A Webster City woman is coordinating two simultaneous Iowa fundraisers this month to raise money and awareness about the disease that killed her father. Jody Moats is organizing what's being called "Purple Stride Iowa" in both Webster City and West Des Moines on September 26th.

Moats' father died from pancreatic cancer in 2005, so she did what she called "Hike Iowa for Hope" in 2006 and 2007. She walked across Iowa both years, accompanied by her family, to raise money for research. "I decided to give my legs a break and my husband and daughter a better vacation so we decided to reduce it to a one-day walking event."

Moats says pancreatic cancer isn't as common as breast cancer or lung cancer and thus, doesn't get as much attention -- or money. "It is one of the deadliest cancers out there and one of the least funded," Moats says. "The survival rate is not very good and what we're trying to do with this research is to find better detection. Most people that're diagnosed with this disease, they're already in the later stages."

The first Purple Stride Iowa event was held last year in Webster City alone. She says they had good participation and generated nearly 12-thousand dollars in donations. Moats hopes for a much larger turnout this year by adding West Des Moines.

She says the website address is long, but easy to maneuver: www.canpan.org/purplestrideiowa09 . She says you can register online in advance for free. If you raise $25 or more, you'll get a t-shirt at the event. You can register the day of the event for $30.

She says pancreatic cancer killed more than 37-thousand Americans in the past year.

An administrator at a western Iowa school has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation into the August 21st strip-search of five-students. Dan Crozier, interim superintendent with the Atlantic Community School District, says because it is a personnel matter, the individual's name is not being release.

He says the issue will be discussed in a closed session during Tuesday evening's regularly scheduled school board meeting. The Des Moines Register reported in Saturday's edition, the incident in question occurred after a female student at the high school reported $100 was missing from her purse.

Lawyers representing the teens say the classmate who reported the incident and a female counselor stood watch in the girls' locker room at Atlantic High School, as the five girls removed their clothing, and lifted up their underwear.

One of the teens was asked to remove her clothes twice. The allegedly missing money, was never found. The matter has sparked a great deal of public comment, ranging from criticism of the teen for bring so much money to school, to calls for administrators and school board to resign. Crozier says no additional action will be taken until the investigation is complete.

Crozier says they've investigated and it takes a lot of time to do that, and they want to treat the students and personnel correctly and they believe following board policy let them do that. Crozier says it's not that unusual for kids to bring money to school, but there is always a risk it can be stolen. When that happens, he says it's up to the school to look into it. He says some kids have money and he is sometimes surprised that kids bring money to school.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that no school official has free rein to do intimate searches of students. The court said making a girl pull the waistband of her underwear away from her body constituted a strip-search. In addition, strip-searching is illegal in Iowa schools. Crozier says the district's lawyer however, seems to feel the board's policy on search and seizures were within the scope of the law.

Crozier says the lawyer has certain aspects of the incident that he has looked at documentation on and explained to the board. He says the policies the Atlantic School district came up are based on a state template. He says the state has sample policies and the board has followed those sample policies and tried to do what the state suggests. Crozier says also, he hopes the matter can be resolved without having to go to court.

Crozier says they want everyone to be able to work with each other and to be able to find answers. Three of the five girls' parents hired lawyers, and a fourth family said they intend to do so.

A forum on food safety this past week at Drake University in Des Moines included a survey that showed Iowans are concerned about food safety in the wake of several recent outbreaks of illness. Food irradiation was once touted as a way to prevent food borne illness, but it has not caught on. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says it's something that should be part of the discussion.

Harkin says he's been a proponent of food irradiation for 20-some years and he thinks it's still a good solution for many fruits and vegetables. But Harkin says right now there's not a wide public acceptance of irradiation. Harkin, a Democrat, says part of the problem is a misconception of what irradiation is.

"When you say irradiation, people think you're radiating food. I call it electronic pasteurization, because you're not using anything radioactive," Harkin says. He says you have to think about it like a low-level microwave oven. At one time people were afraid of getting to close to microwaves, but now they use them all the time without fear.

Harkin says there needs to be a public education campaign to explain what takes place and how irradiation can make food safer. 

