Prehistoric creatures abound in Iowa roadways

July 23, 2019

Did you know the limestone that goes into many Iowa roadways is full of prehistoric creatures? Throughout millions of years of geologic history, when present-day Iowa was covered by oceans, sea creatures were everywhere. Fossilized fragments of sea creatures were left behind in the rocks that were deposited by these oceans.

One of most prominent groups of fossils are the crinoids. Also referred to as sea lilies, researchers say the fossils have survived about 500 million years of Earth history and crinoid skeletal fragments make up a significant portion of Iowa's limestone deposits. This limestone is used for road base, as agricultural lime, as building stone, and as a component in concrete.

Message Monday - Buckle up - every seat, every time

July 22, 2019

Whether you’re loading the family up for a vacation or picking up friends for a dinner date, do you make sure everyone is securely buckled?

With some exceptions, Iowa law requires all children under age 18 to be in an appropriate car seat, booster, or seat belt, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle. Unfortunately, adults over the age of 18 are only required to buckle in the front seat.

Even though it’s not mandatory in Iowa law, having every person in your vehicle securely buckled up can reduce serious injuries and save lives in a crash. In Iowa, data from the last 10 years show that unbuckled, adult passengers in the back seat are three times as likely to be killed in a crash compared to those who are belted.

Message Monday - leave safe gaps to avoid mishaps

July 15, 2019

You’re in traffic. It’s hot. You’re tired, and the kids just asked, “are we there yet?” for the 114^th time. You just want to get where you’re going, but now the car in front of you isn’t going as fast as you’d like. What do you do?

For many of us, the impulse might be to close the gap between you and the car ahead to signal your frustration. But tailgating and other aggressive driving behaviors can be dangerous or even deadly. And the aggressive behavior may spread to other drivers.

Message Monday- That's the temperature, not the speed limit

July 8, 2019

Don’t be a hothead this summer. When the mercury rises, tempers can get a little short, increasing the perceived need to get where you need to go more quickly than the speed limit would allow.

#Engage team meetings – the next step in the process

July 1, 2019

When many of us took the Gallup 12 survey last fall, we weren’t totally clear, and many were even openly skeptical, about what the survey was all about. How could 12 relatively vague questions help us improve our work culture?

As Director Mark Lowe said in his Jan. 3, 2019, email to all employees, “So now to answer the big question – how did we do?  Well, let’s not sugarcoat it my friends – we have room to improve.”

Message Monday - Why did the chicken use the crosswalk? Safety ... silly!

July 1, 2019

Although today is International Joke Day, pedestrian safety is no laughing matter. In Iowa, 22 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in 2018.

According to the American Community Survey, there are 1.55 million workers over 16 in Iowa. Of this total, 0.5 percent reported bicycling to work and 3.5 percent say they walk to work. This translates to approximately 7,730 individual bicycle commuters (not trips) and 54,100 pedestrian commuters.