IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration says 3,200 union workers are expected to be reimbursed for years of meal expenses that were improperly cut. After lengthy negotiations with the state’s largest union, the Department of Administrative Services agreed last week to refund meal reimbursements that were cut in August 2011.

A department spokesman tells The Associated Press that the deal with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is expected to cost nearly $1.5 million. The state has already reimbursed members of two other unions nearly $250,000 under prior settlements.

AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said Friday that checks might go out in February after the reimbursements are calculated. Homan says employees who traveled every day – such as motor vehicle enforcement officers – might receive $2,500 or more.

Democrats and Republican voters in Cass County will have a chance to meet with candidates for office or party representatives, in the coming days. On Saturday (Oct. 25th), Republican Representative Jack Drake, of Griswold, and Tom Shipley, State Senate candidate for District 11, from Nodaway, will hold a meet and greet with voters at 9 a.m. at the Heritage House, in Atlantic.

Shipley is running against fellow Republican Art Hill, of Council Bluffs, for the State Senate’s 11th District that covers all of Adams and Union Counties, a good portion of Cass County, and most of Pottawattamie County. The men are competing for the seat being left vacant by Hubert Houser, who is not running for re-election. Drake is running for re-election in House District 21, which encompasses parts of Cass, and Pottawattamie Counties, as well as all of Adams and Union Counties.

And on Monday (Oct. 27th), Troy Price, the Executive Director of the Iowa Democratic Party, will be at the Cass County Democratic Headquarters (at 511 Chestnut) in Atlantic at 9-a.m. Price will meet with local Democrats and Democratic volunteers, and talk about the current election.

Both events are open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

A lot of auto dealerships across the state are fielding calls from concerned car owners. That’s after federal officials have increased a recall to a total of 7.8 million vehicles equipped with Takata brand airbags. Dave Wright, of Dave Wright Auto in Cedar Rapids, told KCRG-TV that his receptionists are keeping busy on the phone. “We’ve experienced several calls each day from customers with questions about how to handle the recall,” Wright said.

The recall involves cars of many makes and models, manufactured from 2000 to 2008. Three million additional vehicles are being recall than previously announced. Safety experts said the airbag can explode, shooting shrapnel into the faces of the people in the car. Now, dealerships are watching and waiting for updates, especially with the growth of that list of cars involved.  “Nissan acknowledged it a year ago and have repaired or at least had the campaign so customers had the opportunity to come in as much as a year ago and have their airbags replaced,” Wright said.

Auto companies send out a letters to everyone impacted with instructions on what to do. If your car is on that list of recalls, it’s also important to remember that it does not typically include every single car made during that time frame. “If you provide your (vehicle identification number), we’ll run it, and we will be able to tell you if you are in there and if you need the part replaced,” Wright said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the airbags are more of an urgent issue in places of high humidity and temperatures. So, it is especially urging people in warm-weather states to see that the problem is fixed quickly.

(KCRG-TV/Cedar Rapids via Radio Iowa)

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Police in Creston report the arrest this (Friday) morning of 50-year old Ronald Griffin II, of Creston. Griffin was taken into custody at around 12:18-a.m. on charges that include Disorderly Conduct, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Discharge of Weapon within City Limits and Trespass. He was being held in the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, 40-year old Curtis Bunnell, of Creston, was arrested at around 8:20-p.m. Thursday, on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree. Bunnell was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 bond.

An attraction in Shelby County has been awarded the Iowa Tourism Office and Travel Federation of Iowa’s “Outstanding Attraction” award in the rural division. The award was presented to the Danish Windmill Thursday evening during the 2014 Iowa Tourism Conference at the Mid-America Center, in Council Bluffs.

Danish Windmill Mgr. Lisa Steen-Riggs (center) is presented with an award Thursday in Council Bluffs.

Iowa Tourism Office Manager, Shawna Lode said “The tourism conference gives us the opportunity to annually recognize the best of the best in our industry. All nominations are reviewed and scored by industry members, people who know and appreciate tourism in Iowa.”

Danish Windmill Manager Lisa Steen-Riggs was on-hand to receive the award. Steen-Riggs, who is also President of the Travel Federation of Iowa, said “The Iowa tourism industry is full of hard-working, dedicated and passionate individuals. These awards recognize their contribution to Iowa’s tourism economy.”

In other award categories, the “Outstanding Niche Marketing Initiative” in the rural division was presented to Living Loess, western Iowa. And, The Council Bluffs Convention and Visitor’s Bureau received the “Outstanding Website” award, in the Metro Division.

The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together more than 250 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends.

Tourism in Iowa generates more than $7.75 billion in expenditures, employs 65,400 people statewide and generates $353.9 million in state taxes. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. For more information, visit traveliowa.com, call 800.345.IOWA or stop at any Iowa Welcome Center.

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The owner of a medical waste company says it was an improperly secured truck door that sent hundreds of confidential medical records onto an Omaha street. Cellphone video taken Wednesday by Omaha business owner Jason Bucsis shows thousands of pages blowing on and around a southwest Omaha street. Bucsis says a back door of a Medi-Waste Disposal truck was open as it traveled, sending boxes of records into the street.

Omaha television station KETV reports that good Samaritans scrambled to try to help the driver recover the records, even reaching into sewers to grab papers. Medi-Waste Disposal owner Ryan Funk says he believes most of the records were recovered. He says new policies will be put in place to try to keep such an accident from happening again.

A traffic stop early this (Friday) morning in Montgomery County has resulted in an arrest. 31-year old Jason Leon Latham, of Grant, was taken into custody at around 12:50-a.m. following a traffic stop at 250th Street and Highway 71, near Villisca. Latham was charged with Driving While Suspended and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $566 bond.

A man and woman from Nebraska were arrested for Trespassing on Railroad Property Thursday. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 28-year old James Dean Miller and 21-year old Jessica Anne Lewis, both of Auburn, NE, were taken into custody following a foot pursuit that began when a sheriff’s deputy saw two persons walking on the railroad tracks near the area of Monroe and D Streets, in Hamburg.

The pair from Nebraska fled when the deputy attempted to make contact with them. Following their arrest, they were released on their own recognizance.