A Catholic high school in eastern Iowa is closed today because of a "security threat." Officials at Iowa City Regina posted a message on the school’s website, saying there "will be not be any classes or activities" at the school today. The message says local law enforcement has been contacted about a "security threat" to the school. The statement says that: "in the world we live in, any safety threat is to be taken seriously and treated as such.".
Iowa City school closed after threat
May 24, 2007 By
Assessment says flooding damage 26-million dollars
May 24, 2007 By
State leaders are finally putting a price tag on this month’s flooding. A flood damage assessment team puts the bill at 26-million dollars. Governor Culver is requesting federal aid for 18 counties, mostly in southern and western Iowa, to repair public facilities like roads and bridges, while 11 of the counties also had damage to homes and businesses. The worst hit community is Missouri Valley in Harrison County which had more than 70 homes and businesses hit by the high water. The other counties on the list are: Audubon, Cass, Clarke, Crawford, Decatur, Fremont, Ida, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Sac, Shelby, Taylor and Union.
Dubuque toughens traffic ticket policy
May 24, 2007 By
Leaders of a northeast Iowa city have decided to get tougher on people who don’t pay their parking tickets. Dubuque’s city council is enacting a new policy for motorists who ignore those pesky citations on their windshields. Randy Gehl, Dubuque’s public information officer, explains how it’ll work.
Gehl says, "As soon as you have three parking tickets that are older than 30 days, that vehicle license plate number goes on the tow list and at that point, after July 1, the vehicle could be towed and impounded." Dubuque resident Randi Rusk says she has seven over-due parking tickets right now and fears she’ll be racking more of them up.
Rusk says, "Everywhere that I park, there’s a meter. Sometimes I’ll get three (tickets) a day. Some of the meters are only an hour and some of my meetings run over an hour." She says the city’s policy change on parking tickets will force her to pay closer attention to the time of day — and the time on her meter.
Rusk says, "I’ll have to take a weekly trip to city hall to make sure I’m not on the tow list, if that’s what happens." The new policy takes effect July 1st. Dubuque’s current policy says if a car owner has five or more parking tickets older than seven days, the city will put you on its list of cars to tow away. City officials say when the new ordinance takes effect, the number of cars on the tow list will jump from about 200 now to almost 750.
Harkin says immigration bill appears to be on the right track
May 24, 2007 By
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says the immigration reform bill is a work in progress, but it looks like the bill is going to include the things he wants. Harkin says the bill is headed in the right direction, but he doesn’t know what amendments will be added and adopted before it comes to a vote.
Harkin, a Democrat, says he’ll reserve judgment until he sees the final version. Senators continue to propose changes to the legislation. Harkin says there was some tightening of the guest worker provision, and that makes it a little easier for him to vote for the bill. But again says he doesn’t know what final amendments will be approved.
Iowa’s other Senator, Chuck Grassley, introduced an amendment to close a loophole that allows aliens with expired visas to stay in the country. Harkin says he wants to see that amendment cleaned up to include some judicial review before someone with an expired visa is automatically expelled.
"Obviously is someone has broken the law and has committed and act of terrorism, or something like that, you bet get him out of here immediately," Harkin says. But he says the way amendment was drafted, anyone who had a revoked visa had to leave. Harkin says there are sometimes beaurocratic mixups. He wants the opportunity for a judge to review the case if there is such a mixup. Harkin says overall it appears the bill will tighten the border and bring the estimated 12-million illegal immigrants "out of the shadows."
Snap-On tools expands in Algona
May 24, 2007 By
The Snap-On tool company of Kenosha, Wisconsin broke ground for a 12-million dollar expansion of its plant in Algona today. Company officials and state and local dignitaries braved rainy, windy weather to break ground for the expansion that will add 51-thousand square feet and 51 more jobs to the plant that employs 300 people.
Company president Tom Ward says the new warehouse will allow the company to stay competitive. The state Economic Development Department provided the company with two-point-eight million dollar loan to help with the expansion, and the city of Algona chipped in half a million dollars. The company has had an Algona location for 51 years.
Shawn Bentler found guilty of murdering family
May 24, 2007 By
A 23-year-old southeast Iowa native is found guilty in the killing of his entire family. Judge Michael Mullins ruled this morning that Shawn Bentler is guilty of all five counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of his parents and three teenage sisters at their home in Bonaparte last October.
Bentler gave up his right to a jury trial to have his fate determined by Mullins. The judge’s ruling says eyewitness accounts by one of the sisters and being identified by his mother during a 9-1-1 call was enough to convict him. Sentencing will be June 19th.
Iowa Guard unit to be featured on 60 Minutes Sunday
May 24, 2007 By
Hundreds of Iowa soldiers in Iraq, and their families at home, will be featured on the CBS-TV program "60 Minutes" this Sunday night. Lieutenant Colonel Greg Hapgood with the Iowa National Guard says cameras started following the 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry based in Waterloo two years ago.
"They first approached our organization in 2005," Hapgood says, "and the more that we discussed it and events in Iraq made it more favorable for an Iowa unit, we were able to engage in the opportunity and we’re honored to do so."
Hapgood believes the focus of the piece will be interesting. "The title of the piece, "Fathers, Sons, and Brothers", has to do with the number of family relationships within the unit," Hapgood says, "there are 16 different families that have multiple members just within that unit."
The 1st Battalion, 133rd’s mission in Iraq involves close combat with the enemy and providing security. The unit has 560 soldiers, with an additional 130 providing support. The 60 minutes program airs this Sunday, May 27th, at 6 P.M. Iowa Time.
