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Weekly Fuel Report

DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents from last week’s price and is currently averaging $3.31 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $8.53 per barrel, and is currently priced at $90.54.
  • Brent crude oil fell by $7.25 cents and is currently priced at $101.66.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $69.48 and Brent crude was $73.78.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.31 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices fell 4 cents from last week’s price and are up 30 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.98, up 14 cents from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 22 cents this week with a statewide average of $4.85.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.33 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 148 cents lower than the national average of $3.37.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.49 for U87-E10, $2.90 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $3.56 for ULSD#2, $3.69 for ULSD#1, and $2.28 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices were down 11 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.93 MMbtu.
  • Propane prices averaged $1.62 per gallon in Iowa.
  • Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $4.36 per gallon.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

Iowa 14 Improvements between Monroe and Knoxville to Resume This Spring

DES MOINES — Iowa 14 between Monroe and Knoxville will be improved beginning spring 2025 through 2029.

In 2026, the bridges over White Breast Creek and the bridge over Teter Creek will be overlayed.

Traffic Impacts

Iowa 14 will remain open to traffic during the bridge overlays on White Breast Creek and Teter Creek.

Starting spring 2026 through fall, traffic impacts will include staged lane closures on both bridges while the project is underway reducing the crossing to one lane with temporary traffic signals.

White Breast Creek Bridge

The bridge over White Breast Creek was constructed in 1965. Previous work on the structure includes beam repair (1981), overlay and rail retrofit (1989), retrofit of rail ends (2001), and epoxy injection of the bridge deck (2014).  The existing overlay is at the end of its lifespan and there is deterioration of the bridge deck.

To address this we will make the following improvements:

  • Bridge deck overlay.
  • Reconstruct abutment backwalls, barrier rail, and end sections.
  • Reconstruct end of deck and abutment diaphragm.
  • Replace joints at both abutments.
  • Clean and paint girder bearings at the abutments.
  • Reconstruct the top floor beam pedestals at both abutments.
  • Replace approach pavement at both bridge ends.

Teter Creek Bridge

The bridge over Teter Creek was constructed in 1965. Previous work on the structure includes beam repair (1981), overlay and rail retrofit (1989), retrofit of rail ends (2001), and epoxy injection of the bridge deck (2014 and 2017).  The existing overlay is at the end of its lifespan and there is deterioration of the bridge deck.

To address this we will make the following improvements:

  • Bridge deck overlay.
  • Reconstruct abutment backwalls, barrier rail, and end sections.
  • Replace joints at both abutments.
  • Clean and paint girder bearings at the abutments.
  • Patch approach pavement at both bridge ends.

39th Annual Sweet Corn Serenade: Call for Vendor Applicants

OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa Main Street announced that preparations are underway for the 39th annual Sweet Corn Serenade. This beloved community event has become a summer tradition for residents and visitors alike. This year’s event will take place on Thursday, July 23 from 12-9 pm in downtown Oskaloosa.

Looking to be a vendor? Oskaloosa Main Street is now accepting applications! The event is an excellent opportunity for local and regional businesses, crafters, and artisans to showcase their products to a large, vibrant crowd. Sweet Corn Serenade draws over 4,000 attendees each year, making it the perfect platform to connect with the Oskaloosa and surrounding communities.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our 39th year of Sweet Corn Serenade this summer,” said Angie Foster, Oskaloosa Main Street Director. “This event has become a cornerstone of the summer season, and we look forward to another year of celebration with freshly cooked sweet corn, Mahaska County Cattlemen’s hamburgers, Jaarsma pie, and Mahaska drinks. In addition, be sure to check out local food trucks surrounding the square.”

The early bird vendor deadline is June 15, 2026, and the final registration deadline is July 1, 2026! Don’t wait, sign up now! Sweet Corn Serenade will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, live music, and more! Stay tuned to Oskaloosa Main Street’s Facebook page or visit https://www.mahaskachamber.org/mainstreet/page/sweet_corn_serenade/ for more information.

