Amana Society. “It's not a surprise,” Peter Teahen, president of the theater's board of trustees, told The Gazette. “We've gone almost two years now, coming up in March, with no productions. We ran out of money.” Iowa men's basketball head coach Fran McCaffery will miss Sunday's game against Minnesota after testing positive for COVID-19, the athletic department said in a news release Friday. Assistant coach Billy Taylor will serve as acting head coach for the game. Taylor has been a head coach at Lehigh, Ball State and Division-II Belmont Abbey. Taylor will lead the Hawkeyes against a Minnesota team that has lost seven of its last eight games. The U.S. secretary of defense said in a letter to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds that the federal Department of Defense has the authority to require all service members — including those in the Iowa National Guard — to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Reynolds, in a statement, said she “strongly” disagrees with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, calling it “unconscionable” to dismiss soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated. Roughly one in five Iowa Guard members is not vaccinated, an Iowa National Guard spokeswoman said Friday. Austin's letter, dated Jan. 27, was in response to https://governor.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Joint%20Governors%20Letter%20to%20SECDEF%20-%20NG%20Vaccine%20Mandate%2012.14.2021.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery (a Dec. 14 letter from Reynolds) and four other Republican governors. Nearly a year after the Board of Regents approved spending another $10 to $15 million to replace dozens of damaged or at-risk windows in the University of Iowa's $392.7 million Stead Family Children's Hospital, work has yet to begin. In response to questions The Gazette asked last October, UI officials this week said a timeline for the Children's Hospital window replacement still “has not been established.” When UIHC https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/regent-committee-recommends-10-15-million-for-new-childrens-hospital-windows/ (first went to regents last April) asking to spend millions on the damaged windows, officials reported knowing about affected windows on levels four and five and on a connector bridge with the John Pappajohn Pavilion. UI official now say they've established a timeline for “the first project to replace the connector bridge” that starts work in September and wraps in June 2023. The delay, they said, is “due to long glass fabrication lead times.” Officials told The Gazette their budget hasn't changed, even as the hospital continued to investigate and identify more windows needing a temporary protective film prior to replacement. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so...

Kevin D. Randle is a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Vietnam as a helicopter pilot and Aircraft Commander, accumulating more than 1100 hours of combat flight time. In 2003 he deployed to Iraq as an intelligence officer. He served on active duty with the Army and later the Air Force. He was a member of the Iowa National Guard on his deployment into the Middle East. He retired from the National Guard in 2009.He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, has advanced degrees from California Coast University and American Military University. He has taught classes at both the community college and the university level.His interest in UFOs began as a teenager when he investigated a sighting while living in Colorado. His big question then was if the object had been sharply defined or had a been a ball of light. From that point on he has investigated hundreds of sightings around the country including nearly three decades researching the events in Roswell. He has written more than 25 books about UFOs and he now hosts a weekly UFO update to Coast-to-Coast AM. His UFO related blog, A Different Perspective can be found at www.kevinrandle.blogspot.com. His blog on his Vietnam experiences can be found at www.vietnamgrounzero.blogspot.com

It's Veterans Day! As we wrap up our Veterans Week special event, we want to say “thank you” to all our service members, Veterans, and their families for everything they do for us.  On today's episode we welcome Home Base Iowa Program Manager Gary Sharp to talk about how HBI and the Iowa National Guard work together to serve Iowa's Veterans.  

Nate is a Military Captain for the Iowa National Guard and shares where he is working on ownership and reflecting on how he can be a better husband, his future goals, and what his future goals are. 14:40 is 1% of your day, make it count! Like, comment, subscribe to our YouTube Channel @TheKitchenTablePodcast Follow us on our Socials @KitckenTable_Pod @A_Errthum17 @Tayler.Patten --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/austin-tayler1percent/support

