(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T has awarded the first round of funding for the National Electric Vehicles Infrastructure program to create a network of electric vehicle charging stations. The EV charging stations include the towns of Percival, Onawa, Shelby, Walnut, Adair, Stuart, DeSoto and Sioux City. The D-O-T’s Deb Arp says the federal program is providing more than seven billion dollars nationwide. “Iowa will be allocated about ten-point-three million ($10.3) per year, totaling over 51 million dollars over the five-year life of the act,” she says. Iowa designated four alternative fuel corridors, Interstates 80, 380, 29, and 35, where the chargers will be installed.

“Seventy-three applications meeting the program requirements were reviewed, requesting over 45-million dollars. Twenty-eight applications have been selected with an intended award amount 16-point-two million dollars and five-point-six million in matching private funds, for total estimated project costs of nearly 22 million dollars,” Arp says. The funding requires the chargers be spaced no more than 50 miles apart and less than one mile from Interstates and highway corridors, and be near restrooms, small businesses, and other amenities.”With just this first cycle, we were able to select projects leaving just a few gaps in the network, remaining toward full build out if all of these sites develop as proposed, our next priority will be to award three to four sites to fill those remaining gaps,” Arp says.

EV charging stations (DOT graphic)

Arp says they can now get started on the planning for the sites. “Our next steps include working with these awardees to execute project agreements and begin the logistics of assisting them through the federal project development process,” Arp says. She says they’ll also conduct some outreach to the remaining gap areas before the next round of funding.

See the list of DOT awards for EV infrastructure sites here: EV-charger-2024-funding-PDF

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Wednesday afternoon, arrested a man wanted on two Montgomery County warrants. 40-year-old Michael Scott Stafford was taken into custody at around 4:25-p.m., in the 200 block of N. 4th Street, in Red Oak. Stafford was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a total of $4,000 bond.

WASHINGTON —The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) intercepted 5,028 firearms at airport security checkpoints during the first nine months of 2024. This total represents an average of 18.3 firearms detected per day at TSA checkpoints, more than 93% of which were loaded. According to the TSA, in 2023 there were seven firearms detected at the Des Moines International Airport. As of September 30 there have been 13 firearms detected at TSA checkpoints this year.

Nationally, Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) screened more than 678 million passengers through the first three quarters of 2024, which comprised record-setting summer travel volumes, compared to more than 638 million passengers in the same period of 2023, an increase of nearly 6.3%.

The rate of firearms discoveries at TSA checkpoints during the most recent quarter (July – September) was 7.5 firearms per one million passengers, which is a decrease from the same period in 2023 when officers discovered 8.1 firearms per one million passengers.

TSA encourages airline passengers to #PreparePackDeclare and learn the proper packing procedures before arriving at the airport. Passengers may travel with a firearm, but it must be:

• Secured in their checked baggage.
• Packed unloaded.
• Locked in a hard-sided case.
• Declared to the airline when checking the bag at the airline ticket counter.

Firearms are prohibited at security checkpoints, in the secure area of an airport and in the passenger cabin of an aircraft, even if a passenger has a concealed carry permit or is in a constitutional carry jurisdiction. When traveling internationally, airline passengers are responsible for learning about the firearms laws of their foreign destination, which may prohibit traveling with firearms and carry significant criminal penalties for doing so.

TSA does not confiscate or seize firearms. If a passenger brings a firearm to the security checkpoint on their person or in their carry-on luggage, TSA contacts local law enforcement to safely take possession of the firearm. Depending on local laws, the passenger may be arrested or issued a citation. TSA may also impose a civil penalty of up to $15,000. For a first offense, passengers will lose TSA PreCheck® eligibility for five years. A second offense will result in permanent disqualification from the program, along with additional civil penalties.

For more information on how to properly travel with a firearm, visit the Transporting Firearms and Ammunition page on TSA.gov. To view the complete list of penalties, go to TSA.gov.

Des Moines, Iowa  – The Des Moines City Council, Wednesday, gave its seal of approval to hire Michael McTaggart as the City’s 45^th Police Chief at a special meeting this afternoon. CityManager Scott Sanders said “Michael McTaggart stood out as a candidate not only for his achievements, but also for the relationships he has built in our community over the past 25 years. Chief McTaggart will have big shoes to fill in his new role and I have the utmost confidence that he will be able to rise to the challenge.”

The City Council’s 7-0 vote to approve City Manager Scott Sanders’ recommendation concludes a search for the City’s next police chief that began when current Chief of Police Dana Wingert announced his retirement this spring. The search process included multiple rounds of community engagement and feedback that helped shape the recruitment process, and including giving feedback on the two finalists.

