With their tournament hopes fading the Iowa Hawkeyes return to action at home Saturday against top ranked and unbeaten Illinois. The Hawkeyes dropped to 4-7 in the Big Ten after Wednesday’s loss to Purdue. The first time around the Hawkeyes took the Illini to overtime before falling 73-68.Iowa coach Steve Alford says he thought thier guards matched up well against them, but he says they’re younger now. He says it will be a very tall order. He questioned the team’s leadership ater the Purdue loss but says his team has played hard all season and expects nothing different against Illinois. He says he’s never questioned the team’s effort and if they can take it to a high level, then they can compete.Tip off is 11:06 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
UNI, Drake like exposure from Bracket Busters
February 18, 2005 By
UNI hosts Western Michigan Saturday afternoon in front of the ESPN-2 cameras, the first regular season nationally televised game from the UNI-Dome. It’s part of the Bracket Busters, a series of games involving teams from the so-called mid-major conferences as an opoportunity to get those programs added national exposure that could help their NCAA tournament chances. UNI Coach Greg McDermott says the Bracket Busters have been great for his team in the past. He says getting Western Michigan will make it a great game. UNI is 9-6 in the Valley and 18-8 overall.Drake hosts San Jose State in the Bracket Busters. In previous years more teams from the mid-majors have been getting at-large bids and Bulldog coach Tom Davis says this series may be a big reason. He says it’s publicity they wouldn’t be getting without the series.The Bulldogs are not in the Valley title chase so Davis says he is not concerned about stepping out of league play at this point of the season.
Legislators react to ruling on driver’s licenses for immigrants
February 18, 2005 By
State legislators are reacting to the Iowa Supreme Court ruling today (Friday) that upheld a Polk County District Court decision that denies illegal immigrants the right to get a driver’s license. State Senator Pat Ward, a republican from West Des Moines, is pleased with the ruling. She says, “I believe that people who’re here illegally should not be given preferential status and be treated as if they’re, uh here and citizens of our state. So. I’m very encouraged and believe the law ruled correctly.” Ward says getting a driver’s license is something that has to be earned. She says she believes citizens of our state have earned certain rights, “And these people are not even citizens of our country so I don’t think they should be given those same rights.”But Senator Jack Hatch, a democrat from Des Moines, says the push to allow illegal immigrants to get a driver’s license is not over. He says the immigrants themselves are asking for the law. He says, “They’re tired of driving illegally, they have to go to work. They’re here because employers are recruiting immigrants from Mexico and South American countries to come and work in their factories and their fields. While they’re here, they have to drive there.” Hatch says allowing the illegals to get a license would also allow them to get a bank account and car insurance. He says that’s better for everyone on the road. He says it’s an insurance issue as the individual who gets hit by an immigrant without insurance loses out on the claim. He says that creates gretter resentment of immigrants, but he says the immigrants want to be able to buy insurance and opperate under the laws of this country. Hatch says he’s cosponsoring a bill that requires the state to grant illegal immigrants licenses.
Charges against Pierre Pierce changed
February 18, 2005 By
The charges against former University of Iowa basketball player Pierre Pierce were upgraded today. Pierce is now charged with two counts of first-degree burglary, one count of assault with intent to committ sexual abuse — all felonies — and one count of fourth-degree criminal michief. The 21-year-old Pierce was originally charged with five misdemeanor assault and false imprisonment charges and one felony burglary charge linked to a January 27th argument he had with his girlfriend at her West Des Moines appartment. The Iowa Attorney General says the charges were upgraded as more information became available. The A-G’s office also says its Violence Against Women unit is assisting the Dallas County Attorney in the prosecution of the case. Pierce had been the leading scorer on the Hawkeye basketball team, but was dismissed February 2nd after police revealed they were investigating the incident. Pierce is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges March 4th. If convicted and sentenced to the maximum penatly for all counts — Pierce could face 56 years in prison and nine-thousand dollars in fines.
State board approves economic development funds
February 18, 2005 By
The Iowa Department of Economic Development board has approved financial assistance for four businesses that promise to keep or create some 200 jobs. D-E-D spokeswoman Tina Hoffman says the board approved a package of tax and other benefits of over one-point-one million dollars for Kemin Industries in Des Moines. The company makes dietary supplements. She says this is an investment in a new building to expand their work, and she says if they didn’t build here, they would move to another state or country. Hoffman says the investment comes with the promise of more jobs. She says the project will include the addition of 40 new employees ove rthe next five years at and average wage of over 28-dollars an hour. Hoffman says the D-E-D Board approved a 650-thousand dollar forgiveable loan and enterprise zone tax benefits for LInk Snacks in Laurens. She says that will create 150 new jobs in a new 39-million dollar freezer facility that will allow them to create and store “meat snacks” like beef jerkey. The board also approved assistance for an eastern Iowa company. She says Clayton County recycling is investing four-point-four million dollars into new metal shredding equipment. She says they received tax benefits from the state’s new corporate investment program. Hoffman says the company will create seven new jobs and retain some jobs by doing more shredding and by adding a rail spur to their property.
All-state speech finals are this weekend in Ames
February 18, 2005 By
Hundreds of high schoolers from across Iowa are converging on Ames for the all-state speech finals this weekend. Craig Ihnen, executive director of the Iowa High School Speech Association, says this is the culmination of a lot of practice by about 15-hundred students. For six weeks, the students have competed in local and district finals and now they’ll determine who’s “the very best of the best” in categories including: one-act play, choral reading, musical theater, group improv, ensemble acting and group mime. Ihnen explains why taking part in these events helps to build a better student. He says the association strives to help students become more effective communicators, something they’ll carry with them for the rest of their lives no matter what career path they choose. At the start, 26-thousand Iowa students took part in this year’s competition from 120 high schools. The 15-hundred in Ames are the finalists who will be narrowed down to the final-final winners late Saturday afternoon.
Iowa women lose another close one
February 18, 2005 By
After narrowly missing an upset win over second ranked Ohio State on Sunday the Iowa Hawkeye women let another big victory slip away on Thursday night. Ninth ranked Michigan State took cointrol in the game’s final minutes to post a 67-60 win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says they’ve had two great opportunities in recent games and haven’t taken advantage of it. She says they had a great effort, but lost their focus in the last five minutes. Bluder says there is no more room for error and the Hawkeyes know they need to win their final three games to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament. She says they’re smart individuals and know what they have to do to make it to the NCAA Tournament.The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday at Michigan.