On today's episode: UI and ISU slide in global U.S. News & World report rankings Linn County and Cedar Rapids will begin https://www.thegazette.com/local-government/organizations-may-seek-14m-in-american-rescue-plan-funds-through-cedar-rapids-linn-partnership/ (seeking applications from organizations) to receive American Rescue Plan funds An Iowa State student has become the https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/first-woman-enlisted-infantry-soldier-in-iowa-national-guard/ (first woman enlisted infantry soldier) in the Iowa National Guard. Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, October 19. It will be pleasant and sunny again on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 75 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with sunny skies. A south wind of 5 to 15 mph could gust at times as high as 25 mph. Tuesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 52 degrees. The Cedar Rapids Community School District saw drops in achievement scores in reading and math at each grade level that took the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress last spring when compared with 2019 — which educators say reflects a loss of instructional time last year. The Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress is a test taken by students in grades three through 11 once a year to measure performance in English Language Arts, math and science. Students were not tested in 2020 because of the pandemic. Officials attribute the drop in achievement to loss of instructional time because of the pandemic and the August 2020 derecho, and as both students and teachers had to adapt to remote learning. A 20-year-old man is in critical condition after being found with a gunshot wound inside a crashed car. Police said they were called at 6:37 p.m. Sunday about a crash on eastbound Highway 6 in southeast Iowa City. Officers said the vehicle the man was driving left the roadway and crashed into the median just west of Sycamore Street. The man, who was not identified, was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City in critical condition, police said.  Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the Iowa City Police Department  Negotiators for Deere & Co. and its striking union spent Monday talking, without reaching a contract agreement, as of 6 p.m. that would end the five-day strike by roughly 10,000 workers. Union workers holding blue-and-white signs — members of the Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) — spent the day on the picket lines in Davenport, Dubuque, Waterloo and Ankeny, Iowa, and East Moline, Milan and Moline, Ill., and in Kansas. The six-year contract offer from Deere, which union members overwhelmingly rejected, would have raised wages by roughly 5 percent over the life of the contract. The proposed deal also limited retirement benefits for workers hired after the contract was ratified. Multiple Deere workers have told reporters that the proposed contracts was unacceptable, considering the company's record-high profits over the past year. They also have said they have recently dealt with forced overtime and poor treatment from managers. About 9,000 members of the Iowa National Guard have been directed to get a COVID-19 vaccination or risk disciplinary actions that could include “separation,” as a last resort, if they refuse without citing an approved medical or religious waiver. The vaccination deadline for Iowa Air National Guard members is Dec. 2, while members of the Iowa Army National Guard will have until June 30, 2022, to comply. Officials estimate that about 65 percent of Iowa's roughly 9,000 Guard members had received at least their first COVID-19 vaccination as of Oct 15. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

Gene and Randall present a UFO reality check with author and researcher Kevin D. Randle. Kevin will provide a update on what he expects may or may not come from the Pentagon UAP Task Force, which was supposed to deliver a report on its investigations in June 2021. Kevin is considered the foremost living expert on the Roswell incident. is the author of of such books as "Project Moondust," Conspiracy of Silence," "A History of UFO Crashes" "Roswell in the 21st Century, and "UFOs and the Deep State: A History of the Military and Shadow Government's War Against the Truth." He also served in the United States Army during both the Vietnam War and the Second Gulf War. After the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, Randle joined the Iowa National Guard as an intelligence officer. He retired from the Iowa National Guard as a lieutenant colonel in 2009.

