A new study from the University of Iowa takes a closer look at the factors involved in emergency vehicle accidents. Professor Corinne Peek-Asa (Kor-rin Peek-A-suh) co-wrote the study and says they found police vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents when heading to a call. “For police vehicles, we did find that they have a higher crash risk when they are driving in lights and siren mode. But we didn’t find the same thing for ambulance and fire vehicles. Their crash risk wasn’t higher if they were in emergency mode,” Peek-Asa says.

She says the increased danger for accidents in police vehicles could be attributed to a couple of factors. “One big difference is that sometimes police are actually in pursuit, so they are not going to a scene,” Peek-Asa says. “But also, even their job at a scene is a little different. Police need to get there first and control the scene and make sure there’s no violence going on and that everyone at the scene is safe.” Peek-Asa says ambulances and fire trucks may be more recognizable to motorists as they speed to an emergency. “Most fire vehicles and ambulances, they look different than other cars. Whereas police vehicles have the lights and sirens, but are somewhat similar to the fleet of other vehicles on the road,” according to Peek-Asa.

She says he study shows how important it is for motorists to quickly recognize any type of emergency vehicle and get out of the way. “More often than not the vehicles that crashed with the emergency vehicle had contributing circumstances. More often than the emergency vehicle itself,” she says. Peek-Asa says emergency vehicle drivers have many distractions to deal with and motorists can help. “The most important thing is to –even if it is not in your lane -0- to pull over to the side so you are not a visual distraction to the emergency vehicle,” Peek-Asa says. “Even if it doesn’t seem like you are in the way, it is important for all vehicles on the road to pull over just so the emergency vehicle can see better and understand what movement is going on — they don’t have to worry about which direction you are going.”

There’s also some advice for those driving patrol cars. Peek-Asa says more accidents happen at intersections and in winter weather conditions. She says police should remember to stick with their intersection protocol, knowing that other motorists can often not be aware of what is happening. And she says police are often out helping people in on really bad snowy conditions, and this reinforces the need for police to be cautious in those conditions.

The study looked at crashes involving emergency vehicles in Iowa between 2005 and 2013.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will act on approving an Order for an Engineering Agreement with Snyder and Associates Engineers, for the Bull Creek Tunnel Relining Project. City Administrator John Lund says in 2016, the City issued a bond for $990,000 for “Storm Water Drainage Improvements,” with the debt to be paid from the Storm Water Utility, for a period of 20-years. That was in anticipation of major improvements to Bull Creek. The Army Corps of Engineers stepped-in however, and assumed domain. The Corps also demanded mitigation for the improvements, causing the costs to soar to more than $3.9-million. Lund says since then, the City has spent a considerable amount of money on other Bull Creek-related projects and engineering, leaving around $545,000 of the fund remaining.

One of the projects that remained, was relining of the old storm sewers throughout the downtown area of Atlantic. Lund says the City will be able to completely finish the relining project for an estimated $399,750 from the unused bond money. The remaining $146,000, he says, can either be applied to completing the more than $3.9-million enclosure and relief project, or for a capital improvement reserve for future storm water projects.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on re-appointing Steve Livengood to the Community Promotion Commission, for which he currently serves as Chair. His term expired last year, and Livengood wishes to continue to serve on the Commission. The Council will also set May 16th as the date for a Public Hearing to Amend the FY 2018 Budget. Lund says if the City overspends on any of the nine state-defined budget activities during a particular fiscal year, it is required to pass a budget amendment. It is a routine matter, according to Lund.

The Council will also recognize the Atlantic Police Reserve Unit, which recently was awarded with the Iowa State Reserve Law Officers Association’s Donald H. Mackman Outstanding Unit Award for the second year in a row. It’s also the seventh time Atlantic has won the award. The City’s Reserve Officers include: Bob McHugh; Jeff Hackwell; Jake Karns; Cole Lowary; Ryan Barnholdt; Jarrad Cavin, and Pastel Force. And, the Council will act on an Order to close designated streets on Saturday, May 19th, beginning at 3-p.m., for the Ba-da Ba-da Bing Bang Rally.

The Atlantic City Council meeting begins 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their Chambers at City Hall.

Warmer weather means more time outdoors and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans to protect themselves against tick bites. Ticks can carry the organisms that cause diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid wooded and grassy areas, where ticks are usually found. If you do spend time in these areas:

• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Walk in the center of trails.
• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
  Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes and mouth.
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents, with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family at https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-insect-repellent-right-you.
If you discover a tick on your body, remove it right away. Folk remedies, such as burning the tick with a match or covering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish, are not effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following instructions for removing a tick:

• Carefully grasp the tick by using tweezers to grip the tick by its mouthparts, which are close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body.
• Pull steadily directly away from your skin. Because removing the tick’s body is your main goal, don’t worry if its mouthparts break off in the process.
• Clean the wound and disinfect the site of the bite.

The most common tick-borne disease is Lyme disease. Preliminary 2017 case counts show 254 cases of Lyme disease were reported to IDPH last year, as well as 24 cases of ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis and 17 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – all increases over 2016. Not everyone who gets Lyme disease will have the same symptoms, but the best and earliest sign of infection is a rash that may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite. The rash will first look like a small, red bump, then expand until it begins to look like a bull’s eye, with a red center and a red ring surrounding a clear area. It is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop this type of rash or develop flu-like symptoms within a month of having a tick bite or being in an area where ticks are present.

