Record-breaking Iowa astronaut Peggy Whitson will be honored tonight (Friday) at the Celebrate Iowa Gala at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. Whitson was born in Mount Ayr and raised on a family farm near Beaconsfield. At age nine, she watched on her parents’ black-and-white T-V as the Apollo 11 astronauts walked on the moon, which inspired her to eventually become the first Iowa woman in space. The 57-year-old holds a string of space-related records for her multiple missions into orbit, but remains humble about her long list of firsts and accomplishments. “I really feel very privileged and honored to be able to participate in the space program at all,” Whitson says, her voice cracking. “That’s what I’m most proud of.”

Whitson was the International Space Station’s first science officer, its first woman commander and she’s the first woman to command the station twice. In addition to the space endurance record she set earlier this year, Whiston logged more E-V-As — or spacewalks — than any other woman. Whitson was named Glamour magazine Female of the year for 2017. She is also the first woman to serve as Chief of the Astronaut Corps. There’s even a Peggy Whitson Science Center at her old school in Mount Ayr. In this Radio Iowa interview from the space station in December of 2016, Whitson talked about Christmas in zero gravity. Floating on the football field-sized facility and being able to gaze down at the oceans, clouds and continents rushing past, Whitson said it brought new meaning to the phrase “Peace on Earth.”

“I think the perspective of our planet here is very special and it does provide you with the sense that there are no boundaries, that we’re a planet, we are a people,” Whitson says. “It reinforces the fact that we should be together and at peace.”  Whitson has spent more time living and working in space than any other American or any woman worldwide, a total of 665 days over three missions aboard the space station. Her third mission ended in September. She was asked how it felt to be included among other legendary astronauts, like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Sally Ride. “I’m not sure I’d put myself in that same category,” she says. “But, I do think that having records, breaking records all the time is important for NASA. It shows that we are still progressing, we are still doing new things, and continuing to expand on what we know about space. It gives me pride to be a part of that.”

Whitson is focusing on doing public relations for NASA for the next several weeks but says her future plans are still fluid. “I will be doing PR stuff for another few months and then I’ll find a real job,” she said, laughing. Having been in space longer than any other American, Whitson says NASA scientists gathered a lot of health information about her time in space. “I had signed up for extra because I’m a life sciences background by my training so I’d signed up for pretty much everything I could,” she says. “While in orbit, they took extra data and they are using me in a longer duration data set.”

At tonight’s sixth annual Celebrate Iowa Gala, guests will hear remarks from Whitson and will see the flight suit she wore into space in 2002, which is on display in the museum’s “Iowa History 101” exhibition.

(Radio Iowa)

A construction industry career fair and competition is taking place today (Friday) at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. High school students from across the state are among those taking part in the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Iowa’s annual event. Ginny Shindelar, vice president of education and training for ABC of Iowa, says it’s part of an effort to address a skilled workers shortage across the country. “We’re really trying to get the young kids, the high school students, just involved in the trades as much as possible and bring that awareness that there are great opportunities for careers in the future for them,” Shindelar says.

The construction industry of TODAY is much different than it was 10 to 20 years ago. Shindelar says companies are searching for elite students. “I hear all the time from instructors and employers how we have to make sure we’re getting bright individuals into construction, mostly because of the technology that is used these days,” Shindelar says. “There’s a lot of new technology coming out every day. They really have to know and understand and be willing to learn how to use that in today’s construction.”

At today’s event in Des Moines, more than 100 high school students are involved in team competitions in carpentry, welding and electrical work. Prizes are being awarded in each category. The main event features over 40 apprentices from across Iowa taking part in electrical, HVAC, plumbing and sheet metal competitions. They’re being judged on the quality of their work, as well as their ability to follow safety guidelines. “The winner from each one of the (apprentice) competitions will go on to represent ABC of Iowa at ABC National Craft Championships in Long Beach, California in March,” Shindelar said.

ABC of Iowa claims to have the largest apprenticeship-training program in Iowa and represents around 540 construction-related companies from across the state.

(Radio Iowa)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Some police officers in northeastern Iowa are being cross-trained as firefighters to expand public safety coverage. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that all Cedar Falls police officers hired after July 1, 2016, are required to cross-train in firefighting to become public safety officers. But the city will still have a force of career firefighters and police officers.

Public safety officials say the cross-training is so the city can always have full-time firefighters available and to increase efficiency. Public safety officers arrive early and suppress fires until the full-time crew arrives. The city hasn’t hired any full-time firefighters since July 1, 2016. Critics question the cutback on full-time firefighter staffing, which has yet to be defined.

Two men already being held in the Pottawattamie County Jail on other charges, were read additional charges against them, recently. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office says a transient, 25-year old Cody Jacob Ferguson, was presented with a warrant for Felony Escape From Custody, Thursday. Ferguson admitted he had escaped from a Residential Care Facility (RCF). And, 31-year old Jake Jason Jacobsen, also a transient, was in the jail on drug charges. He was presented with a warrant charging him with violation of probation. Both men acknowledged the warrants and were returned to the custody of corrections staff.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a rollover accident Thursday evening. Officials say 39-year old Marshall Joseph Weidman, of Creston, was driving a 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser northbound on Highway 25 at around 7:30-p.m., when a deer ran out in front of him. Weidman, who was wearing his seat belt, swerved to avoid hitting the animal, and in the process lost control of the car. The vehicle entered the west ditch and landed on its top. The damage was estimated at $4,000.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office said also, that a Creston woman reported late Thursday morning, that sometime over the last month, someone took license plates CAA 875 off a 1991 Ford Ranger, that was sitting on her property. The plates were valued at $50.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) — A state audit of a south-central Iowa animal shelter has identified more than $13,000 in improper spending. The audit report released Friday says the special investigation of the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa found improper personal purchases by the shelter’s former director, Lindsey Sime, who used shelter credit cards.

Court documents say Sime pleaded guilty to theft and unauthorized use of a credit card. On Oct. 23 she was given a suspended prison sentence of two years, two years of probation and was ordered to pay more than $8,600 in restitution, fines and other costs.