State health officials say they want to do all they can to prepare Iowans for a potential outbreak of the H-1-N-1 flu virus , without causing undue alarm. Tom Newton is the director of the Iowa Department of Public Health.

"It's no time for alarm, but it's a time to be prepared and that's really what we're trying to do here...preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," Newton said this week after a meeting with public health officials from around the state in Des Moines.

The H-1-N-1 virus is causing fewer severe illnesses than the regular, seasonal flu, but experts say it could become more dangerous. That's why the state is sending postcards to every Iowa household later this month explaining how people can protect themselves from the virus. Newton says he wants Iowans to be prepared without being scared.

"It's a very fine line and we walked this last spring as well," Newton said. "Fortunately, we experienced less severe disease than what initial reports were showing out of Mexico. Every indication at this point is that same disease is coming back to us no more severe than what it was in the spring." But, Newton notes, there have been deaths from H-1-N-1 so it's important for Iowans to be prepared. The postcard asks Iowans to wash their hands often, cough into a sleeve or tissue and stay home when sick.

"We have specific criteria on our website that will help people understand how soon they can go back to work or school after they come down with a fever. Their primary care providers can coach them through that as well," Newton said. The H-1-N-1 vaccine is not expected to be ready until later this month or early October. Newton anticipates Iowa's first shipment will include around 200,000 doses.

The U.S.D.A. has forwarded thousands of dollars worth of grants and loans to 44 different renewable energy projects in Iowa. The grants come from the "Rural Energy for America Program" and many of the smaller grants -- in the range of $10,000 to $20,000 -- will help farmers erect wind turbines.

"Those grants are designed to encourage farmers to take a look at their operations to determine how they might be able to use renewable energy more effectively in their operations and then be able to give them the resources to be able to implement those plans," U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack says. "It's a very successful program."

Milford Wind Energy in Story City is getting a $1.8 million guaranteed loan and $500,000 grant. the company will build a wind turbine that will generate excess electricity that can be sold to the local utility. When it's up and operating in 2010, experts estimate the turbine should earn the company $200,000 annually.

The program was established by the 2008 Farm Bill.

"I will tell you the folks in Iowa have probably been the most aggressive in terms of the utilitization and application process as reflected by the fact that the majority of the awards went to Iowa farmers," Vilsack says. "Our hope is that farmers around the country will begin to understand this program and begin to utilize it."

Late last week the U.S.D.A. announced more than $13 million was being released in the form of both grants and low-interest loans. The money went to 232 projects in 38 states, including the 44 projects in Iowa. 

You can read the U.S.D.A.'s list of the Iowa projects below.

