Traffic Accidents On The Rise
(Le Mars) — Recently, Plymouth County has seen a rash of vehicle accidents with two fatalities that have occurred within the last two weeks, and four accidents involving semi trucks. The Iowa State Patrol is concerned about the recent collisions and remind motorists when we take the wheel, we need to
make certain our total focus and concentration is with driving, and to make certain we are aware of our surroundings.
That’s Iowa State Patrol trooper John Farley. Farley says traffic had initially decreased on the roadways at the start of the pandemic, and as a result, we had fewer traffic accidents. But since that time, traffic has again gone back to pre-COVID numbers, and unfortunately we have seen a rise
in traffic accidents, especially with fatal traffic accidents.
The Iowa State Patrol trooper says there is on average nearly one fatality traffic accident every day of the year somewhere across the state.
Farley says too many times, people don’t take special notice when they are informed of a fatal traffic accident.
With Plymouth County’s last two fatality accidents, in both instances, the vehicles failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with another vehicle at the intersection. Farley says drivers need to think back to the days of driver’s education and remember to do the simple things we were taught.
With harvest now in full gear, Farley wants motorists to be expecting the unexpected. He says the roads now have more semi trucks traveling, as well as farm equipment, and drivers need to be thinking that those vehicles often drive slower, they may make a left-hand turn without signaling, and they may
appear suddenly, just over a hill.
Continuing Unemployment Drops in Iowa, Initial Claims Up Slightly
(Des Moines, IA) — Continuing unemployment claims are falling in Iowa while there was a slight increase in initial claims last week. Iowa Workforce Development reports four-thousand-730 laid-off workers filed first-time claims September 27th through October 3rd – an increase of 114 from the previous week. The number of continuing weekly unemployment claims
was 51-thousand-666 which is six-thousand-753 fewer than the week before.
The state paid out more than 14-point-seven-million dollars in unemployment insurance benefits last week.
Man Charged With Threatening to Shoot Girlfriend at University of Dubuque
(Dubuque, IA) — A Dubuque man is accused of threatening to shoot his girlfriend and her roommate on the University of Dubuque campus. 27-year-old Demetrius Woods-McKissick is facing eight charges including intimidation with a dangerous weapon and domestic assault with strangulation.
The criminal complaint says Woods-McKissick held the woman against her will at his residence early Saturday and at some point choked her. His girlfriend was able to leave after he passed out. Police say he later went to her dorm and threatened his girlfriend and her roommate with a handgun. Investigators
say surveillance video shows Woods-McKissick going to the room with what appears to be a gun and leaving ten minutes later.
Couple Caught With Meth Outside Marion High School Sentenced to Federal Prison
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — A man and woman caught with nearly two pounds of methamphetamine outside Marion High School are going to federal prison.
Forty-year-old Christin Campbell-Martin of Ames and 28-year-old Adam Leiva of Marshalltown pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance near a protected location. Court information shows Campbell-Martin and Leiva provided fake names to Marion police on May 25th,
2018 but officers learned their real names and arrested them on outstanding warrants. A search of their car led to 906 grams of “ice” methamphetamine.
Officers said they had been driving around Iowa for two to three days selling meth. Campbell-Martin was sentenced to more than 16-and-a-half years and Leiva will spend nearly 20 years in federal prison.
Congresswoman Axne, GOP Challenger Young Debate COVID Relief
(Des Moines, IA) — Congresswoman Cindy Axne says she was shocked by President Trump’s announcement that all pandemic relief negotiations were suspended until after the election. Axne says she was on a conference call with House Democrats, being briefed about the latest round of negotiations when the president sent his tweet. Trump has since backtracked, indicating
that before November 3 he’d sign bills providing relief to businesses and sending another 12-hundred dollar stimulus check to most Americans.
Republican challenger and former Congressman David Young blames Democrats in the House for the impasse. But Young says in addition to Trump’s latest list, the package should include money for the child care industry as well as liability protections to shield small businesses from COVID-related lawsuits.
Young and Axne debated late Wednesday afternoon on WHO television.
