Whether you are an experienced driver of 30+ years, or this is your first winter as a teenage driver, driving during the winter can be intimidating and unnerving. Thankfully, with good preparation you can feel more at ease when you get behind the wheel even in the worst conditions. Here are just a few ways to help you arrive safely at your destination by getting ready beforehand.

First, prepare your vehicle. Make sure your tires have plenty of tread and are properly inflated. Tires lose air pressure when temperatures fall, and you never want to be stuck on the side of the road in the cold.

Check your windshield wipers and scrape snow and ice from the windshield to ensure good visibility. Also keep a scraper in an accessible spot. Turn on your headlights to help other driver’s see you better.

Next, prepare yourself and plan your route. Hills and valleys make it difficult to stop and start. Before you start your journey, plan the route you will take to avoid hills and valleys. Increase following distance. Give yourself more room to stop. Allow more time to reach your destination so you are not in a rush, add braking time when approaching stop signs or traffic signals, and be patient.

Always keep a heavy coat or blanket in your vehicle in the event of a bad storm. It’s never a great thing to be stuck on the side of the road, but at least you will be warm.

Accidents will still happen, but preparing yourself and your vehicle for winter driving decreases the chances that you will become a statistic.

Driving in the snow and ice is typically not enjoyable for anyone. Accidents tend to happen, cars get stuck, and frustration ensues. Thankfully, snowplows were created to clear the roads off all that is dangerous, allowing your daily commute to be stress-free. Snowplows need room to navigate and clear all that is in the way.

As an emergency plan, the City of New London has adopted a Snow Emergency Route. This allows the snowplows to get through the streets and quickly clear the way. If your vehicle is parked on the streets following, in the event of snow, freezing rain, or sleet, it will be towed at your expense.

Adams Street, Chestnut, Cleveland, Elm, Madison, Main, Pine, Thompson, Walnut.

A full copy of the ordinance is shown in the photos or can be found at https://www.newlondoniowa.org/code-of-ordinances

New London School Board were awarded the Team Achievement Award at the Iowa Association of School Boards Convention on November 16^th.

Great individuals make up a team, as Jesse Howard, Tasha Gipple, and Kyle Helmerson all earned the individual achievement award as well, which is presented to just 218 board members from 92 school boards in Iowa.

The awards are given each year to board members, board teams and superintendents/AEA chief administrators/community college presidents who are committed to improving their knowledge and skills by attending IASB-led learning events.

“This year, we have a record number of recipients for the Annual Board Awards program. In each of the three categories, the total number of recipients has nearly doubled from the previous year,” said Elizabeth Brennan, IASB Board President, “I am impressed with the high standard of service that these board members, superintendents/AEA chiefs, and board teams are setting for their peers across the state. They are modeling learning for students in their district, in addition to using that learning to improve education for those same students. Kudos!”

Individual Achievement Award certificates were presented to 218 board members from 92 PK-12 school boards, four area education agency boards and one community college board. Recipients completed a minimum of 15 hours of learning in one year.

Team Achievement Award plaques were presented to 30 school boards who had a majority of board members earn the Individual Achievement Award.

The Award of Honor certificates were presented to 29 superintendents and one AEA chief administrator who completed a minimum of 15 hours of learning in one year; and had at least two individual board members in the district, AEA or community college who earned Individual Achievement Awards.

See the full list of recipients here. Visit the Flickr album for photos with captions.

The new Mt. Pleasant Community School Board met for the first time in special session last night. During this organizational meeting, members were chosen for select committee’s and special positions.

Angie Blint was chosen by those around the table as the new school board presidents. Derek Mullin will serve as the vice president.

Finance committee meetings will be held on the first Friday of the month at 12:30pm, with the Site and Policy meeting on the first Thursday at 5:00pm. These meetings are held in the district office and are open to the public.

Representative Shipley, District 87, spoke in front of the new school board about what to expect from the new legislative session. Shipley noted that there are plenty of issues arising, and communication is key. He told the board that this next legislative session will focus on increasing teacher salary and streamlining teacher licensure, by reducing the limits it takes for a person to be “qualified” to fill in as a teacher.

Heads were turned in the room, as one board member stated that becoming a teacher is not an easy job, and not just everyone can do it. Mr. Henriksen, Superintendent, also spoke and provided a strong position on teacher wage increases. The proposed 3% increase is simply not enough, and teachers need a much higher rise in salary, according to Henriksen.

Only time will tell if teachers will receive the support they need. The legislative session begins in January, and Representative Shipley believes this is top priority.

Shortly before 6:00 AM this date, a burglary reportedly occurred at Horan’s Cabaret, at 1337 Avenue G. The owner stated that after she unlocked the establishment that morning, a male subject wearing a ski mask was encountered inside. He immediately fled, leaving with a substantial amount of cash taken from an ATM. Investigation revealed that entry was made through a secluded back door, and that the perpetrator was apparently inside a significant amount of time, evidenced by the effort taken to cut open the ATM with an angle grinder. The victim could only provide a preliminary clothing description, which included a puffy black ski jacket, silky looking black ski pants, and a black ski mask.

Officers attempted to locate the subject and canvassed the area for witnesses and surveillance video. A detective was called in to process the scene. It was noted that the circumstances bore similarities to the November 7th burglary at the Cottage Café, 5833 Avenue O, also involving the theft of cash from and ATM. The investigation continues to pursue various leads.

Again, assistance from the public is sought regarding information that may lead to the apprehension of the person responsible for this crime. Tips can be submitted anonymously to Lee County Crime Stoppers by calling: 319-376-1090, their website at: www.leecountytips.com , or via the P3 Mobile App, and may be eligible for a cash reward. Otherwise, information can be submitted directly to the Fort Madison Police Department via LeeComm (319)372-1310.