The Iowa Department of Transportation is considering seeking out sponsors for the Highway Helper trucks which operate on the interstates in the Des Moines, Council Bluffs and Iowa City/Cedar Rapids area. The D-O-T’s Scott Marler says half of the 40 states which have the program do some sort of sponsorship for the trucks.”Typically with a sponsorship of a program like this, the third-party sponsor will typically put a logo at a space on the side of the vehicle,” Marler says. “And in exchange they provide safety wrapping for the vehicle and they also provide some revenue back to the department for the opportunity to put those logos on the side of those trucks.” The program has come under some fire for its cost — which Marler says it around one million dollars for each of the three areas where they operate. The D-O-T hires an outside company to provide the service and he says the sponsorships would help offset those costs. He says they would include the third-party sponsorship as part of their request for proposal when they bid out the service when the current contract expires in 2018.

Marler says from what they’ve seen in other states, the sponsorship would cover a small portion of the cost of operation. “It varies a lot depending on the specifics of your state and the traffic volumes and things like that,” according to Marler. “We’re thinking that it’s in the range of 10 to 12 percent of the of the cost of program, would be kind of a reasonable expectation.” Marler says companies which are interested in promoting safe driving — such as insurance companies — are some of the potential sponsors. Marler says they provided more than 17-thousand services to people in the three operating areas in 2016. He says they hand survey cards to the motorists who were helped, and they have had a 94-percent excellence rating. “You can imagine when you are on the side of a busy interstate and if it’s your son or daughter or parent or grandparent and they have a flat tire or a problem — and there is a service there that can help them safely and quickly get out of harm’s way and get back on their way — that has been tremendously effective,” according to Marler. “Really in keeping traffic flowing and in keeping both our traveling public and those who might have challenges on the side of the road — to keep everyone safe.”

Marler says they haven’t made a final decision on the sponsorships. He says they are evaluating the idea now and trying to determine if they want to move ahead with a sponsorship program and should have a decision by early in 2018. The Highway Helper trucks run in the three areas from five a-m until eight p-m Monday through Friday. Marler says they also run during some holidays when there is going to be heavy traffic on the roadways.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say law enforcement officers descended on the Des Moines International Airport for what turned out to be a false alarm about a shooting. The officers headed to the airport around 8 p.m. Sunday. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the call that spurred the quick response was made by a woman with mental health issues. Police say she reported shots being fired at a van.

The officers found no evidence of a shooting. The woman was taken to a hospital.

Authorities in northern Iowa’s Grundy County are investigating a fatal fire.  Crews were dispatched to extinguish a garage fire at a residence in Reinbeck around 11 a.m. on Sunday. Sheriff’s officials say after firefighters arrived and put out the blaze, a body was found inside the garage. According to authorities, the identity of the victim and the cause of death are pending an autopsy. The State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to help local investigation determine the cause of the fire.

(Radio Iowa)

Adams County Sheriff’s officials report an arrest was made following a traffic stop early this (Monday) morning for speeding and expired registration. The stop took place near the Adams/Taylor County line, at around 12:17-a.m. Authorities say upon further investigation, the driver of the vehicle, Justin Levi Brown, of Clearfield, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension with 19 withdrawals in effect, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Adams County Deputies assisted by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, located a meth pipe and a marijuana pipe during their search.

A seventh grader from Iowa could wind up on the field at next year’s Super Bowl. Olivia Eckerman, a student at Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School, is heavily involved in the N-F-L’s “Fuel Up to Play 60” program and she’s one of three finalists for the honor of running onto the field before kickoff with the game ball. “They had narrowed it down to 30, then eight and now three and now it goes to a public vote.”

That’s Olivia’s mother. Sue Eckerman says her daughter has always been active and two years ago Olivia joined the “Fuel Up to Play 60″ program at her school.”It’s a very strong group at the Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School and they form committees and they make plans on how to offer taste tests to the student body, like various types of apples or zuccini brownies, black bean brownies. They have them taste different foods with healthy options in them and that’s really fun,” Sue Eckerman says. “They take field trips to dairy farms and a berry farm. They had a marathon kids club.”

The N-F-L’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program encourages healthy eating and at least 60 minutes of activity per day. Eckerman says going to the Super Bowl would be a dream come true for her daughter. “She earned points from doing various things and she filled out an essay process and then got chosen to go to the national summit for ‘Fuel Up to Play 60’ two years in a row,” her mom says. “And this year she is the ‘Fuel Up to Play 60’ state ambassador.”

