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Boswell kicks off re-election campaign

July 31, 2006 By

Third district Congressman Leonard Boswell is kicking off his re-election campaign today with what he calls the “Protecting Iowa Families Tour.” Boswell, a 72-year-old democrat who is seeking his fifth term, surrounded himself with kids on the front porch of a Des Moines home this morning as he started the tour.

Boswell says he’s never felt more “motivated or committed” to the children to help them achieve the American dream. He says the adults have to help the kids achieve the dream because the kids are not in position to do it for themselves. Boswell says he has always fought for children and families.

Boswell, is on the House Intelligence Committee, and says he fought to get a single director of National Security after 9-11 so there’s more communication. Boswell says with terrorism you have to move from a “mentality of need to know, to need to share.” He says if federal officials know something may happen in Des Moines, then they need to share it with local officials in Des Moines.

Boswell says he will fight to see the minimum wage is raised and supports stem cell research. Boswell commented on the current situation in the Middle East, saying the strength of Hezbollah makes Israel’s concern’s legitimate. He says Hezbollah is much more sophisticated than thought and they’re getting weapons from Iran and Syria.
Boswell says there needs to be a cease fire and Israel needs assurances that the cease fire won’t last for a day and then Hezbollah will attack again.

Boswell had abdominal surgery and chemotherapy in September of 2005 and he says his family discussed that in December when he sat down with them to consider running again. Boswell says though, he never leaned toward not running again. Boswell says his children raised the question during their talk around Christmas.

Boswell says his health issues are behind him now, “It was tough, but its behind us its over, we’re back to strength, and I tell people if they want to know if I’m strong or not, just come up and take ahold of me. I am, I’m strong, I’m going strong, putting in long hours.”

Boswell faces Jeff Lamberti, a Republican lawyer from Ankeny, in the November election. The third district covers 12 counties in Iowa, stretching from Grundy County on the northern edge, down to Monroe and Lucas County on the southern edge. The district also includes Polk County, the state’s largest county.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Pate out. Dix in?

July 31, 2006 By

Former Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced he will not try to regain the office.

Chuck Allison, the Republican party’s nominee for Secretary of State in 2006, dropped out last week citing “personal reasons.” Pate, who served four years as mayor of Cedar Rapids — leaving office this past January, considered running again for Secretary of State but has decided against it.

Republicans have until August 18th to choose a replacement for Allison, and sources say current State Representative Bill Dix of Shell Rock is now considered a top prospect. Dix ran for congress in Iowa’s first congressional district but lost in the June primary.

If Dix decides to run for Secretary of State, he would face Democrat Michael Mauro in November. Mauro is currently the Polk County Auditor.

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Suspected bank robber caught in West Des Moines

July 31, 2006 By

A man suspected of robbing four banks in three states is jailed in central Iowa. Authorities say 33-year-old Geoffrey White was taken into custody over the weekend at his apartment in West Des Moines by an F-B-I Swat team, Iowa County deputies and West Des Moines police.

Iowa County Sheriff Nick Roggentein says “The F-B-I got a tip. The tipster let them know the name of an active bank robber and following up on the tip, the investigation led us to an individual in West Des Moines by the name of Geoff White. Eventually, an arrest warrant and search warrant were served on him and evidence was recovered linking him to the Victor bank job and several other bank robberies.”

Roggentein says White is accused of holding up the Farmers Savings Bank in Victor on March 31st. Roggentein says “He wasn’t fancy about it. He would just walk in, did not wear an extensive disguise, nothing more than a set of sunglasses and a hat, rob the bank and walk out, very calm.”

The sheriff says if White’s convicted, he’ll be going away for a long time. “He’s looking at multiple bank robbery charges so a substantial amount of time.” The informant told the F-B-I White had been bragging about robbing banks since 1998. White’s also accused of holding up banks in Mondamin, Nebraska and in Hamilton and Kearney, Missouri.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

West Nile creates problems for endangered birds

July 31, 2006 By

West Nile has been identified in 20 Iowa counties so far this summer according to the state public-health department, which has confirmed just two human cases. Stephen Dinsmore, an avian ecologist at Iowa State University, says since the virus is linked to the death of crows and bluejays, it’s safe to say it also affects a lot of other wild birds in Iowa.

Dinsmore says it’s more widespread than just a few, and while he doesn’t know how susceptible various species of birds may be, “every indication is that it varies.” This month at a wildlife center in Idaho, West Nile Virus was blamed for the deaths of four condor chicks, a species still considered rare and endangered.

