CLOSE UP. STOPPING SERIOUS CRASHES IN DES MOINES. THE CITY’S AMBITIOUS VISION ZERO PLAN AND THE US SUPREME COURT RULES COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO STOP USING RACE AS A FACTOR IN ADMISSIONS IS THE EFFECT THAT RULING MAY HAVE ON SCHOOLS RIGHT HERE IN IOWA. AND THE DES MOINES AIRPORT EXPECTS CROWDS THIS SUMMER NOT SEEN SINCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET THROUGH THE SECURITY AREAS WITH FEWER PROBLEMS. THIS IS IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. THIS IS KCCI EIGHT NEWS. CLOSE UP. AND GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO CLOSE UP THIS MORNING. I’M KCCI CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER JAMES STRATTON AMANDA ROOKER HAS THE MORNING OFF. LAST WEEK, THE DES MOINES CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN AMBITIOUS PLAN TO ELIMINATE DEADLY AND SEVERE INJURY CRASHES IN THE CITY BY 2040. IT’S CALLED VISION. ZERO. BETWEEN 2016 AND 2020, 28,000 CAR CRASHES HAPPENED RIGHT HERE IN DES MOINES. 76 PEOPLE WERE KILLED, MORE THAN 450 HURT, ACCORDING TO NUMBERS FROM THE CITY. AND WE’RE JOINED BY THE CITY TODAY, CITY ENGINEER STEVE NEIGHBOR, TRAFFIC ENGINEER JOHN DAVIS HERE TO TALK ABOUT VISION ZERO FOR US. THANK YOU FOR BOTH BEING HERE. FIRST, THIS IS AN AMBITIOUS PLAN BY THE BY THE CITY VISION ZERO ZERO FATALITIES AND SERIOUS CRASHES. LET’S BREAK IT DOWN IN LAYMAN’S TERMS, I GUESS, HOW YOU AND HOW YOU PLAN TO GET THERE BY 2040. WELL, YEAH, THANKS. THANKS FOR HAVING US HERE, JAMES AND YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF DES MOINES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, WE’VE AVERAGED AROUND 200 SERIOUS INJURIES FROM CRASHES AND ABOUT JUST OVER 40 FATALITIES FROM CRASHES IN THE CITY. AND THIS IS AND THAT’S UNACCEPTABLE. AND THAT’S THAT’S THE DRIVER FOR FOR THIS FOR THIS VISION ZERO PLAN. AND AND JOHN, WITH HIS EXPERIENCE CAME CAME FORWARD TO US AND WORKING WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES AND AND BROUGHT FORTH YOU KNOW KIND OF MOVE FORWARD THE IDEA OF VISION ZERO IN DES MOINES. SO THE THE PLAN FOCUSES ON A FRAMEWORK CALLED THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS, JOHN, TO TO US WHO AREN’T CITY ENGINEERS? WELL, REALLY, THE SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH IS TO RECOGNIZE THAT, FIRST OF ALL, DRIVERS WILL MAKE MISTAKES FROM TIME TO TIME AND TO TRY TO SET THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE STREET SUCH BEECH THAT IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE FORGIVING FOR THOSE MISTAKES. AND SOMETIMES THOSE MISTAKES ARE BY BICYCLISTS OR PEOPLE WALKING OR RIDING MOTORCYCLES. SO THAT’S REALLY THE THE GIST OF THAT SAFE SYSTEM APPROACH AND THAT LENS WILL BE USED IS MY UNDERSTANDING. AS YOU LOOK AT PROJECTS GOING FORWARD, EXACT ACKLEY, WE’LL TRY TO LOOK AT EVERY PROJECT. WE HAVE TENDED TO DO THAT FOR YEARS, BUT IT’S MORE WE’RE RECOGNIZING IT MORE FORMALLY THROUGH THE SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH FOR ALL FUTURE PROJECTS. CASS THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT’S BEEN USED. THE VISION ZERO IDEA HAS BEEN USED IN OTHER CITIES IN THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE WORLD. HAS ANYONE GOTTEN FAR ENOUGH INTO IT TO REACH TOTAL