Governor Kim Reynolds, a Republican, reacted Wednesday to this week's verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for killing George Floyd last year. The leader of the Iowa National Guard is encouraging all eligible Iowans to get vaccinated for COVID-19 as demand for the vaccine appears to be decreasing. Plus, IPR Health reporter Natalie Krebs reports on the pause of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and how it has disrupted clinics aimed at vaccinating some of Iowa's most vulnerable residents, those experiencing homelessness.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday Jan. 16 and Sunday Jan. 17. Your weekend weather continues the sporadic precipitation of the last few days. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a chance of snow in the early morning Saturday in Eastern Iowa with a chance for flurries throughout the rest of the day. The temperature will settle into the high 20s, so freezing rain should be off the menu. Sunday the temperature will remain similar and so will the chance for flurries, with things finally calming down Sunday night to mostly cloudy skies. Five days into the Iowa legislative session lawmakers and staff have been alerted that someone “associated” with the House has tested positive for COVID-19. Chief Clerk of the House Meghan Nelson and Secretary of the Senate Charlie Smithson sent messages to lawmakers and staff shortly after 6 p.m. Friday alerting them that someone who had been in the Capitol Wednesday tested positive earlier in the day. The lack of a mask mandate for Iowa legislators created divisions even before the session started. In the House, Democrats have asked that people attending committee meetings in person be required to wear masks. Those proposals have been defeated largely on party line votes. Democrats also have criticized Republicans for not delaying the 2021 session until more Iowans receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The outstanding debt for state and local governments topped $17.9 billion for the fiscal year that ended last June, Iowa's state treasurer Michael Fitzgerald reported Friday. That's a 4.8 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, Fitzgerald said, though Iowa remains among the states with the lowest debt in the nation. “Usually, for Iowa, you'll see 3 (percent) to 5 percent growth in the debt,” he said. “Iowa is a pay-as-you-go, low-debt state, and it's continuing to be that way, but local governments are making some investments. With reports that armed protests are possible, steps are being taken to ensure the Iowa Capitol remains a safe place in the coming days. An FBI memo, obtained earlier this week by ABC News, warns of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.According to the report, one group has called for supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump to “storm” government buildings on Wednesday even if Trump won the state — as he did in Iowa. An officer with the state public safety department and the Iowa State Patrol, the agency in charge of protection at the Iowa Capitol, said the department's intelligence division is monitoring social media and other channels for prospective security concerns and is working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Iowa National Guard has not been asked to protect the capitol at this time, but they are available if needed. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

Statehouses across the nation are bracing for spillover from last week’s violent assault in Washington D.C. On this Newsbuzz edition of River to River, a look at extra security here in Iowa.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, Jan. 15. The two main things you need to know about Friday's weather is that the high temperature will hover around freezing and the sky will be potentially spitting either rain or snow or both at random intervals, all day. According to the National Weather Service, the high and the low temperature Friday will be 32 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, plus or minus a few degrees at any given time. After a chance for snow overnight, there may be a brief break from precipitation before more snow that gradually turns into freezing rain Friday night. The Iowa National Guard plans to send 250 members to assist in security efforts in the nation's capital during next week's inauguration, the Iowa Guard's leader said Thursday. Maj. Gen. Ben Corell said the U.S. National Guard requested assistance from all U.S. states, territories and districts. Corell said the plan is for the 250 Iowa Guard members to travel to Washington, D.C., this weekend. Security efforts have increased ever since the Jan. 6 mob siege on the U.S. Capitol as supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump tried to stop Congress from certifying the results of last November's election, which Trump lost. Bills have started to make their debut in the Iowa legislature. Two of bills of note made some progress Thursday: one in the senate would reintroduce the death penalty in the state of Iowa for a limited range of crimes; the other, introduced in the house, would preemptively block the use of the “gay panic” justification for murder or other crimes used in other states. Republicans on a Senate subcommittee on Thursday advanced legislation that would reinstate a limited death penalty for Iowans aged 18 or older who are convicted of kidnapping, raping and murdering a minor. Despite several speakers who spoke about the systemic problems of the government executing a person for any reason, the bill passed 2-1 out of the  subcommittee for consideration of the full judiciary committee. Less controversial was the bill banning the so-called gay panic defense that was introduced in the House. Although Iowa law does not allow for the justification of a crime due to sexual orientation, there have been cases in other states where the defense has argued for acquitment due to “diminished capacity” due to the accused becoming distraught over encountering someone of a different orientation or gender identity. As a result, several states have been moving to ban the use of this defense. The Judiciary subcommittee voted unanimously Thursday to move the bill to the full House Judiciary Committee. Seven months after Iowa Relief https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-medical-marijuana-dispensary-application-reissue-20200608 (closed its medical marijuana manufacturing facility) in Cedar Rapids, the city is poised to get another manufacturer. The Iowa Department of Public Health on Dec. 22 issued a notice of intent to award a manufacturing license to ICC MFG Holdings LLC — the Iowa Cannabis Company — for a facility in Cedar Rapids. Iowa Relief https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-marijuana-manufacturer-says-it-is-committed-to-medical-program-20181213 (built a 5,000-square-foot marijuana growing and processing facility) at 1420 26th Ave. Court SW in 2019, but then closed the plant and gave up its manufacturing license last spring. It's unclear whether Iowa Cannabis is interested in this site or is planning to make medical marijuana products elsewhere in the city. The closure by Iowa Relief left Iowa with just one manufacturer of medical marijuana products — MedPharm Iowa in Des Moines — that are then sold to qualified patients in licensed dispensaries. Iowa's medical marijuana industry has struggled to get off the ground, at least partially due to the state having some of the more restrictive marijuana laws in the country.  This briefing is...