Christopher J. Schwarck, $19,902 grant

Jason Meester, $18,450 grant

Joe Duwe, $10,533 grant

Ted Becker, $12,280 grant

Kevin L. Pietig, $12,252 grant

Kurt Steinbronn, $20,000 grant

Keith Franck, $20,000 grant

Milford Helgeson Farms, Inc.,$20,000 grant

Deutmeyer Farms, Inc., $6,750 grant

Roger Schmitt $20,000 grant

Neumayer Farm Partnership, $20,000 grant

Michael L. Haubrich, $20,000 grant

Bruce Schultz, $20,000 grant

Boshart & Sons, $20,000 grant

Jason Wiebers $15,995 grant

Oldham Farms, Inc., $19,784 grant

Neil Kruger, $19,874 grant

Daniel Bockenstedt, $20,000 grant

Leslie Clampitt, $20,000 grant

Bates Family Farms Corporation, $19,992 grant

Buskohl, Mark, $19,836 grant

3Fueled, LLC, $50,000 grant

LincolnWay Energy, LLC, $10,000 grant

Market Management Services, LLC, $18,000 grant

Consumers Energy Cooperative, $100,000 grant

Hawkeye Tri-County Electric, $100,000 grant

Alan Laubenthal, $38,722 grant; $77,444 loan

Ronald Bowman $23,681 grant; $47,363 loan

Klover Pork, LLC, $34,302 grant; $68,604 loan

Garry Anstoetter, $24,320 grant; $24,320 loan

Dale Zhorne $38,349 grant; $38,349 loan

McCool Bros., LLC, $30,971 grant; $31,141 loan

Steven Mummelthei, $39,313 grant; $78,625 loan

Jack D. Moulds, $49,982 grant; $99,964 loan

Dean & Sandra, Inc., $27,388 grant; $27,388 loan

Michael Blake $49,121 grant; $49,121 loan

Danny Newell $41,559 grant $41,559 loan

Jay R. Clasing $155,794 grant; $311,588 loan

Steve Robinson, $27,500 grant; $27,500 loan

Milford Wind Energy, LLC, $500,000 grant; $1,831,820 loan

Seuntjens Farm, Partnership, $37,240 grant; $37,240 loan

Daniel Lonnevik, $31,912 grant, $63,824 loan

D J Keehner Farms, Inc., $25,678 grant; $25,678 loan

Franzen Brothers, $50,000 grant; $66,750 loan

An Iowa Labor official says much has been accomplished, but there is more left to do. The president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, Ken Sager, says that is often forgotten during this holiday. He says a lot of people view this as the traditional wrap up of summer and vacation with the kids, but he says the original intent was to celebrate the contributions of working people across this country.

Sager says unions have done a lot to help workers. Sager says they continue to work for civil rights, and cites the minimum wage law. He says that is not a labor issue, but a social issue and that's what labor is all about, improving conditions for working people as he says that's the only path for a majority of people to get into the middle class.

Sager says a prevailing wage law is one of the priorities of for labor organizations for the upcoming legislative session.

Iowa law enforcement officers aren't discovering near as many meth labs today as they did five years ago. But, Dale Woolery with the Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy says the dangerous and highly addictive drug is still very prevalent in the state. He says most of the methamphetamine in Iowa is shipped here from Mexico or the southwestern portion of the U.S. And Iowans continue to make their own meth.

"There's a new method called a 'one pot' or 'shake and bake' method of manufacturing meth," Woolery said. "We've heard about it mainly in places outside of Iowa, but we are beginning to hear about it within the state of Iowa as well. It's just a new, quicker way to make a smaller amount of methamphetamine for those who are inclined to do so."

According to the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, less than 20 meth labs per month are found in the state. That compares to 125 labs per month in 2004. Woolery says Iowa appears to be in the second year of a "small resurgence" of meth, but hundreds of people are seeking help to kick the habit and the treatment is working.

"We know that from research here in Iowa," Woolery said. "If you become a meth addict, not all is lost. You can get into recovery, you can get clean, you may need help, but you need to ask and go there. Family members also need to be aware and take the step to intervene and get help for a loved one if they need it."

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is launching an $8 million anti-meth advertising campaign in 16 states, including Iowa. 

Some people are afraid of spiders, heights or crowds, but one type of fear could lead to serious consequences -- dental phobia. As part of Mental Health Month, Delta Dental of Iowa is working to raise awareness about the fear of dentists. Spokesman and dentist Dr. Ed Schooley says regular cleanings, exams and X-rays are vital to good oral health.

"It is well established that seeking routine care really has a lot of cost savings for the patient," Dr. Schooley says. "On average, every dollar that you put into just having a preventive dental service done saves up to 50 dollars in terms of treatment costs." He says avoiding the dentist could cause someone's minor untreated dental problems to develop into severe oral health conditions and in rare cases, even death.

He says it's critical to look around and find the right dentist for you. "You certainly want to find one you have confidence in, that you have trust in," Schooley says. "Not all dentists were created equal. Some take more of an authoritarian type of role and feel that they're in charge."

He says that's the last type of dentist someone with a phobia would need. He suggests working with the dentist to reduce anxiety, asking the dentist to explain what's happening during every stage of the exam. Another strategy is to set up a hand signal to let the dentist know when to take a break.

Schooley says, "Patients will often model after the behavior of the dentist so if you can find one that follows the 'tell, show, then do' type of dental practice that they feel comfortable with, have confidence in, that will go a long ways." Some dental offices offer services that help patients better manage their fears, including: hand massages, massaging dental chairs, virtual reality eyewear and headsets with music or calming nature sounds.

