(DES MOINES) -Today, Governor Terry E. Branstad approved an emergency proclamation suspending the regulatory provisions pertaining to hours of service for drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting diesel products.

Pipeline and refining outages affecting the supply of diesel products, coupled with the abrupt and early drop in temperatures, have resulted in low inventories of diesel products in Iowa and the upper Midwest. The Governor's emergency proclamation suspends regulatory provisions of the Iowa Code pertaining to hours of service for crews and drivers delivering diesel products.

The proclamation is as follows:

WHEREAS, because of pipeline and refining outages affecting the supply of diesel products in Iowa and throughout the upper midwest, coupled with an abrupt and early drop in temperatures throughout the state, the people of the State of Iowa are faced with extremely low inventories of diesel products; and

WHEREAS, this shortage of diesel products has a serious impact on the flow of critical goods and services throughout the State of Iowa; and

WHEREAS, the limited suspension of certain hours of service regulations for drivers of commercial motor vehicles transporting diesel products in our state will increase the amount of those products transported throughout the State of Iowa, thereby reducing the damaging effects of this shortage; and

WHEREAS, these conditions threaten the peace, health, and safety of the citizens of the State of Iowa and accordingly provide legal justification for the issuance of a Proclamation of a State of Disaster Emergency pursuant to Iowa Code § 29C.6 (1).

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TERRY E. BRANSTAD, Governor of the State of Iowa, by the power and authority vested in me by the Iowa Constitution Art. IV, §§ 1, 8 and Iowa Code § 29C.6 (1), and all other applicable laws, do hereby proclaim a State of Disaster Emergency for the entire state of Iowa and do hereby ORDER and DIRECT the following:

SECTION One. I temporarily suspend the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code § 321.449 pertaining to hours of service for crews and drivers delivering diesel products during the duration of this disaster, subject to these conditions:

A.     Nothing contained in this Proclamation shall be construed as an exemption from the controlled substances and alcohol use and testing requirements under 49 CFR Part 382, the commercial drivers' license requirements under 49 CFR Part 383, the financial responsibility requirements of 49 CFR Part 387, or any other portion of the Code of Federal Regulations not specifically identified in this proclamation.

B.     No motor carrier operating under the terms of this proclamation shall require or allow a fatigued or ill driver to operate a motor vehicle. A driver who informs a carrier that he or she needs immediate rest shall be given at least ten consecutive hours off duty before the driver is required to return to service.

C.    Upon the request of a driver, a commercial motor carrier operating under this proclamation must give a driver at least thirty-four (34) consecutive hours off when the driver has been on duty for more than seventy (70) hours during any eight consecutive days.

D.    Motor carriers that have an out-of-service order in effect may not take advantage of the relief from regulations that this declaration provides under title 49 CFR § 390.23.

E.     Upon the expiration of the effective date of this Proclamation, or when a driver has been relieved of all duty and responsibility to provide direct assistance to the emergency effort, a driver that has had at least thirty-four (34) consecutive hours off duty shall be permitted to start his or her on-duty status hours and 60/70 hour clock at zero.

Iowa Code § 29C.6 (6).

SECTION Two. This state of disaster emergency shall be effective at 12:01 a.m. on November 21, 2014, shall continue for fourteen (14) days, and shall expire on December 5, 2014, at 11:59 p.m., unless sooner terminated or extended in writing by me. Iowa Code § 29C.6(1).

DES MOINES, IA (11/20/2014)(readMedia)-- State Treasurer Michael L. Fitzgerald's upcoming eBay auction just might have that unique gift for someone special on your holiday list. "If you are still looking for a unique gift after you have done your Black Friday shopping, check out our eBay auction starting on Cyber Monday," Fitzgerald encouraged. "Many items are one-of-a-kind or collectibles that were turned over in unclaimed safe deposit boxes." Visit our Facebook page to get a sneak peek of the upcoming auction items.

The auction will begin on Cyber Monday, Dec 1, and will close on Dec 8. Some of the treasures in this online auction include a 1900 $5 Gold Liberty coin XF; 14 karat two-tone antique ladies' ring with eight single cut diamonds and one euro cut diamond; and a men's Hamilton pocket watch. All items included in the auction were reported to the state treasurer as unclaimed property by financial institutions across the state. The auction proceeds are held for the rightful owners until they come forward. Photos, letters and other personal memorabilia will not be included in the auction.

Unclaimed property refers to money and other assets held by financial institutions, businesses and other organizations that have lost contact with the owner for a specific period of time. Common forms of unclaimed property include checking and saving accounts, court deposits, stocks, dividends, life insurance policies, utility deposits, refunds, rebates, wages, and abandoned safe deposit boxes.

On the day of the auction, interested bidders may visit the state treasurer's eBay auction at http://myworld.ebay.com/ia.unclaimed.property.

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Includes Road Work in Rock Island and Whiteside Counties

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Pat Quinn today announced investments of more than $2 million for construction projects in the Quad Cities area. The road projects in Rock Island and Whiteside Counties are part of his $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, and address critical infrastructure needs in central Illinois. The announcement is part of Governor Quinn's agenda to create jobs and drive Illinois' economy forward.

"I sought passage of the Illinois Jobs Now! program immediately after taking office in 2009 because the state had gone nearly ten years without major capital construction legislation to repair and maintain the state's infrastructure," Governor Quinn said. "With Illinois Jobs Now!, we've been able to put hundreds of thousands of people to work and helped to make places like the Quad Cities a better place to live and work."

The projects will be managed by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Rock Island County

The Quad City International Airport will receive a new visual approach guidance system on Runway 9 and sign updates for $1,242,761 by Tri-City Electric Company of Davenport, the lowest of three bidders. The Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics will manage the projects, which includes federal, state and local funding.

"Avenue Of The Cities" will receive cold milling, pavement patching and HMA resurfacing from 1st Street to Kennedy Drive in East Moline for $488,351 by Valley Construction Co. of Rock Island, the lowest of three bidders.

Whiteside County

U.S. 30 will receive cold milling and HMA resurfacing between the ramps at the I-88 interchange east of Rock Falls for $397,777 by Twin City Construction Company of Sterling, the lowest of three bidders.

The projects are part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.

WAVERLY, IA (11/20/2014)(readMedia)-- Paris White received the 2014 St. Elizabeth Award for Service for her commitment to service as part of the annual St. Elizabeth Week celebration at Wartburg College.

White, a senior from Muscatine, was one of three students chosen for the honor, which recognizes students who express a desire to live a life that embodies the college's mission.

White is president of the Suicide Awareness for Everyone organization, a resident assistant and involved with campus ministries.

Ashley Lahti and Tawanda Murinda also received the award.

St. Elizabeth Week honors the legacy of the 13th century German woman who built a hospital, fed the hungry and assisted the poor. After her death in 1231, Pope Gregory IX proclaimed her a saint.

Wartburg, a four-year liberal arts college internationally recognized for community engagement, enrolls about 1,700 students. Wartburg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and named after the castle in Germany where Martin Luther took refuge disguised as a knight during the stormy days of the Reformation, while translating the Bible from Greek into German.