DES MOINES, Iowa – For the second consecutive year, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau and Iowa State Patrol collaborated at the Iowa State Fair to survey attendees on cell phone use while driving. The survey, conducted with over 1,300 Iowans from nearly every county, revealed significant concerns about distracted driving. Despite half of respondents admitting to at least sometimes driving with a cell phone in hand, over 90% say the behavior is extremely dangerous.

Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Alex Dinkla says “Law enforcement already know cell phone use behind the wheel is dangerous, it’s affirming to hear Iowa drivers feel the same. It’s frustrating that despite the perceived danger, so many drivers admit to doing it.”

In March, a report by Cambridge Mobile Telematics, “The State of US Road Risk in 2024”, projected a modest 10% reduction in distracted driving in Iowa would prevent 1,263 crashes, 708 injuries, 6 deaths, and save over $50 million in economic damage. Almost 85% of Iowans surveyed support legislation mandating hands-free phone use. Despite repeated attempts since 2019, proposed bills for hands-free driving legislation have failed in the Iowa Legislature.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce death and injury on Iowa roads using federally funded grants.

(Radio Iowa) – The northwest Iowa town of Graettinger claims to have the state’s oldest Labor Day celebration, and another edition starts this (Friday) afternoon and runs through Monday night. Event co-chair Phillip Schmidt says the tradition had humble beginnings 127 years ago as a one-day event in a pasture with a tent and a traveling carnival. Schmidt says it’s grown to three-and-a-half days, now, with events including a golf tournament, a Miss Graettinger pageant, a truck and tractor pull, a large bake sale, and something called Cow Pie Bingo, where you pick a square on a field where a bovine may leave its mark.

See the full rundown of this weekend’s events at the Graettinger Labor Day Facebook page.

The final holiday of summer is here and those who plan to fly are expected to once again see big crowds at the airport.

(Radio Iowa) – Jessica Mayle with the TSA in Des Moines says the day before Thanksgiving is usually considered the biggest travel day of the year, but not this year. “‘This is just an incredibly busy time across the country. If you look at the top ten busiest days in the history of the TSA, they have all happened since May of 2024,” she says.

Mayle says getting to the airport two hours ahead of time is important. “Even an airport like Des Moines where, you know, or Cedar Rapids, any of our airports in Iowa, you know, we don’t see wait time issues there, but two hours is such a good rule of thumb, because it just gives you a little bit of a buffer,” Mayles says. “You do make a mistake. You do have something that you don’t mean to have. You need to run it back in your car. You need to check your bag. It just gives you a little bit of extra time.”

She says it begins with packing. “Start with an empty bag. Make sure you’re only putting the items in that you need to have, that you want to bring on this trip, and then check our website if you have any questions, do that research. That way you’re not caught off guard at the checkpoint,” she says.

Denver Airport. (Radio Iowa photo)

Mayle says some preparation can make the lines move faster for everyone. “It’s really not about, you know, expecting anyone to be perfect all the time. It’s just, what can you do to minimize those issues? Because, again, it’s just 30 seconds for you, 25 seconds for the next person. It just adds up when it goes back to back,” Mayle says.

She says you can find out all you need to know on the TSA website.

(Radio Iowa) – Thousands of people and at least 80 aircraft are expected at the Clarinda airport on Saturday for what’s known as Fly Iowa 2024. It’s the southwest Iowa community’s first time hosting the event in nearly two decades. Co-chair Steve Mowery says the big air show has been two years in the making. “The whole town is involved, from financial institutions,” Mowery says, “and of course our EMS, police and fire departments.” Plenty of pyrotechnics are promised for the air show, between 2 and 4:30 P-M Saturday, and Mowery says the climax will be a re-creation of a World War Two air battle, featuring some classic warbirds.

“We have a B-25 bomber of Jimmy Dolittle fame,” Mowery says. “We’ll have two P-51s, arguably the war’s best fighters, and also, we have pyrotechnics. There’s 400 gallons of fuel that we’ll blow up with dynamite. Spectacular.” There will also be what are described as high-energy aerobatic performers, and a micro-jet similar to one used in a James Bond movie. Prior to the air show, Mowery says there will be plenty of family fun activities.

“Several bounce houses, a rock climbing wall. NASA has donated aircraft for the event, so there’s going to be all kinds of aviation-specific things for the kids,” Mowery says. “Face painting, a railroad is coming, all kinds of food trucks.”

Admission to the air show is free, and spectators are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Fly Iowa is a nonprofit statewide aviation fair organized by the Iowa Aviation Promotion Group.

DENVER (KDVR) – “Big Boy,” one of the world’s largest trains, took-off Wednesday from  Denver, Colorado, and plans to stop in 10 states while on tour. It’s stops include the Union Pacific Museum in Council Bluffs, where four lucky winners of an auction that took place August 12th, will ride in the cab on September 4th, during Big Boy’s planned Heartland of America tour. The train will then make it’s way to Carroll and Boone before heading to points eastward.

The history of Big Boy started with 25 trains, each of which were 132 feet long and 1.2 million pounds. The company said all are now out of service or on display, except for one: Big Boy No. 4014.

It originally ran in 1941 and retired after 20 years and over 1 million miles. However, after a lengthy restoration, the Union Pacific Railroad says the train is now the world’s largest operating steam locomotive and is hitting the rails again.The tour runs for eight weeks.

You can see all the scheduled stops and viewing opportunities at the Union Pacific Railroad’s website. Some of them are longer display visits – planned for Rochelle, Illinois; Houston; and Fort Worth, Texas – and dozens more are short “whistle stops” or viewing opportunities. They’ve also set up a live tracker so you can watch it move across the country on tour.

OMAHA, Neb. — [KETV] – Dozens are facing charges in hundreds of pharmacy thefts across the nation, including several in rural areas of Nebraska and Iowa. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Omaha division says a Houston-based organization has been linked to more than 200 pharmacy break-ins across 31 states in 2022 and 2023. They stole an estimated $12 million worth of controlled substances. Officials said 42 individuals, all from Houston, Texas’s Fifth Ward, have been indicted in the Eastern District of Arkansas. Five of which are linked to thefts in western Nebraska and western Iowa.

The DEA Omaha division said the crimes first began in Arkansas and quickly became a trend across multiple states. The administration said they have been part of a joint investigation for 21 months. Officials said the main drugs stolen include hydrocodone, oxycodone, morphine, Adderall, Xanax and promethazine with codeine. All of the drugs stolen were taken back to Houston and resold.

The DEA Omaha division said since 2022 there have been a total 17 pharmacy break-ins in Nebraska and 11 in Iowa, and some of those are linked to the Houston organization.

Officials want to remind everyone to never take or purchase any medications that are not prescribed to you by a medical professional and filled by a pharmacy.

CLIVE, Iowa — [KCCI] – A multi-million dollar renovation project is set to begin on Interstate 35-80 near Hickman Road in Clive. The Iowa Department of Transportation plans to widen I-35-80 to four lanes and rebuild the Hickman interchange.

Starting this week, drivers on I-35-80 will notice lane shifts, new lane markers, and barrier walls to make space for the addition of a fourth lane between University and Douglas avenues, both north and southbound. The $87 million first phase will span about two years. Following this, the Hickman Road intersection will be completely rebuilt to feature a modern, diverging diamond design to ease traffic flow on and off the interstate.

During construction, many interstate ramps will close periodically, requiring drivers’ patience. The project is slated to be completed by 2028.