(Radio Iowa) – June rail numbers showed a drop in the number of the intermodel containers that carry consumer goods across the state. D-O-T spokesman Stuart Anderson says those numbers can signal economic issues.  “And that was kind of an open question. Is that a sign of an inflection point in the longer term trend, or is that just a blip? At least based on the July data, that appears to be a blip,” he says. Anderson says that drop in intermodel numbers recovered in July.

“They went back up a couple percent in July compared to July of last year. And overall car loads are positive this month in July compared to July of last year,” Anderson says. “And that’s despite the fact that manufacturing sector is still pretty soft and flat.” Anderson says they will have to see what those numbers show for August to see if there is a trend up or down. Anderson says through August 4th the number of traffic deaths have been down. “The average over the last five years is about 193. And this year we’re at 150. So about 43 below the five year average, about 22 percent below,” Anderson says.

Anderson says the numbers for major injuries in accidents through August 4th was 744, or about six percent below the five-year average.

(Radio Iowa) – A sleep expert says Iowa parents should start pushing their kids’ bedtimes forward this week to get them adjusted to waking up early well before school starts. Dr. Allen Foster, a sleep medicine physician at Emplify Health by Gundersen, says it’s important for all of us to get a good night’s sleep. “When we’re not getting sufficient sleep, it impacts relationships, learning, emotional stability, and simply quality of life in total,” Foster says. “Even two nights a week of insufficient sleep is enough to be associated with a significant increase in depressive symptoms.” Foster says we all have different sleep cycles and sleep needs, depending on our age, but kids can be quite varied, compared to adults.

“Typically, we’re talking ten-to-13 hours of sleep is necessary for preschoolers, nine-to-12 for school-aged children and eight-to-ten for teens,” Foster says. “And adults, most of us need eight to sometimes nine hours, but as a society, we tend to be sleep-deprived, and children — teens especially — tend to be sleep-deprived.” Foster says kids may grumble about the earlier bedtime, but they’ll likely appreciate it once school bells ring, so the change from summer to fall hours won’t be so abrupt. “During the summertime, when they’re allowed to be on their own biological schedule, they’re going to be up later, and sleep in later,” Foster says. “Then, when school starts and all of a sudden you have to be up and in and trying to function and be performing cognitively and socially and emotionally, it’s much, much more of a challenge.”

Given the amount of sleep kids need to stay healthy, Foster says he’d really like to see more Iowa schools start classes later. “In reality, we shouldn’t start school before 8:30 in the morning for middle school and high schoolers,” Foster says, “however, unfortunately, probably 70% of kids have schools that start earlier than that.” He calls sleep the “silent architect” of health, immune function, cognitive and mental functions, and regulation of our emotional and metabolic systems.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Red Oak was arrested late Tuesday evening on a felony, Theft charge. 67-year-old Randall Dean Cooper was arrested at around 7:30-p.m. in the 1600 block of 200th Street, for Theft in the 2nd Degree, a Class-D Felony. Cooper was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has used a trip to Iowa to announce changes in federal regulations for vehicles that run on diesel.

For a couple of decades tractors, trucks and other diesel-powered vehicles have had systems that inject a fluid into the exhaust to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, but sensors immediately slow down and even stall the engine when that fluid runs out. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said it means diesel equipment shuts down unnecessarily, “which has led to so much in lost money for Iowa farmers and truckers and so much more.”

Under new EPA guidelines, diesel truck manufacturers are to change the technology by the 2027 model year so vehicles that run out of that emission-related fluid won’t have sudden power losses.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin speaks during stop at Nevada, Iowa, business. (RI photo)

Zeldin is reluctant to talk about another fuel-related issue — the EPA’s proposed ethanol and biodiesel production levels for the next two years. “A lot of people were happy with the numbers we came out with and that was a strong, early sign, however understanding that every single decision that I make — whether I say yes or no — is going to result in a lawsuit from whoever’s on the opposite side I’m going to be very clear: I’m not prejudging the result of this rule making,” Zeldin said. “We’re going through the public comment period and we’re looking to make the right decision on the other end.”

The end of the October is when the EPA is tentatively scheduled to announce the final ethanol and biodiesel production rules for 2026 and 2027. Senator Joni Ernst, who hosted Zeldin on his trip to Iowa, said the EPA’s proposed 8% jump in biofuels obligations is an exciting prospect. “I’ve heard from so many of our farmers across Iowa, the biofuels producers,” Ernst said. “They are really glad that EPA and President Trump have been supportive.”

Ernst and Zeldin spoke with reporters after spending time at the State Fair, speaking at a forum in Ames for entrepreneurs and touring Mid-States Companies in Nevada. The head of the Small Business Administration was also on the trip.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A regular monthly meeting of the Atlantic School Board will take place beginning at 6:30-p.m. on Wednesday, August 13th, in the High School Media Center. On the Board’s agenda are comments by Michelle Schuler and Mary McBride, a Special Presentation on the Summer School Program, and discussion with regard to the Atlantic School District Master Plan and Bond Referendum, along with a review of unfilled teacher positions and plans to accommodate student needs.

