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Fines will double for illegally driving through ‘quiet zone’ railroad crossing

News

April 26th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Fines will be increasing for motorists caught ignoring crossing gates and flashing lights and illegally driving across railroad tracks in 21 Iowa locations called “quiet zones.” Trains approaching railroad crossings in these zones are not required to sound the horn, in an effort to reduce noise in urban settings. Senator Tom Shipley of Nodaway says doubling the fine for illegally crossing train tracks in an Iowa “quiet zone” will hopefully be a deterrent. “It’s just simply a matter of safety of being able to keep people from trying to beat the train because they didn’t hear the whistle,” Shipley says.

Cities are able to install flashing lights and gates to establish a “quiet zone” at a railroad crossing, but Representative Derek Wulf of Hudson says it’s expensive. “This increase of penalties will help these communities stomach that potential cost which can range anywhere from $30,000 to $1 million,” Wulf says.

The fine, starting July 1st, will be five-hundred-20 dollars ($520) for illegally driving through a railroad crossing in a quiet zone when the warning lights are on. Three railroad crossings in the city of Hiawatha were recently designated as quiet zones where train horns don’t have to be activated to warn vehicles a train is approaching. Cedar Rapids officials are hoping to take similar steps for some railroad crossings, including one that’s near a 267-room hotel in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Among the cities that have “quiet” railroad crossing in western Iowa, are those in: Creston, Denison, Sergeant Bluff and Sioux City.

Thursday High School Boys Golf Results

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Atlantic 160, Shenandoah 173, Red Oak 193 

Medalist: Hudson McLaren, Atlantic (38)

Runner-up: Tristan Hays, Atlantic (39)

Atlantic Results: Gage Gross 41, Brady Wood & Sam Brosam 42, Roth Den Beste 49

Clarinda 161, Harlan 167 

Medalist: Braydon Ernst, Harlan (38)

Glenwood 185, St. Albert 204 

Medalist: Brody Sneed, Glenwood (42)

Kuemper Catholic 168, Denison-Schleswig 168, Lewis Central 185

Medalist: Easton Emery, Denison-Schleswig (37)

East Mills 160, Fremont-Mills 226 

Medalist: Lincoln Palmer, East Mills (37)

Sidney 179, Lenox 190, Bedford 198 

Medalist: Michael Hensley, Sidney (42)

Audubon 177, Griswold 201 

Medalist: Colten Taylor, Griswold (41)

Treynor 156, Logan-Magnolia 185 

Medalist: Ethan Konz, Treynor (36)

IKM-Manning 196, Tri-Center 219 

Medalist: Miles Nuzback, IKM-Manning (46)

CAM 187, West Central Valley 209, Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 217 

Medalist: Chase Jahde, CAM (38)

Panorama 311, Coon Rapids-Bayard 330, Woodward-Granger 350, ACGC 383

Medalist: Evan Powell, Panorama (75)

High School Soccer Scores from Thursday

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Boys Scores

Lewis Central 7, Council Bluffs Jefferson 0
Treynor 10, Logan-Magnolia 0
AHSTW 4, Missouri Valley 1
Gilbert 5, Nevada 4
Sioux City North 2, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 1

Girls Scores 

Treynor 7, Logan-Magnolia 0
Missouri Valley 9, AHSTW 0
Underwood 3, Tri-Center 0
ADM 4, Winterset 1
Glenwood 4, Harlan Community 0
Pella 2, Nevada 1
Dowling Catholic 1, Des Moines Christian 0