The Beach Boys will play their first-ever concert in Fairfield today but one of the men who founded the legendary band in 1961 says he's been visiting the southeast Iowa community for decades.

Mike Love learned transcendental meditation in 1967 and says he steals away to Fairfield frequently for R-and-R, that's rest and relaxation, not rock 'n' roll. The singer and songwriter says the community facility, known as the Raj, offers health treatments which he believes have helped prolong and greatly improve his life.

"Ayurveda is an ancient science of health from India," Love says. "It has all kinds of aspects to it but they have fantastic treatments that reverse the clock biologically speaking, in other words, you can reverse the aging process through a combination of meditation and the Ayurveda, so it's been really helpful to me."

Love is 68 years old but when he inputs his vital information before a treadmill workout, he says he usually punches in 50, as that's how young he says T-M allows him to feel. "It's been really helpful to me to be able to meditate and get these treatments occasionally because the schedule we keep is pretty intense," Love says, laughing. "We haven't had a summer off in 47 years." He says transendental meditation helped prevent him from falling into the same traps that have caught and killed many other celebrities.

"That has helped me to stay away from too much drinking, I don't smoke, all the lifestyle choices that can lead to disease and early death, I'm not interested in that path," Love says. "I've seen plenty people go that way and it's a drag because I'm sitting there thinking, gee, if they could only learn this technique and benefit by it, it'd be great."

The concert will be held in the open fields beside Fairfield Middle School. The gates open at noon. For tickets, directions and parking information, call 641-472-2787.

At high noon today, Republican Bob Vander Plaats will officially announce he is running for governor.

"In early January we announced the formation of an exploratory committee to test the waters for organization, financial support and we're just thrilled to say that we've got a vibrant network throughout this state, we're on our fundraising goals and the early polling shows us far out in front of the field," Vander Plaats says, "so we feel really good to be announcing on Labor Day in my hometown."

Vander Plaats is holding his formal campaign kick-off at the City Park in Sheldon, a northwest Iowa town of about 4800.

"I picked Sheldon because that's where I was raised and that's where the values were instilled in me and whether it was through home or through church or through school or through the community, it's the values of: 'We value life and we value a culture of life,'" Vander Plaats says. "...It's where we learned about marriage: one man/one woman, traditional marriage."

Vander Plaats has run for governor twice before, first in 2002 then in 2006 when he wound up as the Republican Party's lieutenant governor nominee. The past eight years have been a "journey," according to Vander Plaats.

"But what I sense today is that the people of Iowa are really embracing the message more than ever that we need a real life leader from real life experience and real life results to serve," Vander Plaats says. "They don't want politics as usual anymore."

Vander Plaats has never before held elective office, but he argues that's a plus in the current environment. "People are discouraged with kind of the entitlement, the establishment and just politics as usual," Vander Plaats says. "They want fresh blood."

That is a barb aimed at former Governor Terry Branstad and party insiders who are pushing Branstad to run for a fifth term. Vander Plaats says the public is fed up with career politicians.

"I think when you take a look at the 'Tea Party' movement, if you take a look at the town hall meetings and the people who are showing up and voicing their opinion, those just aren't rank-and-file Republicans -- those are Independents; those are Democrats; some of them have never been involved in the process before," Vander Plaats says. "Basically, they're saying: 'I've had enough!'"

Vander Plaats will visit a farm near Kalona later this afternoon and he has scheduled a news conference at the statehouse tomorrow Tuesday as part of his campaign kick-off. Vander Plaats worked as a teacher, coach and later a principal in four different school districts before becoming manager of a non-profit heath care agency in Sioux City in 1996. He's currently a business consultant. 

A Sioux City woman died after a one-car accident in northwest Iowa on Sunday. The Sioux County Sheriff's office reports 76-year-old Darlene Jones of Sioux City was driving north on county road when she appeared to have lost control.

The car Jones was driving went into the ditch and rolled into a soybean field. Jones was pronounced dead at the Hawarden Community Hospital.

The interpretive center at the popular Mines of Spain Recreation Area in Dubuque is slated to get a facelift. Alan Foster with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the project begins Wednesday (September 9th).