A timeline of the deadly collision at LaGuardia Airport

NEW YORK (AP) — It took less than a minute for a routine landing to spiral into a deadly crash Sunday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. But the collision between an Air Canada flight and a fire truck crossing the runway was the culmination of a series of events that began much earlier.

The Associated Press created this timeline based on a review of air traffic control recordings and information from the Federal Aviation Administration, publicly available flight tracking data and the National Transportation Safety Board, including information it obtained from the jet’s cockpit voice recorder.

A late departure from Montreal

10:12 p.m.: Air Canada Express Flight 8646, operated by Jazz Aviation, leaves Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, two hours and 13 minutes late. By the time the aircraft reaches New York, it is part of an influx of late-arriving flights, including some waiting extended periods for a gate.

Issues on the ground at LaGuardia

11:16:42 p.m.: A United aircraft, Flight 2384, aborts takeoff for a second time because of an anti-ice warning light in the cockpit.

11:20:48 p.m.: “We have an odor on the plane as well here at this time,” the United pilot reports. “We are going to be going back to the gate, request fire as well,” using shorthand for the airport’s fire rescue team.

11:21:12 p.m.: Another pilot chimes in: “If that’s a sewer smell … we smelled that too going around the terminal there.”

11:22:24 p.m.: A controller asks the United pilot if it is a smoke odor. He responds: “No, it was a weird odor. I don’t know exactly how to describe it,” and says he can’t get ahold of anyone to obtain a gate assignment.

11:24:49 p.m.: The controller confirms there is no gate available. He asks the pilot, “Do you still need us to send fire there?” The pilot says yes, citing the odor.

11:27:44 p.m.: United 2384’s pilot tells the controller he doesn’t plan on evacuating the plane. The controller instructs the pilot to move to another taxiway.

11:29:54 p.m.: United 2384 makes a wrong turn and ends up in a different part of the taxiway, but the controller doesn’t sound concerned. “You can just stay over there … and we’ll have the guys go over there,” he says.

11:31:41 p.m.: United 2384 declares an emergency. The pilot says: “The flight attendants in the back are feeling ill because of the odor. We will need to go into any available gate at this time.”

11:31:59 p.m.: The controller asks again if there’s an available gate, telling the person he’s speaking with, “now they’re declaring an emergency. They want to get out.”

11:33:39 p.m.: The controller tells United 2384 there is still no open gate, but fire trucks are headed over with a stair truck if they want to evacuate. “Let me know if you do,” he says.

Flight 8646 is cleared to land

11:34:18 p.m.: In a routine step near the end of a flight, the air traffic controller handling approaches into LaGuardia instructs the pilots of Air Canada Express Flight 8646 pilots to contact the airport’s control tower, which will guide them the rest of the way.

11:35:08 p.m.: Flight 8646 is cleared to land on Runway 4/22.

Fire truck is cleared to cross

11:36:45 p.m.: At the airport, a controller asks: “Is there a vehicle that needed to cross the runway?”

11:37:00 p.m.: “Truck 1 and company, LaGuardia Tower, requesting to cross 4 at Delta,” the firefighter says, meaning he is requesting clearance to use Taxiway D to cross Runway 4 — the same runway where Flight 8646 is about to land.

11:37:05 p.m.: “Truck 1 and company cross 4 at Delta,” the controller says, authorizing the truck and other emergency vehicles to cross Runway 4. Simultaneously, on a different frequency, the pilot on the odor-stricken United flight reports that his plane has finally been cleared to go to a gate.

11:37:08 p.m.: “Truck 1 and company crossing 4 at Delta,” a firefighter in Truck 1 repeats, confirming that the controller has cleared the vehicle to cross.

11:37:11 p.m.: An electronic call out in Flight 8646’s cockpit indicates the plane is 50 feet above the ground.

11:37:12 p.m.: A controller tells the pilot of an outbound Frontier Airlines flight to stop on a taxiway.

Flight 8646 lands and collides with the fire truck

11:37:15 p.m.: “Sorry, Truck 1,” a controller says as Flight 8646 bears down on Runway 4/22.

