(Radio Iowa) – Saturday is “World Day Against Human Trafficking” and one of the efforts in Iowa to raise awareness involved training the drivers of the big rigs to spot trafficking. Sergeant Joe Nickell Sergeant with the D-O-T’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement division helps with the training. “Back in 2013, we began this this awareness campaign with a group called “Truckers Against Trafficking,” and their goal is to train all truck drivers what human trafficking looked like, just with the idea that they’re out there on the highway system more than anyone, and I see more than anyone saying make those reports,” Nickell says. He says truckers are a great resource for information on what’s happening on the highway.

“They eyes and ears the road, and they definitely know what’s out there. And law enforcement, we look for the abnormal — we know what the normal looks like — so we’re looking for the abnormal and that’s the way they educated them to look for something that just looks different,” he says. Nickell says the drivers and industry has been very receptive of their “Truckers Against Trafficking,” or TAT training. “These these folks are highly motivated to make the reports, there’s just certain certain crimes I think we can all get behind. And this is one that they’re excited to be that everyday hero, it’s called and make that phone call,” according to Nickell.

“So since since we started, TAT, one-point-three million have been have been TAT trained going through their certification process. And we have facilitated more than 40-thousand truck drivers here in Iowa in the training.” Nickell and others says it’s important for everyone to learn the signs of human trafficking, because it can happen to anyone of any age.

You can go to the Department of Public Safety website to find out more . You are also asked to give them a tip if you see something that doesn’t look right. You can call toll free at: 888-373-7888 to give a tip. Or you can go to the D-P-S website: stophtiowa.org to make a report, or find out more about training.

(Radio Iowa) – After a cool morning with some overnight lows in the 50s, forecasters say Iowa is in for a “prolonged heat event” next week. Meteorologist Alex Krull, at the National Weather Service, says the switch from July to August will bring us some excessively hot days, with highs in the low 90s expected Sunday and Monday. “Tuesday, we’re looking at actual air temperatures between the mid 90s and upper 90s and that’ll send heat index values — or the feels-like temperature — above 100 degrees,” Krull says.

“Then Wednesday, we’re looking at upper 90s for the actual air temperatures, and it may be possible for us to cross over 100 degrees and we’ll likely be looking at heat index values anywhere between 105 to 107 degrees.” Iowans will need to take precautions to cope with the steamy weather. “If you have any plans to be outdoors during the middle of this upcoming week, please plan accordingly,” Krull says. “Have plenty of water to stay hydrated and have a place to cool down, whether that be in a car that has working air conditioning or a building that is air-conditioned and shaded properly.”

Krull says the pattern of above-normal temperatures will continue perhaps for another ten days. “When we have this kind of pattern in July and August, it typically results in very hot and humid conditions throughout the next couple of weeks,” Krull says. “There may be some possibilities for rain showers and thunderstorms and anytime that those occur, they can provide some relief to the excessive temperatures.” The heat wave isn’t hitting just Iowa. Above-normal temps are forecast through the first week of August from Nebraska all the way to New York.

(Radio Iowa) – The House Ethics Committee has unanimously voted to dismiss a complaint against Congresswoman Cindy Axne after concluding there’s no clear evidence Axne made willful errors on financial disclosures. Last year a watchdog group accused Axne and six other House members of failing to report stock trades. Axne says she and her husband leave their investment decisions to account managers and didn’t make any stock trades themselves — and Axne didn’t realize she was to file public .reports about any of that account activity.

Axne has hired a lawyer to file the reports about her investment accounts. Axne has signed onto the effort to ban members of congress from directly executing their own stock trades.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Two Atlantic men will stand trial in September on Class-D Felony charges associated with a break-in and the theft of several guns. The rural-Atlantic residential burglary occurred June 5^th.  The Cass County Sheriff’s Office had reported 20-year-old Corbin Logemann and 19-year-old Cristian Mata allegedly took firearms, pellet guns, long bows, a gun cabinet, and more. The items were valued at between $1,500 and $10,000. Both men face charges of Burglary in the 3^rd Degree, and Theft in the 2^nd Degree.

During an investigation and under questioning, Logemann and Mata admitted to the crime. And, a neighbor of Logemann and Mata provided law enforcement with surveillance video showing some of the stolen items being unloaded into Logemann and Mata’s residence.

