IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A report from the Iowa Department of Public Safety says lawmakers should take a wait-and-see approach toward regulating unmanned aerial vehicles because of their huge potential to help business and government. The report, requested by lawmakers in May, says a consensus has developed that drones will greatly benefit agriculture and other industries, police work and government services.

Many lawmakers are also concerned about their privacy implications. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa is proposing legislation banning the use of weaponized drones, requiring oversight of how police agencies acquire the technology, and directing agencies to delete surveillance information that isn’t necessary for an investigation.

The report cautions against broad regulation, saying problems could be narrowly addressed later when lawmakers “have the full picture” as to the benefits that drones produce.

A new report gives Iowa good marks for preparing for a potential outbreak of infectious disease. Rich Hamburg, is deputy director of the Trust for America’s Health. He says it’s an annual report on outbreaks and emergency preparedness for everything from Ebola, the flu to antibiotics resistance. He says Iowa had a pretty good showing.Hamburg says Iowa met six of its ten indicators, which puts it in the upper half of the states.

“One that is critically important for any kind of all hazard preparedness effort is funding. This was two years running that Iowa did increase the amount of state-level funding for public health,” Hamburg explains. Hamburg says Iowa only had 48-point-six percent of residents who got a flu shot. The highest state was 57 percent, and he says to pass the indicator the state needed to have 50 percent immunized.

You can see the full report at:www.healthyamericans.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Creston report a man from Afton was arrested over the weekend for Credit Card Fraud. 26-year old Travis Lynn Weland was taken into custody Saturday, at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC). Weland was later released on $2,000 bond.

And, on Monday, 46-year old Susan Rae Lemon, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County LEC on a warrant out of Union County for Failure to Appear in Court. Lemon was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Iowa motorists are finding it’s a lot cheaper to fuel up for holiday travels this year compared to last. The Triple-A (AAA) Fuel Gauge Report shows regular unleaded gas, on average, is selling for $2.20 a gallon across the state. Triple-A Iowa spokesperson Gail Weinholzer says the statewide average compares to $3.10 one year ago. “The last time prices were this low over the holiday season was December 2009,” Weinholzer said. At some gas stations right now, Iowans can fill their tank for under $2 a gallon.

While gas prices continue to fall, Weinholzer doubts we’ll reach the point where the statewide average dips below $2 a gallon. She notes the last time Iowa posted statewide average gas prices below $2 a gallon was May 4, 2009. The low gas prices, combined with a longer holiday travel season, has prompted Triple-A to forecast a record number of Americans will be hitting the road. Both Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on Thursdays this year, meaning many people will have some extra time away from work.

“We expect just under 100 million Americans to travel 50 miles or more between December 23 and January 4,” Weinholzer said. “Overwhelming, we expect people to travel by automobile — about 91-percent.” Iowa has the lowest average gas prices of any of the Upper Midwest states, according to Weinholzer. Nationally, the average price of gas stands at $2.37 per gallon, 88 cents less than a year ago.

(Radio Iowa)