Riders will tell you they enjoy the feeling of freedom that a motorcycle affords them. The majority of riders exercise that freedom while obeying traffic laws. And, a growing number of riders are wearing higher-visibility protective riding gear and helmets to protect their safety.

Still, there is a segment of riders and motorists that are putting all highway users at risk. The fact is – the odds of being involved in a motorcycle crash and living to tell about it or not suffering a serious head or other bodily injury are not good.

The loss of life of one person on Iowa’s roadways is One Too Many. Reading about the loss of more than two dozen motorcyclists sends a powerful message about the need to increase motorcycle safety. Visit the Iowa DOT’s “2012: Iowa motorcycle crashes” website at http://storify.com/Maverick/2012-iowa-motorcycle-crashes to read the stories about those who have been killed or involved in a serious motorcycle crash this year. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority were not wearing a helmet.

Riders can improve their safety by following some simple safety tips:

• Get trained: Take a motorcycle rider safety course to develop good techniques.
• Be properly licensed: Get a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license.
• Wear protective gear: Wear proper protective riding gear (head protection, eye protection, protective clothing, and foot protection).
• Ride Proud-Dress Loud: Wear bright clothing and use retroreflective material.
• Ride unimpaired: Never drink or use drugs before getting on a motorcycle.
• Be alert: Being tired and drowsy can impair a motorcyclist’s ability to react.
• Know your bike: Be familiar with your motorcycle and how to handle it in adverse conditions, especially on gravel.
• Know the traffic laws and rules of the road: Aggressive driving behaviors, such as speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, can lead to a crash.
• Watch for clues: Recognize it is difficult for motorists to judge how fast a motorcycle is going; blind spots around cars and trucks also prevent motorcyclists from being seen.

When sharing the road with motorcyclists:

• Give them a full lane of travel: Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane, never try to share a lane.
• Give your full attention to the driving task: Remain alert for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or leaving a lane of traffic and at intersections.
• Be aware of the flashing signal: Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a motorcycle – motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off.
• Stay alert for potential erratic movements: Wind gusts, both natural and those created by large passing vehicles, can move a motorcycle across an entire lane if the rider is not prepared; rain can make the road slippery; the blinding effect of a vehicle’s high beams can be dangerous; and hazards like dead and live animals and damage to the roadway can cause an erratic movement by the motorcyclist.
• Left turns: The most common crash type that occurs between a car/truck and motorcycle is the one that happens at an intersection as the motorist is making a left turn in front of a motorcycle.

–Press Release from Iowa DOT

(Des Moines, Iowa) July 11, 2012: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Wednesday announced a package of program improvements that will deliver faster and more flexible assistance to farmers and ranchers devastated by natural disasters. Vilsack announced three significant improvements to decades-old USDA programs and processes related to Secretarial disaster designations: a final rule that simplifies the process for Secretarial disaster designations and will result in a 40 percent reduction in processing time for most counties affected by disasters; a reduced interest rate for emergency loans that effectively lowers the current rate from 3.75 percent to 2.25 percent; and a payment reduction on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands qualified for emergency haying and grazing in 2012, from 25 to 10 percent.

“Agriculture remains a bright spot in our nation’s economy and it is increasingly important that USDA has the tools to act quickly and deliver assistance to farmers and ranchers when they need it most,” said Vilsack. “By amending the Secretarial disaster designation, we’re creating a more efficient and effective process. And by delivering lower interest rates on emergency loans and providing greater flexibility for haying and grazing on CRP lands, we’re keeping more farmers in business and supporting our rural American communities through difficult times. With these improvements, we’re also telling American producers that USDA stands with you and your communities when severe weather and natural disasters threaten to disrupt your livelihood.”

A natural disaster designation makes all qualified farm operators in the designated areas eligible for low interest emergency loans. The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to designate disaster counties to make disaster assistance programs available to farmers and ranchers. Previous to these changes, the process had been in place for more than two decades and regulations had not been substantively revised since 1988.