Michael McTaggart began his career as a Police Officer with the Des Moines Police Department 25 years ago before rising to through the ranks to the position of Police Major in 2022. Through the course of his career, McTaggart has spent time in the Patrol Division, Robbery / Homicide Section, Intelligence Unit and the Investigations Division before overseeing the Operations Division as major, the largest division in the DMPD.

Chief Appointee McTaggart (City of Des Moines photo)

McTaggart’s time with the City also includes implementing and growing the C.A.R.E. and Mobile Crisis Response Team and spearheading the downtown safety plan, both of which have seen tremendous success. He possesses a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of Northern Iowa.  He has also completed training at the Senior Management Institute for Police with the Police Executive Research Forum and the School of Police Staff & Command with Northwestern University.

With City Council confirmation of Sanders’ choice for police chief, the City Manager will now finalize details of a plan for DMPD to transition from the leadership of Chief Wingert to Chief McTaggart over the next month.

(Iowa News Service) – AARP Iowa has released a series of videos asking congressional candidates how they would support Iowans who are unpaid caregivers.

The group traveled Iowa this summer on its “Cruisin’ for Caregivers tour” to not only educate people about the issue but to hear from caregivers about what is important to them. Caregivers from each district sat down with Congressional candidates to discuss the challenges they face and potential solutions. AARP Iowa said unpaid family caregivers in the state provide what amounts to about $5 billion worth of services every year.

Paige Yontz, state advocacy manager for AARP Iowa, said unpaid family caregiving is a top issue for Iowa voters age 50 and older. “The fact of the matter is, these voters are the driving force behind every election,” Yontz pointed out. “In Iowa, voters accounted for 54% of the total electorate in 2020 and 62% in 2022, that’s voters in the 50-plus category.”

AARP polling shows voters in this age group are more likely to choose candidates who have a plan to support unpaid family caregivers. In the videos, Iowa’s congressional candidates have 30 seconds to describe their approach.

Seniors have said aging at home has become increasingly important to them and Yontz argued having the help and care they need to do that is critical.  “In Iowa, there are over 330,000 unpaid family caregivers that assist their loved ones with needs that allow them to remain independent in their homes,” Yontz explained. “That might be medical care and finances to chores, transportation, grocery shopping, you name it.”

AARP said nationwide, unpaid family members provide at least $600 billion in care and services to loved ones and others who need support.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board Wednesday voted 4-to 1 (with Board Member Laura McLean the lone No vote), to forego the hiring of a Superintendent search firm, and instead act on renewing at their next regular meeting, a contract for full-time superintendent with the current, Interim Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen.

Prior to their vote, during discussion on the matter, McLean said she had made a promise to the community to make the effort try and hire a search firm, after the Board was rushed into getting an interim superintendent the last time around.

She acknowledged it would take a great deal of time and Board energy to go through the full process, but she wanted to hear more from the public and staff in moving forward. Board member Josh McLaren said he thinks hiring a search firm is a waste of time and money.

In other action, the Board approved a requested extension of the District’s share of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from 10-years to 15-years, following a request from Vision Atlantic, with regard to the Camblin Edition Housing Project, providing the district’s attorneys look over the agreement and give their blessing. The TIF funds will be used to focus on expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Earlier in the evening, the Board heard from Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman and Vice President Nicholas Hunt.

Bateman warned of how not approving the TIF extension would impact the project financially, and emphasized how other entities have already passed the extension on their end.

In her report to the Board, Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen was pleased to report the District was awarded a Robotics grant that was applied for.

With that having been said, Dr. Johnsen said she would like the Board’s approval during a future meeting, to hire a Robotics Coach. She said she also received a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) from the City of Atlantic, with regard to the SRO (School Resource Officer) position the Atlantic Police Department has received a grant for.

The Board discussed Student Support Services, and approved the following personnel recommendations:

Resignations: Jordan Zarbano, Evening High School Custodian; Lindsey Thomas, Elementary Special Education paraprofessional (Effective Oct. 9th).

Retirements: Jon Peterson, Middle School Teacher (effective the end of the 2024-25 school year). And, recommendations to hire: Harrison Heogh, Volunteer HS Football Coach (Non-paid position); Dan Vargason, Interim HS Girls Soccer Coach; Mackenzie Morris, Elementary Special Education paraprofessional.

And: CTSO sponsors requirement for Perkins Grant Funds; 2024 Volunteer Coaches for Winter Sports; 2025 Spring Sports Coaches. The Board’s final order of business was to approve an FFA Fruit Sales Fundraiser request for Oct. 10th through the 30th.