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U-I researchers looking for teen drivers for study

April 9, 2010 By

Researchers at the University of Iowa are recruiting kids — and their parents — for a study designed to improve the communication process as the teen learns to drive. Lisa Roth, research coordinator at the U-of-I’s Injury Prevention Research Center, says teen drivers are at the highest risk of getting into crashes, especially during the first six months of driving. Roth hopes the study can help to change that.

“What we’ll do is work with both the parent and the teen to work on these communication strategies,” Roth says. “It’s called motivational interviewing. What we like to do is work with teens and parents to really improve that communication. It’s more of an active listening type of exercise that parents do and then they’re giving feedback to their teen as they learn to drive.”

Roth’s department is working on the study in conjunction with the National Advanced Driving Simulator, also based in Iowa City. She notes the study will -not- be using driving simulators, but real cars on the open road. “We have a workbook that they go through and we’re actually doing the lessons in the vehicle as the teen is learning how to drive,” Roth says. “Basically, the parent is talking about a safety lesson, then they’re showing the teen the safety lesson and then the teen basically repeats or practices back.”

She says the goal is to maximize a teen’s experience in the car while minimizing the risk. “It can be very nerve-wracking for a parent to get in the car with a new driver,” Roth says. “What we’re hoping we can do is make it a little less of a scary situation but also improve the communication so it doesn’t become a tense situation between the parent and the teen as they’re learning some of these new skills as they learn to drive.”

To be eligible, Roth is looking for parents and their teens who were born between May 15 and August 31, 1994, who are about to get their intermediate driver’s licenses. The study is being coordinated at two locations, in Iowa City and in Des Moines. For information, call Roth at (319) 467-4504 or email her at: “lisa-m-roth@uiowa.edu”.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With:

Former Iowa football player reaches plea agreement in sex assault case

April 9, 2010 By

A former Iowa football player accused of sexual assault has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge. Abe Satterfield’s trial for second and third-degree sexual assault was scheduled to begin Monday with jury selection. But court papers filed this morning in Johnson County show Satterfield has pleaded guilty to assault with intent to inflict serious injury.

Sentencing is set for July 23. The court documents say Satterfield will testify in the case against Cedric Everson, his former teammate. Both men are 21 and were accused of sexually-assaulting an intoxicated female student-athlete in a U-of-I residence hall dorm room in October 2007. Everson’s trial for a second-degree sexual abuse charge is scheduled in July.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With: ,

Iowa Supreme Court upholds ruling against Farm Bureau Life Insurance

April 9, 2010 By

The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling denying claims made by the Farm Bureau Life Insurance company against three other insurers. Farm Bureau Life learned that a blood test from a couple who had applied for life insurance showed both were infected with H.I.V. The company sent a letter to the couple turning down their insurance request based on their blood tests, and asked for permission to notify their doctors of the finding.

The couple declined to allow the company to notify their doctors. The couple did not find out they were infected until two years later and filed a lawsuit in Wyoming against the Iowa company in June of 2002. Farm Bureau Insurance reached a settlement with the couple being identified in court by the pseudonym Smith, and then sued three insurance companies that provided Farm Bureau its coverage in such claims.

The district court dismissed the Farm Bureau suit, saying the company did not give the other insurers timely notice of the claim. The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the district court ruling that the claim was not given in the time required by the policy.

See the entire ruling here: Farm Bureau ruling PDF

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Midwest still faces high flood risk

April 9, 2010 By

Members of a newly formed Regional Flood Risk Management Team met for the first time Thursday in Cedar Rapids. The group includes officials from Iowa, four other states and several federal agencies. National Weather Service Hydrologist Maren Stoflet says a slow snow melt prevented catastrophic damage earlier this spring, but the soil is still saturated. So, the flood risk in all upper Midwestern states remains much higher than normal.

“Any heavy rainfall that we get and repeated rounds of heavy rainfall would increase that flood risk,” Stoflet said. Federal agencies involved in flood response learned some lessons from what happened to Cedar Rapids in June of 2008. For one, the loss of river gauges prevented an accurate crest prediction. That problem’s since been fixed, but sharing lessons like that is one reason to create a regional group of upper Midwest states. Beth Freeman with FEMA says different states might have different flooding issues, but they also have a lot in common.

“How does Wisconsin respond to a flood compared to Iowa? But more importantly, when there’s a flood, it just doesn’t flood in one little spot,” Freeman said. Cedar Rapids Flood Recovery Director Greg Eyerly used the regional meeting to make another pitch. Current Army Corps of Engineers rules say some areas along the Cedar River aren’t worth enough to protect with permanent flood walls or levees. The rule basically states one dollar of cost must protect at least a dollar’s worth of property. Eyerly said rules like that can be misguided and discriminatory.

“If this same flood impact had occurred in another part of the country with higher real estate values, then it would be more favorable for them,” Eyerly said. “What I’m saying is we need social equality.” Eyerly made his comments to a crowd that included some top ranking Army Corps of Engineers officers. But he says any policy changes will have to come from Congress.

By Dave Franzman, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Weather

ISU grad has trouble with repair in space

April 9, 2010 By
Clay Anderson on spacewalk.

Clay Anderson on spacewalk.

A high-flying repair mission early this morning featured some challenges. Astronaut and Iowa State University graduate Clay Anderson spent six-and-a-half hours on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station working on a repair.

 ”Houston, it doesn’t look like it’s going back in,” Anderson says, “I think I have it lined up…”

Anderson and fellow shuttle Discovery astronaut Rick Mastracchio were assigned to hook up a new ammonia tank for a cooling system outside the station.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Human Interest

Lolo Jones among notables coming to Drake Relays

April 9, 2010 By

Des Moines native Lolo Jones will return to the Drake Relays later this month. The hurdler appeared headed for gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 before clipping a hurdle late in the race. She won her second straight World Indoor Championship last month.

Jones says she took a week off to rest her legs and to get refreshed mentally. She says Drake will be her second outdoor race of the season, as she will do the LSU alumni meet, but she says it won’t be all out training. Jones has bounced back from a hamstring injury she suffered last year at the Drake Relays.

Olympic silver medalist Christian Cantwell is one of two athletes to be inducted into the Drake Relays Hall of Fame. The four-time world champion in the shot put has twice been named the outstanding men’s performer at Drake. He says it’s hard to say he deserved that, but says he is proud and honored to accept it.

Cantwell will be looking for his seventh Drake Relays title later this month. He says it will be a neat experience, but there won’t be any more pressure. Cantwell says he has to think about how many more years he can compete as this high level.

Hurdler Perdita Felicien will also be inducted into the Hall of Fame. She is a two-time world champion.

The Drake Relays are April 22nd through the 24th.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Coach says Iowa defender could be tops in the nation

April 9, 2010 By

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says Adrian Clayborn could be one of the dominant defensive linemen in the country next season. As a junior, Clayborn led the Hawks with 20 tacklles behind the line, including 11 and a half sacks in a season that was capped off by a victory over Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

Ferentz says Clayborn is one of the better players they have had and he has improved each year. He says Clayborn was showcased in the bowl game, but says the things he does in practice are important too as he has a great attitude.

Ferentz says Clayborn’s role has expanded beyond the playing field, and he says it has been fun to watch him grow as a leader. He says Clayborn will be the guy to step into more of a leadership role in the coming season to replace graduating seniors.

Clayborn could have passed up his senior season to enter the NFL draft but decided to return for his final season.

Ferentz says he got feedback that Clayborn would have been a first round pick last year, and if he keeps progressing, he will move up even higher.

Iowa concludes spring drills on April 17th.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,
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