(DES MOINES) – Today, Governor Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have unveiled a new website for the State of Iowa enabling citizens, visitors, and businesses greater access to information and services.  Iowa’s new Web portal, available at www.iowa.gov, features a streamlined interface which can be accessed across multiple device platforms and web browsers, optimized search results with associated agency and service information, statistical information and graphs for quick interpretation of data, and dynamic content with social media feeds from Twitter and Facebook.

“The recent redesign of www.iowa.gov makes it easier than ever for Iowans to utilize multiple government services,” said Governor Branstad. “We use technology to transform how government communicates so citizens and businesses can access information anytime, anywhere.”

Lt. Gov. Reyolds added, “Our Administration has been committed to government transparency from the very beginning.  The new upgrade this website is another step in improving transparency in state government.”

www.iowa.gov is built on the Drupal platform, delivering the security, accessibility, and functionality key to eGovernment success. It was developed in cooperation with several key state agencies, focused on providing a streamlined interface for visitors using desktop computers or mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. In addition to the accessibility features, the dynamic content, presented in a quick and compliant-coded manner, ensures that the website is fully accessible to the broadest range of Web browsers.

The State’s Official Website is designed and maintained by Iowa Interactive at no cost to taxpayers through a public-private partnership with Iowa Interactive, LLC and the Iowa Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

A woman from Adair County complained of pain and possible injuries following a rollover accident Wednesday morning, in Union County. Sheriff’s officials say 55-year old Karmyn Watson, of Greenfield, was traveling north on Cherry Street (Union County Road P-33) at around 5-a.m., when she lost control of her 2004 Mazda MZ3, near Creston. The car entered the east ditch and rolled over, coming to rest on its wheels. Damage from the crash amounted to $9,000. No citations were issued.

We should be done with snow until fall now and Iowans are digging full-swing into their spring gardening and landscaping projects. Yindra Dixon, a master gardener with the U-S-D-A, says there are around 20 key invasive insects all Iowans should know on sight, bugs that could do serious damage to everything we’re planting. Dixon says if you spot one of them, let the experts know.

“Don’t worry about it being an infestation,” Dixon says. “If you see one bug, that’s enough to report. You can go directly to HungryPests.com, you can search by state or by pest, you can see the pest and what they look like at different growth stages and what types of symptoms they may exhibit on the affected plants.” Dixon works in the U-S-D-A’s APHIS division, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. She says it’s important if Iowans see a potentially-harmful insect, that they report it.

“There are definitely a lot of things at risk when we let these hungry pests just roam around the world,” Dixon says. “They spread without resistance, they damage our crops, plants and trees and they cause a serious threat to our economy and even to public health.” One of the biggest threats in Iowa is the emerald ash borer, which kills ash trees. It’s confirmed in at least 30 Iowa counties and millions of dollars are being spent to try and prevent its spread. There are several other pests on the agency’s most-wanted list.

“One of the most serious is the Asian longhorned beetle,” Dixon says. “It affects hardwoods and maple trees. It has a perfectly round, three-quarter inch exit hole and sometimes can be mistaken for someone shooting at a tree. The most important thing is, if you see these holes, you contact someone right away.” While butterflies like monarchs are valued creatures for the pollination process, several breeds of moths are considered serious pests, including the Asian and European gypsy moths.

“The way that we can stop the spread the best with the gypsy moth is by looking for gypsy moth egg masses,” Dixon says. “The egg masses tend to stick to walls, fences, outdoor furniture, grills, campers. We can scrape off those egg masses and drop them into soapy water in order to kill the eggs.” An agency report finds invasive species of insects can spread quickly and cost the nation 120-billion dollars a year. Learn all about the most invasive pests and the U-S-D-A website www.hungrypests.com.

(Radio Iowa)

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Police in Creston arrested a man Wednesday night on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation. 40-year old Jamie Scott Vandel, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 9:50-p.m. Wednesday and was being held without bond in the Union County Jail.

Trial for a Harrison County man charged in connection with a fatal crash on Interstate 80 in Cass County last year, is still set to begin next Tuesday (April 26th), in Atlantic. A pre-trial conference for 50-year old Paul Marshall, of Modale, was held Wednesday, during which the defense presented a motion to suppress certain evidence. Unless a plea is entered prior to, or at the beginning of his trial next week, jury selection will begin. Cass County Attorney Dave Wiederstein said Wednesday, the trial is likely to “optimistically” last about one or two days.

