(Truro, Iowa) – A collision in southern Madison County Monday evening resulted in a teenager being transported to the hospital. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2007 Arctic Cat 700 UTV operated by 16-year-old Tyler J. Heitink, of Truro, was following a slow moving McCormick farm tractor driven by 42-year-old Joseph A. Heitink, of Truro, because there were no lights on the tractor.

A 2000 Chevy pickup truck driven by 15-year-old Walker W. Nelson, of Saint Charles, rear-ended the UTV, causing the UTV to strike the rear of the tractor. The accident happened on Madison County Road G-68 (The Truro Road), at around 6:04-p.m., Monday. Tyler Heitink was injured in the collision, and transported to Methodist Hospital.

The Patrol was unable to determine (at the time of their report) if the UTV had its lights on. The accident remains under investigation.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Monday, tabled action on a vote to prioritize an increase in the Hotel/Motel Tax, with an increase being used to help pay for a Splashpad and improvements to the Sunnyside Pool. The Board will wait until their next meeting on February 20th at 5:15-p.m., at which time Ashley Hayes, SWIPCO Community Development Specialist, will make a presentation on grants and matters related to the project.

Roger Steffens, who owns a bed and breakfast in Atlantic, said he would be opposed to any increase in the Hotel/Motel tax. If the City moves eventually move with increasing the tax, it would be left up to the voters. With regard to the Splash Pad, Ali Pieken, member of the Splash Pad Executive Committee, has been in contact with two companies  – Vortex Aquatic Structures, and Crouch Recreation, of Elkhorn, NE. – the Board selected to come up with a design renderings for the project.

Last month, Pieken said what’s been decided so far, is for a bean-shaped splash pad area with 4,500-square feet of play space, and features chosen by the Executive Committee. Both renderings the companies designed have elements favorable to the Parks Board. At the end of their discussion, the Parks Board voted to give the Splashpad Fundraising Committee the authority to decide on the final fundraising image that will be presented to the public.

Roger Steffen said he would be the first to donate $500, but it was with a caveat that the Board rejected. He wanted the Board doesn’t go to taxpayers for support (i.e the Hotel/Motel tax increase). It must solely be done with donations. Pieken said they won’t even be ready to solicit bids until they have raised at least 50-percent of the estimated project cost, which will depend on the final elements the project incorporates.

(Radio Iowa) -House Republicans have unveiled a list of 13 priority bills, including one that forbids classroom instruction of sexual orientation or gender identity in kindergarten through the third grade. Another would require schools to notify a parent if a student asks to be identified by a different gender when they’re at school.

House Speaker Pat Grassley says the bill specifies that school employees cannot facilitate, encourage or coerce students to withhold that kind of information from parents. “Those are the kind of conversations that need to be happening amongst students and parents,” Grassley said on . “The public school system is not the place for this to be happening. It needs to be about empowering the parents and that’s what we’re doing with a lot of these policies.”

House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says these bills are “mean-spirited attacks” on LGBTQ teenagers and adults. “No matter who you are in this state, no matter you love or how you live, we love you,” Konfrst said. ” We see you and we believe in you.”

Another bill on the House GOP agenda would require schools to provide parents with details about coursework, including what books and other materials will be used. It’s similar to legislation the House passed in 2022. Thirty-one of the 64 House Republicans have also filed a bill that would require social studies classes in all of Iowa’s public and private schools to teach that communism conflicts with freedom and democracy.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to lose weight, and Iowans who are now looking into health club memberships are warned to read everything carefully before signing a contract. Consumer protection advocate Mike Domke says it’s essential to do your research on the gym before signing anything.

“Look at the fine print on what their agreements are, what that particular promotion is, understand the cancellation policy,” Domke says, “so if you get to June, you find out you’re not going, do you have an opportunity to cancel it.” It’s important to give a gym a trial run for a week or two before signing the contract, Domke says, and that’s something most reliable gyms will offer you.

“You don’t want to pay and end up at a gym where you do a few exercises or workouts and realize this isn’t for me,” he says. “So understanding what your goals are and then finding a facility that matches that.” If you’re not careful, Domke says, you could be on the hook for an expensive, lengthy contract, so know what questions to ask first.

“Is there an initial signup fee? What is the monthly fee? What is the cancellation? What is the term?” he says. “All of these are going to be really important in case you find out that something happens that you don’t want to go anymore.” A recent study found about 80% of resolutions fail by the second week in February, while different research shows that on average, it takes about 66 days for a new habit to become automatic.

(Radio Iowa) – Where would you rather spend the winter, Iowa or Hawaii? For most people, it’s an easy call, but not if you plan to do much driving.  A survey by the credit reporting website Wallethub, says Iowa is the best state in the nation for driving, while Hawaii came in last. The study is based on 31 different criteria, things like rush hour traffic, road conditions, safety records, and the cost to maintain a car, including gas prices.

Iowa ranked seventh for ownership costs and ninth for its infrastructure. Full car insurance coverage in Iowa averages 12-hundred-60 dollars a year, more than 400-dollars below the national average. Commute times for Iowans average about 19 minutes, one of the lowest in the country, while New York’s commute is longest at more than 33 minutes.