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.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is encouraging Iowans who receive a ‘No Activity’ notice from his office in the mail to respond to it quickly. Registered voters who did not participate in the 2022 general election have been made inactive and will receive a notice in the mail to confirm their residential address. Those who do not respond will remain as an ‘inactive’ status.

Registered voters made inactive through the list maintenance process can return themselves to active status by requesting an absentee ballot, voting in an election, submitting a new registration, or updating their voter registration prior to the end of 2026 general election cycle.

During the first quarter of each year, the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office conducts voter list maintenance as required by state and federal law. The ‘No Activity’ mailing occurs during each odd-numbered year.

“This mailing is just one part of the process to ensure Iowa’s voter rolls remain up-to-date and as accurate as possible,” Secretary Pate said. “It’s a crucial component to ensure clean, accurate and fair elections across the state.”

Iowans who receive the mailing should check the appropriate box, sign their name, and return the postcard in the mail. Postage is pre-paid, so there’s no need to attach a stamp. If the voter no longer lives at the address, the current resident may discard the mailing.

To check your voter registration status, visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Since 1972, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce has presented the Citizen of the Year award to a nominee living and/or working in the Mount Pleasant area who has made a significant impact on the community. This year the Chamber Board of Directors selected Tim and Sally Olson for this honor. Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance Executive Vice President Rachel Lindeen made the announcement at the Chamber’s Annual Banquet held Thursday evening.T.T.T., PEO, Kiwanis, Old Threshers, Festival of Lights and more. Lindeen also announced that the Chamber selected Bob Griffith as its’ Volunteer of the Year.  Each year Chamber staff members select the individual who by their tireless effort and commitment has had a significant impact on the Chamber and the Community. And last but not least, Tom and Marilyn Young were named Ambassadors of the Year. This couple takes the job of Ambassador very seriously and always does so with a smile.  Not to mention they can always be counted on. Retiring Chamber Board directors Lori White, Jennifer Moutrie and David George were recognized and Board President Elect Alicia Yocum gave the Toast to the Future.

Davenport, IA – A Salem man was sentenced yesterday to 100 months in prison for possession of child pornography.
According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Jason Robert Wesely, 39, a former member of the Iowa National Guard, after receiving a cybertip from a social media platform in May 2020. The tip included descriptions of Wesely’s sexual conversations with
an undercover agent, pretending to be a 14-year-old child. Further investigation revealed that Wesely belonged to a chat group where child pornography was shared among its members. Wesely admitted to belonging to the group and to viewing and sharing child pornography. Wesely
was ultimately discharged from the Iowa National Guard. Following his prison term, Wesely was ordered to serve eight years of supervised release.There is no parole in the federal system.United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the
announcement. Homeland Security Investigations and the Iowa State Patrol investigated the case. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which
was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821