(Radio Iowa) – Summer doesn’t officially arrive until June 21st, but for most Iowans, the holiday weekend ahead is the real start of the season. Meredith Mitts, at Triple-A Iowa, says the motor club is predicting more than 37-million Americans will be taking trips over the next several days to celebrate Memorial Day. “That makes this the third-busiest Memorial Day weekend that we’ve had since we started tracking in about 2000,” Mitts says. “This is about 11% higher than what we saw last year, but it still brings us just under those pre-pandemic numbers. In 2019, we had 42.8-million travelers. This year, we’re only anticipating 42.3 million.”

Gasoline prices are holding steady nationwide, but pump prices have risen in Iowa in recent weeks. The statewide average is now three-43 a gallon, though that’s low compared to the statewide average a year ago at four-22. “Some of the reasons we might be seeing those higher prices in Iowa specifically is more people are finally starting to travel,” Mitts says. “The weather’s turning nicer, the growing season, the planting season that’s happening right now. There’s lots of big vehicles out there that are using fuels.”

Iowa’s average price for gas is 14-cents lower than the national average. Triple-A’s Nick Chabarria says whether it’s by car or by plane, Iowans are joining the throng in traveling again, as the figures are approaching pre-pandemic highs. “I’m seeing travel tick up in really all aspects, airfare bookings, hotel bookings, even international trips are on the rise,” Chabarria says. “We’ve been seeing folks making up for lost time during the COVID years and we think that’s going to continue.”

Chabarria says airfares have jumped 20 to 30-percent over this time last year, but he says you can still find last-minute deals. He says some of the most popular summer destinations are the beaches, the West Coast, Las Vegas, and national parks.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a woman from rural Stanton was arrested Thursday, on an assault charge. Deputies responded to a physical domestic abuse call in the 2300 block of L Avenue, in Stanton. An investigation resulted in the arrest for 24-year-old Emily Joann Bass, for Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault. Bass was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) – Next Wednesday is the first day low income Iowa parents may apply for state-funded accounts to cover a child’s private school expenses. The New York based company hired to run the program will check Iowa income tax returns to verify eligibility. Odyssey C-E-O Joseph Connor says if a parent did not file a tax return, they’ll be asked to upload some other evidence of their income.

“A recent pay stub for both parents or guardians from their employer and a letter from each employer verifying annual income for the employee,” he says. The governor and most Republicans in the legislature voted this spring to make about 76-hundred dollars available to low income parents who enroll their child in a private K-through-12 school. Odyssey, the company managing the program, will first make tuition payments directly to private schools. If money’s left over, it must be used on approved expenses like books, software or tutoring available through Odyssey’s website.

The company has been holding online workshops for interested parents this week, with one scheduled for tomorrow and another on Tuesday. Today’s (Friday’s) will start at noon and will be conducted in Spanish. Applications for the state-funded Education Savings Accounts must be filed online. In the program’s first year, the money may be used for private school students in a household at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty line.

That’s about 90-thousand dollars for a family of four. In three years, all parents — regardless of income — can seek the state money to cover private school expenses, however private schools are not required to accept students.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and the governors of Nebraska and Missouri have signed off on a letter that urges that E-P-A to increase the federal requirement for biodiesel production. The three Midwest governors say diesel fuel supplies remain at low levels and farmers and truckers are dealing with stubbornly high prices. A year ago, the average price for a gallon of diesel hit an all time high of just over five dollars a gallon in Iowa. It’s fallen to about 3-72 a gallon today according to triple A.

The governors say in their letter that soybean-based biodiesel and biomass-based diesel — made with other plant materials — supports the rural economy and expands the fuel supply. The governors of Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri are urging the E-P-A to substantially increase the biodiesel production volume for 2023, 2024 and 2025 under the Renewable Fuels Standard — but so do without reducing ethanol production requirements.

There’s a June deadline for establishing the latest round of E-P-A rules on renewable fuel blending requirements for oil refineries.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Council Bluffs Police Department today (Thursday), took to social media to ask for the public’s help in finding a missing woman. 51-year-old Dianna McCulloch Larson was reported missing on Wednesday, May 24th. She was last seen by a co-worker, on May 21st.

Dianna McCullough-Larson is said to be approximately 5-feet 6-inches tall. She has brown hair and fair skin. Please contact the CBPD at 712-328-4728, if you have any information on her location.

