(Radio Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith says it may be time to raise the amount of money that can be deposited in College Savings Iowa accounts each year. “Obviously I have to have the legislature and the governor sign off on that, but that’s something that we’re going to be looking at next session,” Smith says. “We wanted to get in office, do a deep dive January through December and then we’ll introduce a bill that’s going to take some of these recommendations that we have and then we’ll leave it up to the legislature to make that decision.”

Smith was elected state treasurer last November and has been in office nearly six months. His office oversees the College Savings Iowa program which lets individuals make deposits in an account for a future or current student and withdrawals are not taxed at the federal level. If you’re an Iowa resident, withdrawals aren’t subject to the Iowa income tax either. The current limit on yearly contributions is 37-hundred-85 dollars. “It’s always moving because every year it indexes to inflation,” Smith says. “What I want to do is look to take a jump up from that. I don’t have an amount right now, but let’s just say maybe we shoot for $5000 and then start indexing it from there, but college has gone up much that it’s outpaced inflation.”

Lawmakers established College Savings Iowa in 1998 when the average cost for tuition and fees at a public university in the U-S was 32-hundred dollars. It’s now more than nine-thousand dollars a year. State records indicate there are more than 100-thousand College Savings Iowa accounts.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S-D-A’s weekly report on Iowa crops shows 61 percent of the state’s corn is rated good or excellent, a slight improvement from last week and soybean conditions rose to 53 percent good or excellent. The southern third of Iowa had above average rainfall last week. Topsoil moisture levels statewide are 17 percent very short and the subsoil ratings are even drier.

Last Thursday’s Drought Monitor shows parts of two counties in northwest and southwest Iowa are in extreme drought and in southeast Iowa, extreme drought conditions are reported in all or parts of seven counties.

(Radio Iowa) – An expert at the University of Iowa’s Driving Safety Research Institute says automated driving will work the best when the strengths of humans and automation are used together. Institute deputy director, Omar Ahmad, says tasks that are redundant are one example. “Humans are our not great at doing the same thing over and over, over a very long time period. Our minds wander, we tend to get distracted, we tend to get bored. We tend to want to do multiple things such as, for instance, use our phones to get something else done while we’re driving,” he says.

He says automation is best at these types of tasks. “Automation and sort of computers in general they are they don’t get tired, they can do the same thing over and over, and they’re not going to take a nap, and they’re not going to get bored,” Ahmad says. Humans are better at making decisions about new things they encounter. “Taking a situation that is very unique. And even a situation that perhaps you barely encounter, or that they haven’t encountered, and more or less figuring out how to deal with it. Humans are really good at that,” he says.

Automation has to rely on what has been programmed into it, so those unique situations cause problems. “Automation and computers and software is terrible at that, because it will only do what is programmed to do. And so anytime it sees a situation that has never seen before, it’s not going to know what to do,” Ahmad says. He says if you were to put the strengths of both the human and the automation together, then you have something that’s very compelling. “What we want to see is really a greater recognition of where things are working well, and where things are not working well. And then to remind everybody that look for a driverless type of solution, we’re going to need to be able to do to really deal with these very unique scenarios,” Ahmad says.

He recently completed work on a study of using of how to make an automated vehicle safely navigate on Iowa’s rural roads. Ahmad says it will take some time to work out automated travel on the country’s roadways.

(LaPlatte, NE) – An eight-year old boy from Glenwood, Iowa, died in a crash that took place last week, in Nebraska. Investigators in Sarpy County, NE., on Monday, said Paxton Parker died in a three-vehicle crash that occurred at around 8-a.m., on June 29^th. A 9-year-old passenger and the vehicle’s driver survived, but suffered serious injuries.

Authorities say Elizabeth Sprunger, of Glenwood, was driving a 2009 Hyundai Sonata westbound east of LaPlatte, NE., on Highway 34, just west of Harlan Lewis Road. She lost control of the vehicle, which crossed into the eastbound lanes, and collided with an eastbound, 2015 Dodge Ram. Sprunger’s vehicle was then struck a second time by a semi-truck.

