The midweek holiday has created an unusual schedule for the State Patrol this weekend. It’s become a standard practice for the Iowa Highway Patrol to use federal funds to put extra troopers on the road during major holidays to look for traffic violations. With Christmas falling on a Wednesday this year, Patrol spokesman Robert Hansen, says the federal Combined Accident Reduction Effort, or CARE, will take place today through Sunday. He says the National Transportation Highway Safety Administration has provided funds for 76 troopers who’re working on their day off. Hansen says having Christmas on Wednesday made the schedule unusual. He says the national officials must figure a large number of people will leave this weekend for Christmas. Hansen says they’ll look for lawbreakers.Hansen says the extra troopers out this weekend will be looking for drunk drivers, speeders and other violations. Troopers will run on a normal schedule next week.