The Iowa Department of Transportation is taking bids to develop an application for smart phones that allows parents to track their teen’s behavior behind the wheel. D-O-T spokeswoman Tracy Bramble says once the app is installed on a teen’s phone, it would disable texting while the teen is in the driver’s seat and monitor their driving habits. “It tracks things like speed and whether they stop at a stop sign or don’t stop at a stop sign,” Bramble says. “There’ll be a parent portal where a parent can log in with a secure I-D, so only they can see their child’s information. What we’re hoping it’ll do is start a conversation between parents and kids about safe driving.” The app is to be called “Text Later.” Bramble says once installed on a driver’s phone, the app will create a trip log each time a vehicle is going more than 15 miles-an-hour.

“What we’re hoping the app will do is disable the text function of their phone as the kid is driving,” she says. “They will be able to, if they are a passenger, log on as a passenger, but their parent will be able to see if they’ve logged on as a passenger.”

Bramble says the department also wants the app to block all notifications, so teens won’t be tempted to check their phones while driving. She says they hope to make “Text Later” available by early 2014. The D-O-T is promoting the upcoming app this week at the Iowa State Fair.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Saturday, of a woman from Central Iowa. 28-year old Jill Hanselman, of Boone, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense. She was transported to Cass County Jail and booked in.  And, on Friday, officers arrested 18-year old Nicholas Renner, of Atlantic, for Violation of Probation. He was transported to Cass County Jail and booked in, as well.

The A-PD also investigated two recent accidents.  One took place Saturday morning, in the Dollar General parking. Officials says vehicles driven by Jon  Frederiksen, of Atlantic, and Nichelle Whipple, of Massena, were both traveling northbound and approaching the entrance to Dollar General from Wal-Mart. Frederiksen’s vehicle was slowing and stopping to make a left hand turn into Dollar General, when it was struck by Whipple’s vehicle. Authorities say Frederiksen planned to stop by the Cass County Hospital to be checked for possible injuries. No citations were issued. Damage to the vehicles was estimated at a combined  $4,200.

The other accident happened late Friday morning, at the intersection of 5th and Chestnut. Vehicles driven by Christopher Bohlmann, of Audubon and Suzanne Just, of Atlantic, collided as  Bolhmann was eastbound and stopped to back up into a parking stall. Just was also traveling east on 5th Street. Bohlmann didn’t see Just’s car behind him, proceeded to back up, hitting the Just vehicle in the front bumper. No citations were issued and no injuries were reported. Total damage was estimated at $1,800.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Public Safety has decided it will keep secret information about police checks on Gov. Terry Branstad’s license plate. The department said last month it would search for and release information showing how many times the plate was run through police databases, when and by which agencies. But the department said Friday it was mistaken, and the data must be kept confidential.

A former investigator alleges the governor’s vehicle routinely speeds. The data would indicate whether Branstad’s state-assigned vehicle faced other stops or pursuits beyond the April 26 incident in which the trooper driving Branstad was clocked at 84 mph. It would also show whether the vehicle was caught speeding or running red lights by traffic cameras but avoided citations because of its undercover designation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An animal welfare group poured red paint over the Iowa State Fair’s butter cow, but the damage was quickly scraped away and the iconic sculpture is back on display.

(Photo via Radio Iowa)

Iowans for Animal Liberation, which promotes veganism, claimed responsibility in a Sunday news release, saying the paint represents the millions of animals killed annually for food.

The Iowa State Patrol says the attack occurred overnight Saturday after someone broke into the locked refrigerated area of the Agriculture Building where the sculpted cow is displayed. The attackers poured red paint over the sculpture and scrawled, “Freedom for all,” on a display window.

Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Scott Bright says the damage was cleaned up quickly Sunday morning and that the display opened as usual.  Bright called it a “mild case of vandalism.”

Officials with MidAmerican Energy Company today (Monday) announced they plan to move forward with the development of up to 1,050-megawatts of additional wind generation by the end of 2015, through the construction of new wind turbines in five Iowa counties, including Madison. The utility company credits a decision by the Iowa Utilities Board, in allowing MidAmerican Energy to move forward with its plans.