The drivers of the pickup and the semi-truck were not injured. The Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office said weather conditions at the time of the crash were “poor due to heavy rain in the area.”

(Radio Iowa) – Fundraising is underway to outfit the U-S-S Iowa submarine. The warship was christened last month and is now undergoing sea trials for the next year before it’s cleared for active service. Tom Hudson is executive director of the U-S-S Iowa’s commissioning committee.

Hudson says “…The commissioning committee is out to raise money so we can improve the mattresses in their bunks, their athletic equipment to work out, stay healthy and stay fit.” The committee has raised 300-thousand dollars so far, a little over half of that has been spent to bring officers and sailors who’ll serve on the ship to Iowa to build connections here.

The committee’s goal is to raise another 200-thousand dollars over the next several months, before the U-S-S Iowa is commissioned. In 1896, the Iowa legislature appropriated five-thousand dollars and had a Philadelphia firm design a silver service for use on the second U-S-S Iowa battleship. The set includes a punch bowl, water pitcher, coffee pot and a fruit bowl as well as silver serving spoons and forks. It was returned to the state in 1923 and then transferred to the next U-S-S Iowa battleship in 1945 for use during ceremonies.

Women have served on Navy submarines since 2010, but vessels had to be retrofitted for co-ed living. Hudson notes the U-S-S Iowa is the first Navy sub to be designed for male and female sailors and six female officers will serve on the U-S-S Iowa.

The USS Iowa (SSN 797) is a Virginia Class nuclear submarine.

It has taken eight years to build the 377 foot nuclear submarine. It weighs 78-hundred tons and will be the first U-S Navy submarine named after Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s weather for June proved to be on the quiet side however state climatologist Justin Glisan said there was a derecho in the southeast part of the state to end the month.

June is known for outbreaks of tornadoes in Iowa but Glisan said there was only funnel cloud reported for the month of June.

Glisan said that July in Iowa could be a cool and wet one.

(Radio Iowa) – A summer camp coming up in Iowa City will let kids learn what it is like to work in emergency services. Lieutenant Mike Smith with the Iowa City Fire Department say they do it for not only junior high students, but also high school students and thought this would be a good program to just spur an interest in emergency services,” he says. Lieutenant Smith says the camp includes the Iowa City police and fire departments, Animal Services, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Ambulance Service, and Johnson County Emergency Management.

“The camp is hands on. And they have the opportunity to do what we do in our jobs,” Smith says. That includes pulling a fire hose through a maze made of plywood to see how firefighters work. “That’s the great thing about our camp is we’re not sitting in a classroom. They’re not sitting there in front of us screen learning PowerPoint, everything is hands,” Smith says. “The police department, they bring out one of their police cruisers and they get to be in the police cruiser and see what it’s like on in the day of life of a police officer.” Smith says they let students know about the whole scope of their work.

“We talk about the good and the bad of our jobs, you know, obviously, it’s not all fun when you’re dealing with emergency management, or when you’re dealing with emergencies,” Smith says. Smith says part of the camp teaches how to deal with stress and they teach them first aid and C-P-R, so they have skills that they can take home and use. Smith says the professionals involved also talk to the students about the importance of serving the community.

“Being able to be a part of your community and serve your community in that fashion is just an added bonus,” Smith says. “And if we can, we can recruit those students from our community that represent our community even better and that’s part of our goal as well. You know, we want our departments our ambulance everything we will want them to be representative of our communities.” The first camp session for junior high students is scheduled for July 10th and 11th, and the next session for high school students is scheduled for July 13th and 14th.

Clinton, IOWA – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports that on Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 8:34 PM officers from the Clinton Police Department were called to Mercy One Hospital reference a shooting.  An adult male was found with non-life threatening gunshot wounds.  The male victim is familiar with and has identified the suspect.

On July 3, 2023 at 12:42 AM officers from the Clinton Police Department were called to Mercy One Hospital reference a second shooting. An adult female was found with several gunshot wounds.  The female victim was familiar with the suspect.

