(Radio Iowa) – If you try to dial a local number without the 5-1-5 or 3-1-9 area codes, the call will not go through today (Monday). Iowa Utilities Board spokesman, Don Tormey, says it’s part of a change by the F-C-C to avoid confusion with a new 9-8-8 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  “When the F-C-C issued that order it impacted area codes throughout the United States — and in Iowa, the 5-1-5 and 3-1-9 area codes are now required to dial all ten digits to complete a local call,” Tormey says.

He says you should check to be sure that all your devices have the area codes to prevent issues with local calls. “Home alarms and other security systems, speed dialers, mobile and other wireless phone contact lists, voice mail services, those kinds of things,” he says. Tormey says the change was made Sunday. He says you could have still made a local call without the area code until the change.

Tormey says there is more information about the change on the I-U-B website.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Federation of Labor A-F-L-C-I-O president Charlie Wishman says the pandemic has changed the way workers think about their jobs. Charlie Wishman says it was no surprise members of the United Auto Workers turned down John Deere’s contract offer. “You’re seeing what’s dubbed as ‘Striketober’ but that has started since before that,” Wishman says. Wishman says John Deere workers are drawing a line in the sand for themselves and future workers.

“These folks are out here striking on behalf of members they haven’t even met yet, who haven’t even been hired yet,” Wishman says, “because one of the issues if they want to remove the retirement system for anybody hired after November 1.” Paul Iversen is a labor educator at the University of Iowa Labor Center. He says the two-tiered system the union’s striking over doesn’t provide the same level of pay and benefits to every worker.

“There is a huge difference between a two-tiered system and a seniority system,” Iversen says. “In a seniority system, you get more pay as you go along, but at some point, everybody doing the same job is making the same amount. Equal pay for equal work.” Iversen says in a tight labor market, striking workers appear to have more leverage. “Ultimately, employers will have to change the way that they approach employees,” Iversen says, “or they’re not going to have anybody to do the work.” The Iowa Federation of Labor’s president says it’s not just union workers who are challenging the status quo.

“In the past two weeks in Sioux City, in non-union facilities, you’ve had walk-outs over pay and shift differential,” Wishman says. “…I believe we’re at the front end of a worker uprising in this country.” Wishman and Iverson made their comments this week on the “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S. Late Friday, John Deere announced it will continue providing health care benefits to union workers and employees will not lose bonuses they earned before the strike started October 14th.

The bonuses are paid for exceeding performance goals. The union would have had to start providing health care to striking workers, but the benefits would not have been the same as the plans Deere employees have now. A spokeswoman for the company said Deere and Company is taking these steps to demonstrate its commitment to doing what’s right by John Deere employees. Contract negotiations resumed last Monday.

(Sidney, Iowa) – Officials with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Sunday evening, 41-year-old John Robert Washburn, of Hastings, IA, was arrested Sunday, following a report of a possible theft from a building at AgriVision Equipment, in Hamburg. At around 9-a.m. Sunday, employees were alerted by a witness that someone had backed a vehicle into one of the sheds and was still in the building. Employee’s arrived and questioned Washburn.

He told the employees he was working on his vehicle in the building, so he could stay out of the rain. The employees obtained information from Washburn including his name and vehicle license plate number. After Washburn left the building, the employees noticed that some items had been moved and that a pump was taken off of an industrial air compressor and was missing. A Fremont County Deputy along with a Mills County Deputy went to a rural Hastings location and located the stolen pump outside a building.

John Washburn (Fremont County S/O photo)

After an investigation at the scene Washburn was arrested for Burglary Second Degree and Theft Second and transported to the Fremont County Jail where he is being held on a ten-thousand-dollar bond.

(Afton, Iowa) – A collision in Afton Saturday evening resulted in two people being transported to the hospital, in Creston. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Department, a 2007 Chevy Impala driven by 18-year-old Raenna Price, of Afton, was traveling north on U-S Highway 169 at around 5:50-p.m.  A 1998 Volvo semi tractor-trailer driven by 40-year-old Chad Pontier, of Osceola, was stopped at the stop sign on Railroad Street. Officials say Pontier looked, but did not see the Chevy. When he proceeded to turn north onto Highway 169, he struck the Impala on the passenger side.

Pontier was not injured in the collision, but Price complained of pain afterward and was transported to the hospital by private vehicle, to be checked-out. A passenger in her car, 17-year-old Terence Sheley, of Lenox, was injured and transported by EMS Air to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. The car sustained $5,000 damage. Damage to the semi was estimated at $2,500. While no citations were issued at the scene, authorities noted Pontier failed to yield the right of way to Price, when he pulled away from the stop sign.

Both drivers and the passenger were wearing their seat belts.

(Atkins, Iowa) – A head-on crash west of Cedar Rapids resulted in injuries to six people (including three juveniles), Saturday night. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened on Highway 30 just east of 32nd Avenue, west of Cedar Rapids, at around 8:30-p.m.  Officials say a 2017 Toyota Corolla was traveling east in the westbound inside lane of Highway 30, when it struck a 2010 Dodge Avenger traveling west in the westbound inside lane. A non-contact, third vehicle..a 2014 Ford Fiesta…was struck by and ran over debris from the initial collision.

The names and ages of the injured were not immediately released.  One of the injured was transported by EMS to a hospital in Cedar Rapids. Another was transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Health Center, in Iowa City. The report did not indicate if the remaining individuals were transported to a hospital or treated at the scene and released.

The accident remains under investigation. Benton County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.