-Press Release from USDA

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Department of Agriculture says farmers are expected to harvest 146 bushels per acre of corn this fall, down 12 percent from the June estimate of 166 bushels per acre. A widespread drought has burned up the crop in portions of Illinois and Indiana and has reduced yields in other states. The season average farm price for corn is projected at $5.40 to $6.40 per bushel, up sharply from $4.20 to $5 per bushel in June.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governor Terry Branstad will hold a public meeting next week on the drought conditions plaguing Iowa this summer. The meeting is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday at Mount Pleasant High School. The USDA is already streamlining the process for farmers to apply for government disaster help.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Allegations of racial profiling have raised heated discussions in Dubuque. Several black people in the audience Tuesday expressed their frustrations at being targeted by police solely because of race. City Councilwoman Lynn Sutton and Police Lieutenant Joe Messerich said they can’t address problems unless people came forward with formal complaints that could be investigated.

HOUSTON (AP) – A Texas judge has ruled the atmosphere and the air must be protected for public use just like water. The written ruling issued Monday by Texas District Court Judge Gisela Triana could help attorneys arguing climate change lawsuits in 11 other states. The cases are aimed at forcing states to cut emissions.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – Some neighboring landowners say they’ll oppose rezoning of agricultural land so a $1.5 billion fertilizer plant project can be built in eastern Iowa’s Scott County. The 318-acre site between Walcott and Davenport is among the sites being considered by Iowa Fertilizer Company. The firm is a subsidiary of Egypt-based Orascom Construction Industries.

WALCOTT, Iowa (AP) – Police have released the name of an 87-year-old woman found dead in a burning home in Walcott in eastern Iowa. Police Chief Jeff Blake says firefighters found Lois Moldenschardt after they entered the house to put out the flames on Sunday. Moldenschardt lived alone. Results of an autopsy are pending.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the driver a vehicle involved in a hit and run accident that occurred Tuesday evening in Council Bluffs.

The Sheriff’s Office says shortly after 6:00 PM Tuesday, 46 year old Daniel Owens of Treynor was riding his bicycle westbound near Highway 92 when he was struck by a vehicle that was also traveling westbound.  Owens sustained non life threatening injuries and was transported to University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

No specific description of the hit and run vehicle was obtained, however a black passenger side mirror that broke off of the vehicle was found at the  scene.

If you have any knowledge of the incident, please contact the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office at 712-890-2200.

The Atlantic Police Department reports that 21-year-old Timothy Brown of Atlantic turned himself in on a Cass County Warrant for Assault without Intent Causing Serious Injury.  Brown was booked in and held.

The Audubon City Council met Monday evening.  Audubon City Clerk Lora Hansen tells KJAN news the council voted 4 to 1 to increase sewer rates in the city by 15 percent.  The Council will discuss at a later date when that rate increase might go into effect.  The Audubon City Council also voted Monday not to raise the salaries of city employees.  Any increase in salaries will likely not be brought up again until next May or June.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors had their regularly scheduled meeting Wednesday morning at the Cass County Courthouse.

On the agenda first was the assignment of county held tax sale certificates of purchase to the city of Cumberland for a piece of property located in the town.  The supervisors unanimously approved the sale.  The city of Cumberland will primarily use the property for restoration work and then possibly re-sell to any interested bidders.

The board then heard from County Attorney Dan Feistner, who talked about the counties ongoing policy of directly negotiating collective bargaining with unions.  Supervisor Reiken agreed that there are several advantages to keeping the negotiating process local rather than hiring outside help.

The board also heard from county engineer Charles Marker, who spoke about road work taking place on county road M56 around Marne.  He says work is ongoing on paving county road M56 between Marne and I-80.

Marker says Marne Mayor Randy Baxter asked if other roads in town could be paved as well. They include the road in front of the post office and the bar.  He says the Marne City Council has already agreed the city would eventually pay for that work on the roads.

The supervisors also received a written letter from the Cass County Historical Society updating the board on some of there recent work in the county.