(Radio Iowa) — A western Iowa conservation group started a four-day bike ride yesterday (Thursday), to raise awareness of the Loess Hills region. The Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development group’s Lance Brisbois says it’s important to show off the area. “The more people we have come visit and realize what we have, the more they’ll want to protect it. One of the projects that Golden Hills coordinates is the Loess Hills scenic byway and most people probably have no idea that we have a national byway in Iowa,” Brisbois says.

The tour is billed as a parks and peaks bicycle tour. It follows the Missouri River Valley from Lewis and Clark State Park in Monona County to Waubonsie State Park in southwest Iowa. The Loess Hills’ bluffs and ridges were formed by wind-deposited silt. It’s a landform unique to western Iowa and China and home to over half of Iowa’s remaining tallgrass prairie.  “A lot of people in Iowa don’t even realize they exist or don’t understand what they are, so we really want people to come and visit and explore and see what we have,” he says.

Participants will pedal a little more than 150 miles during the ride.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Thursday, arrested a Clarinda man on a valid Adams County warrant. 62-year old David Wayne Robinette was arrested for Probation Violation. He was transported to the Page County Jail for holding without Bond, and later transferred to the Adams County Jail.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The state of Maine is considering new physical fitness requirements for school bus drivers. Officials are considering the new standards along with other new safety requirements, including seat belts on all large school buses and clearer standards for annual driver physicals. The push for new standards is inspired by a December 2017 crash in Oakland, Iowa, that killed a 74-year-old driver and a 16-year-old student. An investigation found a lack of physical fitness testing contributed to the crash.

The Portland Press Herald reports Maine is among 44 states that don’t require physical performance tests for drivers. The National Transportation Safety Board has urged the states to do so in the wake of the Iowa crash.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County report a Des Moines woman, 21-year old Natalie Denee Eslinger, was arrested Thursday evening on two Union County warrants for violation of probation. Eslinger was picked up at the Polk County Jail and transported to the Adams County Jail, where she was being held for Union County without bond, until seen by a Judge.

Harrison County Fair Board has announced the offer of a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the recent break-ins of the new concession stand and grandstand. Anyone with any information is asked to please contact a local Fair Board member or the Missouri Valley Police Department. The new concession stand has been broken into three times, and the grandstand storage area was just recently broke into.

Items were taken from the Concessions stand include boxes of candy bars, for the recent Figure 8 races. The Fair Board says damage to their concession stand and grandstand will be costly. Sets of trophies have been destroyed beyond repair, and lights have been broken.

The Harrison County Fair Board says they work very hard to bring Fun Family Entertainment to the community. The new Concession stand was made possible by local grants and, as mentioned, someone has damaged it three different times. If you know of anyone who has come across boxes of candy bars they might know something about the break ins. Please say something!!! Officials say “These people need to be stopped as they are continuing to damage our property. With high deductibles for insurance these damages become expensive for the board and take away from what we are trying to accomplish.”

All money made from fairground events are put into the Harrison County Fair and Fair grounds for improvements. The Fair Board implores you to “Please help us stop these people” [who are causing the damage and thefts].

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report 21-year old Damion Madsen was transported Thursday from the Shelby County Jail in Harlan, to the Pott. County Jail in Council Bluffs. Madsen was wanted on a valid Pott. County warrant for Burglary in the 3rd degree: non-vehicle; Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree (damage or destruction of property valued at more than $750 but less than $1,500), and Theft in the 2nd degree (Value $1,500-$10,000).

And, 21-year old Austin Kane White, of Council Bluffs, who has been in the Pott. County Jail since August 24th, was presented with a warrant Thursday, for 1st Degree Robbery, and Theft in the 1st Degree. He was then returned to his cell.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Attorney General Letitia James says a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general is investigating Facebook for alleged antitrust issues.
The Democrat said Friday the probe will look into whether Facebook’s actions endangered consumer data, reduced the quality of consumers’ choices or increased the price of advertising.
Facebook had no immediate comment.

The Wall Street Journal, citing sources it did not identify, reported that a coalition of attorneys general will announce a separate investigation of Google next week. James said the coalition she is leading includes the attorneys general of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and the District of Columbia.

The U.S. Justice Department announced in July that it was opening a sweeping antitrust investigation of Big Tech, though it did not name any specific companies. It said it was investigating whether online platforms have hurt competition, suppressed innovation or otherwise harmed consumers.

The House Judiciary Committee is also conducting an antitrust probe into Facebook, Amazon and Apple.

No injuries were reported, but a Creston woman was cited, following a collision at around 2:40-p.m. Thursday, at the intersection of W. Montgomery and N. Elm Streets, in Creston. Authorities say a Ford F-150 pickup driven by 35-year old Susan Lin Heslop, of Creston, stopped at the intersection headed south on N. Elm, but then proceeded to move ahead. In doing so, she failed to yield to a westbound 2016 Toyota Corolla, driven by 77-year old Judith Ann Weese, of Creston. Weese had also stopped at the intersection, and had the right-of-way.

Heslop’s pickup struck the Toyota on the passenger side, causing substantial damage. Heslop admitted the accident was her fault, saying she didn’t see Weese’ vehicle. Heslop was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign and Failure to yield to the right. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,500.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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