11:37:16 p.m.: A controller then frantically tells the fire crew: “Stop. Stop Stop. Stop. Truck 1. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.”

11:37:17 p.m.: Flight 8646’s cockpit voice recorder captures a sound that investigators say is consistent with the plane’s landing gear touching down..

11:37:19 p.m.: Flight 8646’s first officer, who was flying the plane, transfers control to the captain.

11:37:20 p.m.: The controller continues, “Stop Truck 1. Stop. Stop Truck 1. Stop.” As he speaks, an alarm begins to beep.

11:37:25 p.m.: Flight 8646 slams into the fire truck. The cockpit voice recording stops.

Aftermath

11:37:45 p.m.: A controller tells the pilot of the next plane set to land to “go around,” meaning he should keep flying instead of landing.

The controller then tries to raise the pilots of Flight 8646. “I see you collided with a vehicle there. Just hold position. I know you can’t move. Vehicles are responding to you now.” Other rescue vehicles race to the crash site.

11:55:37 p.m.: The pilot of another plane tells a controller: “That wasn’t good to watch.” The controller responds: “Yeah, I know. I was here … We were dealing with an emergency earlier. I messed up.” The pilot says: “Nah, man, you did the best you could.”

Improve paddling skills with DNR canoe and kayak schools

DES MOINES — Naturalists, youth group leaders and others who take people out on the water in canoes and kayaks are encouraged to attend one of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) paddling schools.

Participants will learn paddling skills, how to identify hazard and river features, tips for teaching different learning styles, and risk management strategies. Instruction time will be one-third classroom and two-thirds on-water in both lake and river environments, solo and tandem.

All courses will be taught at Briggs Woods, along the Boone River in Hamilton County. The canoe school is limited to 12 participants and the kayak school is limited to eight participants. This is not a beginner level course; participants should have previous paddling experience.

The schedule for 2026 paddling schools is:

  • May 12-13, Canoe School
  • June 17-18, Kayak School
  • Aug. 5-6, Kayak School
  • Sept. 15-16, Canoe School

DNR paddling schools are designed for either canoeing or kayaking instruction. Make sure you register for your preferred instruction. Registration fee is $65 for each two-day course. Overnight accommodations are not included in the registration fee. Participants have the options to camp, rent a cabin, or stay in Webster City at a motel while participating in the two-day school.

To register or for more information, go to www.iowadnr.gov/paddling-schools. Get your registration in quickly, these classes fill up fast.

Oskaloosa School Board Approves 2026-27 Calendar, Holds Public Hearing for Property Tax Levy

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Community School Board held a regular meeting last night and approved their academic calendar for the 2026-27 school year. The first day of school for K-12 students will be on August 24, while the last day will be on May 27, 2027.

There is one major change beginning next school year for Oskaloosa students: Wednesdays will be full school days with no more early dismissals on those days. In exchange, there will be a few additional days during the year when teachers will be working, but students will not be in school. According to the district, this adjustment will help with instructional time for students while still meeting required staff professional learning and work time.

The full calendar can be viewed here.

The board also held a public hearing for their proposed property tax levy for Fiscal Year 2027. The proposed levy of approximately $14.30 per $1,000 of taxable valuation is about $0.40 higher than last year’s levy of approximately $13.90. 

Superintendent Mike Fisher explained that the proposed number will likely not match the final number, which is expected to be lower.

Fisher added that the increase in the levy largely boiled down to rising special education costs.

The next regular meeting with the Oskaloosa Community School Board is scheduled for April 14.

Oskaloosa Police Investigating Church Burglaries

OSKALOOSA – The Oskaloosa Police Department is currently investigating several burglaries that have taken place at churches in the Oskaloosa community.

In a statement released on social media, the Oskaloosa Police Department asked churches, nearby residents, and businesses to review any security camera footage from the past several days, including and especially during overnight hours.

