Celebration of the Jewish New Year begins tonight. Over 5,000 Jews in Iowaobserve Rosh (Rowsh) Hashanah through Sunday. Rabbi Neil Sandler of theTifereth (tif-air-eth) Israel Synagogue in Des Moines says the holiday is animportant time for the Jewish community. Families attend synagogue servicesand spend time with family. Sandler says Rosh Hashanah is a time of worshipand sharing important meals. Members of some synagogues in Iowa and thenation will help the hungry. Services this weekend include the distributionof grocery bags that honor the needy during the Jewish time of fasting, YomKippur. The “Operation Isaiah” food drive wraps up September 19th withcollection on the Yom Kippur (kip-pour’) holiday.
Miller again pushes plan for tobacco settlement money
September 10, 1999 By
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller is traveling across the state today to pushhis plan for spending part of Iowa’s share of the federal tobacco companysettlement. Miller wants to use just over 20-million dollars for smokingprevention and education programs that counter-market tobacco ads, sendingthe message that it’s not cool to smoke.Miller’s plan also includes help for people to quit smoking and money toenforce laws preventing the sale of tobacco to minors. Legislators rejecteda plan submitted by Miller in the last legislative session, saying theypreferred to wait until the money was in hand. There were also questionsabout the amount of money Miller wants. Miller says the money is onlytwo-percent of the one-Billion dollars the state loses to tobacco-relatedillnesses each year. Miller says it’s a moral issue because tobacco-relateddeaths are clearly preventable. Miller presented his plans at the statecapitol this morning. He travels to Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City andCouncil Bluffs today to push his message to the public.Iowa is scheduled to get the first payment in the settlement of just over76-million dollar by June 30th of next year.
Iowan says Americans should watch the situation in Timor
September 10, 1999 By
An Iowa native who had a medical practice in Cedar Falls is back fromviolence-ridden East Timor (tee’-more), urging Americans to pay attention tothe plight of residents there. 54-year-old Dan Murphy grew up in Alton(all-tun) — that’s in northwest Iowa — then attended the University ofIowa. For 17 years, Dr. Murphy had a Cedar Falls medical practice. For thelast nine months, he worked at a medical clinic in East Timor, until he wasexpelled by the Indonesian government shortly after residents voted fortheir independence. Murphy, who speaks Portugese — the native language,says East Timor was given its independence in 1974, but was immediatelyinvaded by Indonesia, which is the 4th-largest nation on Earth. Since thenthe country lost hundreds of thousands of people under military occupation.The United Nations finally recommended the people get a vote in theirfuture, and they did, voting for freedom by 78 percent.In the 1970s, Murphy worked in Mozambique, which was a former Portugesecolony. That’s where he learned Portugese. Murphy is a family practioner with a few surgical skills. He says theclinic was located in the capitol city. Militias were ordered to shootpeople, causing an overflow of cases in his clinic. He had to learn to helpthese people with his limited skills.Murphy says the outside world should know about East Timor, and that’s whyhe let international journalists into the clinic.Murphy hopes the United Nations sends in troops and ends the strife. Murphy spoke with Radio Iowa by phone from the “East Timor Action Network”office in New York City. Murphy will return to Iowa this weekend, withplans to speak to groups in Des Moines, Grinnell, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids,Cedar Falls, Waterloo, then on to Chicago, Minneapolis and Madison,Wisconsin to tell the story of the Timorese people.
High school football hits week two
September 10, 1999 By
In high school football action tonight bragging rights are on the line inLyon county as class 2A second ranked West Lyon visits class 3A 8th rankedCentral Lyon. West Lyon coach Jay Rozeboom expects a good matchup. Rozeboomsays no matter what happens a lot of questions will be answered about hisballclub after last year’s miss-matches. He says this year they have thingsstraight.In class 1A, top ranked West Marshall is at home against South Hamilton.West Marshall lost a number of skill players from last year’s 10-1 team butthey are experienced up front and coach Ken Winkler feels that is a goodplace to start. Winkler says his team had high hopes heading into theseason, proceeding one game at a time.In class 3A, third ranked west Delaware visits Oelwein. West Delaware coachSam Anderson says they have experience and strength with the offensive anddefensive lines making them a physical team. Anderson says Oelwein willprovide a test and a good clean rivalry, especially on their turf.