Action items for the Board include: Approval of the following resignations:

• Cindy Copeland and Felicia Swope, Nutrition Dept. Cooks, effective July 14th and August 11th, respectively.
• Vanessa Proehl, and Wendy Petersen, Special Education Para’s, effective 7/30/25 & 8/11/25, respectively.
• Jim Wallace, Bus Driver. effective 8/5/25

The Board will also act to approve the following Recommendations to Hire:

• Anna Wieser, HS Building Secretary.
• Amy Sachs, HS Girls Soccer Coach.
• Jennifer Miller, Girls Swimming Volunteer Coach.
• Anna Pauley, NHS Sponsor.
• Melissa Ward, Nutrition Dept. Cook.
• Katie Hedegaard-Moreno, Yearbook Sponsor, and
• 25-26 Coaches for Winter Sports.

PUBLIC AGENDA 08132025

(Fayette County, Iowa) – A collision in northeastern Iowa this (Tuesday) afternoon, claimed the life of an adult female. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident happened at around 1:30-p.m. south of Hawkeye, in northern Fayette County. Authorities say a car and a UTV were both traveling south on R Avenue, when the car struck the UTV from behind. The driver of the UTV, 71-year-old Rhonda Robinson, of Hawkeye, was ejected from the machine and died from her injuries.

The driver of the car (A 2010 Chevy Malibu) was identified as 18-year-old Kennadi Butikofer, of Hawkeye. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by deputies with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Hawkeye First Responders, and Sumner Ambulance.

The crash remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Regents approved a revised policy today (Tuesday) that says faculty at the three state universities may teach controversial subjects as long as they don’t include indoctrination of one perspective. Regent David Barker says this is important in light of recent videos that purport to show faculty at some schools trying to undermine the law against D-E-I initiatives. “I think we improved it by taking out references to anything specific, and there isn’t anything that shouldn’t be taught,” Barker says.

Barker says any subject can be discussed as long as there is no censoring of viewpoints. “If some controversial policy is taught, students should be informed that this is controversial and they should have an understanding of both sides of it,” he says.

Regent Nancy Dunkel disagreed, saying there shouldn’t be any attempt to stifle academic freedom. “Academic freedom is a principle that scholars, teachers, and students in educational institutions have the freedom to teach, to learn, to conduct research, and publish or express ideas without fear of censorship, retaliation, or institutional interference, as long as those thoughts align with standards of scholarly integrity and professional ethics,” Dunkel says.

Dunkel says they should change the title of the provisions to “restrictions of academic freedom.” “These revisions that we’re going to vote on here soon are not clarification, they are restrictions to academic freedom,” she says. Dunkel says calling something controversial is ambiguous, because it depends on who is deciding what is controversial.

The revision passed on a 7-1 vote with Dunkel the only Regent to vote against the policy. Student Regent Lucy Gipple was not at the meeting. The policy change takes place immediately.

(Radio Iowa) – Five Democrats are now running for the U-S Senate seat Republican Joni Ernst holds. Josh Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, says he’s a moderate Democrat who’s battle tested after winning two campaigns in an Iowa legislative district that supported President Trump in 2024. “I am the Democrat that is representing the reddest part of this state,” Turek said. “I am in a county that Trump won by 20 points and a city that Trump won by 11 points and I won by nearly six points and that is because I have got the grit, the hard work, the determination to go out every single day and have conversations with Republicans and independents and talk about the kitchen table issues that actually matter.”

Turek, who is 46, was born with spina bifida. He won gold medals in wheelchair basketball representing the United States at the Paralympic Games in 2016 and 2020. Turek says people want legislators who work in a bipartisan way for the middle class and working families. “My philosophy is country over party. I am a genuine prairie populist,” Turek said. “…I am going to fight for raising the minimum wage. I’m going to fight for affordable housing. I’m going to fight for affordable and accessible health care, which I can speak to with credibility having gone through an enormous amount of adversity in my life, having 21 surgeries before I was even 12 years old due to my disability.”

Turek says his political hero is former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin. “I am someone that knows and understands the impact a senator from Iowa can make. It was because of Senator Harkin and his work with the Americans with Disabilities Act that has allowed me to have the success in my life that I’ve been able had,” Turek said. “Had it not been (for the Americans with Disabilities Act), I never would have had the economic, the educational or the occupational opportunities to be successful in my life.”

Turek played professional wheelchair basketball in Europe and Australia for 17 years and, since 2021, he’s worked for a company that sells wheelchairs for children and adults as well as rehab technology to doctors, hospitals and other health care providers. Turek’s current competitors for the Democratic Party’s U-S Senate nomination are Jackie Norris of Des Moines, Nathan Sage of Indianola, J.D. Scholten of Sioux City, and Zach Wahls (like “walls”) of Coralville.