Dinsmore says Iowa’s got its own list of wild birds considered at risk or endangered. Around 410 species of birds have been identified in Iowa, and he says perhaps 20 species are considered, between federal and state lists.

In Iowa, endangered birds include the piping plover, least tern and trumpeter swan. Dinsmore says the mosquito-borne virus could also add to the burden of survival for species that are already very low in numbers.

Though the mosquitoes that carry West Nile die off in wintertime, Dinsmore says in the terms of epidemiology, birds in general are a reservoir species where the virus can linger till the next summer season. He says it’s transmitted by mosquitoes that bite a host animal to drink its blood.

Dinsmore says, “There presumably are other species out there that serve as places where the disease can linger undetected.” When it resurfaces, the mosquitoes whose bite carries the virus will infect other living being, including horses, the crows and bluejays in the corvid family of birds, and people of course.

West Nile in Iowa may be following the typical pattern in which it peaks a couple years after being discovered in a new state, and then cases fall off in number. This year Iowa’s confirmed only two human cases, and both those people have recovered from the disease.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation, Health & Medicine

Five Storm Lake youth arrested in gun burglary

July 31, 2006 By

Five teens from Storm Lake are under arrest after an investigation launched Friday night when a mother discovered two loaded handguns in her son’s bedroom in their Storm Lake apartment.

Cops believe three teens robbed a home in Storm Lake, stealing five guns and other items — then they started stashing the stolen loot with friends. By Saturday night cops in Storm Lake had recovered four of the guns and arrested four young men. Three were 14 years old. The fourth was 15.

On Sunday night at 10 o’clock, Storm Lake police got a call from cops in Colorado. The fifth teen Storm Lake police had been searching for was under arrest there and charged with breaking into a home in Trinidad, Colorado. The 16-year-old boy from Storm Lake was in Colorado with a 16-year-old girl from Schaller, Iowa. She has not been charged.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Nussle to hold "Idea Raisers" tonight

July 31, 2006 By

You’ve heard of barn raisers where the neighbors joined together to build a barn? Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle’s campaign has scheduled “Idea Raisers” around the state tonight (Monday).

Iowans in more than 30 towns have agreed to host an “Idea Raiser” for the Nussle campaign in their home or business, inviting friends and neighbors over to talk about the state’s future. “I know that there is this cynacism about the fact that politicians always hold fundraisers, I mean that’s something we do. We need resources, of course, in order to run our campaigns but do we spend enough time listening to real people about real ideas that can affect real things that are happening in Iowa?” Nussle asks. “I’ve always tried to do that but this probably the best effort I’ve seen where we actually get, you know, hundreds of Iowans to sit down across the state and discuss them.”

Nussle says he’s been hearing all sorts of ideas from Iowans since he announced the effort in June. For example, one Iowan suggested creation of an Iowa Alumni Association — for the state, not the university. “So that no matter where they go, if they move away for the time being to Oklahoma or may to the coast or the mountains or Florida or wherever it might be, that we keep in contact with them, let ‘em know what’s happening back here and let them know about jobs and opportunities and our quality of life,” Nussle says. “I thought that was a great idea.”

The meetings begin at seven o’clock, then at 7:30 Nussle will talk with all 30-plus sites via conference call. Find out more on-line at www.jimnussle.com.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver’s campaign issued a statement this morning with a few ideas for their rival, Congressman Nussle, such as “stop voting yourself pay raises until you’ve raised the minimum wage” and “stop throwing away our tax dollars on pork projects and giveaways to special interests.”

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Spirit Lake stand-off ends peacefully

July 31, 2006 By

A 9-1-1 hang-up call led to a stand-off with police in Spirit Lake at about two o’clock this (Monday) morning.

Investigators were told it was a domestic situation. Police learned that 30-year-old Justin Woodhall had taken a six-year-old child to the basement with him. The child hadn’t been threatened, but police saw Woodhall was armed with a rifle and a handgun. Police evacuated two other children and an adult from the home.

Spirit Lake’s police chief says one of his officers was able to diffuse the situation and Woodhall surrendered without a shot being fired. He’s being held on charges of domestic assault, child endangerment, interference with official acts and obstruction of emergency communications.

Police seized 11 guns and 800 rounds of ammunition from the home.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts
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