He says they will shut the interpretive center down and create a 7,400 square foot addition to the center and they will also renovate the current center. Foster says the improved center will have several new features.

There will be new aquariums and some expanded opportunities for kids, some hands on learning, and they will also put in classrooms that schools can use. Foster says the former site of lead mines has been popular place to visit. He says it's probably one of the D.N.R.'s busiest facilities with lots of nature-based activities going on every month.

Foster says the new addition and renovation will help make the programs even more enjoyable.  Foster says it will take about six months to complete the changes. Foster says they hope to see it open by mid-April of 2010 and it will basically be a brand new facility when it is open again.

Foster says the one-point-five-million dollar project is being funded in part by donations. The trails around the Mines of Spain will still be open for use during the expansion and renovation. For more information, go to the Mines of Spain website .

An Iowa Policy Project report issued this Labor Day weekend is titled "Tough Times in the Heartland." 

Researcher Colin Gordon, co-author of the 2009 "State of Working Iowa" report, says Iowa has escaped some of the hardest hits of the national recession. Iowa home values weren't as high and didn't tumble as low. Plus, the state has a smaller stake in the automobile industry compared to states like Michigan and Ohio.

"Despite that sort of relative insulation, I think the news is pretty dismal," he says. "We've lost almost all the job gains from our last recovery in 2005. We've lost 46,000 jobs since December, 2007 alone and given the fact that our labor force continues to grow, we now have a job gap that's over 60,000."

According to Gordon, two major drags on the Iowa economy are wage stagnation and a decline in the number of jobs which offer health and pension benefits

"Wage growth has pretty much ground to a halt. Now, historically this has been a problem in Iowa because particularly at the higher wage levels we've ranked very low in the country and very low in the region and this often comes up when we talk about teachers' salaries or nurses' salaries and that sort of thing, but we're bleeding jobs at the high end and this raises serious issues for the security of working families," Gordon says. "But it also raises serious issues for our ability to recover from this recession."

Gordon's report shows Iowa's unemployment rate has doubled in 18 months.

"It is really unclear given job losses and stagnant wages, where the consumption -- where the recovery is going to come from," Gordon says.

Iowa's unemployment rate was six-and-a-half percent in July.

The "State of Working Iowa" report found nearly 50,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Iowa this decade. "And what we see, you know, both in the last recession and recovery and the current one is that we lose good jobs with benefits and then what we see when we come out of the recession the growth is largely in areas without those benefits," he says.

The consequences for families, according to Gordon, are "concrete" as many are just hoping to survive 'til pay day.

"What we see in this recession, underscored, is just how vulnerable Iowa working families are," Gordon says. "It used to be the case, for example, that you could fall back on savings, you could fall back on home equity, you could fall back on a second wage earner in the case of unemployment, but that's no longer the case. I mean, most working families now have two wage earners working full-time and they rely on that income."

Iowa has more two-parents families with both parents working than any other state. Gordon's report notes that it costs those parents more to pay for a year of child care than it would be send that son or daughter to one of the three state universities.

Gordon predicts at least 10,000 Iowans will file for bankruptcy this year. That's a dramatic increase, as fewer than 5000 filed for bankruptcy in 2006. While many of the statistics and tables in the "State of Working Iowa" report seem to make rather grim statements on the state's economy, Gordon suggests there is a "glimmer of hope" in the numbers.

"Things are pretty dismal, but they're not as dismal here as they are elsewhere," Gordon says. "At least relative to many of the other states, many of the other regions of the country, we start from a position of relative strength. We're not yet facing a situation where we have 20, 25 percent without health insurance or 10, 15 percent unemployed."

Gordon says state policymakers should consider expanding the basic tax credit for low income families. It's called the Earned Income Tax Credit. He also advocates annual cost-of-living increases in the state's minimum wage. Read the entire "State of Working Iowa 2009" report on the  Iowa Policy Project's website  .

The number of Iowa public schools that are falling short of expectations set in a federal law has more than doubled in a year. A new report shows 293 Iowa schools are now on the "in need of assistance" list under the No Child Left Behind law. Elaine Watkins-Miller is a spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Education.

