AMES, Iowa – Jan. 25, 2024 – The heavy snow and arctic temperatures we’ve experienced the past month seem to have passed for now, but with the recent fluctuating temperatures and ample moisture, you’re likely seeing potholes popping up. Potholes are mostly caused by moisture getting into or underneath the pavement. During freeze and thaw periods, moisture causes the asphalt or concrete to shift, buckle, or break. When vehicles drive over these weakened areas, leaving those dreaded potholes.

The Iowa Department of Transportation maintenance forces, as well as city and county crews, are patching potholes as quickly as they can using cold-mix asphalt. In many cases, it’s not a long-lasting solution but it improves your driving experience until the weather warms up enough to place a more permanent patch in the spring. Permanent patches use hot-mix asphalt or Portland cement concrete and work best when the temperatures are above freezing and stay that way. So this work is usually completed in the spring and summer. We are also proactive in the spring and summer, patching roads where we see significant cracking or deteriorated pavement, which can eventually lead to potholes.

To report potholes on streets or county roadways, contact the local city administrator/engineer or county engineer. You can report potholes on the interstates, Iowa numbered routes, and U.S. highways to the Iowa DOT’s maintenance manager located nearest the problem roadway. Go to this website to find that contact information.

(Washington, D-C) – Officials in Washington, today (Thursday), announced more than $4.9 billion in funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to 37 projects through two major discretionary grant programs, the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) grant program and the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program. This includes $34 million in funding for the Southeast Connector: SE 30th to US 65 project, in Des Moines

The project will construct the final approximately 2.2-mile roadway section of the Southeast Connector between SE 30th Street in Des Moines to US 65 in Pleasant Hill. The project will also modify public infrastructure to accommodate the planned expansion of a freight facility. The project provides two vehicular travel lanes, curbs and gutters, street lighting, and an approximate 12-foot multi-use trail with green space on the south side. The project also includes an approximately 1,515-foot long seven span bridge that will traverse over Fourmile Creek. The project will improve safety for vulnerable roadway users by adding a multi-use trail separated from the roadway. The project will also improve safety by eliminating three at-grade crossings.

(Radio Iowa) – Health care workers, including pharmacists, could refuse to provide any service that violates their ethical, moral or religious beliefs under a bill that’s cleared an Iowa Senate subcommittee. Tom Chapman is executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, which supports the bill. “No medical practitioner should be forced to participate in a procedure or medication to which he or she has an objection of conscience or violate their oath to do no harm,” Chapman said.

For more than four decades, Iowa law has said doctors cannot be forced to perform abortions. This bill would let health care professionals refuse to make referrals or provide any surgery, medication or service. Dane Schumann, a lobbyist for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says the bill is very broad. “Say a practitioner is hired by an OB practice…and decides later on that they object to providing c-sections. That can be a religious objection that some people actually do have out there. The bill makes it impossible to accommodate the practice,” he said. “You can’t change them to a different shift. They can’t reduce their hours.”

Jan. 24 Senate Subcommittee hearing (RI photo)

Connie Ryan, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, says the bill meddles in the lives of patients. “A medical professional, institution or payer should never impose their religious beliefs on the health and life of a person or their family,” Ryan said. Pastor Brad Cranston of Burlington is founder of Iowa Baptists for Biblical Values, which supports the bill. “I encourage you to ensure that Iowa is a place where every citizen can not only live and worship in freedom, but also work according to the dictates of their own beliefs without fear,” Cranston said.

Doctors and other medical professionals who testified at the hearing said the bill could alter the basic standard of care for Iowans based on what hospital they enter or doctor they see.

(Radio Iowa) – A Sioux City man is charged with second-degree robbery for a bank holdup that was a repeat of a past crime. Police say 31-year-old Jonathan Birdnecklace entered the great Southern bank shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday and passed a note to the teller demanding money and made a threat to shoot the teller if they pushed an alarm. He was located about a mile away by police later Tuesday afternoon.

This is the second time Birdnecklace has been arrested for robbing that great Southern Bank. He was arrested and charged with robbing the bank on October 30th of 2014. Birdnecklace was convicted of second-degree robbery that time and served several years in prison.

Jonathan Birdnecklace. (Sioux City booking photo)

He is being held on a $35,000 bond for the latest bank robbery charge.

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services proposes big changes to public health models, including the consolidation of county public health offices into ten to 15 regions across Iowa. It could mean local public health workers would become state employees. Kaitlin Emrich, public health director for Black Hawk County, worries the quality of care could diminish the further it gets from the local level. “It would have significant impacts on how we serve our communities,” Emrich says.

“Obviously, we would lose some decision making, and potentially have workforce changes along with that as well.” She says keeping public health as close to home as possible is important for quality care.

“As locals, we tend to really be proud of the fact that we know our communities well,” Emrich says, “that we understand what their needs are, and are adaptive to their needs and responsive to their needs.” Under the proposal from H-H-S, each of the state’s new health office regions would be serving at least 30-thousand people.