The Iowa State Patrol is reporting troopers are seeing more motorists who are traveling 20 to 30 miles-an-hour over posted speed limits. Patrol Sergeant Nathan Ludwig has a few ideas about why these drivers are taking such risks. “I think cars are faster and people, just bottom line, they’re in a hurry. So, they want to push the pedal as fast as they can go and see if they’re going to get caught or not,” Ludwig says.

There are fewer troopers monitoring Iowa’s roadways than there were many years ago, but Ludwig says there are many ways for the patrol to spot speeding motorists.
“One of the things we try to utilize a lot more is aircraft for speed enforcement,” Ludwig says.

Other motorists, who are obeying the speed limit, can also help the patrol track down extreme speeders. “Safely call 911, that’s probably the best thing, because they’re a risk to everyone else out there that’s on interstate,” Ludwig says. “We get broadcasts all the time on the police radio about a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and if there’s an officer in the area, we’ll try to get that person stopped.”

Last week, the Iowa State Patrol posted a photo on its Facebook page showing a vehicle was clocked at 102 miles-an-hour on Interstate 80 near Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Both chambers of the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature have pushed back scheduled votes on a bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state. The House chamber, which debated the bill for several hours, agreed after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to adjourn until Wednesday morning. The Senate took similar action shortly after 8:30 p.m. Democrats, now in the minority, have filed dozens of proposed changes to the bill.

UNDATED (AP) — Despite President Steven Leath’s claim that the sale should make money, Iowa State University expects to lose tens of thousands of dollars unloading an airplane it purchased 2 ½ years ago for his travel. A notice seeking a broker to handle the sale says Iowa State will likely list the 2011 Cirrus between $429,000 and $480,000. That would be less than what the university has called the “exceptional price” of $498,000 it paid in 2014 _ before the broker gets paid a hefty fee.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — An audit is questioning whether Iowa State University President Steven Leath violated policy in storing and transporting firearms in school housing and airplanes without written approvals. The Board of Regents audit report says the university has no documentation that Leath applied for and received waivers required by policy to bring guns on campus. The report says Leath stores multiple firearms at the president’s mansion, the Knoll, and has brought them on university planes.

WEVER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a man whose body was found in an eastern Iowa park. The Hawk Eye reports that the body of 47-year-old James Merlin Nelson was found Saturday in Indian Path Park in north Lee County. Lee County Sheriff Stacy Weber said Monday that an autopsy has been ordered. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into Nelson’s death.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Both chambers of the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature have pushed back scheduled votes on a bill that would eliminate most collective bargaining rights for public workers in the state.

The House chamber, which debated the bill for several hours, agreed after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday to adjourn until Wednesday morning. The Senate took similar action shortly after 8:30 p.m.

Democrats, now in the minority, have filed dozens of proposed changes to the bill. At least one amendment in the Senate to gut the measure failed.

The legislation is expected to pass amid support from GOP legislative leaders, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, the incoming governor. However, the timing of final votes remained unclear.

Audubon County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Jensen is putting out the word early, about a bridge replacement project slated to begin in March along Lark Avenue. Jensen says beginning the week of March 13th, contract crews will begin replacing a bridge in the 1900 block of Lark Ave. The closure will be in effect until sometime this June.

Lark Avenue will be closing just south of Audubon County Road F-32 while contractors replace a bridge located in Leroy Township, section 24. Construction, which again starts March 13th, is expected to last about 65 working days.

Residents and emergency responders should plan for alternative routes in order to reach properties in the affected area. If you have any questions, please call the Audubon County Engineer’s Office at 712-563-4286.

click on the image to enlarge

Three people were arrested, one escaped apprehension, and an elderly male was injured, all following a pursuit in Pottawattamie County, Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say at around 10:20-a.m., Council Bluffs Police assisted the Carter Lake Police Department and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department in the apprehension of a vehicle pursuit suspect.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputies and Carter Lake Police initiated a vehicle stop on a black Dodge Stratus with stolen plates in Carter Lake. The vehicle failed to yield and fled to Omaha and then across the I-480 bridge into Council Bluffs and to the area of Northgate Apartments at 1222 N. 31st St. Officers and Deputies located one of two suspects, 24-year old Lathen Bills, of Council Bluffs, while he was running from the area. Bills was taken into custody approximately two blocks from the suspect vehicle. He was charged with Eluding a Police Officer and taken to Pottawattamie County Corrections. Additional charges are pending completion of investigations by the Carter Lake P-D and Pott. County Sheriff’s  Department.

The second suspect, described as a Hispanic male fled from the scene as well. Authorities were unable to locate or identify the second suspect. Officials say that while running away from the scene, Bills was allegedly involved in a confrontation with an elderly gentleman. It’s believed Bills struck the elderly victim in the face causing significant facial injuries and a possible concussion. The victim was taken to the hospital for examination. Bills was charged with Willful injury for the assault.

While at the scene, an officer observed a white Honda Civic traveling at a high rate of speed. The vehicle pulled into the general area where officers were searching, parked and two females exited the vehicle. The officer approached the vehicle and ran the license plate finding that the vehicle had been reported stolen out of Omaha.