"This year, it was expected that there would be more schools identified as 'schools in need of assistance' and that is true," Watkins-Miller said. Twenty-percent of Iowa's 1,442 public schools are on this list, up 9% from last year. State officials blame tougher federal expectations for the increase. The No Child Left Behind law asks schools to make sure all students are proficient in math and reading by 2014 or face penalties.

The law has been criticized by many educators who say it penalizes schools based on the performance of a few students. Watkins-Miller says Iowa schools are doing their best to avoid being added to the list. "Even with this great challenge, there are schools that are making great achievements and there are districts that have gotten off the list of being identified as a school in need of assistance," Watkins-Miller said.

Middle schools located in Carroll, Johnston and Waukee were identified as the schools that improved test scores and were removed from the list. Although Iowa has 20% of its schools on the list, the state's public schools are performing much better than those in other states.

"There are states, even here in the Midwest, that have 50% of their schools identified and some in the nation have 70%," Watkins-Miller said. Schools are identified as "failing" based on state test scores, attendance and graduation rates. Schools that miss the federal targets two years in a row are placed on the list.

A group that's known for cleaning up rivers is also working on a project to improve solid ground. Denise Mitten of the Living Lands & Waters program says it's called the "MillionTrees Project." She says the trees project was started to help sustain the river cleanup efforts as they are now trying to go in and plant native trees.

Mitten says they plant fruit and nut-bearing trees that help curb erosion as well as provide food for the wildlife. Mitten says they get seeds that are donated, and then grow them into trees that can be planted.

Mitten says the separate the seeds based on whether they are from a low wetland area or an upland dry area. She says they plant the trees in the lowland areas and give the trees for the upland areas to people to plant in their yards, parks and schools. Mitten says they give the trees away free.

Mitten says you can call her or visit their website and find out how to get a tree. She says they are looking for people who're doing projects, and people who just want to plant a tree in their yard. If you would like more information on the free trees, contact Denise Mitten, Programs Coordinator, at 309-496-9848 or denise@livinglandsandwaters.org. You can also visit the organization's website at: www.livinglandsandwaters.org .

The Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct more honorees this holiday weekend in the Iowa Great Lakes region. Doris Welle is one of the organizers behind the concert and celebration at the hall in Arnold's Park.

"We're inducting not just bands but radio stations, DJs, the support staff," Welle says. This year, they're inducting a support staff person from the legendary Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. She says they're also honoring "women who rocked" and other individuals, in addition to ballrooms.

Welle says one of the bands that'll be inducted into the state's Hall of Fame this year was popular in the 1960s, The Surfinks, from Jewell. The band will be peforming starting at 5 PM Sunday during the concert/awards ceremony in the Roof Garden Ballroom in Arnold's Park.

Other inductees this year will include: Deputy Dawg Band, Con Brio, XL's, Morning After, The Impacts, The Charades, Crow, Melody Mill Ballroom, Darrell Winkie - disc jockey, Genuine John's, Lou & Red Berry and the Bel-Raves, and Natural Color.

Welle says anyone who attends the ceremony and concert will be able to bid on some one-of-a-kind items, from autographed photos to guitars. She says there will be a memorabilia auction that includes items famous people from all over the world have signed and sent in to raise money for the museum. Since the first ceremony, nearly 800 people have been honored by being inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Sunday bash runs until midnight. For information on tickets, visit: www.iowarocknroll.com .

Republican candidate Bob Vander Plaats says if he's elected governor, he'll ensure private schools and home schoolers have as much say in crafting state education policy as those who're involved in public schools.

"It's about educating all children and about celebrating the education of all children," Vander Plaats says.

Vander Plaats -- a former teacher, coach and principal in four different public school districts in Iowa -- graduated from Hull Western Christian High School in Sheldon. "I was raised in the private school system, the Christian school system, but came back to Sheldon to serve as their high school principal," Vander Plaats says.

Vander Plaats pledges to appoint a home schooling parent to the state Board of Education. "It's the parent's right and privilege to raise and educate and nuture their children, not the government," Vander Plaats says.

