The U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics preliminary report shows there were 90 fatal workplace injuries in Iowa in 2014, an increase of 18 from 2013. Bureau economist, Paul Laporte, says 32 fatal accidents involved transportation issues, the most in any category. He says transportation accidents were up by three, while there was also an increase for a category of in falls, trips or slips.There were 25 deaths in the falls, trips or slips category. Laporte says one of the key industries in the state had the most deaths.

“In Iowa, farming related occupations are still on top of the list. Construction and also, truck drivers as well,” Laporte says. The category of agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting had 28 deaths, up from 22 the previous year. Laporte says the construction industry saw an increase in deaths on the job. They experienced 12 workplace fatalities in 2013 and that edged up to 20 in 2014,” according to Laporte. He says many of the construction workplace deaths involved falls. Eighty-five of the 90 — or 94 percent — of those who died in workplace accidents in Iowa last year were men. Laporte says that is about the same percentage seen in the rest of the country.

“Women nationally accounted for eight percent of all fatal occupational injuries in 2014,” Laporte says. “So, nationwide, 92 percent of those who died on the job were men.” Iowa’s 90 workplace deaths are more than several of the surrounding states. “South Dakota 28, North Dakota dropped down to 38, and Nebraska was at 54. So, among some of the plains states Iowa did unfortunately experience the largest number of fatalities.”

The recent numbers for Iowa have ranged from a high of 110 in 1992 to a low of 54 in 1995. You can see more information on the workforce deaths at www.bls.gov/regions/midwest.

(Radio Iowa)

A new report (issued Thursday) shows Iowans rank 10th in the country when it comes to volunteering. In 2014, 33-percent of Iowa residents volunteered their time helping others. In total, nearly 808-thousand volunteers across the state gave over 69 million hours of service worth an estimated 1.6 billion dollars.

The data comes from the Volunteering and Civic Life in America report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service. In addition to volunteering, more than half of Iowa residents donated $25 or more to charity last year.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, A Republican from Red Oak, says stopping terrorist attacks like the one in California requires the Obama administration to come up with a comprehensive plan. “We have to address the root of this problem, why we have the refugees and why we have expanding terrorism with ISIS,” Ernst says. “And we have an administration that refuses to address this issue of terrorism and the spread of terrorism in the Middle East.” Ernst says the plan has to have one goal.

“We need to have a strategy that will completely, completely defeat ISIS. Not contain them, not degrade them, but defeat them,” Ernst says. She see several issues that need to be in the strategy. “Enhancing intelligence capabilities, that would be part of that, both here at home and abroad. Making sure that we do have a secure border, that would be very important, so again protecting Americans. “But then Congress needs to be engaged as well, we can’t completely rely in the administration. We need in Congress to debate the use of force in Syria We need to do that through an authorization of the use of military forces.”

Ernst says she does not support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to block Muslims from coming into the country. She says America has great relationships with Muslims and cites the work of U-S troops as an example. “In Kosovo you will probably see as many American flags flying as you will Kosovo national flags. They adore the United States of America. These are great partners for us,” according to Ernst. “So, I do not support or subscribe to the comments that were made about banning all Muslims, I don’t agree.” She says you can’t make blanket statements like that about one group of people.

“Especially when it comes to religion, so I think we need to focus on what the real problem is,” Ernst says. Ernst was asked if she should be sending a stronger message about Trump’s statement by endorsing one of the other Republican candidates for the Iowa Caucuses. She says she will keep with her pledge to not endorse a candidate, and says the number of people who have spoken out against Trump’s statements in the party in Iowa and across the country is pretty telling in itself.

Ernst has this advice for Iowans on the candidates. “What I encourage our constituents to do is really dig into policies. And we can’t just grab onto something that sounds very provocative out in the media — which is exactly what’s happening right now. We have to dig into policy and really understand how is it that we defeat terrorism? How is it that we keep Americans safe?,” Ernst says. Ernst made her comments during her weekly conference call with reporters.

(Radio Iowa)

(DES MOINES) – Iowa Department of Education Director Ryan Wise today (Thursday) announced the next group of school districts chosen to launch local teacher leadership plans through Iowa’s Teacher Leadership and Compensation System. Ninety-seven school districts have been added to the state system, bringing the total number of districts in the teacher leadership system to 295 (88 percent of Iowa districts).

Among the 97 newly accepted districts is:

Ar-We-Va; ; Bedford; Boyer Valley; Coon Rapids-Bayard; Corning; Denison; Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton; Griswold; IKM-Manning; Logan-Magnolia; Missouri Valley; Mount Ayr; Shenandoah; Sidney; South Page; Treynor; Tri-Center; Villisca; Walnut; West Harrison and Woodbine.

Director Wise said “This system is about supporting teachers to do their best work so that our students can do their best work. Students and schools today face higher expectations, and we must support the critical and complex work of teaching in order to improve instruction. We’re doing that through Iowa’s teacher leadership system, and it’s exciting that so many school districts share this commitment.”