Dianna McCulloch Larson

(Shannon City, Iowa) – A cow on a gravel road was struck and killed Wednesday night, northwest of Shannon City, in Union County. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a 2011 Chevy pickup driven by 28-year-old Brandon Parsons, of Shannon City, was traveling south on Pole Road at around 11:18-p.m., when the vehicle struck a cow owned by Craig Hoffman, of Diagonal.

Parsons was not injured. His pickup sustained about $3,000 damage. The cow was valued at $4,000.

(Avoca, Iowa) – Pottawattamie, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, and Cass County residents and businesses served by Regional Water Rural Water Association, are being advised to boil their water before using it due to a problem in the distribution system resulting in a loss of pressure. The advisory was issued as a precaution until bacteria sample results are available.

Officials with the Regional Water Rural Water Association, today (Thursday), issued a recommendation for customers of their Avoca Treatment Plant, to boil water intended for drinking, or to use an alternative source of drinking water. The Advisory does not affect Underwood, McClelland, and the rural residents of these towns as they are on a different water system. The city of Exira is in an extreme conservation state until further notice.

AMU (Atlantic Municipal Utilities) water customers are NOT under the boiler order warning. AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes, Friday, said they have received numerous calls. He wants everyone to know that AMU customers are not effected by the rural Cass County boil order.

A statement from Regional Water says there was a problem in the distribution system, and that the system lost pressure today (May 25, 2023). Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, it is recommended that the water be boiled before using for drinking or cooking or that an alternative source be used. The pressure loss is affecting over half of our system, prompting the system-wide boil advisory.

The Regional Water system is being repaired and repressurized, and bacteria samples will be collected in accordance with DNR protocol. In the meantime, residents and businesses are being notified via phone calls, website, Facebook, and through local county Emergency Management Administrators.

It is recommended to only drink the water after boiling it first.

• Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
• Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.
• Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
• The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes. If the water is colored, use an alternative source such as bottled water.”

Affected residents and businesses will be notified when the results are available, and the advisory is lifted.

For more information, please contact the Regional Water Office at 712-343-2413. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

When water service is restored, there may be air in your water piping and the water may be discolored. It is recommended to run the first water from a faucet that does not have an aerator screen, such as a bathtub or hose bib. Open the faucet slowly to allow the air to escape. Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run until it is clear. The water may be cloudy at first due to air in the water or particles that dislodged as the pipes filled with water. This should clear fairly quickly. If water is cloudy or colored throughout the house and it does not clear after allowing the water to run for several minutes, use an alternative source such as bottled water and contact the person listed above.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Local gardeners are invited to “Hop on the Bus!” and join the fun when the Cass County Master Gardener group hosts their annual bus tour again in 2023. This year’s trip is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7, departing from the Cass County Fairgrounds in Atlantic at 7 AM and returning around 6:30 PM. The trip will be visiting gardens in and around Lincoln NE, with stops to include The Sunken Garden, the Hamann Rose Garden and the Backyard Farmer Garden on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Following lunch, and an optional ice cream treat at the UNL Dairy store, the bus will stop at several nurseries and greenhouses in the Lincoln Area before heading home. A boxed lunch will be provided to all participants with a choice of roasted turkey or ham and swiss sandwich.

The trip is coordinated by the Cass County Master Gardeners, but is open to everyone interested in touring and learning about gardening. Registrations are taken on a first-come basis, so register soon and be sure to reserve your spot on the bus! Registrations must be received by Thursday, June 1 to guarantee a lunch will be available. The cost for the tour is $65. 00 which includes transportation, meal and snacks. Registration forms are available at the Cass County Extension office, and can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. A full trip itinerary is on each registration form. Be sure to bring plant labels and boxes to mark the goodies you pick up along the way, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated while you learn and shop!

Other upcoming events from the Cass County Master Gardeners include a local garden tour on Sunday June 25 from 2-6 PM, educational activities at the Produce in the Park Market and other summer events, and their annual Fall Plant Sale on Saturday September 9th.

For more information about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, visit https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/master-gardener-program, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

(Radio Iowa) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in eastern Iowa Thursday, visiting two projects that have received federal grants from the infrastructure bill President Biden signed in 2021. The Eastern Iowa Airport got a $20 million grant. “The funding in this case is going to allow the team to complete a passenger terminal expansion that adds four addition passenger gates to accommodate more flights,” Buttigieg said, “improved accessibility for travelers with disabilities and more ways to fly to or from eastern Iowa with the kind of frequency that gives you more options and a good experience when you do so.”

