Governor Terry Branstad says he’s not worried about the Department of Transportation’s decision to close driver’s license stations in Carroll and Spencer on August 31st after the department didn’t get the total increase in funding it requested. Branstad says the Carroll County Treasurer plans to open a driver’s license renewal station in his office. “Because of the timing of it, I want to talk to the D-O-T about extending the time before they close it so Carroll County can be ready,” Branstad says.

He says the Carroll and Spencer D-O-T offices had the least amount of traffic. “And my guess is that when it is all said and done the public in these counties — Carroll County and Clay County — will feel like the public does in the other counties. They really appreciate having the quality of services that can be provided in these rural counties by county treasurer’s office where they are not that busy,” Branstad says.

The Republican governor also talked about the D-O-T plans to close seven maintenance garages in Akron, Centerville, Corning, Gowrie, Rock Valley, Sabula and Soldier. D-O-T leaders say the cutbacks may lead to some roads not getting plowed, but Branstad doesn’t buy that. “They’ve been in the process of consolidating that over time, and in so doing — and I’ve seen the math — they are going to be able to plow the roads and I don’t think it really is going to make a big difference in terms of that area,” Branstad says. “We are always looking for ways that we can more efficiently deliver the services and have more of the money going for building roads and bridges rather than for administrative costs.”

On another topic, Branstad was asked about the prospect of the three state universities expanding the sale of alcohol at athletic events. “I think they’ve got to be really careful. This is a Board of Regents decision, but there is a lot of drinking that goes on before the games with all the tailgating and all that. And binge drinking is a problem on college campuses,” Branstad says. “So, I think they need to look at the whole picture in terms of deciding whether if this is the thing they need to do, not just in terms of the money that they will bring in.”

When it comes to athletic funding Branstad says he doesn’t have an opinion on whether the athletic departments should give some funds to the university for academic programs. “I think that’s a university decision and if the athletic department wants to support the academic programs and the other part of the university. What did they used to say at Oklahoma? They wanted to have a university that the football team could be proud of,” Branstad said, then laughed.

Branstad made his comments during his weekly meeting with reporters.

(Radio Iowa)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — General Mills is expanding a flour recall issued over a possible link to an E. coli outbreak after four new illnesses were reported. The recall announced Monday covers several varieties of Gold Medal and Signature Kitchens flour produced on certain dates through February 10th.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said flour produced at a General Mills plant in Kansas City, Missouri, is a likely source of the outbreak, which so far has sickened 46 people in 21 states. The CDC says 13 have been hospitalized, and one person has developed a type of kidney failure. No deaths have been reported.

General Mills says the illnesses have been connected with consumers who ate or handled uncooked dough or ate uncooked batter made with raw flour.

A seminar is scheduled for this morning (Tuesday) in central Iowa on how to respond to an active shooter in the workplace. Scott Smith, with the Iowa Municipalities Workers’ Compensation Association, will speak at the Glen Oaks Country Club in West Des Moines. “It’s something people see on the news, they have questions, but they don’t necessarily want to bring it up and talk about it with co-workers. You know, it’s disturbing. It’s a difficult subject,” Smith says.

Law enforcement tactics have changed and they are now trained to confront active shooters, so Smith says people need to do all they can separate themselves from the shooter. “You can buy yourself time if you can get out of the building, if you can barricade yourself in a secure room. You’re buying yourself time until law enforcement gets there,” Smith says.

The seminar, scheduled for 9-11 a.m., is being presented by Des Moines insurance agency Holmes Murphy & Associates. (More info. at: http://www.holmesmurphy.com/event/aiming-safety-preparing-active-shooter-workplace/

(Radio Iowa)

A record number of bicyclists have died in accidents in Iowa this year, and that has caught the attention of Governor Terry Branstad. Branstad says it is part of a larger problem on the roadways. “Distracted drivers, drowsy drivers, people under the influence of controlled substances, and we’ve seen not only an increase in the deaths of cyclists, motorcyclists, but also motorists. And I do want to see us address those issues,” Branstad says. Nine bicyclists have died in the state this year.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Roxann Ryan has put together a group that is working on the issue. “I think cyclists are an important piece of that. When we talk about fatalities in general it’s the distracted driving, the drugged driving, the drunk driving and the drowsy driving that seems to be the problem,” Ryan says. “For cyclists they are always at the disadvantage when it’s any kind of vehicle that causes issues.”

Ryan says you don’t have to be on a bike to be in danger from distracted drivers. “Pedestrians are the other issue that we have dealt with specifically, so those motor vehicles are certainly important, but we have to include bicyclists and pedestrians when we talk about traffic safety,” Ryan says. She says her department put out a brochure this spring trying to make motorists more aware of bicyclists. Governor Branstad says the Pokemon Go phenomenon that has hit recently has increased concerns for pedestrians.

“If you walk around Des Moines even and all over the country, people are walking around looking at their phones and crossing streets. And so, pedestrians need to be careful too — even if you are involved in Pokemon Go, or whatever it might be,” Branstad says. Branstad was asked if it might be time to ban cellphone use for drivers.
“Well, that’s one of the things we are looking at as far as distracted drivers. And we will be looking at the whole thing about the used of different devices and are there things that might distract drivers,” Branstad says.

The governor says he expects Commissioner Ryan’s group to make recommendations to him on distracted driving and it will be one of the major issues he talks about in his state-of-the-state address in January.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

CLARION, Iowa (AP) — Wright County officials approved a zoning change that will allow a North Carolina company to build a $240 million hog processing plant that will create about 900 jobs initially and hundreds more after completion of a second phase. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports the Wright County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved the zoning change needed for Clinton, North Carolina, based Prestage Farms to build the plant near Eagle Grove.

SHENANDOAH, Iowa (AP) — Police charged a pickup truck driver with hitting and seriously injuring a Florida bicyclist who was camping after riding in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports 55-year-old Danny Cardin, of Homer, Louisiana, was charged with serious injury by vehicle and leaving the scene of a serious injury accident after police were called to a campground in Shenandoah late Sunday. The Iowa State Patrol says Cardin’s pickup struck a tent, dragging 67-year-old James Foley. He’d joined in an Iowa bike event.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state lawyer is arguing that Iowa athletic director Gary Barta isn’t a public official. Assistant attorney general George Carroll has asked a judge to dismiss former senior associate athletic director Jane Meyer’s request for an injunction blocking her layoff. Carroll says the state’s whistleblower act doesn’t apply to Barta.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic lawmakers have released a survey that says some health care providers aren’t being paid properly under Iowa’s privatized Medicaid program. The survey released Monday says 90 percent of more than 400 health care providers who responded report administrative costs increased since the program switched to private management April 1. The survey indicates nearly eight in 10 of those providers say they haven’t been paid on time. A spokesman for Gov. Terry Branstad calls the survey partisan.