ZERO? THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW COMMUNITY BOIES HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY RECENTLY WE HAD A SPELL WHERE THEY GOT DOWN TO ZERO FATALITIES. MANY COMMUNITIES IS ARE REACHING THEIR GOALS, SOME SLOWER THAN OTHERS. BUT AS THE PLAN ITSELF INDICATES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A TARGET YEAR OF 2040, IT’S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE BECAUSE IT DEALS WITH WITH ELEMENTS BEYOND THE ENGINEERING OR THE INFRASTRUCTURE. IT’S CHANGING BEHAVIOR, CREATING A CULTURE OF SAFETY AND AN AWARENESS FOR ALL ALL USERS OF THE ROADWAY. STEVE YOU GUYS HELD COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS ACROSS THE CITY. WHAT WHAT DID PEOPLE TELL YOU THAT YOU’LL SPECIFICALLY USE IN THIS PROJECT GOING FORWARD? YEAH, WE WE DID QUITE A BIT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH FROM, FROM IN-PERSON PUBLIC MEETINGS TO ACTUALLY HAVING AN INTERACTIVE MAP WHERE WHERE FOLKS COULD CAN MAKE COMMENTS AND AND AND AND A LOT OF FOLKS CAME OUT AND OBVIOUSLY YOU KNOW SPEEDING WAS A WAS A TOPIC THAT CAME UP AND AND SO THAT WAS THAT WAS ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTORS AND THEN A LOT OF THE CORRIDORS THAT THAT WE WE LOOK AT WHAT WE CALL IN A HIGH INJURY NETWORK CAME UP AS WELL. OUR TEAM LOOKED AT DATA HISTORICAL DATA FROM OF CRASHES AND AND DEVELOPED WHAT IS CALLED THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK WHERE ARE CRASHES OCCURRING AND THROUGHOUT OUR CORRIDORS. AND WHAT WE FOUND IS, IS WHILE SOME OF THE CORRIDORS THAT ARE ON THAT HIGH INJURY NETWORK, WHILE THEY ONLY MAKE UP ABOUT 7% OF OUR TOTAL STREET MILES IN THE CITY, THEY ACCOUNTED FOR ALMOST 60% OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE CRASHES WITH SEVERE INJURIES OR FATALITIES OCCURRED. AND SO AND YOU PLAN TO TO TARGET THOSE AREAS, WOULD BE MY GUESS. WHAT ARE SOME CONCRETE NO PUN INTENDED PROJECTS THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS PART OF THIS PLAN? YEAH, WE WE HAVE A YOU KNOW, AND UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THE COMMON THEMES OF THOSE CORRIDORS, SOME OF THE THE THE CORRIDORS THAT WE HAVE THE SEE THE MOST CRASHES ARE ON ARE FOUR LANE AND MULTI LANE YOU KNOW 4 OR 4 LANE UNDIVIDED STREETS. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU GET THOSE MULTI LANE ROADS AS FOLKS YOU KNOW WE TEND TO HAVE ISSUES WITH SPEEDING PEOPLE MAKING THOSE JOCKEYING MANEUVERS YOU KNOW UNFORTUNATELY ERRATIC MANEUVERS. AND THAT’S WHERE WE WE SEE THE CRASHES. SO SOME OF THE QUARTERS THAT WERE THAT WE’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE APPLYING FOR FEDERAL FUNDING HERE WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, ACTUALLY, IT’S CALLED A SAFE STREETS FOR ALL GRANT RELEASED BY SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG. AND AND SO THAT WILL INCLUDE THE DOUGLASS AVENUE CORRIDOR AND EUCLID AVENUE CORRIDOR, WHICH IS ALSO STATE HIGHWAY OR US HIGHWAY SIX. IT’S GOING TO INCLUDE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR PARKWAY AND 19TH STREET FROM I-235 UP TO WASHINGTON AVENUE. IT WILL ALSO LOOK AT THE US 69 CORRIDOR OR SOUTHEAST 14TH STREET AND NEAR THE MAJOR INTERSECTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT INTERSECTION HAS A HISTORY OF BEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST, MOST CRASH LOCATIONS IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF IOWA. AND SO SO WE’LL BE LOOKING AT DOING SOME RECONFIGURATION OF THAT CORRIDOR AS WELL AS FOREST AVENUE. FOREST AVENUE GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY. IT IS A FOUR LANE UNDIVIDED ROADWAY, AGAIN GOING RIGHT THROUGH OUR CAMPUS THERE. AND SO WE’LL BE LOOKING AT REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANES ON THAT STREET. THERE’S ONLY 7000 VEHICLES A DAY. THERE’S NO NEED FOR THAT STREET TO BE A FOUR LANE ROAD. AND SO BY NARROWING IT UP, REMOVING THE NUMBER OF LANES, IT MAKES IT MUCH SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS TO CROSS IT. IT MAKES IT SAFER FOR THE MOTORISTS, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO CONTROL SPEEDING SO WE DON’T HAVE THE THE THE DRIVER THAT’S DRIVING PROPERLY WILL TEND TO CONTROL THE SPEEDS AND HOPEFULLY SLOW TRAFFIC DOWN. FINAL QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, JOHN. THIS WAS KIND OF YOUR YOU’VE SPEARHEADED THIS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THE CITY’S WEBSITE SAYS AND I’M GOING TO QUOTE IT, VISION ZERO IS NOT A TAGLINE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT. AND CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT FOR US AND WHY YOU GUYS BELIEVE THAT HERE IN THE CITY? I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR THE ECONOMIC VITALITY, THE LIVABILITY. SEE THE FUTURE OF DES MOINES. WE NEED TO GET SAFETY UNDER CONTROL AND CRASHES, FATALITIES, SERIOUS INJURIES ARE PART OF A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE. AND IF WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE CONNECT DOWNTOWN, MOVE DSM IMPLEMENTED TO ITS FULLEST, YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE THAT SAFETY COMPONENT AND THAT’S WHAT, IN MY OPINION, VISION ZERO WILL BRING. AND QUICKLY, YOU BOTH BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GET TO ZERO BY 2040? ABSOLUTELY. WE WE’VE ALREADY BEEN MAKING IMPROVEMENTS. WE’VE BEEN WE’VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AROUND TOWN. FOLKS MAY REMEMBER A HUBBLE AVENUE AND EUCLID AVENUE ON THE EAST SIDE. AGAIN, WAS ONCE HISTORICALLY ONE OF THE HIGHEST CRASH LOCATIONS IN THE STATE. WE’VE RECONFIGURED THAT ROADWAY. IT’S DEFINITELY BEEN IMPROVED. AND WE’VE GOT ANOTHER OF OTHER PROJECTS, SAFETY PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE CITY UNIVERSITY AVENUE, MAKING IMPROVEMENTS, TAKING THAT FOUR LANE UNDIVIDED ROADWAY DOWN TO THREE LANES. IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH THE HEART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND MAKING IT SAFER FOR FOR ALL THE FOLKS WHO USE THAT THAT CORRIDOR. IT’S DEFINITELY AN INTERESTING PROJECT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW IT CONTINUES FOR THE NEXT 17 OR SO YEARS. I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. STILL TO COME ON CLOSE UP, THE US SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS. WHAT THAT RULING MEANS FOR IOWA COLLEGES AND RECORD PASSENGERS. YOU MAY BE ONE OF THEM EXPECTED AT THIS SUMMER AT THE DES MOINES AIRPORT. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW TO MOVE THROUGH SECURITY SMOOTHLY. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP. THE US SUPREME COURT WRAPPED UP ITS LATEST SESSION, HANDING DOWN SEVERAL CONTROVERSIAL DECISIONS. FRIDAY, THE HIGH COURT STRUCK DOWN THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO FORGIVE UP TO 20 GRAND IN STUDENT LOAN DEBT PER BORROWER. CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, WRITING FOR THE CONSERVATIVE MAJORITY, SAID THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WOULD NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR SUCH A LARGE PLAN. AN IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL, BRENNA BIRD, JOINED SEVERAL OTHER REPUBLICAN ATTORNEYS GENERAL TO SUE THE PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION OVER THE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. AG BURT RELEASED A STATEMENT AFTER THE RULING SAYING AMERICANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S STUDENT LOANS. ALSO FRIDAY, THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN FAVOR OF A WEBSITE BUSINESS OWNER IN COLORADO WHO REFUSES TO CREATE WEBSITES TO CELEBRATE SAME SEX WEDDINGS. JUSTICE NEIL GORSUCH, WRITING FOR THE MAJORITY, SAID THE FIRST AMENDMENT ENVISIONS ALL PERSONS TO THINK AND SPEAK AS THEY WISH, NOT AS THE GOVERNMENT DEMANDS AND LGBTQ ADVOCACY GROUP. ONE EYE WILL RELEASED A STATEMENT BLASTING THE HIGH COURT’S RULING. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COURTNEY REYES SAID THE RULING UPENDED DECADES OF PRECEDENT IN OUR COUNTRY, ADDING THE SUPREME COURT GRANTED SPECIAL TREATMENT TO THEIR PREFERRED BRAND OF CHRISTIANITY. AND ON THURSDAY, IN A63 DECISION, THE US SUPREME COURT ALSO STRUCK DOWN COLLEGE ADMISSION AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMS AT BOTH HARVARD AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, WRITING FOR THE MAJORITY THERE, CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS SAID THOSE PROGRAMS COULD NOT BE RECONCILED WITH THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE OF THE US CONSTITUTION. JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS ADDED BOTH SCHOOLS POLICIES FLY IN THE FACE OF COLORBLIND CONSTITUTION AND OUR NATION’S EQUALITY. IDEAL. BUT JUSTICE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON WROTE THAT DEEMING RACE IRRELEVANT IN LAW DOES NOT MAKE IT SO IN LIFE. JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR ADDED THE SUPREME COURT RULING CEMENTS A SUPERFICIAL RULE TO COLORBLINDNESS, WHERE RACE HAS ALWAYS MATTERED AND CONTINUES TO MATTER. HERE IN IOWA, THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IOWA STATE, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA SAY THEY HAVEN’T CONSIDERED RACE IN ADMISSION FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. INSTEAD, THEY USE WHAT THEY CALL THE REGION ADMISSION INDEX. THAT INDEX IS BASED ON TEST SCORES, GPA AND THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES THE APPLICANT COMPLETED. BUT THE DIRECTOR OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY’S CONSTITUTIONAL LAW CENTER SAYS THE SUPREME COURT DECISION WILL STILL HAVE AN IMPACT HERE IN IOWA. WELL, BACK IN 1978, THE SUPREME COURT RULED IN A CASE CALLED BARKEY THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THAT AN INDIVIDUAL WHITE APPLICANT TO THE MEDICAL SCHOOL AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS, WOULD