A native Iowan’s new book is a collection of wisdom solicited from many of Iowa’s movers and shakers. "Letters to a Young Iowan" is subtitled "Good Sense from the Good Folks of Iowa for Young People Everywhere." Zachary Michael Jack, a writer and professor at North Central College in Illinois, was born and raised near Oxford Junction. "I grew up feeling really blessed to live in Iowa," Jack says, "and it’s not just some sort of blind allegiance or patriotism here, but …a kind of dawning sense that I felt as I grew up of a kind of rare pride." Jack comes from a longtime farming family, and says his pride in being an Iowan has intensified as he grew older, rather than lessened. He describes this collection of essays as "personal letters to strangers." He asked each contributor to imagine a particular Iowa person they were writing to — and many pictured writing to a friend, grandchild, nephew, student, or an athlete, if they were a coach. Jack says he sought out contributors who would represent the whole range of people and ideas in Iowa. He approached the widest population of Iowans, from Christie Vilsack to Robert Ray, Dan Gable, Jim Leach and author Mary Swander as well as extension agents, teachers, and some people never published before. He says their letters of advice to young Iowans run the gamut and represent views from all parts of the state. A fourth-generation farmer’s son, Jack edited an earlier collection of writing by farmer-writer-teachers titled "Black Earth and Ivory Tower." This collection is published by Ice Cube Press , based in North Liberty, Iowa.
Iowan’s book features collection of wisdom
Luther wins, Wartburg falls in NCAA softball
An NCAA division three softball regional opened in Decorah on Thursday. Iowa conference teams went one-and-one in the opening round of the NCAA Division 3 Regional Tournament being held in Decorah. The opening game of the tournament Wisconsin Stevens Point defeated Wartburg 8-2 so Wartburg will play an elimination game Friday morning at 10.
Luther in Game 2 of the tournament defeated Gustavus Adolphus two-to-one on a Tami Mangnor bases-loaded single in the bottom half of the eighth inning. The Norse improved to 35-5 overall and moved on in the top side of the bracket into the regional semifinals Friday afternoon.
Governor says state financial situation best in a decade
Governor Chet Culver is boasting that the state’s financial situation is better than it’s been in nearly a decade. "There is now almost $600 million in our reserves, more funding in our reserves than at any time in our state," Culver says. That money is held in a sort of "rainy day" account to be used when state resources are strapped by an economic downturn or some sort of natural or manmade disaster.
Republicans criticize Democrats like Culver for crafting a state spending plan that’s about 10 percent larger than last year’s state budget, but Culver calls it a responsible budget. "During my budget address, I made it very clear I wanted to work with the legislature to create a budget that reflected our priorities, but also adhered to our responsibilities of protecting the taxpayer dollar," Culver says.
Culver is embarking on a tour of the state to tout what he sees as the accomplishments of the just-concluded 2007 Iowa Legislative session. The governor’s list includes hikes in teacher salaries and the minimum wage as well as new state investments in the renewable fuels industry. "The bottom line is this: in January, the legislature, the lieutenant governor and I made many promises to the people of Iowa," Culver says. "As you can see, those promises were made and those promises were kept."
Culver still has to decide whether to sign or veto about one-hundred bills that cleared the legislature. May 30th is the deadline for his decisions.
Estate lawyers questioned at Bentler trial
Some of the witnesses being cross-examined by lawyers in a murder trial Thursday were lawyers. Lawyers for the Bentler estate were on the witness stand, telling the jury in Shawn Bentler’s murder trial that if he’s convicted for killing his parents and three sisters, he will not inherit the family’s estate, worth an estimated three-million dollars.
Bentler’s accused of killing both parents and his teenage sisters at their family home one night last October. After the prosecution rested its case, the defense had Bentler’s grandmother testify that he was a good boy when she babysat the children years ago, though she admitted on the stand that her daughter, Shawn’s mother, had told her she had troubles with him.
Part of Missouri River closed to navigation by flooding
For the past two years the barge shipping season south of Sioux City has been shortened because a long drought lowered the level of the Missouri River too far to carry cargo boats by late in the summer. Now, commercial navigation has been closed between Omaha and Kansas City because of high water levels on the Missouri River.
The Army Corps of Engineers and the Coast Guard decided earlier this week to close a 530-mile stretch of the river, though Coast Guard Lieutenant Clint Townsen says three "flood boats" down-river at Jefferson City, Missouri have been directed to help with emergency response.
Townsen says they used that kind of boat after Hurricane Katrina, and in several other past flood operations to help people out of houses, deliver emergency supplies, and other vital services. Townsen says the agency’s pre-determined "action plan" for dealing with high water triggered the closing of barge traffic on the river, but he says re-opening the river to navigation will depend on a team of industry representatives and federal experts.
According to the National Weather Service, sections of the river near Nebraska City, Brownville, and Rulo have already crested, and are expected to fall below flood stage by Saturday morning.
Braley bill passes U-S House
Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley says the first bill he sponsored to pass the U.S. House was written to stop large corporations from snapping up federal contracts that could be handled by small businesses. Specifically, he says it’s an effort to prevent "bundling," a process in which several smaller contracts are rolled into one large agreement.
Braley says small businesses are the number-one "job creators" in this country, but he says in the past five years government contracting has increased by 60-percent — while the number of small-business contracts has decreased by 55-percent. Braley says his "Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act" will provide more opportunities for small businesses in this state to compete with big corporations for government business.
If it’s approved by the Senate and signed into law, Braley says his bill would require agencies to justify in writing why they approved any bundled contracts. Braley’s a Democrat who won an open seat in Iowa’s First District in 2006.
Iowa baseball team looks to lock up tourney bid
The Iowa baseball team can lock up a spot in the Big Ten post-season tournament this weekend with a four-game series at Purdue. The Hawkeyes have won 12 straight and at 14-8 in the Big Ten are in a third place tie with Penn State. The top six teams make the tournament. Iowa coach Jack Dahm says that’s one of the number one goals. He says they haven’t been to the tournament in many years and that would be a big boost. The Boilermakers are trying to get into the top six. Dahm says they;re a tough team that’s in 7th place and will battle. Iowa closes the regular season next week at home against conference leader Michigan.