Buttigieg, in an outdoor news conference in front of construction crews at the site, noted the Eastern Iowa Airport is located on Wright Brothers Boulevard, a reminder America ushered in the aviation age. “It’s appropriate, then, that Americans ought to have the best air travel in the world, but we’ve been slipping,” Buttigieg said. “We slipped as a country with decades of underinvestment.”

Buttigieg has been touring the country, visiting ports, bridges, bus stations and other sites that are getting infrastructure grants from the Biden Administration. Buttigieg’s second stop today is in Dubuque, at a pedestrian bridge over railroad tracks that will be a new path for walking and biking. “It’s going to make the roads safer and support jobs in that great downtown there,” Buttigieg said, “so in so many ways transportation is essential to the quality of life and economic strength and safety that we all depend on.”

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell greats Buttigieg. (Buttigieg photo)

The Department of Transportation has so far awarded $93 million to Iowa projects being funded by the nearly two year old infrastructure law. Cities in the Cedar Rapids metro have made three unsuccessful applications to another US DOT program that awards grants to significant regional transportation projects. Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Linn County have been seeking federal funding for a four-lane road that would connect Interstate 380 to Highway 13. Buttigieg said his agency will work with applicants on grant requests. “Sometimes when they succeed it’s on the second, third or fourth or even more outing as they continue chiseling the project,” Buttigieg said. “…At the time I want to be transparent about just how competitive these programs are.” There were nearly 10,000 applicants for DOT RAISE grants last year and only 166 projects were approved for funding.

Buttigieg told the crowd gathered at the Eastern Iowa Airport this likely will be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for air travel since before the pandemic. Buttigieg said airlines could be grounded next month, though, if there’s no agreement to raise the federal government’s debt ceiling and federal workers in air traffic control and TSA checkpoints are furloughed. During a news conference at the airport, Buttigieg was asked about LGBTQ bills in the state legislature and he suggested Republican lawmakers have a priority problem. “Here we are in Cedar Rapids working on making life a little easier for airline passengers,” Buttigieg said, “and they’re over there in Des Moines working on making life a little harder for LGBTQ high schoolers.”

Buttigieg, who won the Iowa Democratic Party’s 2020 Caucuses, is the first openly gay candidate for president to win a state caucus or primary.

(Radio Iowa) – A University of Iowa study finds automobile insurance premiums dropped in other states after they legalized medical marijuana, suggesting that driving while high may not be as dangerous as driving drunk. Cameron Ellis, a U-I professor of finance, says they studied insurance data at the ZIP code level and found states that made medical marijuana legal between 2014 and 2019 saw premiums fall an average of 22-dollars per driver in the first year.

“In areas that had high levels of DUIs prior to medical cannabis legalization, rates fell at a much higher rate,” Ellis says, “because as bad as marijuana is for driving, alcohol is much worse, and so it’s sort of this reduction in DUIs that’s leading to the decline.” There are likely two explanations for this, he says, the first being that some of the people who were arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol simply changed their drug of choice — from alcohol to marijuana.

“But another potential one is that when you consume alcohol and marijuana together, you tend to do it at home,” Ellis says. “You don’t go smoke in a bar, you do it at home and so you’re just literally driving less while drinking, even if you’re not drinking less.” Opponents of the legalization of marijuana often argue that such a move would lead to an increase in motor vehicle accidents along with a rise in crash-related injuries and deaths. Ellis says the U-I study essentially debunks that idea, as the two drugs impair drivers in different ways.

“There’s this trope of someone’s like, ‘Oh, I’m a better driver while I’m drunk,’ but, no you’re not, but you’re really, really confident and that causes a lot of problems,” Ellis says, “whereas marijuana famously, you’re paranoid that there are cops everywhere, ‘I don’t want to get caught, I’m going to go exactly the speed limit’.” Those who are against legalizing marijuana, for recreational or medical uses, point to the harm already caused by people who drive under the influence of alcohol and argue legalizing another mind-altering chemical will lead to even more crashes, injuries and deaths.

Ellis argues that alcohol tends to make drivers more aggressive, while marijuana has a mellowing affect and makes drivers more aware of their inabilities, so they drive slower and take fewer risks. “That’s sort of the key thing of why driving while high is not nearly as dangerous as driving while drunk,” Ellis says, “though it is still very dangerous and very illegal.” The report found about 820-million dollars has been saved so far in crash-related health expenditures as a result of marijuana legalization.

Ellis says if medicinal marijuana was legalized nationally, another 320-million could be saved. The study was published by the journal Health Economics.