(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are trying to rebuild their homes and lives after last week’s derecho are finding it very difficult to find certain supplies, from fence boards and two-by-fours to refrigerators and toilets. Jay Iverson, executive officer of the Homebuilders Association of Iowa, says lumber prices were bounding -before- the powerful storm hit, in part, due to trade tariffs.

“It is difficult and those tariffs were only part of the problem,” Iverson says. “Supply and demand is a bigger part of the problem, especially with the states that were closed down with the virus, including construction. When those opened back up, it really started pulling a lot of those resources.” Prices on some lumber imported from Canada have risen 80-percent in recent months, while wood supplies are depleted in many home improvement stores stretching from Des Moines to Davenport — especially in Cedar Rapids.

“They’re six weeks out on vinyl siding, too,” Iverson says. “Part of that is virus-related and the plants being shut down for periods of time.” Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Iowa homeowners lost fences during the destructive winds, which gusted up to 140 miles an hour in eastern Iowa. Good luck trying to find those six-foot dog-ear-cut cedar boards to rebuild a fence, he says, as most stores are sold out, though supplies may be plentiful in areas that weren’t touched by the storm.

“That is going to be a problem unless they start moving that inventory around, because you’re right, there are stockpiles in other parts of the country,” Iverson says. “I know they’re shuttling a lot of that between those big box stores.” For Iowans who had severe storm damage to their homes who need to replace a kitchen for example, or those who were in the process of building a new house, timetables are all being pushed back — by COVID-19 and now by the derecho.

“Electrical equipment, appliances are in very short supply, a lot of the Mexican plants have been closed down because of the virus so appliances are very difficult to obtain,” Iverson says. “Some issues with other supply chains, like in China. China produces a lot of the plumbing products.” A report from the Iowa Association of Realtors finds home sales took a healthy jump in July, bounding more than 18-percent compared to a year ago.

Statewide, more than 52-hundred homes sold last month. The association says the median sale price was 185-thousand dollars. There’s plenty of business out there, Iverson says, and there’s no decline in the number of orders — it will just take time for supplies of raw materials to catch up and be able to meet demand.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa says its largest school district cannot begin the year with fully remote learning and must offer at least 50% in-person instruction, despite a worsening coronavirus pandemic. Des Moines Public Schools, which has 32,000 students and 5,000 employees, is blasting the decision by Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration to deny its request for a waiver to allow for 100% online learning.

The district announced that it will file a lawsuit to challenge the state’s order to reopen schools, a prospect that it says is simply unsafe as the virus spreads through Iowa. The looming legal showdown creates more uncertainty around the upcoming school year.

DES MOINES, Iowa – In July 2020, State Patrol agencies in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska joined forces to address the dangerous trend states are seeing with drivers traveling at excessive speeds, and to encourage drivers to take personal responsibility to keep roadways safe. The five State Patrols issued more than 33,000 speeding citations and removed 1,264 impaired drivers from the region’s roadways.

In Iowa alone, Iowa State Patrol Troopers issued 7,809 speeding citations, 114 impaired driving and 686 seat belt citations. Summer is a high-traffic volume month for the Midwest and across the country with an increase in road trips, especially now in a year shaped by the current public health emergency.

Iowa State Patrol Colonel Nathan Fulk said “These traffic trends are alarming and unprecedented. High speeds are not only making our Iowa roadways less safe on a daily basis for all of us, but speeding is one of the leading contributing factors in fatality crashes. We need motorists to understand that this type of driving behavior is not the new normal.”

Since January 2020, the Iowa State Patrol has seen a 113% increase in citations issued (780) for speeds exceeding 100 mph over the four-year average, and a 70% increase in citations issued for speeds of 25 mph or more over the posted speed limit (2,119).

The region seeks to reduce the number of speed-related crashes each year. In 2018, the region saw 683 speed-related deaths or 28% of those killed in regional traffic crashes. As traffic returns to its normal rate, it is important to continue safe driving practices. Everyone has a role to play in promoting traffic safety on our roads and in our neighborhoods.

Iowa 3rd District Representative Cindy Axne has announced a new $1,190,804.44 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help cover Mills County’s debris removal costs in the aftermath of last year’s devastating floods.

