(Radio Iowa)- A report released today (Wednesday) by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa suggests the use of automatic license plate readers is expanding in Iowa. Rita Bettis Austen, the A-C-L-U of Iowa’s legal director, says Iowa taxpayers have collectively been spending huge amounts of money over the past couple of years to buy these high-tech surveillance systems.

“Over the last couple of years they have just exploded in our state and nationally,” Bettis Austen said. “…This has all taken our already significant privacy, civil rights, liberty concerns…and just put them on steroids.” A team of student researchers led by University of Iowa Law professor Megan Graham filed open records requests asking 48 Iowa law enforcement agencies for information about automated license plate readers.

“Of the agencies that we surveyed and we have heard from, Cedar Rapids has the most cameras. They have 76. They have a two year contract with Flock Safety for those cameras at a cost of just under $500,000,” Graham said. “West Des Moines has 64 cameras. Clinton County has 58.” Graham says the Des Moines Police Department has identified its records on automated license plate readers, but hasn’t shared the data yet with Graham and her research team. Graham says the records her team has been able to review indicate law enforcement agencies have a wide variety of policies about the use of license plate reader images, which include location and time stamps.

“There’s a real patchwork in place in Iowa,” Graham said. “…The policy shift and change as Iowans drive from place to place around the state.” The legal director for the A-C-L-U of Iowa says unlike red light or speed cameras, the images generated by automatic license plate readers are often fed into a national database. “One technical thing that I want to flag that’s so important for people to understand: it’s not the case with a red light camera and you can look up and you can see there’s a camera right there on the traffic light,” Bettis Austen said.

“ALPR cameras are actually small enough that you don’t know that you’re passing one.” Iowa law requires signs along roads being monitored by speed or red light cameras, but Bettis Austen says there’s no public disclosure requirement for automated license plate readers.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 10, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development’s Iowa State Director Michael Sexton today (Wednesday) announced that the agency is awarding a total of $4,720,000 for three projects to safeguard drinking water and two projects to improve hospital facilities and obstetrical services.

The investments are:

-City of Clearfield received a $29,000 grant through the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) program to help complete a preliminary engineering report. This project will evaluate the wastewater system and provide alternatives and recommendations for improvements. This project is a necessary first step in determining costs and compliance with water quality standards. The project will help ensure sanitary conditions and promote the health of the 278 residents of this rural Taylor County community.

These two awards were funded through the Community Facilities grant program:

-Wayne County Hospital in Corydon received a $2,011,000 grant to construct a 4,820 square foot addition. This project will build a modern dialysis center adjacent to the hospital’s existing dialysis treatment area and will include a vestibule, staff lounge, treatment bay, nurses’ station, isolation room, restroom, supply closet, room for linens, biomedical technology area, water treatment room, and conference room. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of residents of this rural community and surrounding areas.

-Palmer Lutheran Health Center Inc. received a $1,100,000 grant to help renovate the Gunderson Heath System obstetrics services facilities at its clinic in West Union. This project will improve delivery and postpartum resources for the residents of this rural Fayette County community and surrounding areas.

Municipal public works building in Denison, Iowa. USDA photo credit Cecilia Lynch

Both of the following grants were funded through the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program:

–Denison Municipal Utilities received a $1,000,000 grant to improve the water supply for the city of Denison. This project will construct a rock riffle dam in the East Boyer River to help recharge the well field and provide a more consistent water supply, especially during drought conditions. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of the 9,419 residents of this rural Crawford County community.

–City of Macedonia received a $580,000 grant to improve its water system. This project will construct a new well in the existing well field. Currently, during dry weather conditions, the city must reduce the pumping rate of the wells, and the water supply can become insufficient. The project will help the city meet peak demands. Once completed, this project will provide safe, reliable drinking water for the 267 residents of this rural Pottawattamie County community.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials say it appears an electric space heater sparked an overnight fire that has displaced the six residents of an apartment building in a small northwest Iowa town. Armstrong Assistant Fire Chief Wes Leach says the fire was reported at about 12:30 this (Wednesday) morning. “When we arrived on scene we saw heavy smoke coming from the one apartment complex,” Leach says. “We had determined that all residents had been evacuated prior to us getting there.” While there was a lot of smoke, Leach says the fire itself was confined to one apartment and was quickly put out.

“There was obviously some smoke damage to the rest of the apartments in the surrounding hallway,” Leach says. “…It looks like there was an electric space heater plugged in that started a blanket on fire.” Leach says fire fighters were able to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, but stayed on the scene for about two hours. One of the building’s residents was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 12-hundred fires in the U-S will be caused by space heaters this year.

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisor, during their regular weekly meeting this (Wednesday) morning, received information about a possible event tied-in to the America/Iowa 250 celebrations. Brenda Dudley, with Midwest Partnership, said the original idea was to hold a marathon road race on the 26-mile stretch of White Pole Road, but that idea was set aside over safety concerns by officials in Guthrie County. They then considered a relay race.

Supervisor Jodie Hoadley suggested tying that type of event (A poker run)-in with a car show.

Nothing has been decided on, with additional discussions yet to take place to try and come up with a plan for the celebration. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors heard from Courthouse Maintenance Director/Custodian Scott Roberts, with regard to an On-Call Custodial Assistant, for when Roberts is not available.

The Board approved hiring of the Mark Lantz as a fill-in custodian and snow removal person, at a rate of $20/hour, contingent upon his passing a test for the position. And, County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board’s approval, a Contract and Performance Bond with Gus Construction, for the W9 Lincoln (Township) Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert Project. The Board approved the documents as presented. Kauffman also provided his weekly Secondary Roads Department report on maintenance and activities.

In other business, the Board approved a Liquour License Renewal for the 5×80 Country Club near Menlo. And, prior to the conclusion of their meeting, the Adair County Supervisors held a Public Hearing on vacating a portion of 332nd Lane. Having received no comments, the Board passed a motion to vacate the roadway as presented.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board met Monday evening at the high school in Anita. The retiring Board held a public hearing on the Instructional Support Levy, which Superintendent Dr. Pam Stangeland said pertained to resolution calling for a renewal of the current levy through Fiscal Year 2032.

Following an organizational meeting of the new CAM School Board, Cara Murphy was re-elected as President of the Board, and Julie Williamson was re-elected Vice-President. Dr. Stangeland said they are excited to have two new Board members in Adam Akers and Mallory Armstrong on the CAM School Board.

Stangeland summed-up the meeting by saying she feels positive about the direction the CAM School District is taking.