Iowa

These Iowa communities want traffic cameras

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2024

These Iowa communities want traffic cameras

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray TV Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – The Iowa Department of Transportation confirmed to Gray TV Iowa that 25 cities and one county have applied to operate traffic cameras. Lawmakers passed legislation this past session that requires communities to apply for a permit through IDOT if they want traffic cameras.

IDOT reported that these communities applied for a traffic camera permit by the July 1st deadline:

Buffalo
Cedar Rapids
Charles City
Chester
Davenport
Des Moines
Fayette
Fort Dodge
Fredericksburg
Hazleton
Hudson
Independence
La Porte City
Le Claire
Lee County
Marion
Marshalltown
Muscatine
Oelwein
Postville
Prairie City
Sioux City
Strawberry Point
Tama
Waterloo
Webster City
West Union

Some lawmakers have tried for the past several years to ban traffic cameras. Instead, legislators agreed to require changes that took away some of the local authority.

Communities have to demonstrate the need for the cameras, provide annual reports detailing collisions and citations at the intersections, and they can only give a ticket if a driver is going at least 11 miles per hour above the posted speed limit.

There are several changes for drivers. Previously, the owner of the vehicle that received the traffic citation received the ticket. Owners can now notify the jurisdiction if someone else was driving.

Drivers will also notice standardized fines in all communities, another state mandate by the legislature.

Fines for speeding offense:

11-20 miles per hour above the speed limit: $75
21-25 miles per hour above the speed limit: $100
26-30 miles per hour above the speed limit: $250
More than 30 miles per hour above the speed limit: $500

About the author: Midwest native Dave Price is Gray Television’s Iowa Political Director for 10 stations that broadcast in the state and has been covering local, state and national politics from Iowa since 2001.

Dave produces and hosts “Inside Iowa Politics,” a weekly, in-depth show focused on interviews with top leaders on politics, issues, challenges and solutions that impact the state.

He has written two books about the Iowa Caucuses (“Caucus Chaos” and “Caucus Chaos Trump”). Email him at dave.price@gray.tv. Follow him on X (Twitter): @idaveprice Meta/Facebook: DavePriceNews Instagram: idaveprice and LinkedIn: Dave Price.

Dave welcomes your thoughts on what answers to seek from politicians and what issues challenge our communities.

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Iowa

Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Ben Kueter earns top-10 in return to Iowa men’s wrestling lineup

Iowa heavyweight Ben Kueter is back and feels better than ever | The Gazette

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Iowa

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

Published

23 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Semi-truck crash causes Iowa power outage impacting hundreds

TAMA COUNTY, Iowa — A pair of power outages left more than 700 people without power in Tama County Friday afternoon.

Alliant Energy says the larger outage, just north of Garwin, was caused by a semi-truck striking one of their power poles. That outages impacted 690 customers as of 5 p.m. Friday.

The smaller outage impacted roughly 36 people in Tama. The outage was caused by equipment needing repairs.

Alliant says crews are on site and working to fix both outages.

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Iowa

Iowa Great Lakes businessman Butch Parks dies at 81

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Great Lakes businessman Butch Parks dies at 81

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) – The Iowa Great Lakes community is remembering Leo “Butch” Parks, a longtime lakes-area businessman and founder of Parks Marina.

He died Tuesday, Jan. 6, at the age of 81.

Parks established the marina on East Lake Okoboji in 1983, growing it from a small fishing boat operation into a business with marinas, sales, service, rentals, storage, and popular destinations like the Barefoot Bar.

Parks and his wife, Debbie, also owned Okoboji Boat Works for 23 years.

Funeral services are set for Friday, Jan. 16, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Spirit Lake. It will be followed by a celebration of life at Snapper’s restaurant in Okoboji that evening.

Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.

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