For Eckerman to get to the Super Bowl field, though, she needs to finish first in a round of online voting. Go to https://superkid.nflrush.com/ where you may vote once per day through December 5th. If Eckerman wins, she’ll get to Minneapolis a week early to participate in a number of activities before the Super Bowl kicks off on February 4th.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:42 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Work on a huge Des Moines housing development is forcing homeless people out of longtime camps in a woody area and into more visible spots in the city’s downtown. The Des Moines Register reports that Hubbell Realty Co. has begun clearing 75 acres in the city to make room for Gray’s Station, a development that will have more than 1,100 housing units, retails shops and offices. A city official says she’s received complaints about campsites and homeless individuals loitering near businesses.

DAKOTA DUNES, S.D. (AP) — A South Dakota meat producer has received 700 applications for aid from former workers. The Dakota Dunes-based company in September set up a $10 million fund for employees who lost jobs when the company closed three plants in 2012 over reports of a beef product critics dubbed “pink slime.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials say a surge in construction projects and an increase in miles driven by motorists have led to a high number of people dying in road construction work zone crashes this year. The Des Moines Register reports that 10 people have died in work zone crashes this year, compared to 13 deaths last year. Department officials say speeding and distracted driving are contributing factors.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An internal review shows that several Republican staff members in the Iowa Senate are unlikely to report sexual harassment or workplace misconduct because of fear of retaliation. A brief report was released Friday summarizing the in-house investigation that started this summer. The three-page report says senators made “sexually suggestive comments” or discussed “sexual preferences” on the chamber floor in recent years, though no details about the comments or who made them were included.

(Corrects name to LINDERMAN instead of Lindaman) A man from Union County was involved involved in three separate crashes early Sunday morning. Police in Creston say at around 6-a.m., 28-year old Tyler Michael Linderman, of Creston, was backing a 2001 Dodge Dakota pickup out of his driveway at 1710 160th Street, when the pickup crossed the street and struck a 2005 BMW car in a driveway across the street. The owner of the BMW heard the crash and went outside to see Linderman still in his pickup, trying to leave the scene. The vehicles were struck together, so Linderman left his vehicle and began walking south across the road to his residence. Damage from the incident amounted to $12,000.

About one-half hour later, Linderman was driving a 1996 Ford Econoline truck was traveling west at a high rate of speed on Townline Road., when the vehicle left the road to the west and crashed through two fences on the corner lot. The vehicle ramped-up the median created for the railroad tracks, went airborne, and landed hard into the Bunn O’Matic parking lot, leaving excessive debris. The vehicle was totaled in the crash. The total amount of damage from the incident was $16,250.

Linderman then apparently acquired a 2011 Toyota Sienna mini-van. That vehicle was traveling west on Highway 34 at around 6:40-a.m. near the 74 mile marker, when it twice rear-ended a westbound 2005 Hyundai Elantra that was also headed westbound on 34. The Hyundai came to rest in the eastbound lane of travel, while the Toyota continued westbound into the south ditch before coming back across the roadway and coming to rest in the north ditch.

Linderman was not wearing a seat belt. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown by LifeNet helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured. He was identified as 18-year old Luke Stousgard, of Clearfield. The van was said to have been reported stolen. (This report was a compilation of three separate reports: Creston Police, Union County Sheriff’s Office and the IA State Patrol)

A Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy was injured during an incident Sunday afternoon, in Casey. According to the Sheriff’s report, at around 1:30-p.m., a Guthrie County Deputy attempted to detain Michael Cole Joint, of Murray, in the Kum and Go parking lot in Casey.

When Joint resisted arrest and allegedly assaulted the deputy, a bystander stepped in and assisted the deputy with controlling the man. The Dallas and Adair County Sheriffs’ Offices responded along with the Iowa State Patrol to assist in the matter.
Michael Joint was transported to the Guthrie Count Sheriff’s Office and booked in on charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense, Driving Under Suspension, Harassment 3rd Degree, Assault on a Peace Officer and Interference with Official Acts W/Injury to the Peace Officer. It’s not clear what the severity of injuries to the deputy were.

Joint was being held at the Guthrie County Jail pending an appearance before the Guthrie County magistrate on a $5,000 bond. The sheriff’s office says it greatly appreciates the assistance of the responding agencies along with the bystander who stepped in to assist the deputy in bringing the situation to a peaceful ending.
Additional charges are possible in the matter.