There were 581 Iowans convicted of passing a stopped school bus last year. Iowa Department of Transportation director Mark Lowe says the best way to avoid a ticket — or a crash — is to obey the speed limit and keep your eyes on the road. “One of the most common comments that I hear from people is that: ‘I didn’t see the school bus. I just didn’t see it in time,’ or ‘I couldn’t stop in time,'” Lowe says. “And I think it brings us to a really important point of school bus safety, which is it’s really important for all of us to know and understand the safe and legal way to interact with a school bus and kids around a school bus, but we can’t do that if we don’t see the school bus in the first place.”

Lowe says there have been “at least two incidents in the past two years” in which drivers have been killed when their vehicle smashed into the back of an Iowa school bus. Acting Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg says the 10-foot perimeter around a school bus is sometimes called the “danger zone.”

“The danger zone makes it hard to see children trying to get on or off the bus or cross a highway,” Gregg says. “Add that in with drivers’ hectic schedules, the lack of a morning coffee, the distraction of a phone buzzing, the stress of a busy day or even the morning or afternoon sun and it’s a potential recipe for disaster.”

Drivers are to stop when the yellow lights on a school bus are flashing, unless the bus is on a road that’s four-lanes wide. In that instance, vehicles on a four-lane road that are BEHIND the bus must stop. According to the D-O-T, there have been “at least two incidents in the past two years” in which drivers have been killed when their vehicle smashed into the back of an Iowa school bus.

Five years ago, the penalties for passing a stopped school bus were raised and first-time offenders lose their driver’s license for 30 days. “Kadyn’s Law” was named after seven-year-old Kadyn Halvorson of Northwood. She was struck and killed by a pick-up while she was crossing the road to board her school bus.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors has taken quick action to repair crumbling columns at the county courthouse. The Sioux City Journal reports that the board approved an emergency resolution Tuesday that lets the county skip the process of formal bids. The estimated repair cost: $50,000.

It’s at least the third time in 18 months that emergency repairs have been ordered for the aging structure. Next year will be the building’s 100th year of public service.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest at around 8:10-p.m. Tuesday, of 55-year old Danny Meyers Moody, of Villisca. Moody was taken into custody in the 2300 block of Eastern Avenue, for Disorderly Conduct. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest late Tuesday night, of 35-year old Bradley Olsen, of Leon. Olsen was taken into custody following a traffic stop at around 11:53-p.m. at the intersection of Redwood and 130th. He was pulled over for a burned out or defective license plate light. A records check indicated Olsen was Driving Under Suspension. Additional charges were pending. Olsen was taken to the Adams County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she will announce in September whether she’ll need to call a special session to address a budget shortfall. The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday she is still reviewing financial information for the budget year that ended in June. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency said this summer that Iowa’s roughly $7.2 billion budget was facing a revenue shortfall of about $100 million. The agency warned the figure could fluctuate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says the state agency that advocates for the elderly and disabled will review its budget in an effort to avoid some cuts to staff visits at facilities like nursing homes, but she didn’t offer specifics. The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday her office is communicating with the office of the Iowa Long-Term Care Ombudsman to review options. The ombudsman’s office says reductions to its budget would limit staff travel to facilities like nursing homes.

VERSAILLES, Mo. (AP) — The father of a 20-year-old man who drowned in a Missouri lake while he was handcuffed will be able to attend the sentencing of a highway patrol trooper involved in the case. Craig Ellingson, the father of Brandon Ellingson, of Clive, Iowa, was concerned last week that a judge’s schedule would prevent him from speaking at the sentencing for Trooper Anthony Piercy. The hearing has been rescheduled for Sept. 19, which will allow Ellingson to attend.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been found guilty of a lesser charge in the 2015 shooting death of a Waterloo resident. Prosecutors had charged 39-year-old Steve Fordyce, of Denver, Iowa, with first-degree murder for the August 2015 death of 43-year-old Donald Harrington. The Courier reports that a bench trial was held earlier this month, and on Tuesday, District Judge David Odekirk in Black Hawk County found Fordyce guilty of voluntary manslaughter.

VERSAILLES, Mo. (AP) — The father of a 20-year-old man who drowned in a Missouri lake while he was handcuffed will be able to attend the sentencing of a highway patrol trooper involved in the case.

Craig Ellingson, the father of Brandon Ellingson, of Clive, Iowa, was concerned last week that a judge’s schedule would prevent him from speaking at the sentencing for Trooper Anthony Piercy. The Kansas City Star reports a judge rescheduled the hearing for Sept. 19 in Versailles, Missouri, which will allow Ellingson to attend.

Piercy avoided an involuntary manslaughter trial by pleading guilty in June to the misdemeanor boating violation. In May 2014, Piercy pulled Brandon Ellingson over on the Lake of the Ozarks. Ellingson drowned after he was thrown from the boat while wearing an improperly secured life vest.

In an update to an earlier post: Officials with the AHST-W School District posted this evening on their social media site, that a District School Bus was involved in a collision with a car southeast of Walnut at Highway 83 and 570th Street. Seven students were on board the bus. Two were transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure. Two people in the car were also transported to the hospital.

Walnut Rescue, Medivac and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. No other information was immediately available. (All photos submitted to KJAN)

Details are sketchy, but reports in to KJAN this evening indicated an accident took place this afternoon between a car and and AHSTW School District bus. The accident happened on Highway 83, near (southeast of ) Walnut. Walnut Rescue, Medivac and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office were on the were on the scene.

No other information was immediately available. (All photos submitted to KJAN)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says the state agency that advocates for the elderly and disabled will review its budget in an effort to avoid some cuts to staff visits at facilities like nursing homes, but she didn’t offer specifics. The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday her office is communicating with the office of the Iowa Long-Term Care Ombudsman to review options.

The ombudsman’s office announced recently that reductions to its state-appropriated budget, which is just above $1 million, would limit staff travel to facilities like nursing homes. The travel is aimed at monitoring conditions.

Reynolds says a large portion of the office’s budget is salaries and administrative costs, so officials may try to use resources differently. She declined to clarify if that could lead to layoffs at the ombudsman’s office.