The Iowa State Patrol reports a Glenwood man was seriously injured during a motorcycle crash Tuesday evening in Mills County. 51-year old Eric Harris, of Glenwood, was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, following the crash which occurred on the on-ramp to Interstate 29 northbound, off of Highway 34.

The Patrol says Harris was traveling to fast too make the curve. The 2007 Harley Davidson he was riding went out of control and entered the west ditch, where it fell onto its right side and slid into some fence posts before entering standing water in the ditch.

The accident happened at around 6:30-p.m., Tuesday.

DETROIT (AP) – Chrysler is recalling more than 242,000 Ram pickup trucks because of a problem in the steering system. The recall affects certain Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2008 to 2011 model years. The Ram is Chrysler’s best-selling vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that a part near the left wheel can fracture and cause loss of steering control, leading to crashes. The problem happens mainly at low speeds when drivers are making tight turns. Chrysler says only a few minor crashes and one minor injury have been reported.

The problem also can affect 2003 to 2008 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty models in which the same part was replaced by mechanics. Chrysler dealers will inspect the trucks and fix the defect for free if necessary.

The American Red Cross is asking you to roll-up your sleeve and give blood…the gift of life. Midwest Region Red Cross spokesperson April Oppliger, says blood donations were way down in May and June not only locally, but across the country. She says during those months, the American Red Cross saw 6 percent fewer donors than during the same period in past years.

April donations in the Midwest Region of the American Red Cross weren’t down as far as in other parts of the country, and the area is a little better off, because there is a dedicated corps of donors. She says the thing to remember is that the blood inventory is a national issue. The Midwest Region serves more than 80 hospitals in Nebraska, southwest Iowa and parts of Kansas and Colorado.

Oppliger says blood-donation numbers typically dip everywhere in the summer, because schools are out, and people are on vacation or enjoying other activities. This summer’s Missouri River flooding also has caused some complications for the Red Cross, because their blood mobiles couldn’t get to some of the places where they would normally would hold blood drives.

She says the need for blood knows no end. Every two seconds, someone in America needs a blood transfusion. That adds up to 5 million patients every year. The Red Cross must recruit enough donors each day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients, people undergoing surgery, children with blood disorders and others. That amounts to more than 22,000 blood donations each weekday and about 15,000 each weekend. Yet less than 38 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood.

Oppliger said that if the downward trend in donor numbers continues, they‘re going to be in a bad situation.” Eligible blood donors are asked to call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit www.redcrossblood.org to find a blood drive and make an appointment.

The Red Cross Blood Mobile will be: in Atlantic Thursday, July 21^st, from Noon until 6-p.m., at the Catholic Parish Center; in Avoca on July 30^th, from 8:30-a.m. to 1:30-p.m. at the American Legion Building; On August 10th, at Mahle components in Atlantic, from Noon to 4-p.m.; and in Harlan on August 11^th, from 8am-2pm, at Myrtue Medical Center.

A Council Bluffs man is expected to appear in court later this month for sentencing, in connection with the alcohol-related death of a Harlan teen. 27-year old Dustin Thomas pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of supplying alcohol to an underage person.

Thomas had been accused of supplying booze to minors at a party in Harlan last October, that lead to the death of 17-year old Julio Caceres. Caceres died at an Omaha hospital on October 11^th, after he was found unconscious at a home in Harlan. Thomas admitted to investigators he brought a bottle of whiskey Caceres consumed, to the party.

He was arrested in February, following an investigation conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and faces up to 5 years in prison. He remains free on $5000 bond until he‘s sentenced in Shelby County District Court, on July 29^th.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Iowa State Patrol reports a Lake City woman died and two passengers in her vehicle were injured, during a rollover accident early Monday morning in Carroll County. 19-year old Janelle Marie Woods died when she was ejected from the 1999 Ford Expedition she was driving, as it rolled several times in a high speed crash. The Patrol says she was wearing her seatbelt.

Officials say the SUV was westbound on 170^th Street at around 12:34-a.m. Monday, and traveling at a high rate of speed, when the vehicle went off onto the right shoulder of the road. When Woods steered hard to the left, the Expedition went out of control and rolled over. Woods died from her injuries.

The passengers in her vehicle, 28-year old Roger Hickerson, and 27-year old Ashley Hahn, were injured. The Patrol’s report didn’t indicate where they were from. Hickerson was also ejected, and suffered serious, incapacitating injuries. He was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. A report on his condition was not available. Hickerson was not wearing a seatbelt. Hahn was also not wearing a seatbelt. She suffered serious, non-incapacitating injuries, and was transported by ambulance to the Carroll Hospital.

Officials at the hospital administered a blood test on Woods to test for alcohol or drugs, but the results of those tests are not yet available. The SUV sustained $8,000 damage during the crash.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic School Board Tuesday, adopted a resolution directing the sale of 7.66-million dollars in school infrastructure, sales, services and use tax bonds, series 2012.

Hutchinson-Shockey-Erley & Company of Chicago, IL, was the winning bidder for the marketing of the bonds.

HSE had the lowest interest rate of 3.74%, which was about one-half percent lower than what was expected when the district began to look at financing earlier this Spring. Piper Jaffrey’s Travis Squires said that will save the district about $500,000 in interest. The bonds will be used to finance construction and renovation at the Atlantic Middle School.

Squires said there were four bidders for the bonds. In addition to the Illinois firm, the other three were located in Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York. All of the bids were received electronically, through a parity on-line bidding system, which is common practice these days.

Squires had some good news for the board Tuesday night. He said during past month, the company finalized the rating cull for the Standard and Poor’s rating agency. He says the Atlantic Community School District received an “A-plus” bond rating, which, he says, is “very good.”

He says that’s based essentially on the fact the district’s enrollment is fairly stable, and because it has sufficient bond coverage on the existing debt. Squires says the district has almost double the amount of revenues needed to make the bond payments.

High Trestle trail

Spener Michael Sisco

Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the vandalism of a popular new tourist attraction in central Iowa. People have been stealing the expensive L-E-D lights installed on the High Trestle Trail Bridge near Madrid. Sergeant Kenny Kendall, with the Boone County Sheriff’s office, says tips from the public this week led them to 22-year-old Spencer Sisco of Boone.

Sisco admitted taking four of the lights. He’s facing charges of theft and criminal mischief. Kendall says Sisco hasn’t been the only one swiping the lights.
“They cost $420 a piece…I guess it was just kind of a novel thing for him to try and do. We’ve got about 15 of those lights now missing,” Kendall said. Other lights on the bridge have been damaged.

“It’s just one of those things – you have something nice and people don’t respect it,” Kendall said. The High Trestle Bridge opened in late April. It’s a 13 story high, half-mile long structure that spans the Des Moines River. The bridge is part of a $15 million bike trail that runs from Ankeny to Woodward and passes through Slater, Sheldahl and Madrid. Kendall says plans are being made to increase security on the bridge.

“Our office does regularly patrol the area and we’re working with the Boone County Conservation Board in an effort to get some security cameras installed,” Kendall said. “But, unfortunately there again, we have to make sure the cameras aren’t in such a place as they can be vandalized.” The entire 25 mile long bike trail, including the bridge, follows a former railroad line once owned by Union Pacific.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Three school districts in Iowa are set to receive federal funding for safe rooms in the event of a tornado.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency says it has approved nearly $3.3 million in funding for projects in Creston, Lenox and West Des Moines over the past three months.

The safe rooms will be designed to withstand winds of 250 miles per hour. They typically shelter an entire building’s population and are often used as gyms, cafeterias and libraries on a daily basis.