(Radio Iowa) – Halloween is one of the deadliest nights of the year for pedestrians, according to a University of Iowa researcher who studies how to make roads, sidewalks and crossings safer. Elizabeth O’Neal, a U-I professor of community and behavioral health, says costumed kids get excited — and distracted — while trick-or-treating and that can be a dangerous combination when it comes to crossing a street.  “There are more pedestrians out on the roadways, crossing streets than usual,” O’Neal says. “Second, it’s dark, which makes pedestrians more difficult to see. Also, many of the costumes are dark, which makes children even more difficult to see, because we do know that more pedestrian deaths occur at nighttime.”

Parents can drill into a child how they need to look both ways before crossing the street, but they may have to repeatedly reinforce that mantra during trick-or-treat night. O’Neal says kids who are a little older might be in even greater danger. “They’re often trick-or-treating without parents at a time when being with their peers results in them wanting to engage in riskier behavior,” O’Neal says, “so that can pose an even greater risk to those older kids during trick-or-treating.”

Parents play a key role in helping to keep their kids safe, and a few cosmetic changes to a costume could make a tremendous difference in their visibility without destroying the spooky illusion. “If the costume doesn’t need to be black and dark, that’s always helpful,” O’Neal says. “Using glow sticks and bracelets to help illuminate pedestrians. And if children are going to be alone, just emphasizing there’s plenty of time to get to the next house, so take the time to make sure there aren’t any cars coming before crossing the street.”

O’Neal and the U-I team have done extensive research with dozens of Iowa City-area parents and kids in a virtual reality simulator, having them cross a computer-generated road with approaching cars. The findings reinforce the dangers of peer pressure. “When children are alone, they choose gaps that are appropriate for a single individual to cross through,” she says, “but when older children, say 12 years old, are crossing together, they don’t choose gaps that are large enough to accommodate both crossers.”

One recent U-I study found kids learn to be better and safer at crossing busy streets when they have hand-in-hand help from their parents.

(Ida County, Iowa) – A collision Wednesday evening north of Battle Creek in Ida County resulted in the death of an adult male and injuries to two juvenile females. The Iowa State Patrol reports a semi tractor-trailer was traveling north on Carriage Avenue at around 6-p.m., and slowing down to turn west onto 230th Street. A pickup driven by 29-year-old Joshua Fowler, of Holstein, was also northbound on Carriage Avenue.

The pickup struck a grain trailer being pulled by the semi, on the right rear side. Joshua Fowler was trapped in his pickup following the collision.  He died at the scene. One juvenile female in the pickup was flown to MercyOne in Sioux City by Wings AirCare. The other juvenile female was transported to Horn Memorial Hospital in Ida Grove. None of the occupants in the pickup truck were wearing their seat belts.

The driver of the semi, 74-year-old Donald Schultz, of Battle Creek, was transported to the hospital in Ida Grove for treatment of minor injuries. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Ida County Sheriff’s Office, Battle Creek Fire/Rescue and Ida Grove Ambulance.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the City of Atlantic’s Park Advisory Board, today (Wednesday) approved a request by Frank Saddlemire, on behalf of the Disc Golf Club, to plant 11 trees in the area around the course at Sunnyside Park, plus one very unique tree in an area of the park to be determined.

Saddlemire said last year the group spent $600 and planted several trees. This year, they purchased 12 trees from in a clearance aisle with about 100 trees at the TimberPine Nursery & Greenhouse near Earlham, for $1,000.

He provided the Board with a map where they would like to plant the trees, including in the southeast corner of the Camblin Addition, and an area around a culvert near the fairgrounds, to name a few locations. One of the trees the Disc Golf Club is donating to the park, is the Dawn Redwood, which has its origins in China.  That single tree was in the nursery’s clearance aisle, and it’s no small sapling.

One possible location is near the Camblin Shelter. Another is near Sunnyside Park Bandshell. The Dawn Redwood was thought to have been extinct for at least 20-million years, but according to the Save the Redwoods League, in 1944, a Chinese forester found an enormous dawn redwood shedding its leaves in the Sichuan province of China.

The 11 trees will be planted next Spring. Meanwhile, they will remain in the nursery’s care until then. In other business, Board Chair Kevin Ferguson said the Atlantic Junior Federate Club has all the money needed that’s been pledged, for a new sign at the entrance to the Bull Creek and the placard they would like to attach.  Ferguson said Junior Federated representative Jamie Joyce will submit a rendering of the placard for the Board to review.

Atlantic Parks Board 10-23-24

The Atlantic Parks Advisory Commission will hold a Special Meeting Oct. 30th at 3:30-p.m., to consider ideas for 2025, and discuss matters they spoke about during the Oct. 23rd meeting.

