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.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sept. 3 hearing has been scheduled in a lawsuit seeking to block Gov. Kim Reynolds’ order that schools return to classroom learning during the coronavirus pandemic. The Iowa State Education Association and the Iowa City Community School District are requesting a temporary injunction to block enforcement of the governor’s mandate. If granted, that would mean school districts would have their own authority to decide whether to move to 100% remote learning and not face retaliation from the state if they do. Reynolds has said that school districts must provide at least 50% in-person instruction or face consequences.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped significantly in July but remained far higher than the rate before the coronavirus pandemic led to an economic slowdown. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday a 6.6% unemployment rate, down from 8.4% in June. The rate was more than twice as high as July 2019, when the state recorded a 2.7% rate. The number of Iowa residents without jobs dropped from 137,700 in June to 107,300 in July.

(Radio Iowa) — Many Iowans have held off on their summer travel plans due to COVID-19, pushing things back to fall. While some airlines are offering heavily discounted fares in hopes of luring travelers back, Iowans planning a fall fling will find plenty of changes, especially with scheduling. Kyle Potter, editor for the website ThriftyTravler.com, says airlines have cut the number of flights dramatically. “Where you might have had a handful of different flight options every day — early morning, mid-morning, a few throughout the afternoon and evening — now that’s usually down to just one or two flights a day no matter where you’re looking to go,” Potter says. “In some cases, you might need to make a connection.”

Potter says it doesn’t hurt to make plans in advance because airlines say they’ll let passengers change flights without paying a big fee. They can also cancel the flight or get a voucher for the value of the ticket, so he says there’s little risk involved in planning ahead. “If you do book a flight far in advance, odds are it’s going to change between now and whenever you get on the plane,” Potter says. “So certainly it may make sense to be a little bit more nimble, wait until the last minute or definitely expect that the ticket that you booked may not be the flight that you take.”

Another change with the pandemic, masks are now mandatory on all flights. On August 9th, domestic air travel topped 800-thousand passengers, the highest number since March 17th. Still, that’s still down 69-percent from a year ago. Potter says the federal CARES Act is helping airlines cover payroll expenses through September.