In May, MidAmerican announced plans to invest up to $1.9 billion to expand its wind generation fleet in Iowa. The company continues working with county officials and landowners and has secured development and interconnection rights for the wind farm sites. Construction is expected to begin in September 2013, and all projects are planned for completion prior to the end of 2015.

The utility says wind expansion will enhance economic development and provide in excess of $360 million in additional property tax revenues over the next 30 years. Landowner payments totaling more than $3 million per year also are expected as a result of the expansion. The expansion is planned to be built at no net cost to the company’s customers and will help stabilize electric rates over the long term by providing a rate reduction totaling $10 million per year by 2017, commencing with a $3.3 million reduction in 2015.

The rate reduction will begin after MidAmerican Energy installs the first 350 megawatts of generation capacity. During construction, approximately 460 jobs will be added to the Iowa economy, and nearly 50 new permanent jobs will be added when the expansion is complete.

The company began building wind projects in 2004 and, to date, has installed 1,267 wind turbines in Iowa, making MidAmerican Energy the largest rate-regulated utility owner of wind generation in the U.S.

The Iowa State Patrol has released the names of the persons involved in a fatal motorcycle-vs. car crash that occurred Saturday evening, in Taylor County. The man who died was operator of the cycle. He’s been identified as 53-year old Kendall Wallace, of  Cookeville, TN. Wallace died at the scene. The driver of the car was identified as 19-year old Forrest Greenwood, of Clarinda.  Greenwood was injured during the crash, which occurred at the intersection of Highway 2 and Main Street, in New Market. The accident happened at around 7:35-p.m.

Officials say a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Greenwood was traveling east on Highway 2 at the same time Wallace’ 1981 Honda motorcycle was traveling west. When the car made a left hand turn in front of the cycle, the motorcycle crashed into the side of the vehicle. Greenwood was transported to the Clarinda Regional Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

A total of five people were injured during two separate accidents Sunday night, here in Cass County. Four people were injured during a rollover accident on Highway 6 north of Lewis. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, an 1998 Chevy Blazer was traveling eastbound on White Pole Road (Highway 6) at around 9:25-p.m., when a deer entered the roadway just west of the Iowa State Patrol Communications Center. The driver of the SUV swerved, causing the vehicle to enter the north ditch and roll over.

All four subjects were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. One of the crash victims was later flown by Mercy 1 helicopter in Clarinda to a hospital in Omaha. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. No names have been released.

And, a little over under an hour and a-half later, a truck driver from Ontario, Canada was injured when for reasons unknown, the 2003 International semi he was driving left Interstate 80 westbound and rolled into the median at the 57-mile marker (Olive Street exit). The Iowa State Patrol says 46-year old George McClintic was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic following the crash, which occurred at around 10:49-p.m.

McClintic was trapped in the cab of the semi, which was nearly crushed. I-80 westbound was blocked while authorities rerouted traffic up the exit ramp and around the crash site.

The accident remains under investigation.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

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A teenager from Shelby County took the 1^st runner-up award during the Iowa State Fair Queen Contest Saturday evening. 18-year old Chandler Mores, of Harlan, won a $1,300 scholarship and $300 gift card to the Jordan Creek Mall as part of the honor. Chandler is the daughter of Alan Mores and Donna Christensen-Mores, of Harlan.

17-year old Kelsey Smith, of Henry County was crowned the 2013 Iowa State Fair Queen. The daughter of Jason and Debbie Smith of Mount Pleasant, Kelsey was chosen out of the 102 contestants who participated in this year’s competition. All had been crowned queen of their respective county fairs prior to the State Fair.

Queen Kelsey, who will reign for the next year, receives a $2,800 scholarship from the Iowa State Fair in addition to her crown, sash, trophy and other prizes.

Two people were arrested Sunday afternoon in Montgomery County, on alcohol-related charges. 36-year old Clinton John Gardner, of Red Oak, and 39-year old Lavonne Lynn Lutz, of Clarinda, were arrested at around 2:55-p.m. at 250th and G Avenue, in rural Red Oak. The pair were charged with Public Intoxication and held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 cash bond, each.