Iowa scientist helps search for water on Mars
September 10, 1999 By
A University of Iowa space physicist has won a four-million dollar N-A-S-Acontract to develop a system for finding water on Mars. Don Gurnett saysthe project will use radar aboard a European Space Agency spacecraft tolook for water. The radar sends out pulses to the surface, then reflectionsindicate water. Gurnett says Mars had water in the past.The spacecraft won’t be launched until 2003. Gurnett says it shouldn’t takelong after the craft begins orbiting Mars to get results. Gurnett believes the water may be around five kilometers below the surfaceof the planet. He says sucess in this project could answer the question ofwhether there had ever been life on the planet. He says water would alsoprovide an important resource for humans to travel to Mars. Water acts as apropellant, making it possible for humans to return to Earth after a Marsvisit. Gurnett is in the process of designing the antennas that will shootthe x-rays off the surface of Mars.
Veterans seek to help each other
September 10, 1999 By
Iowa Veterans groups are putting out the word to try and bring reclusivehomeless veterans to Des Moines for an event this afternoon. Organizers ofthe “Stand Down” at the state capitol say it’s very difficult to reach theveteran who could most use the helping hand. Bob Steben is the Iowaexecutive director of AmVets. Several agencies are sponsoring the “StandDown,” which is a term for a war-time procedure where exhausted combat unitsare removed from the battlefield to get needed rest. Steben says all sortsof help will be available at the weekend event. New clothing, food,vaccinations, medical care and a barber are provided. The 24 hour “StandDown” will be held on the state capitol grounds starting at four p-m today,running through four p-m Saturday. Steben says any veterans and their familymembers are welcome. Steben says the “Stand Down” is a temporary place forhomeless veterans to step back from the battle of life on the streets. Theevent is co-sponsored by several churches and missions and chapters of theParalyzed Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America and DisabledAmerican Veterans.deaths are clearly preventable. Miller presented his plans at the statecapitol this morning. He travels to Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City andCouncil Bluffs today to push his message to the public.Iowa is scheduled to get the first payment in the settlement of just over76-million dollar by June 30th of next year………………………………………………………………….Celebration of the Jewish New Year begins tonight. Over 5,000 Jews in Iowaobserve Rosh (Rowsh) Hashanah through Sunday. Rabbi Neil Sandler of theTifereth (tif-air-eth) Israel Synagogue in Des Moines says the holiday is animportant time for the Jewish community. Families attend synagogue servicesand spend time with family. Sandler says Rosh Hashanah is a time of worshipand sharing important meals. Members of some synagogues in Iowa and thenation will help the hungry. Services this weekend include the distributionof grocery bags that honor the needy during the Jewish time of fasting, YomKippur. The “Operation Isaiah” food drive wraps up September 19th withcollection on the Yom Kippur (kip-pour’) holiday.
Regents to discuss tuition increase
September 10, 1999 By
The Executive Secretary of the State Board of Regents is proposing a tuitionincrease for the three state universities of just over four-percent.Frank Stork says that translates into a 120-dollar increase in tuition forin-state students for a total of just over 29-hundred dollars. That doesn’tinclude room and board. Stork says the increase is comparable to last year.Stork says the staff now uses the Higher Education Price Index and the needto meet quality goals as measures of how to set tuition increases. Storksays the increase will still keep the three state universities competativewith other states. Stork says the increase in tuition, if approved, wouldalso include some increases in fees that vary depending on the university.The cost of non-resident tuition under the increase would be nearly11-thousand dollars at the University of Iowa, 97-hundred dollars at IowaState University and 78-hundred dollars at the University of Northern Iowa.
