An accident near Shannon City, in Union County, was being blamed on the sun and trees obstructing the vision of two drivers. According to the Union County Sheriff’s Office, a 2015 Chevy Equinox driven by 47-year-old Darla M. Parker, of Shannon City, was traveling west on 260th Street at around 6:50-p.m., Tuesday. She told authorities the sun was in her face, and trees were blocking her view of a farm entrance to the south. A 2000 John Deere 741 tractor with a bale of hay attached to a bale stabber, was pulling out of the farm drive in an attempt to turn left onto 260th. The tractor was driven by 56-year-old Ken E. Peppmeier, of Shannon City.

The hay bale struck the windshield of the SUV and front side of the vehicle, causing damage estimated at $2,500. Peppmeier told authorities his vision was also blocked by the sun and trees. Both drivers tried to avoid the collision, with the Parker slowing down and pulling off to the side of the road as far as she could. Peppmeier tried raising the bale to avoid striking the SUV.

There were no injuries reported, and no citations issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports one person suffered possible/unknown injuries during a collision Monday afternoon. Authorities say a 2019 GMC Terrain SUV driven by 24-year-old Shannon Marie Patricia Gravlin, of Creston, was stopped in traffic at a red light on Sumner Avenue, facing north in the inside lane. The driver of a 2006 Ford 500, 31-year-old Elisia Renae Savala, of Clearfield, was traveling north on Sumner, and was distracted by a passenger in her car. The vehicle struck the rear of the SUV, causing a total of $1,700 damage.

Gravlin complained of pain after the impact, but was not transported to the hospital. Creston Police cited Savala for Failure to Provide Proof of financial liability – accident related.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Corrections is pulling out all the stops to try and find more corrections officers and other employees. Director Beth Skinner says it’s a top priority to find more employees. “We’re not just limited to Iowa, we are looking at other states surrounding us. We are looking in the south, we are doing advertising in Nebraska, we are doing billboards, we are doing radio ads, career fairs, we are using chambers of commerce, community colleges. We’ll be doing some advertising at football games, Nebraska football games,” Skinner says.

The D-O-C is also using social media to look for employees. The state allocated more money to the department following the deaths of a nurse and corrections officer at the Anamosa prison. Skinner says they are touting the benefits available. “Starting salaries average right around 40-thousand per year with opportunities for yearly increases. You also have the opportunity to receive what I believe is some of the best training in the country,” she says. Skinner says one of the new jobs will be someone who will be a full-time recruiting — and work on keeping staff. “Because you can recruit all day — but you also have to retain current staff. We have to make sure we are taking care of our current staff as well,” according to Skinner.

Skinner says the job of a corrections officer has evolved and they want to let potential employees about its importance. “Working at corrections provides individuals a chance to become a public servants. And it’s a highly rewarding job. You are ensuring that there’s fewer victims in our state, and you are creating safer communities. So, there’s also that piece too — that you are giving back to your communities as well,” Skinner says. There is a full external review underway of the state’s nine prisons, and Skinner says that could have an impact on the positions available in the system.

“We are waiting to see in the next couple of months when we get that report from them what other gaps we may have to make those investments with the additional general funds we received this year,” she says. “So we are being very thoughtful and strategic and very methodical. We know where the needs are right now in terms of institutions that need staff — but also there is more to come.”

The Iowa Legislature increased the funding for prisons by 20 million dollars in the last legislative session.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says a new state law that raised the penalties for rioting and gave police new legal protections for on-the-job activities is a recruiting tool for Iowa law enforcement. Reynolds discussed the new law in a just-released podcast hosted by Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel.

“As a mom, you want to know that your kids are being raised in safe communities,” Reynolds said. “As a business, do you want to come invest in a community or in state where you don’t know if tomorrow they’re going to come riot and loot and burn your business down?” The podcast was recorded in late August, just as Iowa schools were opening for the fall semester. The pair blasted states where last spring’s standardized tests for students were delayed until this fall.

“A lot of states aren’t doing assessments,” Reynolds says. “…They don’t want to know the damage that they’ve done to these kids.” McDaniel interjected: “They don’t want to graded on what they’ve done.” Reynolds concluded with: “They don’t want to be responsible or held accountable.” Federal law requires states to test students each year to gauge progress in reading, math and other skills. Earlier this month, Florida’s Republican governor announced he will end that kind of standardized testing after this school year and replace it with shorter tests. The Republican National Committee’s chairwoman and Governor Reynolds also criticized mask mandates in schools.

“I don’t know the health of students. We don’t what’s going on in that family…The other thing is there’s no data. I am so tired of people talking about data and there really isn’t,” Reynolds said, adding: “Be honest.” McDaniel added: “My son getting the vaccine, a big part of him getting the vaccine was: ‘I won’t have to wear a mask in school.'” Reynolds interjected: “And they changed that!”

Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn says wearing a mask indoors prevents the spread of Covid and Reynolds is wasting her days and the tax dollars of Iowans by going on partisan talk shows to spout dangerous disinformation about a deadly virus. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s website listing confirmed Covid cases will be updated later today (Wednesday). Last Wednesday’s report found 29 percent of Iowans who had tested positive for Covid in the previous seven days were under the age of 18.