Iowa’s warm winter and early spring have farmers more ready than ever to get into the fields for spring planting, meaning Iowa motorists will soon be sharing the road with farm vehicles. The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging motorists and farm vehicle operators to exercise caution during the movement of slow-moving equipment on Iowa’s roadways. Data for 2011 shows a total of 198 crashes involved farm equipment. Those crashes resulted in seven fatalities, 15 major injuries, 46 minor injuries and 55 other possible injuries. Of the 198 crashes, 119 resulted only in property damage.

Tips for motorists

• Be alert and always watch for slow-moving vehicles, especially during planting and harvest seasons.
• Be patient and do not assume the equipment operator can move aside to let you pass. The shoulder may not be able to support a heavy farm vehicle.
• Slow down as soon as you see the triangular-shaped, red and fluorescent orange slow-moving vehicle emblem.

Tips for farm vehicle operators

• Make your intentions known when you are turning by using signal lights or the appropriate hand signal in advance of the turn.
• Drive slow-moving vehicles in the right-hand lane as close to the edge of the roadway as safely possible. Traveling partially on the shoulder may cause motorists to risk passing in a dangerous situation.
• Avoid encouraging or signaling motorists to pass. Pull over where it is safe, and let the traffic go by.
• Do not get trapped on the tracks; proceed through a highway-rail grade crossing only if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. Remember, the train extends 3 feet beyond the tracks on both sides.

A new non-profit group will be devoted to the famed Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail which cuts through Iowa and ten other states. The Lewis & Clark Trust is basing its national headquarters in Omaha. Spokeswoman Stephanie Ambrose-Tubbs says the organization’s mission is to help preserve and promote the historic 37-hundred mile trail. Ambrose-Tubbs says, “If we want it to remain sustained for future generations, we need to promote it, to teach it and to protect it.” One of the Trust’s primary goals will be to nail down funding for the eastern expansion of the trail, known as the Eastern Legacy. She says raising money will be coupled with raising awareness for the historic trail as the top priorities. 

“The Lewis and Clark Trust will focus a laser beam light on the trail through partnerships, educational programs and an outreach to the entire country and even beyond,” she says. Calling themselves the Corps of Discovery, the group led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took a two-year expedition from Illinois to what’s now the state of Washington. Their remarkable journey began in 1804 and is documented along what is now the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. Ambrose-Tubbs says the trail is an important part of American history and the story — and the trail — need to be preserved for future generations.  “So that students are continually learning the lessons of the expedition, the ones that it teaches us about teamwork, leadership and enlightenment science,” she says. The trail stretches from St. Louis, Missouri to Oregon.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

A liberal Super PAC that’s waging a national campaign against Tea Party members in Congress is now setting its sites on Iowa Congressman Steve King. Alec Johnson, director of the “Take Down King Campaign,” met with around 40 people over the weekend at the group’s newly opened headquarters in Ames. He says they’re targeting King because he voted against the Violence Against Women Act and was the only member of congress to vote against a resolution acknowledging that slaves built the White House.

“His views on women are positively stone age,” Johnson said. “Do his knuckles scrape along the ground when he walks? I mean, really, it’s frightening.” Johnson said they’re planning to make 300,000 phone calls and 10,000 door knocks by November. Members of the anti-Steve King campaign are not, however, endorsing his opponent in the November election. Susie Petra, of Ames, said she doesn’t believe Christie Vilsack, a Democrat, is the right person to represent Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District. “I’d like to see huge election reforms so that it’s not only wealthy people and their contacts that we have a choice in electing for our positions and right now, we can choose wealthy person A or wealthy person B, and to me that’s not representative government,” Petra said.

King for Congress communications director Jimmy Centers says the Super PAC consists of “outsiders who have an out-of-touch agenda that supports big government.”

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s office said today (Monday), no injuries were reported following two separate accidents last week.

On Thursday, a vehicle driven by Monica Johnson, of Thurman, was traveling westbound on Plum Creek Road, when it went out of control as Johnson was making a left turn. The 2010 Chevy ended-up in a drainage culvert. And, last Wednesday, a 2011 Chevy Silverado driven by Larry Inman, of Randolph, struck another vehicle, causing the car to spin into a ditch. The accident happened as Inman was traveling west on 180th Street, and attempting to cross Highway 275. The driver of the other vehicle was identified as Tara Christiansen, of Tabor.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past couple of weeks. Among them, was two St. Joseph, MO., residents, who were taken into custody April 23rd. 29-year old Sara Jean Farnsworth was arrested for Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, & 19-year old Scott Raymond Hanway, was arrested for being a person under legal age.

Sheriff’s officials report also, the arrested April 22nd of an Imogene man on drug charges. 23-year old Gail Gilbert Heywood, Jr., faces Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of drug paraphernalia, and improper registration charges. In addition, 44-year old Kathleen Mae Hale, of Shenandoah, was arrested April 21st, for Pharmacy Prohibited Acts.

And, on April 22nd, 58-year old Richard Ross Williams, of Weeping Water, NE, was arrested in Fremont County, on charges that include: OWI/1st offense; Assault on persons in certain occupations; and, two counts of Child Endangerment.

The lawyer for a former teacher with the Anita School District has entered a formal written plea of Not Guilty to charges his client sexually exploited a minor female over a period of 13-months. Attorney F. Montgomery Brown entered the plea for 65-year old William Glenn Foulkes, of Anita, on Friday, April 27^th. Foulkes was previously scheduled to appear in Cass County District Court for his arraignment hearing this (Monday) morning.

Foulkes, a former long-time Math teacher at the Anita High School, and Anita Elementary School, was arrested March 15^th on a felony warrant for Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee, and 49-Aggravated Misdemeanor counts of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee. If convicted on all of the charges, Foulkes could face a maximum time of 103 years in prison and fines of more than $300,000. Foulkes resigned from his teaching position in November 2010. He’s accused of engaging in sexual conduct on numerous occasions with a minor female while teaching the student in a math program from August 2009 until November 11, 2010.

Foulkes’ trial is set to take place July 10^th. He remains free on $50,000 bond, and was ordered not to have contact with his alleged victim.

(9-a.m. News)

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, today (Monday) announced that his campaign for re-election in Iowa’s 4^th Congressional District has over 550 county co-chairs. The organization covers all 39 counties making up the district. King’s organization reaches all 39 counties that make up Iowa’s 4^th Congressional District, including counties not previously represented by the Congressman from Kiron.

According to King’s campaign, his grassroots organization is believed to be one of the largest in Iowa’s history.  His campaign co-chairs include those located in: Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Harrison, Monona, Sac, and Shelby Counties.

Congressman Steve King is running for re-election in Iowa’s new 4th Congressional District, which does not include any counties south of Interstate 80. Those counties, along with Guthrie, Dallas and Polk, were included in the newly reorganized 3^rd Congressional District, following the results of the 2010 Census.

w/ Ric Hanson

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City bicyclist has been hospitalized after being hit and dragged by a pickup. Police say 31-year old William Kammerer was struck about 5 a.m. Sunday as he headed down West 6th Street on his bike. Officer say Kammerer became caught under the pickup and was dragged 150 feet.  Kammerer was run over by the truck as he got loose and dropped to the roadway. Police say his injuries included broken bones. The pickup was found later, and the driver was arrested. Police say 21-year old Fernando Garcia, of Sioux City, is accused of leaving the scene, failing to yield and not having insurance.

w/ Ric Hanson

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