The Creston police chief who was fired by the Mayor Monday will not be leaving the force. Creston Mayor Mike Tamerius explained today. He says he received a letter of resignation from the former chief Bill Heathrington, and says Heatherington has decided to remain with the department in his former position as captain. Tamerius says he’s “excited” that Heatherington is staying with the department as “his leadership in that role certainly will be of some value to us.” Tamerius however, will not say why he fired Heathrington from the top job. Heatherington was appointed chief in 1996 and has been on the Creston force since 1974.
Pilot talks leave some Iowa cities with the potential for no air service
January 9, 2004 By
Time is running out on negotiations that could see air service shut down for Mason City, Clear Lake and Fort Dodge. Mesaba Airline Pilots are threatening to strike on Saturday if they do not get a new contract. Mason City Interim Airport Manager Pam Osgood says those involved in the talks aren’t saying much. Very little information is being given out, other than the strike date is January 10th. Osgood says things could go right up to the last minute. She says she’s sure the bewitching hour is midnight tonight. If the strike would occur, all flights in and out of the Mason City airport would be put on hold indefinitely. She says they hope for the best that they’ll reach a settlement and not go on strike. Northwest Airlines spokesperson Mary Stants says the airline is giving customers with tickets for Mesaba Airlines flights a chance to make changes just in case Mesaba’s pilots go on strike late tonight. Any ticket issued prior to January 7th for a between today and the 17th of this month can be re-booked now until February 9th without change fees. The negotiations with the Mesaba pilots have been going on for the better part of two years.
Dean statements continue to be talk of campaign
January 9, 2004 By
Anti-caucus statements Howard Dean made four years ago are the hot topic on the campaign trail today. Former Vermont Governor Howard Dean appeared on Canadian television four years ago and said the caucus system was tilted toward the extremes. In New Hampshire today, Dean said Iowa’s been good to him and has been a great place for a candidate, like him, who didn’t start out with a lot a money, to gain some momentum. Iowa Democratic Party chairman Gordon Fischer says ultimately, Iowans will have to decide whether Dean owes them an apology for what he said. Fischer says Dean has spent a lot of time here and “has probably undergone a change.” Fischer says the Iowa Caucuses are really “Grassroots Democracy 101″ and none of the candidates have complained to him. Fischer says he gets a sense the candidates and their campaign staff are impressed by how seriously Iowans take their role in the nominating process. The campaign managers for Dean’s rivals are charging that out-of-state Dean campaign volunteers and paid staff will try to “infiltrate” the caucuses and vote in order to tilt the outcome. Fischer doubts it’ll happen. Fischer says he’s “absolutely certain the Caucuses are going to be cleaner than a hound’s tooth.” Fischer says anyone who misrepresents themselves at a Caucus can be charged with a felony. Fischer says with about two-thousand Caucus sites throughout Iowa, it’ll be difficult for out-of-staters to fool the folks in the neighborhood meeting. Fischer says “even if someone had the malicious, evil intent to flood the state” with out-of-states, the “diffuse nature” of the Caucuses make it extremely difficult to pull off. Iowans will gather at 1,993 caucus sites on January 19th to express their presidential preferences.
Two Iowa Guard soldiers remain in hospital after mortar attack
January 9, 2004 By
The Iowa National Guard has some new information on the 12 Iowans wounded in a mortar attack in Baghdad Wednesday. Guard spokesman, Major Greg Hapgood, says 11 of the soldiers were from the 11-33rd transportation company based in Mason City. He says nine of the unit members were treated and returned to duty. One has been transferred to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, and another is being treated at a military facility in Baghdad. A third guardmember from the 234th signal battalion in Cedar Rapids was treated and released. Hapgood says the only other information he has on the soldiers still being treated are their names: Michael Doidge and Chad Hayes. He says they don’t have any other information on their conditions, other than what the Army provided. Hapgood says the soldiers were injured at an installation called “Logistical Base Seitz”. He says it’s a base that used for re-fitting and re-supply and many other uses. Hapgood says it’s good to hear that most of the soldiers escaped without major injuries. He says if you consider the “incredible” number of miles the 11-33rd has driven, “it is somewhat miraculous that that is the worst that’s happened.” He says they’ve traveled more than one-millon-500-thousand miles since being deployed and carried more than 55-thousand tons of equipment and supplies. Hapgood credits their training and leadership as reasons they’ve been able to make it through without more problems.
Students gather for state speech tournament
January 9, 2004 By
Argumentative students from all across Iowa are in the Des Moines area this weekend for the state debate tournament. Craig Ihnen, executive director of the Iowa High School Speech Association, says the event is gathering some 360 students from 30 high schools statewide. Ihnen says this year’s tournament is divided into four segments of debate: the policy division two-person teams, the Lincoln-Douglas individual style debate, the student congress parliamentary debate and an experimental fourth division called controversy. Ihnen expands on that fourth type of debate.It’s a two-person public forum style of debate where individuals argue a point or an idea that changes each month. Ihnen says debate can prepare students for all sorts of careers, not just being lawyers.The competition begins this afternoon at 4 P.M. at Northview Middle School in Ankeny. The finals begin Saturday at 8 AM at Ankeny High School. All rounds are open to the public.
Hearings underway on conservaton farm program
January 9, 2004 By
Hearings are getting underway for a new program in the federal farm bill aimed at rewarding farmers who’ve taken conservation steps. Laura Greiner with the Natural Resources Conservation Service says they could earn financial incentives depending on their work to control soil erosion. How much soil farmers are saving: whether they leave crop residue, what kind of plants they use to keep chemicals and sediment from reaching water, and moves to maintain quality of the environment. Greiner explains that keeping dirt out of creeks and rivers keeps them cleaner in other ways. Often the soil carries chemicals with it, so by keeping sediment out of the water you’re also keeping out the fertilizer and pesticide. There’s a complex three-tiered formula for rewarding farmers who take proven measures to protect some watersheds. Certain watersheds will be included so farmers in those areas can participate, but not statewide — and she says there’s been intense interest ever since the program’s inception because it can offer some farmers “substantial reward” for conservation moves. Greiner says the program’s designed to “reward the best and motivate the rest.” After this period of nationwide comment, the final rule will be published and the program will go into effect. For more, see the website www.nrcs.usda.gov and click on “Farm Bill Programs.”
Governor says he won’t pick a favorite Democrat
January 9, 2004 By
Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack says he will not publicly back a candidate in the Democratic Presidential race. Vilsack says the “first in the nation” status of Iowa’s Caucuses places a unique responsibility on the state’s governor to make sure all the candidates have an equal opportunity to make their case to Iowa voters.Vilsack says the second reason he’s not endorsing anybody is because the race this time around has been tight and in some cases bitter, and somebody’s got to be around — once the Caucuses are over — to bring democrats back together. Vilsack says democrats must be a unified party in order to accomplish anything come November. Vilsack says he wouldn’t be able to be that “unifying force” in his party if he were to be actively backing one of the presidential candidates.