Law enforcement is particularly interested in:

  • Suspicious vehicles parked near churches late at night
  • Individuals walking around church property after hours
  • Anyone checking doors or attempting to enter buildings

Church leaders are encouraged to:

  • Ensure doors and windows are secured
  • Check alarm and camera systems
  • Report suspicious activity immediately

Those with video footage or information that may assist investigators are encouraged to contact the Oskaloosa Police Department at 641-673-3201; or, if you observe any suspicious activity in progress, call 911.

Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, and Newton Recognized with Tree City USA Awards; William Penn University Named Tree Campus USA

DES MOINES – Every year the Urban Forestry Awards luncheon recognizes cities, college campuses and utilities that demonstrate a variety of dedication to the importance of trees in their respective communities.

Awards will be presented April 8 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, on behalf of the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. A full list of award winners follows.

Tree City USA Award – To qualify for the Tree City USA award, a city must have either a city forester or an active city tree board, have a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program, and have a tree planting and maintenance plan.

The award recipients are Adel, Ames, Arnolds Park, Atlantic, Belle Plaine, Bettendorf, Bondurant, Boone, Burlington, Carlisle, Carroll, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clarinda, Clarksville, Clinton, Clive, Coralville, Council Bluffs, Cresco, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, DeWitt, Dubuque, Dysart, Fort Dodge, Greene, Grimes, Grundy Center, Hampton, Hillsboro, Hopkinton, Huxley, Indianola, Iowa City, Jefferson, Johnston, Livermore, Luxemburg, Manchester, Maquoketa, Marion, Marquette, Marshalltown, Mason City, Maxwell, Muscatine, Newton, North Liberty, Odebolt, Oelwein, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pleasant Hill, Polk City, Red Oak, Sioux City, Spencer, Story City, Tipton, Urbandale, Washington, Waterloo, Waukee, Waverly, Webster City, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, and Winterset.

Tree City USA Growth Award – To qualify for the Tree City USA Growth award, cities must provide education and public relations, partnerships, planning and management, and tree planting and maintenance in their community.

The award recipients, which were also recipients of the Tree City USA award, are Ames, Bettendorf, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Decorah, Des Moines, Dysart, Grundy Center, Iowa City, Johnston, Marion, Marquette, Mason City, Oelwein, Polk City, Story City, Waverly, West Des Moines, and Winterset.

Tree City of the World – Recognition through the Tree Cities of the World program represents the first step toward achieving a green vision for your city. To receive recognition, a town or city must meet five core standards: responsibility for the care of trees, official policy that governs the management of forests and trees, updated inventory or assessment, a dedicated annual budget for the routine implementation of the tree management plan and an annual celebration of trees.

Burlington, Decorah, Des Moines and Iowa City are this year’s award recipients.

Tree Campus USA Award – To qualify for the Tree Campus USA award, a campus must have a campus Tree Advisory Committee, a tree care plan, a tree program with dedicated annual expenditures, an annual Arbor Day observance and a service learning project to engage the student body.

The award recipients are Divine Word College, Drake University, Hawkeye Community College, Iowa State University, Kirkwood Community College, University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, and William Penn University.

Tree Line USA Award – To qualify for the Tree Line USA award, a utility must meet five minimum requirements, including quality tree care, annual worker training, tree planting and public education, a tree-based energy conservation program and an annual Arbor Day celebration.

The award recipients are Alliant Energy, MidAmerican Energy and Waverly Utilities.

Jury finds that Bill Cosby sexually assaulted woman in 1972 and awards her nearly $60 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A civil jury in California found Monday that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and awarded her $59.25 million.

After a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica, jurors found Cosby, 88, liable for the sexual battery and assault of Donna Motsinger. They awarded her $17.5 million in past damages and $1.75 million for future damages, including “mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress.”

Then in a second phase of the trial Monday afternoon, they awarded an additional $40 million in punitive damages.

Cosby’s attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, said in an email after the initial award earlier Monday that they are disappointed and fully intend to appeal the verdict. She did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the punitive damages.

Deliberations lasted about two days.

