Among all of the big broadcast networks in Iowa to cover this weekend’s Democratic Presidential Debate, there’ll also be a crew from a fledgling Internet-based TV network that caters to small businesses. Susan Wilson Solovic is C-E-O of “S-B-T-V-dot-com” and she’ll try to talk with all nine candidates seeking their party’s nomination.Solovic says the goal is to discuss with each candidate his or her small business platform. She says no one is carrying that message to the small business owner even though small businesses make up 99-percent of all businesses in the U.S. In Iowa, 98-percent of all businesses are considered small businesses — that’s about 210-thousand businesses. Solovic says government regulations often have a more severe impact on small businesses than they do on larger ones. Solovic calls herself a business consultant, columnist and attorney. She says Small Business Television is the first all digital network dedicated to streaming original programming for and about small business and entrepreneurship, found at “www.sbtv.com”.The Sunday debate will be carried on many Radio Iowa stations, beginning at 2 P.M.
Latinos designation picked over Hispanics
An Iowa State University professor says most spanish-speaking Iowans prefer to be called “latinos” rather than “hispanics.” Hector Avalos says the term “hispanic” was devised by a commission of spanish-speaking people who advised the U.S. Census Bureau. But he says the more common term is “latino.” He cites college courses across the country, labeled “latino studies” rather than “hispanic studies.” Avalos says the popularity of “latino” has taken off, but in some areas of the country, spanish-speaking residents like to refer to themselves as Mexican Americans or Puerto Ricans rather than latino.Avalos says “Latino is an identity that’s under construction right now, and economic and political forces will determine where it goes.” Avalos, an I-S-U religion professor, tracks latino and “latina” political issues.
Iowa Guard spokesman retires
A longtime spokesman for Iowa’s National Guard retires today. Colonel Robert King has been the face and voice of the guard for more than 14 years years, starting on the evening United Flight 232 crashed in Sioux City. He says the job’s stayed interesting ever since.In that time he’s gone through three wars and three deployment periods, major events like the 1993 floods with 44 days on duty nonstop, this year’s tragic deaths of Iowa guards in Iraq, and a death during the time of the floods. King says while he’s gotten along with reporters and the public, his job has been one of almost constant “on-call” service.He says you have to be available with the right answer at the right time, and put the right face on events. King says while he’s enjoyed the job, fourteen years in the same assignment is a long time. He thanks the soldiers and airmen, saying while he puts up with inconvenience of 24-hour phone calls and late-night news interviews, he praises the service of those called to active duty who put their lives on the line here and overseas…and says what he’s done is “nothing” compared to their service. King says soldiers appreciate the job he’s done explaining their work to the general public, and he’s even gotten cards and notes of gratitude from the troops. King’s replacement is well-trained — Major Greg Hapgood, new guard spokesman, is an 18-year veteran of the guard who served as public-affairs officer for his unit in the mid-1990s in Macedonia.
Study looks at Ag injuries to kids
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is sending Iowa State University a 760-thousand dollar grant to study farm-related injuries to children. Charles Schwab is an I-S-U professor and one of the researchers on the project. He says they’re going to try and determine what kind of impacts some common carrying tasks have on children proportional to the child’s weight, and the type of weight they’re carrying. Schwab says it will be a three year study. He says that’s because of the type of work and measurements they need to take, and the number of kids they have to study. While much of the work on a farm is mechanized, Schwab says there’s still a lot that’s done by hand. He says they’ve found these “carrying tasks” are some of the things kids are allowed to do because they don’t involved machinery and are considered “safer.” Schwab doesn’t know exactly how many Iowa kids may be working on farms.He says they do know that the number of children injured on farms are 20-percent of the total number of injuries reported every year in Iowa on farms. Schwab says the study will involve 88 children volunteers from 4-H clubs in Iowa between the ages eight to 17.
Event focuses on positive
An event in Des Moines today (Saturday) is part concert, part educational venture, focusing on what organizers say is a public celebration of Iowa’s humane, sustainable economy. Chris Bedford is coordinator of the Care4Iowa Congress, which is presenting the music of four bands as well as more than a dozen speakers on the state’s rural economic development. Bedford says the congress is a sort of experiment, combining good music with good speeches and positive information. Bedford says the gathering is focused on the future of Iowa’s economic landscape, which he says the group envisions as being based more on small farms, decentralized and deindustrialized. He says the speakers will be “lots of ordinary Iowans who are just in the process of reinventing our state’s economy.” Bedford says the list of speakers also includes two “agricultural visionaries,” Dr. John Ikerd, an ag economist from the University of Missouri and Dr. Michael Appleby, an animal scientist from the University of Edinburgh in the U-K. He expects hundreds, perhaps thousand of people to attend the day-long free event. The Humane Society of the U.S. is sponsoring the event — the nation’s largest animal protection organization. The doors open at the Temple for the Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines open at 9:30 with the first band taking the stage at 10 AM. Admission is free.
Weather records broken as New Year opens
The new year in Iowa began by breaking some records for winter weather. Des Moines set a new record at 60 degrees, on a day when the normal high averages 29. It was also a record 62 in Moline, the weather recording station for the Quad Cities and a new high of 64 was set in Burlington, Ottumwa and Lamoni. It felt like spring, complete with a dense mist that gave Friday a gloomy look and cut visibility. After a night of heavy fog that made driving downright dangerous, drivers and Iowans taking down the holiday lights today can look for colder temps and some brisk winds. The change will be a big one — winter storm watches have been posted already across parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Illinois for tonight and Sunday.
Campaign pace quickens as candidates prepare for Sunday t.v. debate
The democratic presidential candidates will share a stage in Johnston on Sunday in a televised debate. Just 16 days remain before Iowa’s lead-off Caucuses indicate which candidates have caught fire, and which have burned out. Four of the contestants — former Governor Howard Dean, Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt, Massachusetts Senator John Kerry and North Carolina Senator John Edwards — are dedicating much of their campaign time to Iowa this month. An interesting test of candidate pulling power will be seen in Boone today, as Dean and Kerry both plan to appear at separate events there. The debate on Sunday begins at two o’clock on Iowa Public Television and will be simulcast by some Radio Iowa stations. With Howard Dean a narrow front-runner in Iowa, expect some of the other candidates to focus their verbal venom on him. Gephardt has repeatedly hammered at Dean since this fall, and renewed his attacks yesterday. Gephardt said Dean can dish it out, but can’t take it when his democratic rivals attack, and Gephardt warned Dean would “lose his cool” in a match-up against President Bush.