It is Veteran's Day and U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa joins us after her recent re-election victory and she also shares her story about joining the Iowa National Guard and serving in Operation Desert Storm. And we welcome John Howard from Kansas who served in Vietnam and Matt Swanson from Illinois who served in Iraq to today's Farmer Forum. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump has promised to approve $180 million in aid for damaged Iowa homes and infrastructure and additional funding for farmers who were affected by an unusually powerful storm that tore through the state last week. Governor Kim Reynolds requested $4 billion. The Iowa National Guard also mobilized troops from across the state, including here in Sioux City. SPM’s Sheila Brummer has more. Students attending Sioux City Community Schools next week will see fewer students in the classroom. The district is using a hybrid model for at least the first two weeks. Superintendent Paul Gausman says just under 30 percent of the district’s more-than 14-thousand students will learn online. Gausman says the numbers are surprising because the students are from different grade levels and schools all over the district. Students will learn in-person two days a week, and at home for the other two. Teachers will be in their buildings for on Wednesday to help students if needed. The Iowa

Senator Joni Ernst joins Jason and Emily for a conversation focused on service for Episode 020. Senator Ernst is the first woman to represent Iowa in Congress and the first female combat Veteran elected to the United States Senate, and she shares some of her story and perspective with an emphasis on bridging divides and “serving this great country” and communities in various ways now more than ever.  Senator Ernst grew up on a farm in Red Oak, Iowa and enrolled in ROTC while at Iowa State University. She served 23 years in the Army Reserves and Iowa National Guard, including a deployment in 2003 to Iraq and Kuwait, before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2015. Throughout she served in various capacities in her local communities before being elected to the US Senate in 2014. She is the recently published author of “Daughter of the Heartland,” and her daughter Libby is currently a Cadet at West Point. She is known for rucking with her staff and constituents in DC, and even worn her ruck on the Senate floor.   In our conversation, learn how a trip to Ukraine in 1989 during the Cold War gave her greater appreciation for the US and changed the trajectory of her life. She also talks about the greatest lessons she learned in Iraq and answering difficult calls to duty back home. Most of all, Senator Ernst speaks to her values of hard work, listening, finding practical solutions, and advocating always that Americans should serve in whatever capacity they can because the US is a nation worth serving.  Links: Senator Joni Ernst Daughter of the Heartland: My Ode to the Country That Raised Me Learn more about GORUCK Glorious Professionals podcast website