NOT BE ADMITTED. HE BROUGHT A LAWSUIT CLAIMING HIS BOARD SCORES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS. ANTS WERE BETTER THAN THE GROUP OF RACIAL MINORITIES WHO WERE ADMITTED TO TRICK IN BAT IN THE BARKEY CASE WAS THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. DAVIS HAD A STRICT QUOTA. A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SPOTS SET ASIDE SOLELY FOR BLACK STUDENTS. THE SUPREME COURT WAS OFFENDED BY THAT AND FOUND THAT ILLEGAL. YOU CAN’T JUST SEPARATE THE TWO RACES AND TREAT THEM DIFFERENTLY IN THIS AREA, BUT THE SUPREME COURT, IN AN OPINION BY JUSTICE POWELL ALONE, ONE JUSTICE ACTUALLY RAN THIS WHOLE SHOW FOR PRETTY MUCH OVER 40 YEARS. HE WAS THE ONLY JUSTICE WHO WROTE THIS OPINION, BUT HE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SIDES OF THE COURT AND HE SAID, BUT IF THERE’S NO QUOTA, IF RACE IS JUST A FACTOR LIKE LEGACY STATUS OR ATHLETIC STATUS OR WHETHER YOU’RE A FRENCH STUDENT, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE A COMPELLING GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST. OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL OTHER DECISIONS. JUSTICE O’CONNOR PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE. THERE WERE SOME CASES INVOLVING THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF AND ESSENTIALLY THE BASIC IDEA WAS THAT AS LONG AS IT WASN’T A QUOTA AND IT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT DID NOT PREVENT OTHER GROUPS ALSO FROM PERHAPS YOU MIGHT CALL THEM GETTING SOME SOME SPECIAL CONSIDERATION. AND AS LONG AS IT WASN’T TOO DOMINANT TO FACTOR IF RACE IS TOO DOMINANT TO FACTOR OF RACE IS DECISIVE, THEN IT WORKS AS A QUOTA AND THAT’S NOT ALLOWED. WE NOW HAVE A GOVERNMENT IN IOWA THAT IS PREDOMINANT A REPUBLICAN RUN GOVERNMENT AND REPUBLICAN BOARD OF REGENTS. TYPICALLY, REPUBLICANS DO NOT SUPPORT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. THEY VIEW IT AS A FORM OF DISCRIMINATION. TYPICALLY, DEMOCRATS VIEW AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AS ACTUALLY A FORM OF HELPING GROUPS THAT HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY DISADVANTAGED AS WELL AS AND THIS IS THE KEY TO THIS CASE, CREATING A MORE DIVERSE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN A WORLD WHERE THE WORLD IS BECOMING GLOBALIZED. AND WE NEED THAT KIND OF INTERACTION BETWEEN CULTURES AND PEOPLE. SO PEOPLE CAN WORK TOGETHER MORE EFFECTIVELY. IT’S ACTUALLY GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY. SO IN THAT SENSE, IT’S A VERY, VERY MONUMENTAL DECISION. BUT TO PUT IT MORE OR LESS MONUMENTALLY, IT IS A DECISION SO FAR THAT IS PREDOMINANTLY JUST ABOUT UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS, BUT THAT IT MAY HAVE OTHER RAMIFICATIONS. I THINK IT HAS A HUGE IMPACT. IN FACT, I DO NOT MEAN THIS AS A CRITICISM OF THE STATE OF IOWA, BUT THE FACT THAT IOWA HAS PRETTY MUCH TURNED ALL RED, WE’VE FOUND IN OUR RECRUITING THAT THIS HAS CREATED SOME PROBLEMS FOR US, CONVINCING AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS THAT THIS IS A GREAT PLACE TO COME BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF OPPORTUNITIES. YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALREADY A PREDOMINANTLY VERY HEAVILY WHITE STATE. AND