Travel Iowa: What’s Happening in September
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
AAA Expands Holiday Safety Program to Keep Iowa Roads Safe
Labor Day weekend brings heavier traffic and celebrations across Iowa. AAA is once again offering its Tow to Go program to help keep roads safe. The initiative provides free, confidential rides for impaired drivers and their vehicles within a 10-mile radius. Nearly one-third of U.S. traffic deaths involve alcohol, with more than 12,000 lives lost in 2023 alone. There are several cities in Iowa that are preparing to host Oktoberfest celebrations in September and October of 2025. The program is open to both AAA members and non-members and cannot be scheduled in advance.
AAA considers any distance over 50 miles to be traveling, so many of us drive that far for work!
With Labor Day weekend bringing heavier traffic and celebrations across Iowa, AAA is once again offering its Tow to Go program to help keep roads safe.
What is the “Tow to Go” program? Here’s What You Need to Know
The initiative provides free, confidential rides for impaired drivers and their vehicles within a 10-mile radius, available from 6 PM on Friday, August 29, through 6 AM on Tuesday, September 2.
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AAA has operated Tow to Go for more than 25 years, removing nearly 30,000 impaired drivers from the road during that time.
READ MORE: Important Travel Information for Iowans Ahead of Labor Day
By running the program over one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, the organization hopes to reduce alcohol-related crashes.
Photo by Maryam Tello on Unsplash Photo by Maryam Tello on Unsplash loading…
Alcohol related wrecks continue to be a leading cause of roadway fatalities.
How to Use “Tow to Go” Should You Need It
Available from 6 PM Friday, August 29, to 6 AM Tuesday, September 2
Coverage includes Iowa, Nebraska, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado (Denver), North Carolina (Charlotte), and Indiana (Fort Wayne/South Bend)
Provides a free ride and tow for impaired drivers to a safe location within 10 miles
Open to both AAA members and non-members
Designed for last-minute needs and cannot be scheduled in advance
The program is supported by sobering statistics.
READ MORE: The Best Things We Ate in Eastern Iowa This Summer
Nearly one-third of U.S. traffic deaths involve alcohol, with more than 12,000 lives lost in 2023 alone. That equals one death every 42 minutes.
Please plan ahead this Labor Day weekend.
Whether it is arranging a designated driver, using rideshare, or taking advantage of Tow to Go as a last resort, responsible choices can make the difference between a safe holiday and a preventable tragedy.
Be safe and have a great holiday weekend!
After Labor Day celebrations, we turn our attention to Oktoberfest…
2025 Oktoberfest Celebrations in Iowa There are several cities in Iowa that are preparing to host Oktoberfest celebrations in September and October of 2025. Here are 11 of them: Gallery Credit: Courtlin
Iowa City splash pads closing soon. Here’s when that happens
The Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department announced that the city’s splash pads will close on Tuesday, Sept. 2 as part of the annual winterization process. The splash pads are expected to reopen on Memorial Day weekend in 2026.
The splash pads are expected to reopen on Memorial Day weekend in 2026.
Splash pad locations:
Wetherby Splash Pad, 2400 Taylor Drive
Fairmeadows Splash Pad, 2451 Miami Drive
Tower Court Spray Pad, 1124 Tower Court
The downtown pedestrian mall’s Weatherdance fountain is set to remain open through Sep. 2025.
Troopers find nine out-of-service violations on combination vehicle and driver traveling through eastern Iowa
The Iowa State Patrol Commercial Motor Vehicle Unit (ISPCMVU) sidelined a combination vehicle and driver after uncovering two dozen violations. The traffic stop took place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in eastern Iowa.
The traffic stop took place on Saturday, August 23, 2025, in eastern Iowa.
An Iowa trooper encountered a combination vehicle headed from Iowa towards Missouri.
During the inspection that followed, ISPCMVU recorded 24 violations.
“Out of those, nine of them resulted in out-of-service orders for both vehicles and the driver. We are happy to have got this combination stopped before more mechanical failures took place!” state police said.
Troopers shared photos of equipment violations uncovered on the combination vehicle.
ISPCMVU
A West Des Moines ramp to I-80 is closed for next month. What’s the detour?
Eastbound I-80 on-ramp at southbound Jordan Creek Parkway in West Des Moines will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Sept. 10. The nearly six-week project will allow construction crews to do concrete pavement work.
What Jordan Creek Parkway ramp is closed?
The eastbound I-80 on-ramp at southbound Jordan Creek Parkway (Exit 121) in West Des Moines will remain closed until 5 a.m. on Sept. 10. The ramp initially closed at 9 p.m. on Aug. 10.
The nearly six-week project will allow construction crews to do concrete pavement work, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation.
What is the detour for the southbound Jordan Creek Parkway I-80 on-ramp?
Instead of taking the on-ramp, a digital sign will direct drivers to keep going south on Jordan Creek Parkway and then turn east on Ashworth Road. Once drivers reach 50th Street, they will go north until reaching westbound University Avenue, which will take drivers to the I-80/35 interchange (Exit 124).
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
Iowa State University Athletics
Iowa State women’s golf head coach Christie Martens has announced the 2025-26 schedule. Cyclones are slated to play in 10 regular season tournaments, followed by the Big 12 and NCAA Championships. Of the 10 events, Iowa State will be returning to six events they participated in last season. The Cyclones open the season Sept. 7-8 at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. The final event of September will be the Windy City Classic, as the Cyclonitas head to Chicago Sept. 29-30. ISU will close out the fall season at the Stanford Intercollegiate Oct. 17-19 in Palo Alto, Calif.
The Cyclones open the season Sept. 7-8 at the Wolverine Invitational in Ann Arbor, Mich. ISU will play its second tournament of September in Norman, Okla. at the Schooner Fall Classic Sept. 20-22. Cyclone senior Pammy Chookaew turned in a pair of 68’s at last year’s Schooner Fall Classic, as she finished in fifth place. The final event of September will be the Windy City Classic, as the Cyclonitas head to Chicago Sept. 29-30. Iowa State will close out the fall season at the Stanford Intercollegiate Oct. 17-19 in Palo Alto, Calif. Sophomore Nichakorn Pinprayoon fired a final round 66 last year, as she finished in 10th at the Stanford Intercollegiate.
Iowa State will open the spring season Feb. 1-3, as Iowa State travels to Puerto Rico for the Puerto Rico Classic. The Cyclones will close February with a pair of tournaments in Houston. Iowa State will play in the Texas Golf Throwdown Feb. 16-17 before concluding play in Space City with The Chevron Collegiate Feb. 23-24. The lone tournament of March sends the Cyclones to the MountainView Collegiate
The Cyclones will play a pair of regular season tournaments in April before the Big 12 Championship. Iowa State returns to the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic April 7-8 in Maricopa, Ariz., an event they won last season. Senior Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn won the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic last year, while Pinprayoon (third), Chookaew (fifth) and junior Keeley Marx (eighth) all finished in the Top 10. The Cyclones will conclude the regular season at the Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational April 17-18 in Columbus, Ohio.
Iowa State will travel to Dallas, Texas for the Big 12 Championship April 23-25. Chul-Ak-Sorn and Chookaew each tied for fifth last season at the Big 12 Championship, earning all-tournament honors. NCAA Regionals are scheduled for May 11-13, while the NCAA Championships are May 22-27 in Carlsbad, Calif. Iowa State finished third at the NCAA Lubbock Regional last season, while finishing in 22nd at the NCAA Championships. It was the highest NCAA Regional and Championship finishes in program history.