Iowa’s top Y-2-K watchers are on the job. The state’s Emergency Operations Center is now open, being staffed by more than 50 people from agencies including the National Weather Service, Public Health, Public Safety, FEMA and the Civil Air Patrol. David Miller is chief of staff of the State Emergency Management Division. He says they’re monitoring the arrival of the year two-thousand around the world.Miller says there are some “minor glitches” that are NOT related to the Y-2-K computer problem cropping up around the world.The F-B-I is investigated a suspicious car that was left at a Des Moines truck rental agency yesterday. The car was filled with more than 50 containers of gasoline, propane & kerosene. It’s now believed the car was just someone’s storage spot for Y-2-K supplies. Through their 3:30 pm briefing state officials say the only problem continued to be phone lines jammed by people calling to wish friends and relatives a Happy New Year.
Con artist caught in Story County
A scam artist involved in a group wanted by the F-B-I has agreed to give himself up to Story County officials. Story County Attorney Stephen Holmes says Bartley Gorman was part of a group that preyed on the elderly by promising to do blacktopping work and then taking off with the money.Gorman will pay eight-thousand dollars in restitution to Story county residents and five-thousand dollars in fines. Holmes says Gorman had been in custody, but skipped out on his bond. He says they were able to make a deal with the bond agent to get Gorman to turn himself in.Holmes says this is the best way to put the case to rest.Holmes says unfortunately the money recovered is only a small portion of the amount lost in the scams. He says it’s another example of why you should always be sure you’re hiring a reputable company to do any contract work.
Iowa women lose conference opener
The Iowa women dropped their Big Ten opener last night to eighth ranked Penn State. The Nittany Lions took control late in the first half and cruised to an 80-63 victory. Penn State dominated the boards, outrebounding Iowa 50-33 and Hawkeye assistant coach Dana Eikenberg says that was a big factor in the outcome.Eikenberg says they hope to bounce back at home against Indiana on Sunday.
State Patrol is out in force for the holiday
The Iowa Highway Patrol is again launching an effort to keep motorists and their passengers safe from dangerous drivers over the holiday weekend. Sergeant David Garrison explains the latest project that’ll see 80 additional troopers on duty through New Year’s Day.Sergeant Garrison says the patrol will be focusing on primary and secondary highways, in addition to Iowa’s interstates.He says New Year’s Eve weekend is traditionally one of the deadliest on Iowa roads.Last year, five people were killed on Iowa’s highways during the New Year’s weekend.
News veteran saw many of the big events in last century
An Iowan was elected President during this century. An Iowa company helped revolutionize crop production with hybrid seed corn. And an Iowa State University professor was the first to develop the modern computer. Herbert Hoover, Pioneer Hi-Bred and John Vincent Atanasoff are just a few of the big Iowa names of the past century. Long-time Iowa radio and t-v reporter Jack Shelley looks back at the century, and considers economic and city consolidation in Iowa to be a major development.Shelley says agriculture changed dramatically during the past century — from small farms cultivated by horse-drawn plows to tractor-pulled implements plowing thousands of acres. And Shelley says large-scale hog operations are a major economic development, too.Shelley covered one of the biggest Iowa news events of the century: Soviet leader Nikta Kruschev’s visit to Coon Rapids.Shelley says it was one of the most colorful events he ever covered as a reporter as Kruschev’s host, Bob Garst, threw silage and kicked one reporter in the pants when the mob of media ran after Krushev as he was touring a corn field.
UNI hit again with injury
The injuries continue to mount for the Northern Iowa womens basketball team. Freshman guard Kara Opp broke her collarbone in practice on Monday and will be out for six to ten weeks. Opp is the sixth Panther to suffer a serious injury this season and coach Tony Dicecco says they are difficult voids to fill.U-N-I visits Drake on Sunday and Dicecco says the Knapp Center is a difficult place to get a victory.Dicecco says Drake is solid because of their balance.U-N-I is 4-4.
