After a long, cold winter and a wet, chilly spring, many Iowans are eagerly making plans for the first getaway of the summer season. Gail Weinholzer, at Triple-A-Iowa, says the motor club is forecasting an upturn in the number of Memorial Day travelers nationwide, compared to last year. She says almost nine out of ten vacationers will be on the road. “We expect an increase in personal automobiles as well as air travel,” Weinholzer says. “Eighty-eight percent of all travelers or about 31.8-million Americans will travel by personal automobile. In addition, air travel’s expected to increase 2.4% to about 2.6-million leisure travelers.”

With so many travelers driving over the upcoming holiday weekend, Weinholzer says they’ll be pleased to discover gasoline prices are down from last year. “In Iowa today, the average is $3.46,” Weinholzer says. “Not only is that 19-cents lower than the national average, which is $3.65, but it’s also 30-cents lower than a year ago on this date when Iowans were paying an average of $3.76.”

On the flip side, she says travelers this Memorial Day weekend will encounter slightly higher prices with airfares six-percent higher than last year, mid-range hotels are up two-percent and car rentals cost one-percent more.

(Radio Iowa)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested last week. On Tuesday, 54-year old George Leo Fraissinet, Jr., of Hamburg, was arrested for: Possession with the intent to deliver, Methamphetamine; Possession of Marijuana/1st offense; Unlawful possession of Prescription drugs, and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

That same day, 33-year old Donovan Edward Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. And, last Wednesday, 26-year old Christopher James Wyland, of Hamburg, was arrested on a Fremont County warrant stemming from an original charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

In an update to our earlier story, the Iowa State Patrol says two motorcyclists were injured during an accident that happened late Sunday morning on Interstate 80, near the Shelby Exit. Officials say 67-year old Donald Dirks and 68-year old Sharon Dirks, both of Omaha, were transported to hospitals in Omaha and Council Bluffs following the crash, which happened at around 10-a.m, Sunday.

The Patrol says a 2013 Victory motorcycle driven by Sharon Dirks and a 2007 Harley Davidson cycle driven by Donald Dirks, were traveling eastbound on I-80 near the 36.1-mile marker, when for reasons unknown,  Donald Dirks’ cycle went out of control and entered the median before flipping end over end several times.

Sharon Dirks was following Donald’s cycle. The Patrol says she panicked and applied the brakes while attempting to stop on the north shoulder of the road. The quick action caused her cycle to go out of control and crash into the median, where it came to rest on its side. Sharon Dirks was transported by Avoca Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. Donald Dirks was flown by LifeNet Helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha.

A report on their conditions is not available.