Vander Plaats says he'd appoint a representative of the state's private K-through-12 schools to the Board of Education, too. The current, 10-member state Board of Education currently includes a private school representative. Sister Jude Fitzpatrick is the retired superintendent of schools for the Des Moines Catholic Diocese.

The impact is still not known for the property tax forgiveness the Linn County Supervisors approved this week for flood victims. The supervisors voted to forgive the property taxes for thousands of flood victims who were not able to use the flooded property. The loss of tax revenue hits schools at a time when their budgets are already tight.

The Cedar Rapids School District says it supports the tax abatement, but district director of business Steve Graham says they aren't sure how it will affect their bottom line. Graham says, "We don't know what the impact is going to be financially at this point in time and we're very hopeful that in mid-October we're going to know with some specificity what that's going to be."

Part of the problem is that flood victims must apply for tax abatement, and it's unknown how many will apply. Taxes will only be forgiven for however long the property wasn't used. The decision will likely means millions of dollars in lost revenue for the city of Cedar Rapids as well.

City councilman Chuck Wieneke says the recently approved local option sales tax could help recoup some of the cost but not all of it.

"This disaster affected this entire city and this is an example of how this entire city is going to be paying for a portion of the recovery of this city and I think that's forgotten sometime by folks that were not directly affected by the flood," Wieneke says.

Representatives from Cedar Rapids, the county, and school district say they will ask the state legislature to compensate them for the revenue lost to the floods.  

Despite the economy and the fact the school year is underway, the Iowa State Patrol is still expecting plenty of traffic this holiday weekend. Trooper Scott Miller, who works at the Council Bluffs post, says the highways and interstates will be busy.

"Even if people stay close to home and camp at a local campground, they're still going to get on the road," Miller said. "Even if it's a shorter trip than normal, there will still be quite a few people out there." Miller is encouraging Iowans who are making a trip this weekend to allow plenty of time to get to their destination.

"The other biggie is...don't be a distracted driver. Don't use your cell phone while you're driving and definitely don't text while you're driving," Miller said. "If you can, pull over to the side of the road or wait until you get to your destination." In addition, motorists are advised to expect road construction delays.

"Everyone knows there is quite a bit of road construction still going on and that could cause some delays, especially with the heavy traffic volume we're expecting," Miller said. The Iowa State Patrol has added extra troopers to monitor roads through Monday. During the Labor Day enforcement effort in 2008, the Iowa State Patrol arrested 47 motorists for O.W.I. and issued over 2,000 citations for speeding.

Authorities in Oklahoma have arrested a man wanted for a February murder in western Iowa. Twenty-year-old Luis Trujillo-Mendez will be charged with first-degree murder for the death of 27-year-old Lorenzo Nambo Garcia of Denison.

Garcia's body was found in a ditch near Dow City in late February. Crawford County Sheriff James Steinkueler says Garcia disappeared on January 5th.

"On this date, a witness reports seeing...an acquaintance of the victim driving by the residence on two occasions," Steinkueler says. "...The witness left the area on personal business and never saw the victim again."

The sheriff says about a week after Garcia's body was found authorities obtained a warrant and searched Trujillo's residence in Denison."In Luis Trujillo's residence, a pistol and ammunition were recovered. A wallet belonging to the victim was also recovered during the search," the sheriff says. "On March 16, 2009 a vehicle belonging to the relative of Luis Trujillo was identified as the vehicle Luis Trujuillo was driving the night the victim disappeared."

That evidence was processed at the state crime lab. "It was determined that the ammunition found in Luis Trijuillo's residence was consistent with the bullets found in the victim's body. Ballistics of the bullets found in the victim's body matched those of the pistol found in Luis Trijuillio's residence," the sheriff says. "Inside the vehicle...DNA was recovered that positively matched that taken from the body of the victim."

Crawford County Attorney Michael Mundt says putting all those pieces together is a credit to the law enforcement officials involved. "For weeks before they found the body, I frankly (had) little hope that they would be able to unravel this case," Mundt says.

Trijuillio faces life in prison without parole if found guilty on the first degree murder charge. He's currently being held in Oklahoma and will have to be brought back to Iowa to face the charge. If you have any information in this case you are asked to call the Crawford County Crimestoppers Hotline at (712)263-4050.