May 12, 2025

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with law enforcement across Iowa to support the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Click It. Don’t Risk It. high-visibility enforcement effort. The national seat belt campaign, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, is May 19-June 1, 2025. 

It is perceived everyone wears a seat belt, but data shows that’s not true. In 2024, 44% of traffic fatalities in Iowa were unbuckled; that translates to 108 lives lost. In a GTSB survey of over 1,450 Iowans, 88% reported always buckling up in the front seat. Only 67% always buckle in the back seat. 

“No matter the type of vehicle you’re traveling in, where you’re seated, or what type of road you’re driving on, the best way to protect yourself in a crash is to buckle up,” says Brett Tjepkes, Iowa GTSB Bureau Chief. “Unfortunately, many families are suffering because their loved ones did not follow this simple step. If this enforcement effort alerts people to the dangers not buckling up, we’ll consider the mission a success.”

If you know a friend or a family member who does not wear a seat belt, please talk to them about changing their habits. Help GTSB and law enforcement spread this lifesaving message before one more friend or family member is killed. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to be properly restrained when traveling.

GTSB works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce death and injury on Iowa roads using federally funded grants.
Click It. Don’t Risk It. campaign resources
 

ABOUT THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) is the largest law enforcement agency in the state. It includes seven divisions and several bureaus, all working together with local, state, and federal government agencies and the private sector to keep Iowa a safe place by following our core values: leadership, integrity, professionalism, courtesy, service, and protection. Divisions within the Iowa DPS: Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa State Fire Marshal Division, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Professional Development and Support Services Division, and Administrative Services Division. The Department of Public Safety is led by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Governor.

Iowa Department of Public Safety

215 E. 7th St.

Des Moines, IA 50319

https://dps.iowa.gov 

As Iowa baseball (32-17-1, 21-6 Big Ten) wrapped up its three-game non-conference series vs. No. 11 Oregon State (37-12-1) from Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa, the Hawkeyes and Beavers settled the final game with a 6-6 tie following the conclusion of the 10th inning.

Due to the sudden injury scratch of redshirt senior righty Reece Beuter, the Hawkeyes deployed fifth-year senior left-hander Benjamin DeTaeye as the Game 3 starter. While DeTaeye has been used as a starter during midweek games, Sunday’s game was his first career start during a weekend series.

DeTaeye had a tremendous performance for the Hawkeyes, striking out a career-high seven batters while allowing two runs (one unearned) on zero hits and issuing four walks in a career-high five innings of work.

“Ben DeTaeye was fantastic today,” said head coach Rick Heller. “Optimistically, I was hoping to get three [innings]. He just pitched great, and we scored some runs early to give him a lead to work with.”

Three other pitchers saw the mound for Iowa, including righty Brant Hogue, who struck out five. While the pitching staff combined for 12 punchouts, the 13 free bases allowed were a concern, as it was in the first two games of the series.

“It was a weird weekend,” said Heller. “We hadn’t been that team where we were walking guys and giving up free bases like that. It’s just uncharacteristic, and it cost us three ballgames, and it cost us the chance to win this one today, as well.”

Regarding the offense, the Hawkeyes took their first lead of the series by scoring two runs in the first inning off a Gable Mitchell RBI single and a Caleb Wulf RBI groundout. Iowa extended its lead to 3-0 in the second as Wilmes lined an RBI single into left. 

Oregon State scored five runs in the sixth frame via a bases-loaded walk and a grand slam high over the right center-field wall to give the Beavers a 5-3 advantage.

Iowa would immediately respond with a run to cut the lead to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth when Mitchell picked up his second RBI of the evening on a groundout that scored Kellen Strohmeyer from third.

The Hawkeyes knotted the game at five in the eighth when Ben Wilmes poked a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to score Strohmeyer from third.

Following two scoreless innings, Oregon State took a 6-5 lead in the 10th on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch with two outs. Fortunately, Jaixen Frost was able to tie the game back up with a solo shot to left field in the bottom of the frame. While Strohmeyer followed up with a single, the Iowa offense couldn’t bring him around to score the winning run. 

After the 10th concluded, both teams agreed to call the game a tie due to Oregon State’s necessary travel curfew, as the Beavers flew out of Des Moines on a commercial flight later in the evening.

Iowa outhit Oregon State by a 9-4 margin, with both squads stranding 10 runners on base and striking out 12 times.

“We swung the bat better today than we did yesterday. We still outhit them again today,” said Heller.

While both programs moved Sunday’s game earlier in the day with the Beavers’ travel situation in mind, an extended extra innings affair would have created a problematic time crunch for Oregon State.

“We ran out of time. I haven’t been in one of those in a long, long time,” said Heller. “Frustrating that we didn’t get a chance to play it out. In baseball, there shouldn’t be a tie, but with travel, sometimes it happens.”

The tie is Iowa’s first since May 1, 2002, when the Hawkeyes ended in a 1-1 stalemate against Northern Iowa. Ironically, current Iowa head coach Rick Heller was involved in that contest as he led the Panthers program at the time.

