(Radio Iowa) – Groups of Iowa Capitol insiders gathered outside the statehouse this afternoon to view a partial solar eclipse.

A group of high schoolers who are House pages and paid to run errands for lawmakers stood on the Capitol’s west steps, passing around pairs of the special glasses necessary for eclipse viewing.

This is the second time Charlie Timm of Windsor Heights of has seen an eclipse from Iowa’s Capitol Hill. He and his mother were at the Capitol in 2017 to see a partial solar eclipse. “I thought it was pretty cool, but I was kind of disappointed that the sky didn’t go dark,” Timm said of his 2017 experience. “I thought it would be: ‘Oh, the whole thing’s covereed.’ Apparently that’s not how it works.”

2024 House Page Charlie Timm of Windsor Heights saw the partial solar eclipse from the steps of the statehouse.

In the eclipse Timm saw in 2017, about 95% of the sun was eclipsed by the moon. Today, at 1:58 p.m. in Des Moines, about 84% of the sun was obscured by the moon. Depending on where you were in Iowa today, the moon blocked 70-85% of the sun in Iowa for about three minutes.

(Radio Iowa) – A coalition that supports Iowa’s long-standing “Bottle Bill” says 29 counties are now “redemption deserts” where there is nowhere to take an empty beverage can or bottle and redeem the deposit fee.

Iowa lawmakers changed the Bottle Bill in 2022. Retailers that sell pop, beer and other beverages can opt out of the requirement to accept empties and pay deposits if there’s a redemption center nearby. The Cleaner Iowa coalition surveyed hundreds of Iowa retailers that sell beverages and collect the nickel deposit. It found only18.4% of Iowa grocery stores that responded continue to accept empties and pay back the deposits.

R.G. Schwarm, a spokesman for Cleaner Iowa, says most of the “redemption deserts” are in rural areas. “The Bottle Bill works and it will continue to work as long as convenient redemption opportunities are available,” Schwarm says.

Cleaner Iowa’s survey did connect with 143 retailers that were not allowed by the new law to opt out -and just eight were still accepting empty containers. The 2022 law established a civil fine for retailers that failed to follow the law, but Schwarm says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources hasn’t set up a system to investigate complaints.

“I think a big part of this with the changes is education,” Schwarm says. “I don’t think a lot of folks recognize where they can redeem and also how they can contact the Department of Natural Resources if they are non-compliant.”

The 2022 law increased the per container handling fee for redemption centers. There have been 43 new redemption centers open, but most are in the state’s largest counties according to Cleaner Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Board of Medicine’s rules for enforcing a six-week abortion ban in Iowa have cleared final review by a legislative committee. Governor Reynolds signed the Fetal Heartbeat Act into law in July, but it’s been on hold due to a legal challenge. The Iowa Supreme Court will hear legal arguments over the law this Thursday. Senator Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, says the rules aren’t clear and could make in vitro fertilization illegal in Iowa.

“Because so much of this bill did really not include medical terminology when it was passed,” Winckler said. The rules for the law will technically go into effect April 24th, but a deputy attorney general says the rules won’t be enforced until the Iowa Supreme Court upholds the law. Winckler was the only committee member to raise an objection.

“I think that it is unfortunate that we have these rules in place and will be in effect before the court case is determined,” she said. If Iowa’s six week abortion ban is ruled constitutional, the Board of Medicine’s rules say a physician could be disciplined for performing an abortion after fetal activity is detected, usually about the sixth week of a pregnancy, but the rules do not specify whether that means the doctor would be fined or lose their license to practice medicine in Iowa.

ATLANTIC, Iowa – April 8, 2024 – If you drive on westbound U.S. 275/Iowa 92/Veterans Memorial Highway at Metro Drive in Council Bluffs you need to be aware of lane closures on Tuesday, April 9 that may impact your trip.

The Iowa DOT, in partnership with the City of Council Bluffs, will close U.S. 275/Iowa 92/Veterans Memorial Highway at Metro Drive to replace a traffic signal pole and mast arm. The scheduled lane closures will include occur at the following times.

• From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. the westbound lanes of the roadway will be closed.

• From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the westbound left lane will open, and the westbound right lane will remain closed.

• From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. both westbound lanes will close again. Work will then be completed after the roadway opens.

During this work, the traffic signal will be flashing red for all directions and temporary stop signs will be in place. Northbound left turns will be prohibited from the southbound Interstate 29 exit ramp. You will be detoured north on Metro Drive and Denmark Drive, west on 35th Avenue, and south on the South Expressway back to U.S. 275 (see map).

