(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says President Biden should use his influence to bring an end to the union strike at ports along the East Coast and Gulf of Mexico, but Hinson is not calling on Biden to use his authority to force workers back on the job.

Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says farmers in her congressional district tell her they’re worried about the impact on ag exports. The National Retail Federation and the National Association of Manufacturers have urged Biden to seek a court order that forces striking dock workers back on the job for 90 days, while negotiations continue. Hinson stopped short of joining that call during her weekly news conference with Iowa reporters.

Biden has said he believes in collective bargaining and does not intend to invoke the 1947 law that would force the Longshoremen to return to the docks. The union that represents dockworkers is seeking a five dollar an hour pay raise in each year of the six-year contract, as well as protections from automation that would eliminate jobs.

(Radio Iowa) – The cities that were denied approval to keep their speed cameras running do have another chance to make their case. The director of the D-O-T Systems Operations Bureau, Dave Lorenzen, says they would have to file an appeal.

Lorenzen says they would have to take legal action if their appeal was denied.

A seven member panel put together by the D-O-T’s top safety engineer review accident reports and other material that led them to approve 11 of 139 requests to keep the speed cameras in place.

This is the first round of reviews under the new law passed by the legislature to regulate the cameras. Lorenzen says it will be a yearly process for those who were approved and any city wishing to put up a new speed camera.

He says there could be new speed cameras approved or current ones dropped in the next review.

Lorenzen says they cities that did not receive approval for their speed cameras could still keep them up, but they can only issue warnings and cannot collect fines from motorists. It may not be an option for cities as the revenue generated from the fines is used to fund their operation.

(Radio Iowa) – About 100 workers at the Cargill plant in Cedar Rapids are on strike. The Teamsters contract for workers at the corn milling plant in Cedar Rapids expired at midnight Monday. The union sought a three-dollar-an hour pay increase over the next three years and rejected the company’s lower offer.

Cargill is a privately owned company and Cargill’s C-E-O says the marketplace is extremely challenging right now and company officials say they’re hopeful negotiations will yield a contract agreement in the near future.

The Teamsters say wages the Cargill plant in Cedar Rapids is below pay at other local plants and workers are striking for a fair wage increase.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports numerous recent arrests. On Tuesday, Oct. 1st:

• 53-year-old Crystal Alaine Conley, of Creston, was arrested at around 1:30-a.m,. for OWI/1st offense. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.
• 25-year-old Noah Alexander Young, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was later released on his Own Recognizance after being seen by Magistrate.
• 22-year-old Zoe Paulette Marie Hull, of Creston, was arrested at her residence. Hull was charged with Violation of No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt, and Interference with Official Acts. Hull was taken to Union County Jail and later posted at $600 cash bond.
• 22-year-old Christopher Gage Selvy, of Creston, was Tuesday for Violation of No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt. Selvy was taken to Union County Jail and later released on a $300 bond.
• and, 45-year-old Christopher Lee Breece, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. Breece was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear.

At around 12:10-a.m. Wednesday (Oct. 2nd), Creston Police arrested 31-year-old Michael Douglas Dean Kirkpatrick, of Edmore, Michigan, for OWI/1st offense. He was released after posting a $1,000 bond.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports six arrests took place over the past week:

• 37-year-old Stephanie Nicole LeMaster, of Macedonia, was arrested Sept. 24th for Possession of Controlled Substance, Accommodation-Marijuana and Possession of Controlled Substance (Bond $3,000).
• 60-year-old Hilario Villalobos Velazquez, of Omaha, NE, was arrested Sept. 27th for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).
• There were two arrests on Sept. 28th in Mills County: 26-year-old Jeremy Jacob McCoy, of Tabor, and, 23-year-old Colton Jay Hale, of Red Oak, were each arrested for OWI/1st offense. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.
• On Sept. 29th, Mills County Deputies arrested 47-year-old Gabbriel Diaz-Baeza, of Omaha, NE, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.
• And, on Sept. 29th, 55-year-old Stacy Aleen Newman, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault with the Intent/1st offense; Reckless use of a Firearm; Criminal Mischief – 5th Degree, and Obstruction of Emergency Communication. Newman was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.