With over 15,000 fans in attendance across the three games at Principal Park this weekend, the Hawkeyes were thankful for the turnout and support throughout the series.

“We appreciate the fans and appreciate all the people that came out and supported us,” said Heller. “It was pretty good baseball most of the time for them to watch. We all really appreciate how many Hawk fans came out and watched us in Des Moines.”

Regarding what the Big Ten standings look like following Sunday’s action, Iowa leads UCLA (37-14, 20-7) atop the conference by just one game following the Bruins’ three-game sweep of Illinois. Not too far behind the Bruins is Oregon (38-13, 19-8), which trails by only two games.

Given the razor-thin margin for error, Iowa’s three-game series against No. 7 Oregon to close the Big Ten regular season from May 15-17 will be the program’s most impactful series at Duane Banks Field in the past 35 years.

Thursday’s series opener will be televised on FS1, while the final two games will be on the Big Ten Network. As always, all three games will be broadcast on the Hawkeyes Radio Network alongside play-by-play voice John Leo and color analyst John Evans.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews.

Iowa farmers whose livestock and crops were hit by drought, devastating tornadoes and flooding over the past two years may be in line for help from Congress’s nearly $21 billion in disaster assistance.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the first disaster assistance payments are expected to roll out by the end of May to livestock producers who experienced losses from drought and wildfires. USDA will disperse other disaster payments throughout the summer, based on a timeline released May 7.

The disaster assistance is part of a nearly $31 billion package that Congress approved in December that provided $10 billion in financial assistance to growers, who are facing a third year of losses with falling crop and livestock prices and stubbornly high expenses.

USDA has rolled out $7.3 billion of the financial aid to farmers so far, the agency’s data shows.

Iowa farmers have snagged the largest share of money at $688 million, followed by Illinois at $630 million and Texas at $603 million. The largest payments so far have gone to corn and soybean growers, the data shows.

Iowa is the nation’s top corn grower and second-largest soybean producer.

USDA’s timeline on the release of disaster aid came as President Donald Trump said May 8 he had crafted a preliminary trade deal with the United Kingdom, a move the president said would increase market access for U.S. farmers, especially beef and ethanol. That’s good news for Iowa, the largest ethanol producer in the nation.

More: Fixing Iowa’s levees will cost hundreds of millions. Half of those inspected: ‘Deficient’

Experts have said that the $31 billion in financial and disaster assistance provides farmers with revenue at a time of uncertainty, with the U.S. hitting agriculture’s largest trade partners with tariffs and cutting exports.

Here’s what to know about the impact of the disaster assistance rollout:

Why are farmers getting disaster payments?

The U.S. was hammered by hurricanes, drought, wildfires and other extreme weather events in 2023 and 2024, the years covered by disaster assistance. The congressionally approved supplemental disaster assistance helps cover losses not paid for through traditional crop and livestock insurance, experts say.

Storms that hit the nation last year, including devastating tornadoes and flooding in Iowa, caused nearly $183 billion in damages and killed 568 people, according to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.

More: Iowa, Texas farmers top recipients of USDA payments designed to offset losses

And damages from 2023 U.S. disasters totaled $92.9 billion, including a drought that hit Iowa and other Midwestern and Southern states. The drought cost an estimated $14.5 billion, according to NOAA, which is no longer tracking the cost of severe weather events due to the Trump administration’s budget cuts.

2023 was the second straight year that portions of the Mississippi River experienced record-low water levels that impacted farmers’ ability to move corn, soybeans and other goods to export markets.

What’s USDA’s plan?

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said May 7 the federal agency is developing the rules to expedite disaster assistance payments for farmers experiencing livestock losses due to wildfires, drought and flooding; crop losses from weather events; and two block grant programs for several states, neither of which includes Iowa.

Starting with payments to livestock producers experiencing losses due to drought or wildfires in late May, assistance for livestock and crop losses are expected to roll out through September.

What does it mean for Iowa farmers?

USDA didn’t immediately respond to a request seeking information May 8 about how Iowa farmers might be helped through the disaster assistance. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig’s office also said he’s awaiting guidance.

Iowa has struggled with extreme weather. Last year was a record year for tornadoes, with a total of 125 touching down, including deadly twisters that hit the towns of Minden and Greenfield. Iowa also experienced record levels of flooding in northwest Iowa, hitting Rock Valley, Spencer and other communities.

Aaron Lehman, the Iowa Farmers Union board president, said he’s concerned that USDA employee cuts will leave farmers struggling to get information about the disaster assistance. Already, Iowa farmers already are being notified that Farm Service Agency offices are reducing hours, he said.

Local Farm Service Agency offices are “instrumental in making sure … money gets into farmers’ hands,” Lehman said.

Rollins said at a Senate hearing May 6 that USDA is looking to fill critical positions after agreeing to pay more than 15,000 employees’ salaries and benefits through September in exchange for their resignations, Reuters reported.

Rollins, however, said it’s not the agency’s plan to close Farm Service Agencies that provide on-the-ground assistance to farmers.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com.