The decision came nearly five years after Cosby was freed from prison in Pennsylvania when the state Supreme Court threw out a criminal conviction based on similar allegations. He has settled some similar lawsuits and has been ordered to pay in others, but Monday’s award is likely the most he has had to pay in a case.

“This verdict is not just about me – it’s about finally being heard and holding Mr. Cosby accountable,” Motsinger said in a statement. “I have carried the weight of what happened to me for more than 50 years. It never goes away. Today, a jury saw the truth and held him accountable. That means everything. I hope this gives strength to other survivors who are still waiting for their moment to be heard.”

Motsinger had been a server at a restaurant in Sausalito near San Francisco who said in her lawsuit, filed in 2023, that Cosby had invited her to his stand-up comedy show at a theater in nearby San Carlos. Both were in their 30s at the time. She said Cosby gave her wine and two pills that she believed were aspirin, and that she was going in and out of consciousness as two men put her in a limousine.

“She woke up in her house with all her clothes off, except her underwear on – no top, no bra, and no pants,” the lawsuit said. “She knew she had been drugged and raped by Bill Cosby.”

In court filings, Cosby’s lawyers argued that the allegations rested almost entirely on speculation and assumption, saying Motsinger “freely admits that she has no idea what happened.”

Motsinger’s lawsuit moved with surprising quickness through the California courts, taking just 2 1/2 years from filing until verdict while other lawsuits against him stalled.

“We are grateful to the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and to Ms. Motsinger for the extraordinary courage it took to come forward,” said Jesse Creed, one of her attorneys from the Panish Shea Ravipudi law firm that represented her.

Cosby did not testify at the trial, whose witnesses included Andrea Constand, the Temple University sports administrator he was convicted of sexually assaulting in a Pennsylvania criminal court in 2018. The state’s Supreme Court threw out the verdict and Cosby was freed from prison after serving nearly three years of a three- to 10-year sentence.

Motsinger first made her allegations anonymously in a 2005 lawsuit filed by Constand.

The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly and consent to be named, as Constand and Motsinger have.

In 2022, a jury in Santa Monica awarded $500,000 to a woman who said Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was a teenager in 1975.

Motsinger’s lawsuit echoed allegations of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment made by at least 60 women against Cosby, all of which he has denied.

The former stand-up comedy and television superstar once widely known as “America’s Dad” became the first celebrity tried and convicted in the #MeToo era before his conviction was permanently thrown out when appeals court found he gave incriminating testimony in a deposition only after believing he had immunity from prosecution.

Iowa law on tinted vehicle windows may change

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate has sent the governor a bill that would let Iowa motorists have a slightly darker tint on the driver’s and passenger side windows of vehicles.

Under current law, windshields and those front side windows must let 70% of outside light pass through the glass. The bill would let the driver’s side and passenger side windows be tinted so just 50% of light would penetrate into the vehicle. Senator Kara Warme of  Ames said that’s closer to what’s allowed in surrounding states. “Minnesota is at 50%,” Warme said. “Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Nebraska are all at 35%.”

The change won approval in the Iowa House last year without debate and the bill cleared the Senate yesterday on a 31-16 vote. Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo voted no. Dotzler said he’s particularly concerned about police and state troopers who will be approaching vehicles at night. “Their job is dangerous enough and I’ve seen plenty of the tinted windows in my community at night and you really can’t see inside,” Dotzler said.

Warme sids bill supporters considered these concerns, especially when it comes to enforcing the state law that made it a crime to handle a cell phone while driving. “Any of you who’ve been in a movie theater recently with teenagers would notice that when there are bright screens on in a dark space, it’s that much easier to see them,” Warme said, “and so we know that our law enforcement will certainly be able to enforce the hands-free legislation.”

The Iowa Police Chiefs Association and the State Police Officers Council are opposed to the bill. Iowa’s current standard for the tint on vehicle windows was set in 1983. Advocates for the change say windows with a darker tint enhance driving safety by blocking the glare of headlighs from other vehicles at night and the intensity of sunlight during the day.

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