High School Tennis Results from Thursday

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Boys Results

Kuemper Catholic 9, Audubon 0

Bishop Heelan 7, Sioux City North 2

Shenandoah 9, Creston 0

Indianola 8, Dallas Center-Grimes 3

Clarke 5, David County 4

Lewis Central 7, Denison-Schleswig 2

Girls Results

Clarinda 9, Harlan 0 

Atlantic 5, Red Oak 4 

Atlantic singles winners — Jacobi Harter, Maylynn Ferrell, Paytn Harter

Atlantic doubles winners — Lily Willrich/J. Harter, P. Harter/Ferrell

St. Albert 9, Glenwood 0

Kuemper Catholic 8, Audubon 1 

2024 Drake Relay High School Results from Thursday

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Boys Long Jump 

11. Mason Boothby, Underwood (21-03.75)

17. Brehden Eggerss, Harlan (20-08.00)

Girls High Jump

1. Jaidyn Sellers, Panorama (5-7.00)

15. Avah Underwood, St. Albert (5-01.00)

Girls 3000 Meter Run

9. Lili Denton, St. Albert (10:10.44)

14. Lindsey Sonderman, Harlan (10:14.37)

Boys 3200 Meter Run

6. Ethan Eichhorn, Lewis Central (9:09.06)

7. Landon Bendgen, Woodbine (9:10.27)

11. Natnael Kifle, Sioux City North (9:15.69)

15. Bryant Keller, Glenwood (9:23.18)

21. Kevin Coots, Lewis Central (9:59.13)

Girls Shot Put

13. Emma Kuhlman, Carroll (37-8.50)

20. Jordyn Matiyow, Lewis Central (35-09.50)

Boys Discus

5. Max Tiarks, Underwood (178-01.00)

12. Evan Adams, Kuemper Catholic (162-02.00)

17. Morgan Cooley, East Union (156-02.00)

20. Carson McInerney, Bishop Heelan (149-08.00)

Cedar Falls sophomore sets Drake Relays record in boys’ 3200

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Cedar Falls sophomore Jade Merrick passed Ankeny’s Ethan Zuber on the final lap to win the boys’ 3200 meter run. His winning time of eight minutes, 55-point-14-seconds is a Drake Relays record.

Merrick says it is a huge boost of confidence.

Olympic hopefuls converge on Drake

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Drake Relays director Blake Boldon expects more than 100 athletes taking part in the Drake Relays this week to compete in the Paris Olympics. For a meet like Drake an Olympic year aways provides challenges in assembling a field as many Olympic hopefuls alter their schedule to get ready for the U-S Olympic Trials. Others use Drake as an early season test.

Boldon says many of the athletes competing this week are Olympic hopefuls.

Boldon says a large contingent of foreign athletes this week will compete in Paris.

Olympic dream still alive for Lolo Jones

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Even at the age of 41 Lolo Jones is still chasing an Olympic dream. The Des Moines native is a two-time Olympic hurdler and a member of a U-S Olympic bobsled team. Jones has returned to the track and wants to qualify for the U-S Olympic Trials and compete in the Paris Olympics.She runs in the 100 hurdles on Saturday at the Drake Relays.

Jones knows she is a long shot to make the U-S team in an event the American women dominate.

Jones has enjoyed her return to competitive racing.

Jones was inducted into the Drake Relays Hall of Fame on Thursday and has been competing at Drake Stadium since her days at Des Moines Roosevelt High School.

Lexi Keller wins Drake Relays heptathlon

Sports

April 25th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Lexi Keller finished second in the final five events as the former Colorado State star won the Drake Relays heptathlon title.

Keller’s score of 5846 points is a personal record.

New Atlantic “Welcome” sign is in-place

News

April 25th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – During a City Council meeting last month, City Administrator John Lund announced a new, “Welcome to Atlantic” sign was finished and was ready to be installed on the City’s east side. All they were waiting for was warmer weather. Mother Nature cooperated, and on Wednesday afternoon (April 24th), the sign was set in-place by staff from JJ Design.

(Photo by Jennifer Nichols- courtesy of the Atlantic News Telegraph)

During the Council’s meeting, Lund had shown photos of the sign and the pedestal that it would be placed on. He said at the time, the photos doesn’t show how “massive” the sign is.