Author: Theresa Rose

April 3-10, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across the state to help curb the epidemic of distracted driving.

In 2022, 9,201 crashes on Iowa roadways were because of distracted/inattentive drivers. These accidents are responsible for 20 deaths, 3,652 injured persons, and over $81 million dollars in property damage. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports 32,483 people died in distraction-affected crashes across the country from 2011 to 2020.

In Iowa, distracted driving is a primary law which means law enforcement officers can stop any driver who is texting (reading, writing, or sending) or using any portable electronic device, unless the motor vehicle is at a complete stop and off the traveled portion of the roadway.

Alex Dinkla with the Iowa State Patrol says, “Distracted driving is a leading cause of vehicle crashes on Iowa’s roads, and most of this distraction is attributed to using electronic devices. People know texting and driving is dangerous and illegal, but they do it anyway, and it puts others at risk.”

Beginning April 3, drivers will see increased law enforcement efforts. Officers will be stopping and ticketing those caught texting and driving. You drive, you text, you pay.

The GTSB encourages drivers to use hands free options when engaging a mobile device in their vehicle. Drivers can also limit distractions by enabling the ‘driving’ focus on phones.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce deaths and injuries on Iowa’s roadways using federally funded grants.

Five businesses raced up and down the aisle of the Mount Pleasant HyVee filling shopping carts with items for the Fellowship Cup in Mount Pleasant.  Beck’s Seeds won the traveling trophy for coming closest to $250 but Two Rivers Bank won the Greatest Grabber award for collecting $314 worth of food items in the five minutes allowed for the three member teams to shop. A total of $1,285 in items were trucked off to the Fellowship Cup for the Cup’s food pantry by the five participating teams….Farm Bureau Financial Services, Beck’s, Two Rivers Bank, Farm Credit Services and Iowa State Bank of Fairfield.

The Henry County Supervisors approved the County Secondary Roads Five Year Construction Plan as presented by the County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss. The plan includes 10, possibly 12 projects in fiscal year 2024 with a projected total cost  of $8,740,000. The projects involve the use of twin tank cars to replace bridges on 126^th Street and Fremont Avenue. There are a total of 6 culvert projects. The list includes the Nebraska Avenue bridge, Old Hwy 34 paving project, a seal coat project and paving and widening a section of Franklin Avenue. Pending a grant application there may be additional paving projects Old 34 and W55. The total dollar figure for the entire five year secondary roads construction program from fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2028 is $30,340,000.

The Mount Pleasant City Council met in regular session Wednesday.  The council approved a motion that amends an Engineering Service Agreement with Warner and Associates. The amendment allows for $87,500 so Warner can finish the analysis of findings from the evaluation study done of the Saunders Branch sanitary sewer line. The manholes have been inspected, the system has been smoked, cleaned and videoed.  This has been time consuming but some issues have been found. Once Warner finishes the evaluation there will be a recommendation to Council as to what needs to be done.

A change order was approved for the Northeast Lagoon conversion project. $12,162.70 is needed for better electrical connections in the lift stations. This will improve the longevity of the stations and help with maintenance.

The Council accepted a bid in the amount of $16,500 from Barton Construction to repair the main drain in the Public Works Building.

The pre-construction meeting for street work on Aldrin and West Henry has been held.  The work on Aldrin will be done first. Right now the gas lines along Henry Street are being improved.  And then the Utilities will move in to re-do services.

The City Council approved three resolutions on the recommendations of Fire Chief Drew Schumaker.  Capt. William Bensmiller was promoted to Deputy Fire Chief, Lt. Nicholas Ettinger was promoted to Captain and Tony Skow was appointed to the Firefighter Reserve Unit.

The final public hearing on the City’s proposed overall budget for Fiscal Year 2024 will be held April 12 and 5:30 pm.  At Wednesday night’s meeting the Council approved the maximum general fund tax asking of $9.42816 per $1,000 of taxable valuation following a public hearing. A public hearing and a resolution are now required by the State before the final hearing and passage.

One person died and another was injured in a single vehicle crash that occurred just after 11 am Wednesday.  John Thornton of Salem was driving a truck owned by WEMIGA Waste of Mount Pleasant when he lost consciousness.  The truck first went off the road and then crossed back over both lanes and rolled  coming to rest in the ditch.  Thornton died in the crash and a passenger in the truck, Michael Hines of Mount Pleasant was injured and taken to Henry County Health Center.  The truck was westbound in the 1200 block of Old Hwy 34 when the crash occurred.