We can't function in a vacuum without understanding who the people are that we're interacting with on a daily basis. And this is particularly critical, even in domestic operations, from a disaster and a mass emergency response standpoint. When disaster strikes in the United States we are fortunate to have the National Guard available to bolster and support our civilian first responders. Experts in logistics and transportation, organization and construction as well as medical experts, the Guard is vital in supporting the long term recovery operations that follow any disastrous event. The Guard response to the current COVID-19 pandemic is very much like many other natural disasters that the U.S has endured in the last 50 years. But it's also very different. The pandemic hasn't struck a single region that allows help to arrive from safe staging areas outside the hot zone. The entire nation is vulnerable to this virus, and responders find themselves immersed in aiding citizens at a very personal level. With that level of interaction come the complications of diverse cultures, religious and political views, and a multitude of  multitude of languages other than English. A BETTER PEACE welcomes Michele Devlin and Steve Warnstadt to the studio to examine the navigation of the complex cultural terrain of our great American melting pot. They're joined by our Editor-In-Chief Jacqueline Whitt to discuss what the DoD, along with state level leadership, must do to ensure that Guard troops are best prepared to succeed amongst the diverse culture that is our national strength. Dr. Michele Devlin is Professor of Global Health at the University of Northern Iowa and an Adjunct Research Professor with the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) at the U.S. Army War College. Brigadier General (ret) Steven Warnstadt is the former Deputy Commanding General for Operations, Iowa National Guard and an AY12 graduate of the U.S. Army War College Distance Education Program. Jacqueline E. Whitt is an Associate Professor of Strategy at the U.S. Army War College and the Editor-in-Chief of WAR ROOM. The views expressed in this presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army War College, U.S. Army, or Department of Defense. Photo Description: Army Spc. Reagan Long, left, a horizontal construction engineer with the New York Army National Guard’s 827th Engineer Company, and Army Pfc. Naomi Velez, a horizontal construction engineer with the New York Army Guard’s 152nd Engineer Support Company, register people at a COVID-19 mobile screening center in New Rochelle, New York, March 14, 2020. More than 1,500 National Guard members in 22 states have been activated in support of state and local authorities responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition to operating mobile screening centers, Guard members have been disinfecting public spaces, providing logistical and transportation support and coordinating with state and local health officials. Photo Credit: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Amouris Coss

Polk County Democrats Executive Director Judy Downs talks preparing for caucus night in Iowa. Professor Kelly Winfrey with Iowa State University breaks down the last-minute Iowa campaign strategies for candidates. Patty Judge talks about a recent poll authored by Focus on Rural America. Sen. Zach Nunn, R-Bondurant, is a member of the Iowa National Guard who recently returned from deployment overseas. He talks about the reaction to missile strikes in Iran. Follow "This Week in Iowa" on Twitter Follow Local 5's Sabrina Ahmed on Twitter

This evening we brought Dan Haws on with us and he took us through a lot of his experience at Army Ranger School. Dan currently serves in the Iowa National Guard and he talks about his training leading up to Ranger school along with his nutrition and lifestyle adjustments. Episode 6 is brought to you by the Army National Guard. If you enjoyed this episode be sure to share it with others, like, and subscribe! Follow Dan on Instagram: @dxhaws Follow us on Instagram: @kilotrained_podcast

Troy Thompson joins the show to talk about BrickStreet Theatre's upcoming production of Elf: The Musical, his time in the US Army, how he got involved with the Iowa National Guard and he answers the most important question of all... is Die Hard a Christmas movie?

Gene and Randall present a Paracast favorite, author and researcher Kevin D. Randle. During this episode, he discusses Calvin Parker and the 1973 Pascagoula UFO abduction, and how his memories might have been altered through the misapplication of hypnotic regression. Kevin goes on to talk about his efforts to "chase the footnotes" and take a new look at some of the key evidence for the Roswell UFO crash. Kevin has written more than 80 fact and fiction books, including a recent work, "Encounter in the Desert: The Case for Alien Contact at Socorro," which recounts the classic 1964 sighting. He also served for years in the military, which included deployments during the Vietnam War and the second Gulf War. He retired from the Iowa National Guard as a lieutenant colonel in 2009.

Joining us are Caleb Kempema, Taylor Humphrey, and James Huerta who are juniors at the University of Iowa. They serve in the Iowa National Guard and are cadets in Army ROTC. Follow them at @calebkempema99, @t.hump124, and @james.huerta

Joining the Iowa National Guard to pay for college, 1st Lt. Miranda Pleggenkuhle’s perspective is transformed when her younger sister joined, too.

