It's national Work Zone Awareness Week, and officials with the Indiana Department of Transportation are asking Hoosiers to slow down and drive safely as the state heads into roadwork season.

According to INDOT, the state plans more than 1,300 road projects for this year's construction season. Mallory Duncan, INDOT's strategic communications director, advised folks to map out their drive ahead of time so they can avoid or be aware of construction projects along their route.

"If you don't know where construction zones are and if you don't know they're in your path," she said, "that leads to frustration, it can lead to speeding, and then a whole host of other issues."

The state is investing more than $3 billion in new projects and preventive maintenance work for Indiana roads and bridges this year. It's all part of Gov. Eric Holcomb's larger Next Level Roads plan, which will invest an estimated $60 billion into state road improvements over the next two decades.

Duncan said there were more than 1,500 work-zone crashes in Indiana in 2021, five of which were fatal. She added that those numbers are about even with prior years, and weren't influenced by a reported spike in traffic fatalities across Indiana and the nation last year.

"We saw a huge uptick in speed on the roads," she said, "but as far as work-zone crashes, we've stayed pretty average. But any work-zone crash, any work-zone fatality, is too many."

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the first nine months of 2021 saw more than 31,000 fatal traffic accidents, up about 12% from the same period in 2020, and the highest fatality count for a "first nine month" period since 2006. Nationwide, INDOT reported more than 760 fatal work-zone crashes last year.

Connecticut residents can expect to see a sharp increase in diesel fuel prices starting July 1, and trucking companies say it will be passed on to consumers.

The increase of 9 cents per gallon is based on an annual adjustment set by the Department of Revenue Services. Although the state has suspended the gas tax through December, prices continue to rise because of inflation and the price of crude oil.

Wayne Pesce, president of the Connecticut Food Association, which represents grocery retailers and distribution suppliers in the state, said it will lead to more people having to make difficult choices.

"Some of the things we're seeing," he said, "is consumers are trading off both beef and pork - and even poultry, in some instances - and they're eating a lot more rice and pasta, because they're making decisions based on how much income they have to spend on food."

Diesel, the main fuel source for most commercial trucks, also produces emissions harmful to health, including ground-level ozone and particulate matter. As of Wednesday, the average price of diesel in Connecticut was $6.17, 40-cents above the national average.

On top of the July increase, the state also will implement a highway use tax on large commercial trucks starting in January. Michael Fox, executive director of the Gasoline and Automotive Service Dealers of America, which represents hundreds of independently owned gas stations in the state, said suspending the current diesel tax of slightly more than 40 cents per gallon could help Connecticut residents afford basic needs.

"They can also suspend the increase scheduled for July 1," he said. "With over $900 million in budget surplus money, the state can afford to do this. That would be immediate relief for every consumer in the state of Connecticut."

Earlier this month, Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials announced a diesel fuel tax exemption for farmers and agricultural producers. Fox said they're also calling for suspending the highway use tax, which is based on vehicle weight and ranges from 2.5 cents to 17.5 cents per mile.

Summer is here, and South Dakota roads and intersections will likely see more pedestrians. With larger pickup trucks and SUVs still prevalent, law-enforcement officials urge drivers to be even more keenly aware of their surroundings.

Its smaller population means South Dakota sees fewer pedestrian fatalities compared with other states, but the Governors' Highway Safety Association reported an 80% increase, reviewing data from 2020 to 2021.

Highway Patrol Capt. Robert Whisler said mid- to large-sized vehicles are popular in the Midwest, and their frames present unique challenges to anyone driving them.

"The height of the vehicle, and then the body lines of the vehicle, and then the cargo area of the vehicle, all add to the inability to see directly around the vehicle," he said.

Newer models are equipped with sensors, but safety experts warn of drivers becoming too reliant on technology when navigating intersections. A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety noted that these vehicles are more likely than cars to hit pedestrians when making turns. It coincided with a sharp increase in pedestrian deaths across the nation.

Capt. Bryan Walz of the Pierre Police Department said new vehicles with all the "bells and whistles" are no replacement for a driver's standard safety practices.

"If we just do like we used to do and make sure we look left and then look right and then look left again before we turn, or before we go through an uncontrolled intersection," he said, "we can have that potential to avoid a collision with a pedestrian or another vehicle."

Rapid City Police community-relations specialist Brendyn Medina said the current trends are a good reminder for pedestrians to protect themselves.

"If somebody feels that just by being in the crosswalk that they're immediately protected from all harm, that's not the case," he said. "They still have due diligence, for their own safety, to look both ways, make sure that oncoming traffic sees that they're in the crosswalk."

Local governments in Iowa say they're not immune to hiring challenges seen in the private sector, which is prompting municipalities to rethink how they can attract people to take on roles centered around public service.

Alan Kemp, executive director of the Iowa League of Cities, said it has been harder for local governments to fill open positions for administrative leads, police departments, and temporary jobs such as a lifeguard at the city pool. And he noted jobs such as wastewater operators face a wave of retirements without a younger group of workers to take over.

Kemp pointed out when possible, cities are trying to offer more flexibility in a competitive hiring environment.

"Waste collectors can't work remotely, but I think, more and more, they're having to begin to look at whether or not we need to do that," Kemp stated. "So, in other words, if you got like a deputy clerk or a utility billing clerk, do I need that individual to be in the office? Probably not."

He acknowledged it is a big shift for municipalities, because things like residency requirements always kept hiring local. But he noted some are casting a wider net for jobs that can be done remotely. Some are asking if teenagers can be hired for certain tasks traditionally done by adults. A recent national survey found 52% of state and local government workers were considering quitting.

Barb Barrick, clerk and treasurer for the City of Atlantic, said they have faced turnover issues with their police force. She added a big problem right now is finding enough lifeguards, creating the possibility of reduced hours at the city pool this summer. Atlantic raised wages and added hiring bonuses for the jobs, but the competition for workers is fierce.

"Fast-food restaurants have had to raise their wages to attract employees," Barrick observed. "But we cannot raise them to match what they're making it fast-food restaurants or at Walmart."

The League and other local leaders say it is important for the public to remember public roles allow a person to serve people they routinely see in their community.

John Haila, mayor of Ames, who cited similar hiring issues for seasonal jobs, suggested long-term positions in municipal government do not encounter as much volatility when the economy shifts.

"Between the salaries and benefits, relative stability for a staff member, I think that would be some definite benefits," Haila remarked.