Two women fled from the vehicle, but they were eventually located in the Featherstone Apartment Complex. An investigation determined the stolen vehicle was not related to the initial pursuit by Carter Lake Police. The driver of the stolen vehicle, 32-year old Jherri Stabler, of Omaha, was arrested for Theft 2nd and eluding. The passenger in the vehicle, 23-year old Hope Walking Bull, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for eluding and possession of weapons, after she was found to be in possession of brass knuckles.

Several dozen people turned up at the Iowa Capitol to watch lawmakers debate a bill that would limit how public workers can negotiate their working conditions. Public galleries in the GOP-controlled Senate were nearly full by 6 p.m. Tuesday as lawmakers discussed details of a bill that would cut mandatory collective bargaining rights for public sector employees like teachers, nurses and correctional officers. Lawmakers in the Senate began debating the bill around 4 p.m.

Democrats in the Iowa Legislature have introduced dozens of proposed changes to a GOP-backed bill that would cut most collective bargaining rights for public sector employees in the state. Lawmakers filed more than 70 amendments in the Republican-majority House ahead of scheduled debate Tuesday. More than a dozen amendments were filed in the GOP-controlled Senate before debate in that chamber.

The process of reviewing all the proposed changes could take hours. It’s unclear when formal votes will take place. Republican lawmakers announced Tuesday afternoon they would also make some changes to the bill. Democrats say even with those changes, the legislation would gut the state’s collective bargaining law.

A juvenile female who ran away from the Clarinda Academy Tuesday afternoon, was apprehended less than  one-half hour after she was reported missing, not far away from the Academy campus. The Clarinda Academy is a residential foster care facility that provides residential treatment to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth from several states.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer said Tuesday, that the Sheriff’s Office was notified the Native American female was missing at around 2:34-p.m. She had been missing for an hour prior to the facility notifying Law Enforcement.

Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of the area to the west of P Avenue on 190th Street after receiving a phone call a little after 2:30-p.m. from an observant citizen.  Just before 3-p.m., personnel from the Sheriff’s Office located the juvenile on 190th Street approximately .4 mile west of N Avenue, or about 4.5 miles from the Clarinda Academy grounds.  She was apprehended without incident and transported back to the Clarinda Academy where she was turned over to Academy staff.

The run-a-way report was taken by the Clarinda Police Department.  The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Clarinda Police Department and observant citizens of rural Page County.

The Harlan Police Department reports two people were arrested after officers were called to a disturbance at 2104 Lincoln Avenue, Monday. 35-year old Kristina Namanny and 19-year old Justin Dickinson, both of Harlan, were taken into custody and transported to the Shelby County Jail where Dickinson was charged with domestic abuse assault with strangulation. Namanny was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and prohibited acts penalties.

Last Friday, 26-year old Chasta Keys, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Keys was taken to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with driving under suspension and operating a non-registered vehicle. Keys was previously arrested Feb. 2nd as well, on an active warrant out of Council Bluffs. On that date, she was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was also charged with driving under suspension and cited for operation of a motor vehicle without registration.

On Feb. 5th, 44-year old Larry Lange, of Harlan, was taken into custody when officers were called to an unconscious male in 1400 block of 7th Street. Lange was taken by ambulance to Myrtue Medical Center where he was cleared to be taken to the Shelby County Jail. Lange was charged with intoxication in public and disorderly conduct.

And, on January 29th, Harlan Police were called to the scene of an assault that took place in the 500 block of Main Street. As a result of the investigation a complaint was filed with the Shelby County Clerk of Court charging 38-year old Jason Anderson, of Walnut, with assault for allegedly striking Judden Flanery.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – An audit is questioning whether Iowa State University President Steven Leath violated policy by storing and transporting firearms in campus housing and airplanes without written approvals. A Board of Regents report says ISU has no documentation that Leath applied for and received waivers required to bring guns on school property. Leath stores firearms at the president’s mansion, the Knoll, and has brought them on university planes to hunt during fundraising trips.

University policy bans weapons, without advanced approvals for storage and transportation. The report says Leath received verbal approval to store weapons at the Knoll following a campus police inspection.

ISU says Leath believed that approval also applied to transportation and that documentation likely existed but couldn’t be found due to administrators’ retirements. Leath’s obtaining a new waiver. The audit came after the Bleeding Heartland blog reported in November that Leath’s hunting trips likely violated the weapons policy.

Iowa State University expects to lose tens of thousands of dollars unloading an airplane it purchased 2 1/2 years ago for his President Steven Leath’s travel. A notice seeking a broker to handle the sale says Iowa State will likely list the 2011 Cirrus between $429,000 and $480,000, and is willing to negotiate to have it sold within 90 days.

That range is less than what a university statement called the “exceptional price” of $498,000 it paid in 2014 – before the broker gets paid a likely five-figure fee. Such depreciation wouldn’t be unusual. But Leath told reporters in December that he expected to make money or break even on the planned sale, announced the day an audit found he used it for a mix of official and personal business.