(Montezuma, Iowa) – A dump truck accident late this (Wednesday) morning in east central Iowa claimed the life of a man from Harrison County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a Peterbilt dump truck loaded with gravel was traveling westbound in the 1600 block of Highway 85 (east of Montezuma) at around 11:30-a.m., when the vehicle had a tire failure. The incident caused the driver of the truck, 52-year-old Christopher Phillip Hudnut, of Logan, to lose control.

The truck left the road on the south side and entered a ditch, causing Hudnut to be ejected. He was not wearing a seat belt. The man died at the scene. The Patrol was assisted in the investigation by the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – An Altoona man was sentenced on Friday, October 18, 2024, to 117 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography. The District Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa says according to public court documents, Eduardo Ibarra Mora, 34, a Mexican national, possessed 45 images and more than 60 videos containing child sexual abuse material on his phone and a social media account. After completing his term of imprisonment, Ibarra Mora will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Altoona Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

(Radio Iowa) – As drought conditions worsen across the state, one southwestern Iowa community is enacting tighter water conservation restraints. By unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Shenandoah City Council enacted what it calls Stage 4 water rationing. City water superintendent Tim Martin explains what those restrictions entail, including a ban on all non-commercial irrigation.

“No water shall be used for irrigation at all,” Martin says, “except for businesses engaged in selling or growing plants. No water shall be used from a hose to wash automobiles, except places of business where autos are washed every business day, either with attendants, automatic equipment or self service.” The Stage 4 rationing also prohibits water-consuming air conditioning equipment that uses five-percent of the water circulation.

“Some of the water-to-water heating and cooling equipment,” he says, “you just need to make sure there isn’t any excess water being lost from it.” Also prohibited in Shenandoah: outdoor cleaning of surfaces, including buildings, sidewalks, driveways or porches, and the nonessential cleaning of commercial or industrial equipment, machinery or interior space.

Martin says allowing the loss of water through defective plumbing or fixtures is prohibited, unless the customer can provide proof of a defect.  “If you know you have a problem with leaks somewhere on your property, and you’re just ignoring it, that could be a problem,” Martin says, “but if you’re getting it fixed in a timely matter, we would understand.” Stage 4 also bans the filling of swimming pools, something that won’t be a concern for several months.

Three-quarters of the state is in moderate to extreme drought. The latest U-S Drought Monitor map shows more than 97-percent of Iowa with at least abnormally dry conditions or some level of drought, and less than two-and-a-half percent in the normal range.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion says she supports efforts to ensure women have access to over-the-counter birth control, but she’s raising concerns about a Biden Administration proposal. It would require insurance companies to cover all over-the-counter contraception products, including the pill and condoms. “My biggest concerns with the president’s proposal are the overall costs to the health insurance markets and overall costs to consumers and taxpayers,” Hinson said during her weekly news conference, “but I think it’s really important that we continue to look at ways to get access to over-the-counter birth control for more women.”

Sarah Corkery, the Democrat who’s running against Hinson, said President Biden’s proposal is a “good first step” to expanding access to oral contraceptives. “Covering things that people have to pay for out of their pocket, to make it more accessible, is the right thing to do,” Corkery told Radio Iowa. “The issue I have is the ones that will be covered over the counter have the least amount of hormones in it because there’s no doctor involvement, so it’s still good, but the better is still the ones that you get by talking to a physician.”

Pills that have a combination of hormones are slightly more effective than the Opill, the only oral contraceptive the Food and Drug Administration has approved for sale at pharmacies without a prescription. Hinson said the approval process has been too slow. “My main goal is to make sure the FDA is approving these already approved pills for over-the-counter use and access at a pharmacy without a prescription as soon as possible,” Hinson told reporters.

Hinson has said women in rural areas need access to long-acting reversible contraception, too, and she’s sponsoring a bill to require the F-D-A to conduct a study on the topic. Corkery said a 2007 study funded by businessman Warren Buffett’s daughter found long term birth control devices are the most effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancies. “They gave IUDs to poor women and guess what? Abortions went down and unwanted pregnancies went down, so we know birth control is the answer,” Corkery said. “We just need to make sure people can afford it.”

Women without insurance are charged over a thousand dollars for the devices, some of which can prevent pregnancies for up to 10 years.

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 23, 2024 – Iowans will now have the option to securely add their Iowa driver’s license or ID to Apple Wallet on their iPhone and Apple Watch. Today, users can present their ID in Apple Wallet in person at select TSA checkpoints, including the Des Moines and Eastern Iowa Airports, businesses and venues, in addition to Apple Store locations across the U.S. Users are also able to present their IDs in Wallet in select apps as well.

