The Iowa Hawkeyes close out their pre-conference schedule tomorrow with a visit to Missouri. This series started back in 1998 and has featured a number of thrilling games. Iowa coach Steve Alford would like to see the series continue. He says it has been a great border series for the fans, and he says he’ll talk with the Missouri staff to see about extended the matchup.Iowa is 7-2 while Missouri is 4-4 after a stunning loss at home to Belmont. Alford expects to face the Tiger team that was ranked as high as third in mid-December. He says it’s the most talented team they face as far as pure talent goes. Alford says while Missouri has struggled as of late he does not expect to see the Tigers change their style of play.Alford says three Hawkeyes benched for the game against Eastern Illinois will have to earn their way back into the rotation. Erek Hansen, Nick Dewitz and Mike Henderson were suspended by Alford for the last game who cited team “academic concerns.” Alford says a message needed to be sent even if it means relying on seldom used players. He says he got into coaching because the loves the competitiveness, the game of basketball and the lessons that can be learned in and out of the lockerroom. He says one of the lessons is watching others compete in your spot. Alford says he has confidence the players off the bench will play well.
New Iowa travel guide is out
The new year is here and so are the new editions of the Iowa Travel Guide. Nancy Landess, manager of the Iowa Travel Office, says they’ve printed 250-thousand of the free booklets which provide information about the state’s communities, attractions, lodging facilities, recreation areas and more. The 176-page guide is organized into ten travel regions so people who are traveling to southeast or northwest Iowa, for example, will be able to see what other attractions are underway wherever they’re headed. While January is more closely associated with frigid temperatures, Landess says there’s plenty to do around Iowa this month. From eagle-watching along the Mississippi River to attending the Winter Games at the Iowa Great Lakes, Landess says the guide is full of travel ideas. She says the guides are free and easy to obtain.The Travel Guide is available by calling 800-345-IOWA or visiting www.traveliowa.com. Copies are also available at any of the state’s 21 welcome centers. Landess says more than 17-million people visit Iowa each year, making tourism a four-point-two billion dollar industry in Iowa, employing more than 61-thousand people statewide and generating more than 243-million dollars in state taxes.
Gephardt continues to hammer at frontrunner Dean
Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt continues to hammer at frontrunner Howard Dean, today accusing the former Vermont Governor of lacking the poise to be President.Gephardt says he believes “in a democratic party that understands out strength comes not from anger but from grace.” Gephardt says Dean can dish out criticism of George Bush and the other democratic candidates, but apparently can’t take it when others question his record. Gephardt says if Dean can’t take the heat from his fellow Democrats, they won’t just step aside and watch him lose his cool against George Bush and lose the election in November. Dean has accused the “Washington candidates” like Gephardt of failing to provide health care reform, and Gephardt counters by citing several reforms — like getting Medicare to cover mammograms for the disabled and poor American women who depend upon the government program for health insurance. Gephardt says he “congratulates Governor Dean on his medical career,” but Gephardt says Dean “shouldn’t try to lecture anyone on how to pass real health care reform in this country.” Gephardt, a long-time Missouri Congressman who resigned as House Minority Leader last year, spoke this morning at a Des Moines hospital, and contrasted his health care reform plan to those of his competitors. “I may not be a doctor, but I do know something about how to get things through Congress.” Gephardt says his is the only plan which provides coverage to the 43 million uninsured Americans, and would provide the greatest “economic stimulus.” The chief component of Gephardt’s plan would offer tax credits to businesses which offer insurance benefits to their employees. Gephardt says all the democrats in the race agree all or part of the Bush tax cuts should be repealed. Gephardt contends his is the only health care plan that would, in turn, put money back in the pockets of middle income Americans. Gephardt accused competitors John Kerry and Howard Dean of using “cheap sound bites” to hide the expensive details of their health care proposals. Gephardt has been attacking Dean on a variety of issues since this fall, and the Dean campaign today issued a statement calling Gephardt’s latest accusations “shrill” and “ridiculous,” and the Dean camp accuses Gephardt of failing to deliver anything more than rhetoric during his 27-year career in Washington.