For more information on Lyme disease, visit http://idph.iowa.gov/cade/disease-information/lyme-disease.

Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Tuesday) announced appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions. The following area appointees are not paid and are not subject to Senate confirmation:

Judicial Nomination Commission, District 4: Kathleen Kohorst, of Harlan, and David Wiederstein, of Atlantic.

Judicial Nomination Commission, District 5A: Marlys Popma, of Kellogg.

Juvenile Justice Advisory Council: Olivia Tidwell, of Sioux City.

Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC): Shawn Shouse, of Atlantic.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 40-year old Kevin Lee Hillgren Jr., of Thayer, was arrested at around 1:30-p.m. Monday at the Clarke County line, on a Union County warrant for assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. Hillgren was later released from the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond. And a man in Lorimor reported to the Sheriff’s Office that sometime during the day on April 3rd, someone broke off the passenger side outside mirror and damaged the windshield of his Suburban. They also broke out a window on his house in Lorimor. There was no immediate dollar estimate of damage available.

The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions. The Creighton Economic Forecasting Group uses the same methodology as the national survey to consult supply managers and business leaders. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss oversees the report. The overall index ranges between 0 and 100. Growth neutral is 50, and a figure greater than 50 indicates growth in that factor over the next three to six months.

Iowa’s overall index dipped to 63.9 in April, compared with 64.7 in March. Index components were new orders at 69.7, production or sales at 76.8, delivery lead time at 62.4, employment at 47.0 and inventories at 63.4. “Over the past 12 months, the Iowa economy has increased nonfarm jobs by 0.7 percent (below regional average), durable-goods manufacturing jobs by 6.6 percent (above regional average) and nondurable-goods manufacturing jobs by 1.5 percent (above regional average),” he said.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has amended his annual personal financial disclosure to list four private companies that were left off his initial filing. The Associated Press reported last month that a company Pate formed before the 2016 election had recently spent about $2 million purchasing a strip mall and developing a Cedar Rapids rental storage business. Yet he didn’t name the company, PRG Group LLC, when asked to list each business in which he was engaged during 2017.

Pate’s amended filing submitted Monday names the PRG Group and three other companies that hadn’t been mentioned on his April 11 disclosure. In a statement, Pate said he doesn’t believe he was required to list all of his business ventures on the form but was doing so because “transparency is a necessary component of good government.” He had previously attacked AP’s report on his undisclosed businesses as “fake news.”

Officials with the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association (ICA) and Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC), have announced the winner of the “2018 Best Burger” contest. The winner is Café Beaudelaire, in Ames. Brooke German, Director of Marketing for IBIC said today (Tuesday) “We are excited to kick off May Beef Month by awarding Café Beaudelaire with the title of the Best Burger in Iowa. The Brazilian-inspired restaurant serves a hand-pattied burger, and the judges noted that the taste and quality of the burger is outstanding and worth a drive to have it again. ”

Café B, as it is called by locals in the area, is owned by Brazilian-born Claudio Gianello and his wife, Kellie, from Carroll. The restaurant is located in the heart of Iowa State University’s campus-town and serves food with a Latin flavor to Ames’ temporary student population and permanent residents. The restaurant has been in business for 28 years, and over that time, Gianello has tried several different renditions of his now-famous burger. He settled on a simple combination of salt, pepper and oregano on a hand-made patty of Certified Angus Beef. Together with a toasted bun and a variety of toppings, the result is nothing short of amazing.

The designation as Iowa’s Best Burger comes after a two-phase competition. The first phase is all based on votes from the public. For a month, burger lovers went online and voted for their favorite Iowa burger, submitting nearly 10,000 votes representing around 700 restaurants. At the end of the month, the ten restaurants with the most votes are declared the “Top 10.” From there, anonymous judges visited each of the restaurants, focusing on the burger patties and scoring them based on taste, doneness and presentation.

Café B joins previous winners including The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake, which took home the title last year. Winners in previous years are: 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say Deputies were dispatched to the 14 mile marker of I-80 late Monday evening, for a report of an assault. Upon completion of the investigation 55-year old Scott Brian Badour, of Huron, SD, was arrested for Serious Assault and Harassment in the 1st Degree. His victim was a 56-year old man driving a Trailways bus. Badour was being held in the Pott. County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, a traffic stop Monday afternoon in Pottawattamie County, resulted in the driver of the vehicle being taken into custody for Driving While Barred. 43-year old Kathleen Marie Gearhart, of Carson, was arrested at around 3-p.m. near Highway 92 and Virginia Hills Road. Gearhart was transported to the Pott. County Jail.

The Adair County Auditor’s Office reports Absentee Ballots for the June 5th Primary Election, will be available Monday, May 7th.  Absentee Voting deadlines for the June 5th Primary Election are as follows:

May 25th – Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail, to allow timely delivery and return. Request must be received by 5:00 p.m. The Auditor’s Office will be opened from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

June 4th – Last day to vote absentee in person at the Auditor’s Office; All absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked no later than June 4th.

Absentee voters have until 5:00 p.m. to fix incomplete affidavit envelopes.

June 5th – Last day to return absentee ballots to the Auditor’s office before the polls close at 9:00 p.m.