DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has reconsidered its decision and has granted Iowa’s request for flood aid for five of six counties along the Missouri River. Branstad received word from FEMA on Tuesday that the Federal Individual Assistance Program would be made available for Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona and Pottawattamie counties. FEMA did not approve the request for Woodbury County. The program helps homeowners, renters and businesses by providing grants and loans. Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says FEMA didn’t give a reason for not including Woodbury County. But he says the county did not have the level of damage that the other five counties sustained from a summer of flooding.

Des Moines, IOWA — Today’s youth are busier and more engaged than ever. Unfortunately,

35% of teens deaths are due to motor vehicle accidents

 this also means they have more things to distract them, especially while driving. Iowa’s young drivers travel many miles in all kinds of weather over local, state, interstate and rural roads. Many of these miles are traveled before and after school, as well as late at night after work or sporting events.

October 16-23, 2011, is a week dedicated to raising awareness and seeking solutions to unnecessary teen deaths on the road. Established by Congress in 2007, and held annually on the third week of October, the goal of National Teen Driver Safety Week is to focus the country’s attention toward promoting safety to our teen drivers. 

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of teen deaths.  And research shows teen drivers are at a greater risk of injury and death than all other age groups.  In Iowa, drivers aged 15-20 make up about 9% of Iowa licensed drivers. In 2010, there were 46 fatal crashes involving 51 teen drivers of passenger vehicles. The number of fatalities totaled 54. This is an increase in teen crash and fatality stats from 2009. According to a report published by the University of Iowa’s Public Policy Center, Iowa ranks 49th out of 50 states with regards to teen driving safety statistics and conditions.

As in previous years, education and safety leaders are focused on reducing distractions for teen drivers, as well as an emerging topic of rural road safety. Sadly, Monday night during Teen Driver Safety Week, a car full of 6 teenagers crashed on a rural Iowa road taking the life of one teen.  Let this tragic incident compel you to talk to a teen in your life about safe driving.

To learn more about the state of teen driving in Iowa and across the country, view the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau Teen Driver Fact Sheet.  You can also visit us on Facebook.

(DPS Press Release, Tue., Oct. 18th)

The Adair and Cass County Boards of Supervisors will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) morning. In Greenfield, the Adair Supervisors will hold a public hearing at 9:15 on the 1^st reading of an ordinance adopting a County Code of Ordinances for Adair County. The hearing will be followed by consideration of the 2^nd and 3^rd readings, a resolution to adopt the ordinance, and the official signing of the ordinance. At 9:30, a public hearing will be held on the proposed vacation of a road at N-33/Lincoln Township, in Adair County.

In Atlantic, the Cass County Board of Supervisors will take action on the assignment of the county-held tax sale certificate of purchase for a lot in Cumberland, and the abatement of tax on properties of a municipal or political subdivision of the State. The Board will also hear quarterly reports from the Cass County Veteran’s Affairs Commissioner and County Conservation Director.

Both meetings are set to begin at 9-a.m.

The Atlantic City Council this week is set to hold the 1^st reading of an ordinance dealing with the establishment of a Minimum Maintenance Code. If it’s eventually approved, Chapter 144, which would be added to the City’s Code of Ordinances, would require property owners to keep structures in reasonable good repair. It’s designed to keep properties from deteriorating to the point that they are dilapidated and dangerous.

City Administrator Doug Harris says the City is facing a proliferation of dilapidated structures, which are not only dangerous, but have an adverse affect on surrounding property values, which tends to further the spread of urban-style blight. Harris said often times the cost to abate those properties exceeds the value of the property, resulting in it becoming tax acquired City property. That means an added expense to demolish the structure and clear the grounds. The cost for those services fall on the taxpayers of the City. Harris said the Community Development Committee has held three meetings on the matter, and arrived at the proposal which will be presented to the Council during their meeting Wednesday evening, at 5:30.

The Council will also hear a report from Dave Chase, with Nishna Valley Trails, Incorporated, with regard to a proposed agreement with property owner Ted Wickman. Chase received approval for a resolution regarding the arrangement, from the City of Atlantic’s Park and Recreation Department, during their meeting Monday evening. The resolution stipulates that the land Wickman currently uses for farming continue to be used for that purpose until such time as the Schildberg Quarry Recreation Area project advances to the stage where the trail is expanded to Olive Street. It also calls for the City to give adequate notice to Wickman as to when he should withhold his usage of the land.

And, the Atlantic City Council will hold a public hearing Wednesday, with regard to the disposition of 706 Walnut Street. The hearing offers an opportunity for the public to comment on what the City should do with the 50-by 140-foot parcel, which was put out for bid last year, after it was determined it did not serve a public purpose. The property became available to the City again, after Atlantic resident Ed Leistad paid $1,000 to terminate a $5,000 purchase agreement he made with the City for the property, earlier this year.