(Radio Iowa) – The Internal Revenue Service is encouraging Iowans to take a simple, important step to prepare for the upcoming tax season. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says people should sign up now for what’s known as an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number, or an I-P PIN.

Miller says it’s a quick, free process to set one up.

He recommends you sign up for the PIN before November 23rd, as sign up won’t be available again until early January.

Learn more about the option at irs-dot-gov.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T says three local governments have filed appeals after being told they had to shut down speed cameras. Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Lee County have each appealed the ruling to shut down their cameras. The appeals go to the director of the D-O-T, who then has 30 days to make a decision.

A change in state law required cities and counties to submit information that showed the cameras were being used to improve safety. A D-O-T panel reviewed each camera site and earlier this month the D-O-T said 11 of 139 speed cameras reviewed were allowed to stay.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident this (Friday) morning. Authorities say a 1998 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by 38-year-old Ronald Alan Dolph, of Red Oak, was traveling south on G Avenue at around 8:35-a.m. and approached the railroad tunnel. When Dolph applied the brakes to lower his speed, the pickup’s brake system failed, causing the vehicle to be pulled towards the wall of the tunnel. The vehicle sustained an estimated $2,000 damage. No damage was reported to the railroad tunnel wall.

No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa G-O-P’s chairman says Governor Kim Reynolds has delayed selecting a new lieutenant governor because she’s focused on the election. Jeff Kaufmann says Reynolds is busy campaigning with Republican candidates who’re on the 2024 ballot. “She is everywhere and anywhere right now. This is not the right time to actually be basically running the party — she’s the titular head of the party — and at the same time picking the person who is going to be the lieutenant governor,” Kaufmann says. “And we have in the case, God forbid, of a disaster, you know, the senate president could step in.”

Adam Gregg resigned as lieutenant governor in early September and the president of the Iowa Senate is next in line of succession. Kaufmann says Reynolds is a methodical decision maker and that’s how she’s approaching this situation. Kaufmann made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S — and he was asked who may be on the governor’s list as potential picks for lieutenant governor.

Republican Party of Iowa chairman Jeff Kaufmann (Iowa PBS photo)

“If I sat here and speculated…what do you think the chances are that Kim Reynolds would return my next phone call?” Kaufmann replied. Kaufmann has been chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa since 2014, when Terry Branstad was governor and Reynolds was lieutenant governor.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report ranks Iowa 13th in the nation for the health of women and children. The report, America’s Health Rankings by the United Healthcare Foundation, analyzed more than 100 indicators of women’s and children’s health. It shows Iowa women have one of the lowest rates of unemployment and among the highest rates of high school graduation. Lisa Saul, chief medical officer of women’s health for United Healthcare, says Iowa’s alcohol use also stood out.

“One being that it was high among adolescents,” Saul says, “but we also see that Iowa is in the lower half when we compare it to the rest of the country in terms of excessive drinking among women ages 18 to 44.” Saul says there are some categories where the state ranked high.  She says, “The low prevalence of unemployment among women, the high prevalence of high school completion, as well as the low housing cost burden among households with children.”

The report also found Iowa women rank low in terms of exercise habits and for eating fruits and vegetables.

(Afton, Iowa) – The driver of a semi was seriously injured when the truck crashed and burned late Thursday afternoon near Afton, in Union County. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a call came in to the Communications Center at around 4:40-p.m., about a 2001 International semi tractor-trailer that was found on fire in a ditch off of Redwood Avenue near 220th Street. When a sheriff’s deputy arrived on the scene, he was informed that the driver of the truck, 55-year-old Mark John Becker, of Tingley, was out of the vehicle, and was pulled away from the burning vehicle.

The deputy observed the semi was on its side in the east ditch, and the fire had spread about nine-yards in front of the vehicle before being extinguished. Firefighters were working to treat Becker in a pile of corn just east of the semi. The owner of the semi told the deputy that Becker was driving for him, and was hauling corn they had just finished loading. A firefighter on the scene that it appeared that the fire started from the semi’s hot muffler and spread in the dry grass, to the cab.

Becker suffered burns to his lower legs and head/neck injuries. He was transported by helicopter to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines. A report on his condition was not provided. The Union County Sheriff’s Department report said a ticket would be issued to the truck owner, David Cheers, for “Permitting an unauthorized person to drive.” The semi sustained $10,000 damage and was a total loss.