(Radio Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith sees room for expansion of the I-ABLE program his office manages for Iowans with disabilities. The money deposited in a tax-free I-ABLE account may be used to cover expenses related to a disability and the spending does NOT affect the person’s eligibility for government assistance programs like Medicaid or Social Security.

“There’s just a little over 2000 accounts,” Smith says. “I believe we can have a lot of growth there.” U-S Census data indicates nearly 400-thousand Iowans have some sort of a disability. I-ABLE accounts can accrue interest and help Iowans living with a disability cover expenses like housing, transportation and job training as well as in-home support services.

“It’s an important tool and we’ve got to do more reaching out,” Smith says. “Part of my job is to travel the state to talk about I-ABLE.” Smith recently made a presentation about I-ABLE in Pella and the treasurer’s office hosted a webinar with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council this spring.

“We know that there’s a number of other agencies that deal with that population that could use it and help their lives,” Smith says, “and so we’re going to look to team up and sign up more people.” An Iowan with a disability may open their own account — or accounts may be opened by relatives, legal guardians or conservators who act on behalf of an Iowan with a disability.

The yearly contribution limit is 17-thousand dollars. Forty-nine states now offer the program after congress established the tax-free benefit for an Achieving a Better Life Experience or ABLE accounts in 2014. Iowa lawmakers created the I-ABLE program here the following year.

(Cass County, Iowa) – An accident on eastbound Interstate 80 late Sunday morning, in Cass County, had traffic backed-up for miles before authorities could detour motorists around the wreck. The crash involving a semi tractor trailer happened at around 10:54-a.m., near mile marker 66.

Authorities closed the westbound lanes so that emergency vehicles could get to the scene. Traffic was rerouted to Wiota and then through Anita before vehicles re-entered the Interstate near Adair.The Intestate re-opened to traffic about two-hours later.

There were no serious injuries, but one person was being checked-out as a precaution. Additional details were not immediately available from the State Patrol.

photo submitted to KJAN News

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol says there was one fatal, and one injury accident Saturday in the State. A three-vehicle crash in eastern Iowa’s Benton County resulted in a death. The Patrol says a 2012 Ford Focus was traveling west on 77th Street at around 2-p.m., and pulling a 1997 motorcycle with a rope. Both vehicles were traveling very slow. A 2015 VW Passat was also westbound on 77th Street and unable to stop before striking the motorcycle.

The cycle was pushed into the back of the Ford Focus, causing the motorcyclist to be ejected from their machine. The Ford rotated 180-degrees and faced east on the north shoulder of the road. The motorcycle ended-up in the north ditch, and the VW stopped on the north shoulder of the road. The operator of the motorcycle died from their injuries at St. Lukes Hospital. Their name and those of the others involved in the crash, were not released.

The other accident happened in Floyd County at around 7:22-p.m., Saturday. The Patrol says 39-year-old Joshua W. Duitscher, of Nora Springs, was traveling east on 115th Street when the 2004 Dodge he was driving went out of control and into the south ditch before rolling multiple times into a field. Duitscher was not wearing a seat belt. He was ejected from the vehicle and transported to the hospital by Mason City Ambulance. The crash remains under investigation.