Marshall is charged with Vehicular Homicide by Operating Under the Influence, in connection with a crash that happened in May 2015 on I-80 near the 54-mile marker off-ramp, in Cass County. Authorities said Marshall was driving his pickup westbound in the eastbound lane when the vehicle collided with an eastbound car driven by University of Nebraska/Lincoln Women’s soccer coach Peter Underwood, of Lincoln, NE., who was traveling on a recruiting trip.

Marshall faces up to 25-years in prison if convicted.

Police in Red Oak arrested two people on separate charges Wednesday afternoon. At around 4:30-p.m., 28-year old Donnie Clark Patterson, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And, just before 5-p.m. Red Oak Police arrested 27-year old Sheah Louise Wilson, of Red Oak, on a warrant for Harassment in the 2nd Degree. Both subjects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 cash bond, each.

As more people look to have control over how their food is grown, many are planting gardens for the first time. Some are even turning their backyards into chicken coops. On a recent Thursday night at a Cedar Falls farm store, Cargill animal nutrition specialist Jodi Holmes was answering questions about raising the birds. “How much space do I need, how much feed will I go through, do I need a rooster to get eggs? Some of those basic questions, clear up to what temperature do I need to set the brooder at, so it can get pretty technical,” according toe Holmes.

Paul Keller and his family raise organic vegetables near Janesville. He says they spent a good deal of time doing research before deciding to add poultry to the mix. “We did a lot reading and a lot of videos and stuff like that. We just got our chicks and we’re setting up the hen house. We want to make sure we’re doing it right and don’t have any major mistakes,” Keller says. Animal specialist Holmes admits sometimes finding out what it takes to be a backyard farmer is enough to curb the enthusiasm.

“And I started telling her you need a brooder and a heat lamp and this for feed and this for water and she was instantly “it’s too much I’m out’ and you know- you are going to have people like that. That’s where the education part of these seminars comes in. Because if you get into and lose a whole batch of chicks, it’s frustrating and a lot people will never do it again,” Holmes says. Iowa had a costly brush with avian flu last spring which killed millions of the state’s chickens. Holmes says now there’s extra attention being placed on bio security.

“So making sure that they’re washing their hands and their tools, and not sharing between their farm and their neighbor’s farm,” Holmes explains, “quarantining new birds until they’re proven healthy to integrate with their existing flocks.” Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says while most of the bird flu was confined to large commercial flocks it would be foolish not to be vigilant about what’s going on in our backyard.

(Radio Iowa)

Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to make a five-MILLION dollar reduction in state support of Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies. Representative Ken Rizer, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, explained the plan during House debate.

“Administrators for these AEAs are extremely capable, highly educated and very well compensated,” Rizer says. “I think they have all the capability in the world to decide how to interpret this…Special ed is the top priority of all the services AEAs provide.” The Area Education Agencies help educate students with disabilities who require “special education” classes.

Representative Chris Hall, a Democrat from Sioux City, opposes the G-O-P budget plan. “That means that we’re talking about cuts to speech language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, psychologists, social workers, special education consultants and other experts who support autism, challenging behaviors and reading instruction.” School districts forward local property taxes to the Area Education Agencies based on a “per pupil” formula and the state provides additional taxpayer support.

Representative Patti Ruff, a Democrat from McGregor, suggests there will be staff layoffs soon as well as temporary closures at the Area Education Agencies this fall, due to the timing of when A-E-As get property tax payments. “Iowa’s future’s not going to be very bright if our children do not have the services that they need to be able to learn,” Ruff says, “and for some of our children those are services provided by our AEAs.”

In addition to “special education” services, A-E-As provide technology assistance, like paying the licensing fees on computer software that is used by all schools in the area. A-E-As also offer professional development for teachers. Rizer says the state has “sometimes” provided more and “sometimes” provided less to the A-E-As. “It’s actually been at this same level in the past and I was unaware that at that time that there were a high number of jobs that were lost,” Rizer says.

Rizer says legislators have limited resources and most of the “new” tax revenue coming into the state will be spent on the state’s K-through-12 schools.

(Radio Iowa)