Mata and Logemann will be arraigned on the charges August 22nd, with a pre-trial conference set for Sept. 12th, and trial on Sept. 27th

(Cass County, Iowa) – A bridge replacement project that was slated to begin Monday, in northern Cass County, will begin a few days later than planned. Rich Hansen, Assistant to Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken said the project involves the two-month closure of an east-west gravel road, spanning from Olive Street to Highway 71/630th Street.

Hansen says a detour route will be in effect.

Orange highlight marks the portion of road to be closed.

(The detour takes you South on Dunbar Road, east to Dunbar for one-mile to 630th/Hwy 71, then back north to Boston Road. The route is a combination of paved and gravel roads.)

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report an arrest took place this (Friday) morning. 41-year-old Daniel Thomas, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills

County Warrant for Theft 2nd, bond set at $5000 cash or surety.

(Radio Iowa) – The Sioux City Planned Parenthood office is seeing an increase in patients from South Dakota and other states where abortion is now banned. Sarah Traxler, the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood North Central States, says as more states pass abortion restrictions, the clinic is poised to become a critical point of access for the Midwest. Traxler says, “Places like Sioux City that are situated in tri-state areas, not very far from rural areas, it’s going to play a really key role in expanding access for people across our region.”

The clinic is being careful in how it handles abortions for patients from states with bans, as Traxler says those patients now have to complete their medication abortion on-site. “Because none of us want to be placed in a position where we are charged with a felony, losing our medical license,” she says, “because then we can’t take care of anyone.”

The clinic is now open two days a week to accommodate Iowa’s new law requiring patients seeking an abortion to make two appointments, at least 24 hours apart.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly/end of month meeting this (Friday) morning. During their meeting last week, the Board heard from Engineer Trent Wolken, with regard to a move by the NRCS to accept a bid from Jorgensen Dirt Works, for the Crooked Creek 5C pipe replacement project. At that time, the Board elected to see if Wolken could obtain requests for quotes.

Cass County Secondary Roads Department Technician Dennis Vogl said Jorgensen Dirt Works was the lowest bidder at $18,326. He recommended, and the Board moved to approve, the bid. On a related note, the Board also acted to pass a Resolution to Vacate an Excess Right-Of-Way (ROW). The area lies around bridge #319, and is more than what is needed. Rich Hansen, Assistant to Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken explained.

Trent Wolken said last week, that he would like to vacate and then purchase the ROW needed for the bridge project. He said at that time, that it was technically an easement that was never called into play, and that there is no bearing on the current bridge. The Board tabled the Resolution last week, until Wolken could speak with the land owner. The Cass County Supervisors passed also, a Resolution for participation in the Safe Streets & Roads for All (SS4A) grant application process, which is part of the Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA) in the Federal Transportation Bill.

Rich Hansen explained the program provides a total of Five-to Six-Billion dollars in grants across the U-S, over a span of the next five-years.

The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. In the past, the County has used Safety Funds in the past.

The Boards of Supervisors in Guthrie, Montgomery and Pottawattamie County are among those in the area that have already approved their participation in the grant process.

In other business, Cass County Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes presented the Board with his Quarterly Veteran’s Affairs Report. And General Assistance Director Debbie Schuler presented also, her June GA/Mental Health report for June, 2022.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Glenwood man wanted on a warrant for Violation of Probation, turned himself-in, late Thursday morning. Once the warrant was confirmed, 39-year-old Jared Daniel Newman was transported to the Pott. County Jail and turned over to Corrections Staff.

And, a woman from Des Moines was picked up by Pott. County Deputies, from Polk County Corrections and transported to the Pott. County Jail.  36-year-old Trafonia Massenberg was wanted on a valid warrant for Driving While License Suspended, and OWI/2nd offense. Her bond totals $3,000.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report indicates Iowa’s public health funding increased nine percent during the pandemic. Nadine Gracia is president and C-E-O of the non-profit Trust for America’s Health, which issued the report. Gracia says federal pandemic aid helped many states increase public health funding — and it’s important state and federal lawmakers invest more to address issues beyond COVID. “The public health needs of communities continues to increase,” she says. “We see increases in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, which are leading causes of death and as well as leading drivers of health care costs.”

Gracia says increased funding can also help address workforce shortages in health care and update outdated data systems.  “It’s difficult to hire a workforce and maintain that workforce if you don’t have reliable and sustained funding for public health, whether it’s to respond to an infectious disease, like monkeypox, or efforts to be able to address some of the chronic conditions that we also see in communities,” Gracia said.

The Trust for America’s Health report found the state’s public health budget was 116-million dollars for the fiscal year that started July 1st of 2020.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Natalie Krebs)