THEN WHEN YOU COMBINE THE HEAVILY WHITE STATE PARK, WHICH MAKES IT OBVIOUSLY A PLACE THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LESS COMFORTABLE FOR SOMEONE WHO’S A RACIAL MINORITY. AND THEN YOU THROW IN REPUBLICANS CONTROLLING EVERY PART OF THE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT WHO, AGAIN, TYPICALLY ARE ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. I THINK IT WILL DETER SOME STUDENTS ACROSS THE NATION FROM POTENTIALLY EVEN IF THEY APPLY TO IOWA, WILL THEY GO IF THERE’S ANOTHER STATE THAT HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY LARGER BLACK COMMUNITY WHERE THEY MAY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE, I DO THINK IT WILL HAVE AN EFFECT IT IN THAT WAY IN IOWA AND STILL TO COME THIS MORNING ON CLOSE UP SUMMER TRAVEL HEATING UP. YOU MAY BE HEADING SOMEWHERE THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND. WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THE DES MOINES AIRPORT THIS MONTH THAT COULD SLOW YOU DOWN AT SECURITY? AND IT HAS BEEN SEVEN YEARS IN THE MAKING. THE CHANGE IS UNVEILED AT DES MOINES. MCCRAY PARK. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP HOLIDAY TRAVEL. THIS 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY EXPECTED TO BE THE BUSIEST SINCE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STARTED. TRIPLE A ESTIMATES MORE THAN 4 MILLION PEOPLE WILL FLOOD INTO AIRPORTS AROUND THE COUNTRY THIS WEEKEND ALONE. THAT’S UP FROM 11%, UP 11% OVER LAST YEAR, OVER 6% HIGHER THAN 2019. THAT COULD MEAN LONG LINES AT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS AT AIRPORTS ACROSS OUR COUNTRY. LAST WEEK, IOWA’S TSA SECURITY DIRECTOR JOHN BRITT WARNED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS SLOWING PEOPLE OR COULD SLOW PEOPLE AT THE DES MOINES AIRPORT. AND CONSTRUCTION THIS MONTH. THAT COULD SLOW THINGS DOWN. YET EVEN MORE. TALKING ABOUT FIREARMS AT DES MOINES, THERE’S BEEN THREE FIREARMS DETECTED IN 2023. WE ARE DOWN FROM 15 FROM LAST YEAR OF 2022. SO THE FIREARMS ARE COMING DOWN SLIGHTLY, NOT ONLY HERE IN DES MOINES, IOWA AND NATIONALLY, BUT THEY ARE COMING DOWN AND A LOT OF THAT IS JUST GOOD COOPERATION WITH TSA AND AIRPORTS AND STAKEHOLDERS COMING TOGETHER, TRYING TO BEST REDUCE, YOU KNOW, COMING UP WITH PLANS TO BEST REDUCE AND MITIGATE THE NUMBER OF FIREARMS COMING TO THE AIRPORTS. AS YOU CAN SEE AT THIS AIRPORT, THE THE AIRPORT HAS ACTUALLY PUT UP EXTRA SIGNAGE AND VIDEO DISPLAYS TO GET THE ATTENTION OF PASSENGERS. SO WHEN THEY’RE COMING THROUGH, THEY CAN DO A DOUBLE CHECK. AND, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THEY USE SOMEBODY ELSE’S BAG, THEY CAN LOOK IN THOSE BAGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS NO FIREARMS OR PROHIBITED ITEMS LAST YEAR, NATIONALLY, TSA FOUND. 