A woman from Arkansas was injured during an accident Monday evening, in Exira. The Iowa State Patrol reports 61-year old Monta Bahus, of Dover, AR,  was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Exira Rescue, after the pickup she was a passenger in, was involved in a broadside-type accident with another pickup. The accident happened at around 7:10-p.m., at the intersection of Fairview and Washington Streets, in Exira.

Officials say 74-year old Lonnie Barber, of Hamlin, admitted that he failed to stop at the posted intersection, while he was traveling south on Fairview Road. His 2010 Ford F-150 pickup continued into the intersection, where it was hit broadside by a 2005 Dodge pickup driven by 62-year old David Bahus, of Dover, AR. The accident happened as Bahus was traveling east on Washington Street.

Monta Bahus suffered from unknown chest injuries resulting from her seat belt and a non-deployment of the airbag. A report on her condition is not available.

The state will increase the maximum benefit paid for unemployment at the start of the new fiscal year on July first. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Kerry Koonce, says the amount paid is going up about three percent.”Every year we do a review of what they call the average annual wage for Iowans across the state, and that affects any changes that would take place in what an individual could receive for maximum weekly benefits on unemployment,” Koonce explains. “And since Iowa’s average annual wage increased for calendar year 2011, that means for our fiscal year that starts July first of 2012, the average weekly benefit for unemployment will also increase.” The average annual wage now used to calculate unemployment benefits is 38-thousand-949 dollars. The change will result in just over 10 dollars more each week for those who earn the maximum unemployment benefit.

“You know it’s not a large change, for example, if you are a family that has two dependents lets say, it goes from 415 to 426 a week. However, if you’re on unemployment, every little big extra you get each week helps out greatly,” Koonce says. Workforce Development figures show about half those who are eligible for unemployment benefits have enough earnings to qualify for the maximum benefit. There’s also a change for those who become disable and can’t work. Koonce says the change for temporary total disability rises weekly to one-thousnd-498 dollars ($1,498) and the amount for permanent partial disability, the maximum increases to one thousand-378 dollars ($1,378). Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to five-point-one percent (5.1%) in April, and has dropped every month this year.

(Radio Iowa)