SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man has been sentenced in a second county for an insurance scheme. Clay County District Court records say 41-year-old Scott Leininger pleaded guilty last week to theft. He was given a suspended prison sentence of five years and placed on probation for five years.

He’d already been sentenced to two years of probation for forgery in Plymouth County. Authorities say Leininger fabricated repair quotes and invoices for more than $57,000 in insurance claims for power surge damage to a motorized wheelchair and other devices. He said the damage was caused by lightning.

The Creston Police Department reports four arrests took place over the past few days. At around 3:25-a.m. Sunday, Dennis Speed, of Des Moines, was arrested at Sumner and Ringgold Streets, on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. Speed was later released on $300 bond. Saturday evening, 54-year old Carmen Borha, of Creston, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. Borha was cited and released on a Promise to Appear in court.

Saturday afternoon, 34-year old Boone Hayes, of Creston, was arrested at his home on a Madison County warrant for Failure to Appear on original charges of Burglary in the 1st Degree, and Domestic Assault. Hayes was transferred to the custody of Madison County Deputies. And, Friday evening, 62-year old Gregory Kaufman, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for OWI/2nd offense. He was later released on a $2,000 bond.

DEWITT, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a pickup truck driver died after colliding with a firetruck in eastern Iowa’s Clinton County. The collision occurred around 9:45 a.m. Sunday at a rural intersection just north of Allens Grove Park. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office says the Donahue Volunteer Fire Department firetruck was heading north on a non-emergency test drive when the driver began turning around to head south back to the station. Its right rear dual wheels were then struck by the southbound pickup.

The sheriff’s office says the man driving the pickup died later at a hospital in DeWitt. His passenger was injured. Their names haven’t been released. The collision is being investigated.

(Radio Iowa) — We’re now a week into what are considered the 100 deadliest days to be on the roads, in Iowa and nationwide. Rose White, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is when the number of deadly crashes involving teen drivers historically rise. “That’s because teens are out of school, have more free time and they drive more,” White says. “Nearly 3,500 people have been killed in crashes involving teen drivers during the 100 deadliest days for the five-year period running 2013 through 2017.”

Studies continue to find that teens are a vulnerable driver group, White says, with a higher probability of being involved in crashes. “A review of Iowa crash fatalities shows that for the 10-year period from 2009 to 2018, there were 447 people killed in crashes on Iowa roadways in which at least one of the drivers was a teen, aged 14 through 19,” White says.

While there’s much discussion about the dangers of distracted driving, the latest research finds distracted driving is the third-leading cause of deadly crashes involving teen drivers. The top two are speeding and alcohol. “Half of the teen drivers reported speeding on residential streets in the past 30 days and nearly 40% said they sped on freeways,” White says. “Despite the fact teens cannot legally consume alcohol, one in 16 teen drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for alcohol.”

While teens may make mistakes when learning to drive, White says it’s important to continue educating them about safety so they can avoid reckless behaviors that put themselves and others at risk on the road.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic White House hopeful Cory Booker is rolling out his Iowa steering committee, a team of activists and operatives that features party powerbroker Jerry Crawford, who played a key role in each of Bill and Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns in the state. Crawford, a Des Moines-area attorney who also played leading roles on Al Gore and John Kerry’s campaigns, said he’s been courted by multiple campaigns but told The Associated Press in an interview he’s backing Booker because of the New Jersey U.S. senator’s positive message.

Crawford is among 10 Iowa activists, operatives and elected officials who plan to provide strategic advice and operational support to Booker’s campaign as part of his Iowa steering committee, being rolled out Monday. The group includes four other previously unannounced endorsers: former Iowa state House minority leader Rep. Mark Smith and city councilmembers Dale Todd, of Cedar Rapids, and Mazahir Salih and Bruce Teague, both of Iowa City. Booker’s campaign said it hopes all three will help organize African American support for him in their respective cities.

The other five steering committee members are state Reps. Amy Nielsen and Jennifer Konfrst; Iowa Democratic Party central committee members Landra Jo Reece and Melinda Jones; and former American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees political director Marcia Nichols, all of whom previously expressed their support for Booker. With at least 50 staffers on the ground, Booker’s Iowa team is widely seen inside the state as one of the strongest and most seasoned, behind only Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s in numbers. But thus far, Booker’s staffing strength hasn’t translated to support in the polls: Booker still draws only low single-digit support in nationwide and state surveys.

Booker’s staff and advisers dismiss the polls as too early to be predictive and argue that the senator is running more of a slow burn-style campaign that will ensure he has the operation in place to harness any momentum in the fall if he does catch fire — and enough resources to sustain it through the caucuses and beyond.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says a May survey of business supply managers suggests economic growth will slow over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states.
The report issued Monday says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 54.3 last month from 55.9 in April. The figure was 58.2 in March. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says tariffs and flooding have harmed several states.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

(Radio Iowa) — The city of Cedar Rapids turned its traffic cameras back along with a switch in the calendar to June. City public safety spokesman, Greg Beulow says drivers will get a grace period to adjust. “During the month of June the police department will only issue warnings to individuals, ” Beulow says. “We want to make it very clear that the traffic cameras are back on. They’re activate at locations on Interstate 380 at the dangerous S-curve. And they are also located at five other dangerous locations throughout the city of Cedar Rapids.”

Beulow ways there are signs up that indicate the speed cameras are coming up and their locations are all listed on the city website.”There’s nothing to hide, we want people to be aware that they are activated and that warnings are going to be issued. The main goal is to reduce speed so that people obey the speed limit,” Beulow says. “The number of crashes and the number of serious crashes that involve injuries has decreased. The other big one is the number of fatalities,” according to Beulow.”We’ve only had one fatal crash while the cameras have been operating — as opposed to seven before the cameras were operating.”

Beulow says there were a lot of comments when the information about the cameras being turned back on went up on social media. “We hear it really from both sides. Some really support it — they think that when the cameras are on the motoring public is safer. The statistics that we have support that. There are some that don’t agree with the cameras at all,” he says.

He says some people believe they should be able to talk to the officer in person when they get a ticket. Others says it is a big money grab as the cameras bring in millions of dollars for the city. Beulow says they have addressed the money concern. He says any money generated from the cameras will go toward hiring ten police officers and an administrative person to manage the automated traffic system and the municipal infraction process.

The cameras were turned off during a court challenge against them. The city won that court battle and decided to turn the cameras back on.