Motorists Need To Be Aware Near School Zones
(Le Mars) — Students across the state will be heading back to school this week,
and motorists are being told to be remain alert. Vince Kurtz with the Iowa
Highway Patrol says drivers should avoid distractions, especially when driving
close to a school zone. He says that means slowing down to 20 mph., hanging up the
cell phone, and paying attention 100 percent of the time. Kurtz says law
enforcement officials will be patroling school zones this week to watch for
possible violators.
When drivers see a school bus with its flashing lights and stop sign extended,
Kurtz says that means all vehicles from both directions need to stop.
The Iowa Highway Patrol trooper says more buses are being equipped with cameras to
help identify and catch violators. He says in recent years, legislators have
passed laws to make the fines and punishment of passing a stopped school bus much
stronger.
Woodbury County Deputy Nearly Hit While Conducting Traffic Stop
(Sioux City) — A Woodbury County Sheriff’s Deputy was nearly struck by a passing
vehicle while conducting a traffic stop. The incident happened on Tuesday near
the 330th and Charles intersection. The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle and
a pursuit then ensued. The pursuit went south on Interstate 29 from Sloan where
the suspect, identified as Don Duclos exited the interstate highway at Whiting and
subsequently crashed the vehicle near the intersection of county road K-42 and
Berry Avenue. Duclos is facing numerous charges in Woodbury County, as well as
his warrants for his arrest from Polk, Warren, and Pottawattamie counties. As it
turns out, the vehicle used by Duclos was reported as being stolen. The Woodbury
County Sheriff’s Office had assistance from the Monona County Sheriff’s Office.
Buena Vista Authorities Investigate Fatal Motorcycle Accident
(Storm Lake) — Buena Vista authorities are investigating an accident that
happened Sunday afternoon the killed a motorcycle driver. The accident occurred at
the intersection of 70th Avenue and 620th Street involving both a sport utility
vehicle and a motorcycle. The initial investigation shows that the sport utility
vehicle was driven by 38 year old Ryan Mohr of Storm Lake and was headed
northbound on 70th Avenue. The motorcycle was driven by 44 year old Chad Falck of
Alta and was eastbound on 620th Street. The two vehicles collided in the
intersection causing the sport utility vehicle to enter the east ditch and the
motorcycle came to a rest in the roadway. The driver of the motorcycle, Chad
Falck was pronounced dead at the scene. Buena Vista Sheriff’s deputies is still
continuing its investigation into this accident.
Lawyer Sues Prosecutor And Police Officers
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa lawyer is suing police and prosecutors whom he
claims falsely accused him of threatening jurors and witnesses.
Kalona defense attorney Raymond Tinnian filed the lawsuit Monday against
Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness, a Lyness assistant and two Coralville police
officers.
Tinnian alleges that he was framed by a longtime enemy, and that police and
prosecutors were fooled into arresting and charging the wrong man. A judge has
already ruled that the state acted recklessly in providing false information about
Tinnian in a search warrant application.
Tinnian was acquitted last year on accusations that he left a note
threatening to kill a juror who had found him guilty in a misdemeanor disorderly
conduct case. He says he spent 16 days in jail for a crime he didn’t commit.
Medicaid Companies Losing Money On New Program
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two of the three private companies that manage Iowa’s
Medicaid program say they have lost tens of millions of dollars since taking over.
AmeriHealth Caritas said last week that it had a $42.6 million deficit on its Iowa operation in the first six months of the year. Amerigroup reported a loss of $66.7 million. The two groups, along with UnitedHealthcare, took over the administration of Iowa’s $4 billion Medicaid program on April 1.
Pro-Farmer Publication Holds Annual Midwest Crop Tour
(Undated) — The U-S Department of Agriculture issued last week its initial crop
estimates saying farmers will be producing a record corn crop of 15.2 billion
bushels. However, not everyone believes the U-S-D-A estimate is totally accurate.
This week, Pro-Farmer publication is holding its annual Midwest Crop Tour where
groups of crop scouts examine fields across the cornbelt to determine their
estimate as to the size of this year’s crop. Chip Flory is the Editorial Director
with Pro-Farmer. He says this is the 24th year for the crop tour. Flory says, so
far, on the tour the scouts have determined the Ohio and South Dakota crop size
does not match up with the U-S-D-A estimates. However, Flory says Iowa and
Illinois hold the key.
Flory was in Nebraska on Tuesday, and he says from his observations, it has been
disappointing. Flory says there were very few indications the Cornhusker state
would average 200 bushels of corn per acre, even on irrigated ground.
The farm publications editor says the scouting crews try to remain consistent with
their field selections from year to year, going on the same 12 routes in the
eastern corn belt, and the same ten routes in the western cornbelt, stopping every
ten to twenty miles. They enter a field, and go past the end rows, and measure a
distance of 35 paces. They then measure a plot the distance of 30 feet, and
select the 5th, 8th, and 11th ears of corn, and counting the kernels on each of
those ears.
Today, the crop scouts will be in western Iowa and southern Minnesota, and in
Illinois and Wisconsin. On Thursday, the two groups will meet in Rochester,
Minnesota to compare notes, and on Friday, Pro-Farmer will announce its estimates
for the size of this year’s corn crop.
