As winter weather approaches, one of the last things Iowa motorists want to hear is the whup-whup-whup of a flat tire on their vehicle. A new study finds more than a third of all new cars being sold don’t come equipped with spare tires. Gail Weinholzer, spokeswoman for Triple-A-Iowa, says if you’ve bought a new car in the past few years, you’d better pop the trunk and see what you have.

“The first thing drivers need to do is determine what type of situation they have with a new vehicle,” Weinholzer says. “Do they have a spare tire and if so, is it properly inflated? Do they have a run-flat tire which will allow them to drive up to 50 miles before they need to address the situation. Or, do they have a tire inflator kit which is very effective but is for very limited uses.”

In 2006, only five-percent of new cars did -not- come equipped with a spare tire, but in the 2015 models, 36-percent are now only equipped with run-flat tires or inflator kits — no spares. Automakers are likely trying to save on expenses, cut weight, add trunk space and boost fuel economy with the move, but Weinholzer says eliminating spare tires could leave Iowans stuck on the roadside.

“It’s important that drivers know the situation with their vehicle and understand that they may need a tow, and that they may not be able to change the tire, obviously, if they don’t have a spare,” Weinholzer says. “One other thing to keep in mind, some of these tire inflator kits can cost up to $300 per use and only have a shelf life of four to eight years.” A Triple-A survey finds many young people may have to call up a YouTube video on their smartphones if they end up with a flat.

“The older the driver, the more likely they are to know how to change a tire,” Weinholzer says. “Ninety percent of drivers between the ages of 35 and 54 know how to change a tire, however, only one in five of the millennials, people aged 18 to 34, actually know how to change the tire.” The study also found 97-percent of men claim they know how to do the job versus 68-percent of women.

(Radio Iowa)

A woman from Minden was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital Wednesday evening, following an accident just off Exit 57 from Interstate 80. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified about a vehicle in the east ditch off the I-80 exit ramp, at around 6:25-p.m.  A 2008 Nissan Sentra owned and driven by 51-year old Mary Kathleen Waltz, of Minden,  was southbound on Olive Street when Waltz lost control of the car, which struck a sign and came to rest in the ditch.

Waltz was transported to CCMH by Medivac ambulance. Scanner reports at the time indicated a medical issue may have contributed to the accident. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $3,500.

Police in Red Oak are asking for your help in solving a theft. Officials say A Red Oak woman reported Tuesday that an I-Phone had been stolen from her son while he was at the Red Oak High School. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Red Oak Police at 712-623-6500.

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley told veterans during a ceremony in Des Moines Wednesday that more work needs to be done to correct the problems with long waits at Veterans Administration hospitals across the country. Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, says Congress did pass legislation to make improvements. “The Choice Program, that was created on August the second 2014 in that legislation, has been implemented in a way that makes it less helpful than was intended to the veterans who deserve the care,” Grassley says. Grassley says lawmakers have worked to improve things.

“Congress has stepped in to fix some of the shortcomings, but I am sorry to say more needs to be done,” Grassley explains. “I’m supporting legislation to clarify the intent of Congress that veterans should not have to drive more than 40 miles to take the care that they need. There is more that the V-A can do to make itself more user friendly.” He says it takes some time to make changes in such a large organization.

“I’ll bet 99 percent of the people who work for the V-A are good people, well intended. It’s just like in Congress — you can have one person do something wrong and it hurts the whole 534 members of Congress. You can have the same thing in any bureaucracy in government or any church or organization,” according to Grassley. Grassley says he spoke with the head of the V-A, the he says he needs more tools to deal with the problem people involved in the long waits.

“So, I’m supporting legislation that will give the secretary those tools. I’m also working with another senator to ensure that whistleblowers in the V-A are not retaliated against,” Grassley says. “Because if they had been listened to a long time before it became public, we wouldn’t have had the problems that we had.” Grassley made his comments at the annual state Veterans Day ceremony.

(Radio Iowa)