Two charged with taking political signs
Two Ida County men are charged with stealing signs that encourage people to vote in the Sac County gambling referendum. 36-year-old Michael Bergman of Arthur and 41-year-old Bruce Olson of Ida Grove are charged with fifth-degree theft. Both were arrested after Wall Lake police got an anonymous tip from a caller who had reportedly observed the men removing the signs and putting them in a truck. The truck was later located by Wall Lake police and eight signs were recovered.
Economist says Iowa economy is on track for a good ’04
Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says if Mad Cow disease doesn’t derail the farm economy, Iowa’s on track for a good 2004. Dr. Goss surveys purchasing managers and business leaders in the midwest. For the nine Mid-American states including Iowa, he says our economy cooled a bit late in the year, due in part to energy prices and their dampening effect on some businesses. While economic indicators cooled a bit in December, Goss says that wasn’t the end of recovery from the recession.He says Iowa added about eight thousand jobs in the last half of the year, good but nowhere near the recovery that will be required in job markets. Goss says farm income was up in 2003 and that helped push up business for the firms surveyed. The case of Mad Cow in Washington state resulted in a ban on Asian beef imports, and that could affect growth the next six to nine months. Still, employment was up for six months a row in this region, and Goss found the confidence index at a record high.
Trooper Association President says they’re cut to thin
The president of the Iowa State Troopers Association says they’ll ask legislators to go back to using the vehicle use tax to fund patrol operations. Trooper Gerri McCurdy of Rockwell City says the patrol has 60 vacancies due to budget cutbacks. He says it’s the lowest the numbers have been since the 1960s and he says it’s a major concern to the patrol. McCurdy says the patrol has taken several cuts since its funding was shifted to the state general fund. He says they believe the vehicle use tax is a better way to fund the department. He says in the constitution the use fund is for the maintenance, construction and supervision of highways, and he says the patrol falls under the supervision part. McCurdy says there are equipment needs too, as the patrol has more than 200 cars with at least 100-thousand miles on them. He says they currently have just under 400 troopers, including supervisors, and would like to see that back up to the proper level. He says they’d like to see the legislators and the governor come up with a plan to add 20 to 25 troopers a year to get the patrol back up to full strength. McCurdy says there aren’t enough troopers to patrol the highways properly, and he says that has translated to excessive speeds on the roads. He says people are going 20, 30 and 40 miles over the speed limit on the interstates and other roads. He says there’s also an increase in no-passsing zone and stop sign violations. He says local officers rely on the state for backup, but he says they don’t have enough troopers to do it all. McCurdy says it has been tough on morale. He says the troopers “have picked themselves up by the bootstraps and tried to do more with less.” But he says it’s gotten harder to do more with less. McCurdy says many people only see troopers as the people who write tickets, but he says it’s a public safety issue the state needs to address.
Storm Lake looks at 28-million dollar lake project
Storm Lake leaders are proposing a 28-million dollar lakefront project with hopes of making the northwest Iowa community a tourist destination. City administrator John Call says the project is made up of several components. The proposal includes a 95-room lodge, an indoor/outdoor aquatic park, an expanded campground, an excursion boat, a lighthouse, a fountain and a public beach. A new housing addition near the municipal golf course is also included in the plans. Call says they hope to get some state funding to help finance the project. Call says the Vision Iowa application will be sent to the state by the end of January. Without Vision Iowa, the city and Storm Lake Area Development Corporation would have to come up with funding for the aquatic center and lodge. He says the goal is to attract more visitors to Storm Lake. He says in recent years they haven’t capitalized enough on the tourism dollar. It’s just a proposal right now, but Storm Lake officials hope to get the project moving within the next two or three years.