6542 FIREARMS AMES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM, AND THAT IS AT 262 AIRPORTS. THIS YEAR. TSA HALFWAY THROUGH THE YEAR WE’VE FOUND 2400 FIREARMS. SO WE ARE REDUCING THAT NUMBER LIKE I SAID, BOTH NATIONALLY AND LOCALLY. AND A LOT OF THAT IS JUST GOOD COOPERATION BETWEEN TSA, THE MEDIA, THE AIRPORTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN AVIATION SECURITY. LAST YEAR, CURRENTLY WE ARE SEEING 7.8 PASSENGERS PER 1 MILLION WITH FIREARMS COMING THROUGH THE CHECKPOINT. THAT IS DOWN FROM 8.6 FIREARMS PER MILLION FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. TODAY, THE TSA HAS INCREASED THE CIVIL PENALTIES THAT PASSENGERS CAN BE SUBJECT TO UP TO $15,000. SO ONCE AGAIN, IT’S A TSA INITIATIVE TO MITIGATE AND REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WEAPONS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE NATION’S AIRPORTS. IF THERE IS A FIREARM FOUND AT THE SECURITY CHECKPOINT, YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL WILL BE SUBJECT TO, LIKE I SAID, CIVIL PENALTIES UP TO $15,000, ALSO SUBJECT TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, THAT’S WHEN WE START SLOWING DOWN THE SCREENING CHECKPOINT. OBVIOUSLY, THE PERSON THAT BROUGHT THE WEAPON, THERE’S A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY MISS THEIR FLIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, AND THERE’S SOME CONSEQUENCES TO THAT. BUT JUST THE THE THE CONTINUE EFFECT OF THAT PERSON, IT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO SLOW DOWN EVERYBODY AT THE CHECKPOINT BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT INDIVIDUAL TOOLS, ITEMS THAT THEY INADVERTENTLY BROUGHT TO THE CHECKPOINT. NEXT THING I’D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS THE TSA TECHNOLOGY BEHIND US. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF TSA NEWEST CT TECHNOLOGIES. THAT’S BEING ROLLED OUT AT NATION’S AIRPORT. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE FOUR OF THESE CT TECHNOLOGIES COMING IN JULY. THE LAST TWO LANES, LANES FIVE AND SIX. WE’RE GOING TO BE REPLACING THE EXISTING EQUIPMENT, THE TECHNOLOGY WITH CT TECHNOLOGY. SO THAT’LL BE COMING IN IN JULY WITH A CT TECHNOLOGY, IT’S SIGNIFICANTLY, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES THE SCREENING AND SCANNING OF EQUIPMENT. IT ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO LEAVE THEIR CARRY ONS IN THEIR ITEM. IT GIVES TSA OFFICERS A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK INSIDE THAT BAG WITHOUT REMOVING ITEMS. SO WHAT THAT DOES IS IT EXPEDITES THE SCREENING PROCESS WHILE IMPROVING SECURITY SCREENING FOR THE AVIATION DOMAIN. AND ALONG WITH THE AIRLINES, PASSENGERS SHOULD ONLY BE BRINGING TWO BAGS, ONE CARRY ON AND ONE PERSONAL BAG. THAT’S TO HELP EXPEDITE. AND THE SCREENING PROCESS THROUGH THE CHECKPOINTS. WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING CONSTRUCTION AT THIS AIRPORT IN JULY TO PUT IN THE NEW CT TECHNOLOGIES. SO YOU KNOW, YOU’LL HAVE TO BEAR WITH US IN THE AIRPORT WHILE WE’RE DOING SOME CONSTRUCTION. IT SOMECONSTRUCTION DEPLOYING THAT NEW EQUIPMENT BECAUSE IT WILL SLOW IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE’LL BE WORKING WITH BOTH THE CONTRACTORS, THE AIRPORT AND, YOU KNOW, TO BEST FACILITY AND DO THE THE INSTALLATION OF THAT EQUIPMENT, HOPEFULLY MOSTLY DURING OFF PEAK HOURS. AND WHERE IT DOESN’T IMPACT THE TRAVEL JOURNEY OF PEOPLE COMING TO THE AIRPORT. STILL TO COME ON CLOSE UP MCCRAY PARK IMPROVEMENTS THE NEW FEATURES YOU’LL SEE AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF WORK. WELCOME BACK TO CLOSE UP A SEVEN YEAR RENOVATION PROJECT AND ONE OF THE DES MOINES OLDEST AND LARGEST PARKS JUST WRAPPED UP PHASE THREE OF THE MCCRAY PARK PROJECT. COSTS $3.5 MILLION. THE PARK JUST SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN RIGHT HERE. IT NOW INCLUDES A NEW POND, BOARDWALK NATURE PLAYSCAPE, A STEM FOCUSED SPRAYGROUND AND AN ADA ACCESSIBLE FISHING PIER. YOU CAN EVEN SEE IT FROM THE ROAD AS YOU DRIVE BY BEN PAGE WITH THE DES MOINES PARKS AND REC SAYS THE SEVEN YEAR PROJECT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE A HISTORIC PARK HERE. THIS IS MCCRAY PARK, ACQUIRED IN 1897 AND SEEN A LOT OF GREAT DAYS. BUT IT NEEDED SOME REINVESTMENT. SO THE COMMITTEE, THE COMMUNITY, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE COUNCIL, THE PARK BOARD ALL WORKED TOGETHER FOR SEVEN YEARS TO WORK REALLY HARD, RAISE A LOT OF MONEY, BRING BRING A LOT OF ADVOCATES TOGETHER. AND WE’VE NOW JUST FINISHED THE PROJECT OUT. IT’S AMAZING. THIS PARK HAS SOMETHING JUST FOR ABOUT EVERYBODY FROM A BOARDWALK THAT’S BRAND NEW. ONE OF A KIND IN OUR CITY LIMITS, ONE OF THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED FEATURES IN ALL OF DES MOINES IS THE OVERLOOK THE EMC OVERLOOK. WE HAVE AN ENCLOSED SHELTER. WE HAVE OUR FIRST EVER STEM TECHNOLOGY WATER PLAY AREA HERE WHERE KIDS CAN MANIPULATE THE WATER FLOW OR JUST HAVE FUN AND PLAY AND COOL OFF. IT’S ONE OF A KIND PLAY SYSTEM HERE. THIS PARK REALLY HAS MORE ICONIC FEATURES THAN ANY OTHER PARK HAS IN OUR SYSTEM. WE’VE ALWAYS SAID WE WON’T BUILD A PARK JUST WITH THE STAFF BECAUSE THE STAFF CAN BUILD YOU A BEAUTIFUL PARK. BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT EACH NEIGHBORHOOD HAS AND WANTS. EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD IN DES MOINES IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THEY LIKE SOME THINGS, BUT THEY ALL HAVE SOME DIFFERENT OPINIONS. SO WE WORKED OVER SIX YEARS TO GET A PLAN TOGETHER AND TOOK US ABOUT THE LAST YEAR TO PUT ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. SO MOST EVERY FEATURE WE HAVE HERE IS ADA ACCESSIBLE, WHETHER IT’S THE SAND PLAY AREA, IT’S THIS AREA, IT’S THE OVERLOOK EVERYTHING IS ADA ACCESSIBLE FROM WHEELCHAIR OR ANY TYPE OF DISABILITY. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE ALMOST EVERY FEATURE IN THIS PARK, INCLUDING THE ADA FISHING PIER DOWN AT THE POND DOWN THERE, ONE OF A KIND. OUR FIRST ADA FISHING PIER, OUR FIRST ADA FISHING PIER IN THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WE’RE AN INCLUSIVE CITY AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOT JUST EVERYBODY THAT CAN MOVE THEIR BODY FREELY CAN MOVE AND USE OUR PARK SYSTEM. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY, WE HAVE A FEATURE FOR YOU. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU AND IF WE DON’T HAVE IT, WE WANT TO KNOW YOU. AND YOU HEARD HIM TALK ABOUT ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE PARK’S MOST RECOGNIZABLE FEATURES THAT RIGHT THERE, THE EMC OVERLOOK STEEL STRUCTURE, GIVES VISITORS VIEWS OF THE IOWA STATE CAPITOL, THE CITY’S SOUTH SIDE, THE SKYLINE OF DOWNTOWN DES MOINES. THERE’S THAT FAMOUS SHOT THAT HAPPENED IN PHASE TWO OF THE MCCRAY PARK CONSTRUCTION THAT HAPPENED IN 2019. OF COURSE, A BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF OUR CITY. WELL, GOOD TO SEE YOU THIS MORNING. FOR KCCI EIGHT NEWS, CLOSE-UP. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE NEXT SUNDAY. HAVE A GREAT REST OF YOU