The Iowa State Patrol reports two people from Essex were injured during a crash this (Wednesday) morning, in Page County. The drivers of both vehicles, 37-year old Stacy Graham and 65-year old Claude Harris, were flown by helicopter to Creighton Hospital in Omaha following the crash at around 9:20-a.m. on Highway 48.

The Patrol says a 2010 Ford Fusion driven by Graham was northbound on Highway 48, when for reasons unknown it crossed the centerline of the road and collided with Harris’ 1998 Ford F-150 pickup. Both drivers were trapped in their vehicles and had to be extricated by mechanical means.

The accident remains under investigation.

Advocates for an increase in the state gas tax flooded the statehouse today (Thursday) — just as a bill cleared a House subcommittee that would raise the gas tax by a dime over the next three years. Representative Josh Byrnes, a Republican from Osage, was among the five House subcommittee members who voted for it. “We’ve got to do something,” Byrnes said to a packed room. “I don’t think there’s a person in here that argues the point that our infrastructure is aging.” Governor Terry Branstad has consistently said he will not veto a gas tax increase if it clears the legislature and he spoke at a “Transportation Day” rally at the statehouse.

“We need to continue to consider a number of options and discuss the merits and potential challenges associated with each of them,” Branstad said. “I’ve been around long enough to know it’s not an easy task.” Ralph Arthur, chairman of the Iowa Motor Truck Association’s board of directors, says the “reality” is Iowa’s crumbling transportation system makes it harder to attract new business to the state. “Iowa is the third-highest in structural deficiency on their bridges in the country,” Arthur said during the rally. “Only 12 states have worse rural interstates than we do and only seven states have worse urban interstates than we do.” Larry Winum, a banker from Glenwood, says it’s time to raise the gas tax because “there’s nothing else” to cut in state, county and city transportation budgets.

“Bankers — we don’t like to talk about a tax increase…but we like to look at this as an investment,” Winum said during the rally. “It’s a user fee. It’s something that we need and, quite honestly, it has a lot to do with economic development.” Winum is chairman of the Mills County Economic Development Foundation and co-chairman of the Southwest Iowa Coalition Transportation Committee. City and county officials say they’re struggling to maintain roads and bridges and have raised local property taxes to fix roads because gas tax revenue is falling short.

Terry Cox is the city manager, the public works director and the city engineer in Harlan and he made the trek to the statehouse to show his support of a gas tax increase, too.”I just want to support you guys here,” Cox told legislators. “It’s…a tough nut to crack, but I think you’re going to get it done.” In a transportation related move, Iowa’s Republican governor has appointed former Congressman Leonard Boswell to the Iowa Transportation Commission. Boswell, a Democrat, lost his 2012 bid for reelection to the U.S. House. State boards and commissions are, by law, to be balanced by political affiliation. Boswell replaces a Democrat from Oskaloosa who resigned from the Transportation Commission due to a business-related conflict of interest.

(Radio Iowa)

A District Court Judge in Council Bluffs has sentenced 37-year old Scott Norman Hart, of Council Bluffs, to 20-years in prison on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and carrying a firearm regarding drug trafficking. Chief United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner Tuesday, sentenced Hart to 180 months imprisonment on the drug charge, and a consecutive 60 months imprisonment on the firearm charge. Hart was further sentenced to concurrent terms of 5 years of supervised release on both charges. The judge also ordered Hart to forfeit the firearm and ammunition he possessed, and to pay a $200 special assessment to the Crime Victim Fund. Hart remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.
The charges against Hart arose from the Fugitive Task Force encountering him at a residence in Council Bluffs on November 9th, 2012. Hart was wanted on a fugitive warrant for absconding from parole in Nebraska. At the time Hart was arrested, he was found in possession of approximately 95 grams of methamphetamine and a small quantity of marijuana. Also found on his person at the time of his arrest was a loaded .380 caliber pistol.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Federal regulators have approved a small change in a Nebraska nuclear plant’s flood preparations. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission license change issued Wednesday should ensure the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant shuts down soon enough to be protected in a flood. NRC spokeswoman Lara Uselding says the change reflects an issue identified before the 2011 Missouri River flooding and it will make Fort Calhoun’s flood plan more conservative.

The nuclear plant Omaha Public Power District owns will now shut down whenever the river rises to 1,004 feet above sea level. Previously, the plan didn’t require shutdown until the water reached 1,009 feet above sea level. In 2011, flood waters reached 1,006 feet above sea level and surrounded the nuclear plant which was already shut down for maintenance. Barriers protected the plant’s core.