Evidence was collected indicating a connection between the two shootings.  The suspect has been identified as 39-year-old Randy Allen Jackson.  There is an active warrant for Randy Allen Jackson for Attempted Murder. Jackson is not in police custody and should be considered armed and dangerous.

If anyone has any information of Randy Allen Jackson’s whereabouts they are asked to call the Clinton Police Department at 563-243-1458.  Individuals may also report anonymous information to the Clinton County Crime Stoppers by calling 563-242-6595 or 888-883-8015.

Randy Jackson

*Criminal charges are merely an accusation and all suspects are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 66-year-old James Scott Hoffman, who was convicted of Robbery 2nd Degree and other charges in Polk County, failed to report back to the Fort Des Moines Residential Facility as required Friday evening.

Hoffman is a white male. He stands 5-feet 10-inches tall and weighs 197 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on May 12, 2023.

Persons with information on Hoffman’s whereabouts should contact local police.

James Hoffman (IDOC photo)

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater today (Monday), reported on numerous arrests that took place from June 25th through the 30th:

At around 9:15-a.m. Friday (June 30), Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 30-year-old Cody Allen Pipkin, of Stuart, at the Adair County Courthouse. Pipkin was wanted on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear at a Jan. 9, 2023 Compliance Hearing. He was released a couple of hours later on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

On June 29th, 49-year-old Manishkumar Baldevbha Chaudhri, of Ogallala, NE., was arrested by Adair Police on eastbound Interstate 80 in Adair County, at around 11:24-p.m., following a report of a impaired or tired driver, and their vehicle having no lights on. Following a traffic stop and investigation, Chaudhri was charged with OWI/1st offense. His BAC ultimately registered .189, or more than double the legal limit for intoxication in the State of Iowa. The man was released the next day on a $1,000 c/s bond.

Also arrested on June 29th, was 56-year-old James Dean Johnston, of Des Moines. He was taken into custody at around 7:05-p.m. by Stuart Police, following a complaint received by the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, about a vehicle traveling south on the Stuart Road, and being “all over the road.” A Stuart Police Officer – Daniel Irving – observed the suspect vehicle, a Toyota Sienna, as it was traveling north past his location at the intersection of SE 14th and Division Street, in Stuart. Officer Irving saw the vehicle leave the road and drive onto the shoulder. Johnston told the Officer he was “really tired,” and apologized for his driving.

While speaking with Johnston, the Office noticed a glass pipe with a yellow straw, and what appeared to be a white residue inside. The object was swabbed and tested positive for methamphetamine. A Probable Cause search of the vehicle was conducted. Johnston asked the Officer to help him put his boot back on as he stood by the Officer’s patrol vehicle. Officer Irving observed a cigarette pack shoved partially inside Johnston’s sock, with the top halfway open. When the Officer removed the pack, he saw a baggie with a green leafy substance, which was confirmed to be marijuana. Johnston was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS)/3rd or Subsequent Offense. He was released the following day on a $2,000 c/s bond.

On June 28th, Adair Police arrested 36-year-old Corey Shane Foshee, of Colorado Springs, CO., for PCS/Marijuana -1 st offense. He was arrested at around 7:54-p.m. following a traffic stop just before entering I-80 at the 78-mile marker, in Adair, on a vehicle with expired Colorado license tags. During an investigation, Foshee opened his glove box to retrieve his license and registration. That’s when Officer Sawyer Ocheltree observed a large Zip Lock bag that later tested positive for marijuana. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a bong, and another, small container of marijuana in the glove box. Foshee was transported to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and cited for PCS, before being released from custody.

On June 25th, 56-year-old Douglas Jerome Jones, Jr., of Des Moines, was arrested for Driving While Barred, following a traffic stop by the Iowa State Patrol, for Speeding on the Stuart Road. Jones was released on the 27th, on a $1,000 c/s bond, w/10% acceptable.