Iowa’s teacher leadership system, which taps into the expertise of top teachers to improve classroom instruction and raise student achievement, is the centerpiece of Gov. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Reynolds’ landmark education reform package passed by the Legislature in 2013. It is the nation’s most comprehensive teacher leadership system. About 25 percent of Iowa teachers will be in leadership roles when the system is fully phased in.

As of this fall, all 336 Iowa school districts had applied to join the teacher leadership system. The 97 newly accepted districts will implement their teacher leadership plans in the 2016-17 school year. The remaining 40 school districts will have an opportunity to refine and re-submit their plans for approval in the next two months.

School districts are chosen for the system based on recommendations of the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation, which evaluates applications. The teacher leadership system cost nearly $50 million in fiscal year 2015. That amount is expected to grow to about $150 million annually by fiscal year 2017, which would enable all districts to participate.

(Update 12:55-p.m.)

Authorities are on the scene of a plane crash off of Interstate 29 near the 58-mile marker, north of Council Bluffs. The Iowa DOT says the plane crashed into the median not far from Omaha’s Epply Airfield. All lanes of I-29 were blocked as of 12:45-p.m.

Video from the scene shows the plane is a small, single engine aircraft. There is no official word on injuries.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A panel of state budget experts has lowered Iowa revenue projections for the current fiscal year and next year. Citing falling farm income resulting from lower corn and soybean prices, the Revenue Estimating Conference on Thursday predicted the state will take in about $7.04 billion for the fiscal year that began July 1. That’s nearly $9 million less than the group’s estimate in October.

Department of Management director David Roederer says state economic growth is slowing after several years of faster growth, fueled by high commodity prices that caused rising farm incomes. For next year, the group says state revenue is likely to grow 4 percent to $7.33 billion. That’s about $21 million less than earlier projections.

The governor will use the numbers to craft the next state budget.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest today (Thursday), of 21-year old Joshua Udo Laubert. The Glenwood man was taken into custody at around 2-a.m., following a traffic stop on the Highway 34/Interstate 29 on-ramp. Laubert was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,300.

Arrested Wednesday evening in Mills County, was 20-year old Jacob Nicholas Thorne, of Sidney. Thorne was taken into custody at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Harassment in the 1st degree, and for being a Fugitive From Justice. He was being held without bond on the latter charge, while the Harassment charge carries a $2,000 bond.

And on Monday, deputies in Mills County arrested 25-year old Patrick Neil Jack, of Emerson, for Driving Under Suspension and having No SR-22 Insurance. His bond was set at $1,300.

Some Iowans may be rocking shorts and t-shirts this (Thursday) afternoon as they wash their cars or rake leaves, a rare treat for December. Forecasters are predicting unseasonably warm weather with possible new record high temperatures. Meteorologist Frank Boksa, at the National Weather Service, says parts of the state will see highs that are 20-to-25 degrees warmer than the norm. “Mainly southern Iowa is on tap for seeing some very warm temperatures, possibly record-breaking temperatures,” Boksa says. “We’re looking at highs near 60, mainly for locations south of Highway 30.”

Most of northern Iowa will see highs a bit cooler. For example, Mason City may reach 50 this afternoon, still not bad, considering the normal high is only 30. The Facebook page of the National Weather Service’s Des Moines bureau features “remember when” pictures from December 8th and 9th of a few years ago, when huge snowdrifts coated much of the state. “That was 2009 that we were advertising,” Boksa says. “That was a blizzard. It was an event that came through in about a 24- to 36-hour period and the Des Moines area had 15 inches of snow.”

While he refused to try and predict whether Iowa will have a “white Christmas,” Boksa did say the chances are rising for snow on the ground by December 25th, as a cold front will be rolling into the state in about a week’s time. Boksa says, “After seeing highs in the 50s and 60s, by next week, mid-to-late week, Thursday-Friday timeframe, we’re looking at highs in the mid-20s across the north and only around freezing for Des Moines and southern locations.”

The weather center at a television station in eastern Iowa is boasting a chart that claims northern Iowa has a 75-percent chance of a white Christmas, 50-percent for central Iowa, and about a 33-percent chance for the state’s southern third.

(Radio Iowa)

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Police in Ames are considering adding cameras along a street that experiences persistent issues with assaults and other crimes. The street is in the Campustown area, just south of the Iowa State University campus. Police say their chances of solving cases, like a recent attack that happened in February, would increase significantly if they had video evidence.

Authorities say the cameras would not be monitored 24 hours a day, but video footage would be looked at if a crime is reported. KCCI-TV reports that authorities recently went to the Campustown Action Association with the proposal. Police had proposed the idea in 2012, but the city council was not on board. The association is seeking input from the public about adding cameras through an online survey.