As the holiday season approaches, the focus on aviation often turns to people flying home for the holidays and last minute gifts arriving via air cargo. In addition to those activities, there are many uses of aviation throughout the year that support Iowa’s economy and move people and goods to and from the state. The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Office of Aviation has captured some of those activities by holding a statewide aviation photography contest highlighting aviation activity in Iowa.

General Aviation – First Place | Todd Dalsing (Photo from IA Aviation contest )

Winning submissions for the 2013 Iowa Aviation Photography Contest are posted at http://www.iowadot.gov/aviation/photocontest/photogallery.html and the photos can be downloaded directly from the Flickr website at http://www.flickr.com/photos/iowadot/sets/72157637806812583/.

Every public school district in the state of Iowa has applied for and received a state grant to begin planning for teacher improvement projects. The education reform package that became law this summer also sets aside bonus money for talented teachers who’ll be mentors to other educators, but Department of Education director Brad Buck says January 31st is the deadline for applying for that money.  “I think this is one of those concepts in Iowa that makes sense and I think people are ready to engage in the work,” Buck says. “I think we’ll get, actually, more requests for spots than we have spots in the first round.”

There are 346 school districts in Iowa, but the education reform plan is phased in over three years, so only a third of the districts will get the extra money for teachers on contract for the 2014/2015 school year. Another third of schools will get the money the following year and in year three the rest will get it. Buck says some superintendents have told him they want to wait until that second year — to see what lessons can be learned from the teacher improvement plans of other districts.  “They’re not quite yet sure how that would look in a 650-student district, so they’re waiting to see some other 650-student districts do this, talk about their model and then talk about applying that to their local district,” Buck says.

Other administrators tell Buck they want another year to plan to hire substitutes or replacement teachers for the teachers who’ll leave their own classroom to coach other teachers. Under the new education reform law, all public school districts in Iowa would have a new teacher leadership and compensation system in place by the 2016-17 school year. In the current academic year, each Iowa school district will get at least five-thousand dollars to start meetings among teachers, parents and the community to discuss teacher leadership options.

(Radio Iowa)

The upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday will have many families traveling various distances to visit relatives. The Iowa State Patrol would like to remind all motorists the long, four day holiday weekend will increase traffic on all Iowa’s roadways. The increase in traffic can translate into more collisions and traffic delays. 

Last year during the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, nine individuals lost their lives on Iowa roadways. Six of these nine were not wearing their seatbelts. That is why the Iowa State Patrol is reminding all drivers and passengers to buckle up as they travel this holiday weekend. Officials say wearing your seatbelt can increase your chance of survival in a crash by 50 percent.

The Iowa State Patrol encourages all Iowans to remember as they travel this holiday weekend to buckle up, obey the speed limit, avoid distractions, and to get a designated driver if you are impaired.   If all motorists abide by these rules, we can avoid fatal crashes on our roadways this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. 

The Iowa State Patrol hopes you and your family have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state of Iowa sold a record $256 million in liquor last fiscal year, led by a trend toward flavored liquors. The state’s wholesale liquor operation saw a 5.6 percent increase in sales during the year ending June 30.

Retailers and restaurateurs say the sales have been pushed by new flavors. Brian Duax, of Central City Liquors in Des Moines, told The Des Moines Register that “younger customers want something different.”  The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division says that, on average, an Iowa adult age 21 or older consumed 2.27 gallons of spirits, 2.03 gallons of wine and 33.56 gallons of beer last fiscal year.