Virtually showing Iowa initiatives on the world stage

December 11, 2019

We all know Iowa is an amazing place to live, but how can we communicate that to the world? Location and Environment Bureau Director Tammy Nicholson was recently able to show Iowa nice to more than 42,000 scouts from all over the world at the 2019 World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia.

Nicholson and her husband, Kent, who works in the Bureau of Design, are no strangers to scouting. Both of their sons are Eagle scouts and the couple has led countless scout groups over the years, but this experience was once in a lifetime for Tammy.

U.S 52 - Dubuque's SW Arterial - They said it couldn’t be built

December 9, 2019

Nearly 40 years after it was originally proposed, the U.S. 52 project, known to locals as the Southwest Arterial, in Dubuque is nearing completion. The joint project between the Iowa Department of Transportation and the City of Dubuque proves that perseverance pays off.

Connecting local industrial centers to each other and the rest of the Midwest and the world is the driving force for completion of this 6.1-mile, four-lane divided freeway that will provide and modern transportation alternative through southwestern Dubuque, linking the Dubuque Technology Park on US 61/151 with the new Dubuque Industrial Center West and the existing Dubuque Industrial Center near U.S 20.

Message Monday - Jingle belts, jingle belts, buckle all the way

December 9, 2019

Does it surprise you that about 35 percent of the people killed on Iowa highways so far this year weren’t wearing seat belts?  That’s 78 people (as of Dec. 4) who won’t be opening gifts or eating Christmas dinner with family and friends this year. All because they neglected to make that simple click.

Obviously, some crashes are so horrific that not even a seat belt is going to save a life, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says seat belts dramatically reduce the risk of death and serious injury. Among drivers and front-seat passengers, seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45 percent and cut the risk of serious injury by 50 percent. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash and 75 percent of people who are ejected in a crash don’t survive.

Personnel updates for Nov. 15 to Nov. 28, 2019

December 9, 2019

Information provided by the Bureau of Budget and Business Systems

Message Monday - Drunk driving - hate, hate, hate. Loathe entirely

December 2, 2019

Was there a drink or two served at your family gathering or “friendsgiving” last week? Did you question any of the guests about how safe they felt driving home, only to hear, “I’m fine. I’ve just had a few.”

It’s time we all come to the conclusion that there is no “safe” level of drugs or alcohol in your system if you’re behind the wheel of a speeding 2-ton chunk of metal. If you feel different, you drive different. Whether that’s after two beers or two dozen.

December 2019 Service awards

December 2, 2019

Information provided by the Budget and Business Systems Bureau