Businesses and organizations are able to accept ID in Apple Wallet using iOS apps such as Tap2iD Mobile, VeriScan, and Mobile ID Verify, for in-person age verification. These apps leverage Apple’s ID Verifier API to securely and privately accept mobile driver’s licenses and ID cards — right on iPhone, no additional hardware is needed.

Adding an ID in Apple Wallet

Adding a license or state ID to Apple Wallet can be done in a few easy steps. Residents can tap the Add (+) button at the top of the screen in Wallet on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the onscreen instructions to start the setup and verification process.

Presenting an ID in a Secure, Private Way

Users can securely present their ID in Apple Wallet in person and in apps to show proof of age or identity. IDs in Apple Wallet use the privacy and security features that are built into Apple devices to help protect a user’s identity and personal information. When adding an ID to Apple Wallet, the Iowa Department of Transportation receives only the information it needs to approve or deny the request.

Once an ID is added to Apple Wallet, the information is encrypted on a user’s device, so others cannot access it unless a user chooses to present it. Apple and the Iowa DOT do not know when or to whom a user presents their driver’s license or state ID.

To present an ID in person

Users can go to Apple Wallet and select their ID. From there, they can hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near an identity reader, review the specific information being requested, and use Face ID or Touch ID to authenticate before the requested information is shared. Users do not need to show, or hand over their device to present their ID.

To present an ID in Apple Wallet in apps

Users can select the “Verify with Apple Wallet” or “Continue with Apple Wallet” button. From there, they can review the specific information being requested, and authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID before the requested information is shared.

Your Iowa driver’s license or state ID in Apple Wallet does not replace your physical license or identification card. Locations that accept mobile IDs are expected to expand over time.

The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in Iowa provides another option for residents to access their mobile ID, joining the lineup alongside the Iowa Mobile ID app and other wallet options.

For more information on ID in Apple Wallet, visit learn.wallet.apple/id. Sign up to get updates including new ways to access and businesses who accept Iowa Mobile ID.

(Radio Iowa) – The League of United Latin American Citizens is asking Iowa’s secretary of state for his list of over two-thousand people who’ve registered to vote, but will be required to cast provisional ballots. Secretary of State Paul Pate says his office has not confirmed if the people on that list may have become U-S citizens since the 2012 election. Joe Henry is Iowa political director for the League of United Latin American Citizens. “We need to connect with these people to make sure that they know their rights,” Henry says. “We will be reaching out to the county election offices to request the information on these people if we can’t get it from the secretary of state.”

Henry says many or all of these people Pate has flagged on Iowa voter registration lists may have been legal residents when they got an Iowa driver’s license, but have since then become U-S citizens in the past 12 years. “We know that 5% of Iowa, the population, is composed of immigrants, some of which are U.S. citizens who are looking forward to voting,” Henry says. “…This fear mongering…with now less than two weeks left before the election will cause a certain amount of chaos.” Henry says by forcing two-thousand-plus people to cast provisional ballots, their votes will not be counted unless they return to their county auditor’s office after the election with proof that they’re a citizen.  “This could have an impact on a lot of elections — congressional elections where as we know sometimes those elections are determined by less than a dozen votes and then statehouse races,” Henry says. “2000+ people matters.”

Pate’s announcement on Tuesday indicated he has referred the names of 154 people to Iowa’s attorney general for a citizenship check to see if they were not U-S citizens when they registered to vote over the past 12 years.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T held a public meeting Tuesday on plans to build a roundabout at a major intersection in Tama County. There are 61-hundred vehicles driving through the intersection of Highway 63 and Business Route 30 in Toledo every day. Josh Roberts told K-C-R-G T-V he works second shift and using the intersection daily. “When I leave, it’s pretty congested but when I come back, it’s pretty dead,” Roberts says Roberts’s biggest concern is how large farm equipment would be able to make it through the roundabout, and says he doesn’t think it will help.

Jim Kupka of Clutier told K-C-R-G T-V he drives through the intersection five times a week, sometimes hauling cattle.“I don’t see how we’re going to gain anything by putting your merry-go-round down there on Highway 30 and 63,” Kupka says.

Proposed roundabout in Tama County

D-O-T Assistant District 1 Engineer Jeremey Vortherms says the intersection isn’t considered unsafe. There have been 18 accidents in the last ten years. He said this two million dollar project is a way to get rid of outdated equipment while also making the intersection safer. “The roundabout kind of gives us the benefit of safety, continuous movement, it’s more flexible,” Vortherms says. Vortherms says the D-O-T plans to start the construction project next spring and complete it next fall.

Kupka doesn’t think it should be built. “I think it’s a waste of money and a waste of time,” Kupka says. The D-O-T said roundabouts make up about one out of every one thousand intersections in Iowa. Right now, the state said there are 150 roundabouts across Iowa, with ten to 15 new ones constructed each year.