Monday Morning Read: DOT paves path for Highway 30 project; 'ban the box' may not help ex-offenders; Iowa's foster care system pushes to reunite children with birthparents

TODAY'S WEATHER — Mostly cloudy. High 40, low 29.

DOT PAVES PATH FOR HIGHWAY 30 PROJECT — Motorists traveling along Highway 30 between Cedar Rapids and Tama may have noticed trees coming down. Crews with the Iowa Department of Transportation have begun grubbing and clearing along the state-owned two-lane highway to prepare the area for the completion of a four-lane corridor from Tama to the Highway 30 interchange with Highway 218 in Benton County. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-dot-begins-clearing-path-for-225-million-highway-30-project/

'BAN THE BOX' MAY NOT HELP EX-OFFENDERS — Advocates for criminal justice reforms have sought laws that prevent an employer from asking, on job applications, whether an applicant has a criminal record. So-called 'ban the box' or 'fair chance' laws are designed to prevent employers from discriminating against individuals who have committed a crime but completed their sentence. A pair of recent studies, however, suggest ban the box or fair chance laws may have the opposite impact and actually make it harder for minorities to get from an application to a job interview. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/debate-over-ban-the-box-laws-continues-in-iowa/

IOWA'S FOSTER CARE SYSTEM PUSHES TO REUNITE CHILDREN WITH BIRTHPARENTS — How has Iowa's foster care system changed over the last decade, and why has it turned to focus on reunification? Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowas-foster-care-system-pushes-to-reunite-children-with-their-birthparents/

BIGGEST IOWA WIN EVER? MAYBE — Hlas writes: An Iowa football player of two decades ago told me Saturday night that he had spoken with an Iowa football player who came a decade before him, and they agreed on this: Best win ever. That being the Hawkeyes' 55-24 demolition of Ohio State that day in Kinnick Stadium. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/hlas-best-iowa-football-win-ever-it-just-might-be/

QUOTABLE — 'We don't have a sleep meter, like we have a Breathalyzer, so it's difficult to recognize drowsy driving.' Pam Fischer, consultant for the Governors Highway Safety Association, on efforts to combat drowsy driving. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-takes-aim-at-tired-drivers-by-raising-awareness/