The grant for debris removal is authorized through last year’s federal disaster declaration, and is funded through the $3 billion for Midwest flooding that Rep. Axne fought to secure in last year’s federal disaster bill. Rep. Axne has been tracking funding provided to Iowa to aid these recovery efforts through her Iowa Flood Funding Tracker. With this new grant, the Tracker now accounts for $83 million spent by FEMA and $579 million spent overall since the disaster declaration last March.

Axne said “Even as Iowa is beginning to implement recovery efforts from last week’s derecho, this new grant reminds us how many overlapping disasters our state has faced in recent years. I’m pleased to see this sizeable grant for Mills County to cover costs of removing debris from last year’s flooding,” said Rep. Axne. “Grant funding like this from FEMA proves just how long it can take for federal funding to come in to help cover the costs of local recovery efforts – which is why I’ve continued to push for support and track these projects with my Iowa Flood Funding Tracker.”

The Enhance Iowa Board today (Friday) awarded more than $3.7-million Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grants, to projects in 12 Iowa communities. Among them, were projects in Tabor, Winterset, Red Oak and Woodbine. (See details below)

Project Name: Tabor Library Association, Tabor
Total Project Cost: $1,225,801
Amount Awarded: $186,877
Project Description: This project will include the construction of a 7,000-square-foot facility with library spaces for adults, teens and children, community room spaces for programming and relaxation, a commercial kitchen, a maker-space, an outdoor learning area and ample parking.

Project Name: Madison County Conservation Center, Winterset
Total Project Cost: $4,938,091
Amount Awarded: $450,000
Project Description: This project will include the construction of a 12,400-square-foot facility with an events and seminar room, exhibit room, STEM classroom, board room/library and administrative offices. Exterior improvements will include an outdoor courtyard with paved access drives and parking lots.

Project Name: Expand the Grand – Phase II, Red Oak
Total Project Cost: $923,842
Amount Awarded: $150,000
Project Description: This project will include the renovation of the adjacent building to accommodate an additional movie screen and seats as well as an expanded concession area.

Project Name: Woodbine Regional Wellness Center, Woodbine
Total Project Cost: $6,850,075
Amount Awarded: $450,000
Project Description: This project will include the construction of a two-level, 7,680-square-foot building to house interpretative displays, conservation and wildlife studies, wildlife exhibits and cultural history. An outdoor amphitheater will provide space for additional programming and group gatherings.

The Enhance Iowa Program provides financial incentives to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. To date, 80 CAT grants have been awarded by the board, totaling $25,036,725. The next Enhance Iowa Board meeting is tentatively scheduled for October 1.

An investigation into a reported fight this (Friday) morning in Red Oak, resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police report 34-year old Melissa Dawn Bishop, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 10:20-a.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Bishop was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, pending an initial court appearance.

A traffic stop that began just before 2-a.m. today (Friday), in Fremont County, resulted in a pursuit with speeds of up to 130-mph, the eventual capture in Missouri, of two suspects and the discovery of more than 110-pounds of marijuana. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies stopped a speeding car on Highway 2 near the Missouri River. During an initial investigation, deputies observed indications of drug trafficking and requested a K9 unit to assist.

Photo courtesy the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

Prior to the arrival of the K9, the driver of the vehicle, 22-year old Cardell Crawford, of Kansas City, Missouri, fled from the traffic stop in his vehicle. Deputies engaged in a pursuit until the vehicle entered Missouri, where Missouri law enforcement agencies continued the chase. Spike strips were deployed, and the vehicle finally stopped on Interstate 29 near St, Joseph, Missouri, or about 85 miles from where the pursuit began.

A Fremont County K9 was deployed and the occupants were arrested without incident. A search warrant was issued for the vehicle and over 110lbs of marijuana were discovered inside. Crawford was arrested for Felony Eluding, Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 50 Kilograms of Marijuana, Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance. A passenger in the car, 23-year old Brianca Williams, also of Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute Over 50 Kilograms of Marijuana, Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Substance.

Both were being held in the Andrew County, Missouri, jail, awaiting extradition to Iowa. The Holt County Sheriff’s Office, Andrew County Sheriff’s Office, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, and Missouri State Patrol, as well as the Mills County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, assisted the Fremont County K9 Unit and Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with the incident.