(Radio Iowa) – Unions that represent rail workers are lobbying for a state law that would limit the length of trains. Chris Smith is state legislative director for the SMART-T-D Union which represents transportation workers.

A federal report found the length of trains increased 25 percent between 2008 and 2017. There is currently no limit in state or federal law on how long a train can be.

A bill to set 85-hundred feet — or one-point-six miles — as the maximum train length cleared initial review in the 2022 Iowa Legislature. Smith says he and others will be back at the statehouse next year, lobbying for action.

Smith, who is from Tama, has worked as a Union Pacific conductor and engineer for nearly 18 years.
A spokesman for one of the country’s largest railroads says trains of all lengths have been safely operated for years and longer trains maximize resources and reduce fuel and labor costs. According to the Iowa D-O-T, 18 different private railroad companies ship freight through the state.

And railroad traffic through Iowa may increase soon with the merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern. Some officials and residents in cities along the route have expressed concern about the increase in the NUMBER of trains as well as the increase in the LENGTH of trains.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – A crash Sunday morning on the northeast side of Des Moines resulted in fatal injuries to the driver of a Hyundai Sonata. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the car driven by 54-year-old Anthony Marco Mullenberg, of Des Moines, was traveling east on I-80 at around 2:11-a.m., near mile marker 140, when it drove off the road and rear-ended an unoccupied 2020 International semi, which was parked on the shoulder.

Mullenberg died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt.

(Radio Iowa) – The Internal Revenue Service is looking to hire more workers to fill positions to meet the demand of the upcoming tax season. I-R-S Christopher Miller says it’s a good opportunity. “The I-R-S is seeking hundreds of new employees across the country, including in Iowa to fill a customer service positions, and various other positions, Miller says. He says they are particularly looking for employees to staff their Taxpayer Assistance Centers across the country.

“In Iowa, the IRS operates five Taxpayer Assistance Centers, where taxpayers go to get help — in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux, city and Waterloo. And we hope to have those offices staffed as fully as possible for the upcoming filing season,” Miller says. Miller says they offer comprehensive training for all employees.

“You do not have to be a tax expert to work at the I-R-S. We have all sorts of positions available at all levels of experience. In addition to face to face representatives and people to help on the phone, the I-R-S is also working to hire additional people throughout the agency, not just in taxpayer service areas, but in information technology,” he says. Miller encourages anyone who is interested to check out the I-R-S jobs.

“You can learn more about open positions at the I-R-S by going to www.jobs.irs.gov. Or you can go to USA jobs.gov to look for positions at the I-R-S and throughout federal government. Miller says offers a variety of benefits to its employees, including flexible work positions.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest on Friday of 30-year-old Jamie Gene Neville of Red Oak on a charge of Driving While Barred. Neville was arrested at 5:12 p.m. in the 400 block of Sunset Avenue in Red Oak on Friday. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – While some Iowans’ homes will be visited by a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer tomorrow (Saturday) night, it’s hoped there’s also -not- a visit on Sunday from a fire truck. Andrea Vaspis, public education director for the National Fire Protection Association, says if you’re trying to add some holiday ambience to the room by lighting a few candles, do so with caution.

December is the peak time of year for candle fires and studies find almost three of every five December home fires are started by candles.

Christmas Day is also one of the top three days of the year for home cooking fires, but she says lighting candles may only increase the risk of a disaster.

Christmas tree fires don’t happen often, but when they do, they tend to be serious. An association report finds, on average, one of every 52 reported home fires that began with a Christmas tree resulted in a death, compared to an average of one death per 135 total reported home fires.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Iowa Third District Representative Cindy Axne today (Friday), announced that $23,770,522 that will go toward 15 community projects in Iowa’s Third Congressional District was included in the government spending bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Axne submitted her request for funding for the community projects to the House Appropriations Committee in May of 2022 and joined a bipartisan majority of her colleagues in voting to fund the projects this week.

“These projects I secured for Iowa’s Third Congressional District will deliver money that communities specifically requested in order to help fund homeless youth programs, support workforce development initiatives, open more slots at child care centers, and so much more,” said Rep. Axne. “These projects will help communities in the Third District continue to grow and thrive for years to come and I’m pleased to know this money will do good things for communities and people here in Iowa.”

The 15 projects that will receive funding include (in southwest Iowa):

• $779,025  to help Adams County Economic Development Corporation create an entrepreneurial and incubator center in Corning.
• $1,000,000 to retrofit green stormwater infrastructure practices in Pacific Junction.
• $1,000,000 to construct a child development center in Griswold.
• $2,000,000 to replace a bridge on 250th Street between Evergreen Avenue and G Avenue in Montgomery County.
• $750,000 to revitalize downtown Mount Ayr through surface transportation improvements.

Under guidance issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative could request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for Fiscal Year 2023. Projects were restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities were permitted to receive funding.