Amateur Radio operators participated in a joint communication exercise with the Iowa National Guard titled "Operation Stable Mercury" Paul Cowley KB7VML is our guest on the show to give us an inside look at the operational objectives, amateur radio role, and lessons learned deploying multi band, multi mode, multi operator exercise.  

The Iowa National Guard is revving up to bring some "Iowa nice" down to Texas where they need it the most. Col. Greg Hapgood explains how they get ready for that and when they will take off.

Join LOVE Cafe on Facebook Scott Renews his Show with widely regarded UFO expert Kevin Randle, Ph.D., about his new book, CRASH: When UFO'S Fall From the Sky. For over 30 years one of the foremost experts on UFOs, a decorated combat veteran and retired Lieutenant Colonel whose assistance is sought by government, news media and scientists, Kevin D. Randle, Ph.D. has written a new book, Crash: When UFOs Fall From the Sky, A History of Famous Incidents, Conspiracies, and Cover-ups. With about 100 books to his credit, including science fiction and historical fiction, and hundreds of magazine articles, Randle is best known for his works about UFOs and the Roswell story. He has lectured throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has appeared on hundreds of radio programs and TV documentaries and specials, including the Today Show, Good Morning America, 48 Hours, Larry King Live, and others. Crash provides a complete update of the latest research into reports of alien spaceship crashes, including new insights into the older cases and hair-raising revelations about recent reports. Randle’s blog, “A Different Perspective”, keeps his readers and fans up to date on the latest news in ufology (KevinRandle.blogspot.com). Randle served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and the second Gulf War, piloting assault helicopters. Between the wars, he served in the Air Force as a public affairs officer, a general’s aide, and an intelligence officer; he completed his reserve duty as Captain and Director of Intelligence for an airlift group. After 9/11, he joined the Iowa National Guard as an intelligence officer and was deployed in Iraq in 2003. Randle was awarded a Combat Action Badge for his participation in several firefights in Iraq, and retired from the Guard as Lieutenant Colonel in 2009.

Beyond the pomp and ceremony of Veterans Day are the very real and poignant stories of today's guests. Miyoko Hikiji was an enlisted female soldier in the Iowa National Guard who was deployed to Iraq. In her book, All I Could Be: My Story as a Woman Warrior in Iraq, she shares what it's like to be a woman in a combat zone. Determined to be a Navy sailor, John Quinn hid his cerebral palsy for 20 years. In his book, Someone Like Me: An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy, he shares how, despite his 'invisible' impairment he rose to chief petty officer.

The Pentagon wants to downsize Iowa's 132nd Wing of the Iowa National Guard.   The entire Iowa political delegation is "outraged".   Iowan's defend and explain the importance of the "mission".   Spirited.

Package made from "Agri-Business Development Team Conducts Training Vetcap" b-roll about members of the Iowa National Guard's 734th Agri-Business Development Team conducting a training exercise in a simulated Afghanistan village. Produced by Capt. Peter Shinn. Soundbites from Capt. Ashley Gilles and Maj. Loren Adams. Also available in high definition

  Lotsa open-line time.  An update on the Iowa National Guard story about the Arcadia training episode.   Then what's causing garage door openers to fail?  Plus silly stuff.   And the hands-free phone gadget I was talkin' about.

   John Stauffer  with Giants: the parallel lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.   Great conversation.   Then,  an Iowa National Guard activates my paranoia gland.   Gonna take over an Iowa town.

Ken Hoagland from Fair Tax.org.  He wants to nuke the Federal Income Tax and replace it with a national sales tax.  Carole Martin and Dick Fredericks don't want Linn and Johnson Counties to approve a SILO tax.     Bruce Stone  peace-nik from the Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa wants to promote a anti-war rally.   Then,  an Iowa woman in the Iowa National Guard gets killed.  Outrageous?