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa [WHO-TV] — It’s been 13 years now, since a young realtor was shot and killed in a West Des Moines townhome. 27-year-old Ashley Okland was showing the property on April 8, 2011, when gunshots rang out. Okland was shot multiple times. Her killer has never been caught.

During a recent interview with WHO 13, Assistant Chief of Police Jody Hayes said the possibilities of what happened are endless. While the case may be considered “cold” by the public’s standards, Hayes said it is still being “actively” investigated and that investigative leads continue to come in.

Ashley Okland
(Courtesy West Des Moines Police Department)

The agency has continued to keep some of the details surrounding the crime, like the caliber of the gun used, close to the vest.

Hayes said he believes the case can still be solved.

(Atlantic, Iowa) A partial solar eclipse will be viewable in Atlantic this afternoon (assuming there is no cloud cover), beginning at 12:41-p.m., with the maximum coverage available (through protective glasses) at 1:56-p.m. Never look directly at the Sun. You can seriously hurt your eyes, and even go blind. Proper eye protection, like eclipse glasses or a special solar filter, is the only safe option. Sunglasses don’t work.

The event will end at 3:11-p.m. (total time: 2-hours and 30-minutes).

More information is available here:

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/in/@z-us-50022?iso=20240408

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a woman from Adams County was arrested during a traffic stop April 2nd. A records check indicated 36-year-old Nicole Jean Dorman, of Corning, was wanted on a Union County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree, a Serious Misdemeanor. Dorman was turned-over to a Union County Deputy following  the traffic stop at 270th Street and Highway 92, in Fontanelle.

The warrant stated bond was set at $300, with 10% acceptable.

(Radio Iowa) – The view of today’s (Monday) solar eclipse will range from excellent to so-so to lousy, depending on where you’re located in Iowa at mid-day. Meteorologist Dylan Dodson, at the National Weather Service, says folks in the northern few tiers of counties may have to hop in the car and head south if they want to see the spectacle.  “Partly to mostly cloudy as you get further north in the state, but for the south, you’ll see mostly clear skies through most of the day today,” Dodson says. “Then central Iowa, you’re going to be kind of right on that gradient between the clouds as they’re kind of hanging out across northern Iowa.” Veteran eclipse watchers say even when high, thin clouds partly obscure the sky, the eclipse may still be visible.

“I don’t have any personal experience on that, but I would imagine, just gauging off of how you see the sun through the clouds sometimes,” Dodson says. “If it’s more of a thinner cloud deck, you might be able to see it through the clouds. It’ll be more of a filtered sunshine, but if it’s really caked in, it might still be kind of difficult to see.”

The 2017 eclipse (NASA photo)

While parts of the nation will see a total eclipse, the sun will be about 90-percent covered in southeast Iowa, and more like 75-percent in northwest Iowa. The moon will start covering the sun around 12:45 P-M, the peak should be around 2 o’clock this afternoon, and it’ll all be over by about 3.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say a Pottawattamie County man was arrested Saturday, for Driving Under Suspension. 23-year-old Austin Wilson, of Council Bluffs, was released from custody after posting a $300 cash or surety bond.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident that occurred at around 11-a.m. Saturday, in Glenwood. Authorities say 70-year-old James Allen Rolling, of Glenwood, was traveling east on Hickory Ridge Road, when a pickup driven by 17-year-old Jaxen Robert Tadin, of Glenwood, backed out of a driveway and struck the front of Rolling’s pickup truck. Tadin told authorities he had looked both ways while backing out, but did not see Rolling’s vehicle before proceeding into the street.

Damage from the collision amounted to $10,000. No citations were issued.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 5:30-p.m. on Tuesday, April 9th, in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is review and discussion with regard to a Residential Building Addition Site Plan for 422 Chestnut Street, and an Industrial Building Additional Site Plan for 1500 SW 7th Street.

Zoning Administrator John Lund says Chris Ullerich submitted a site plan for a 144-square foot sunroom for the property at 422 Chestnut Street. The second-floor residential addition would be a permitted use, under the City’s Zoning Ordinance. And, Iron Specialties, Inc., has submitted a site plan for a 7,200 square-foot industrial addition for offices and shop space to the existing industrial building at 1500 SW 7th Street. The additional is permissible under the Zoning Ordinance, according to Lund.

The Commission’s final order of business, is to receive an update to the City’s Comprehensive Plan, and updates to the Zoning Ordinance.