Air conditioners in Iowa won’t get any rest again today as the heat wave continues. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says parts of the state will push toward triple digits. He says the southern half of the state will see high temperatures again to match Sunday, with high temperatures into the 90′s and possibly over 100 in the southwest, with the heat indices well into the 100′s. Small says you should pay attention to the heat index. Small says the heat index is a combination of how the air feels outside and the humidity levels or dew point. The heat index hit 124 in Carroll Sunday. The warm weather is also leading to some severe storms. Small says there have been severe thunderstorms over northern Iowa this morning and as the warm front moves through early this evening, there could be more storms generated. A heat advisory is in effect for roughly areas south of I-80 until seven tonight.
Heat advisory issued for part of the state
Latham "embarrassed" to be in Iowa after lack of progress in DC
Congressman Tom Latham, a Republican from Ames, says he’s "embarrassed" to be in Iowa this month after congress failed to vote to expand the land in America that may be explored for energy production.
"To make sure that we have American sources for American independence," Latham says, "American sources of oil, American sources of natural gas — because we have to make sure that we are not dependent those folks overseas today who don’t really care for us much, quite honestly."
Latham was not part of the handful of Republicans who stayed on the House floor last Friday after the lights and sound system had been turned off. The group staged a protest, giving speeches railing against Democrats who control the debate agenda in the House for not allowing a vote on legislation that would open more of the country’s shoreline to oil exploration.
The U.S. House and Senate are now adjourned and will not reconvene ’til September. "I’m embarrassed because of what we did not accomplish and everyone knows that the number one issue in America today is energy independence," Latham says.
According to Latham, 75 percent of the American people support drilling in places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and along the Pacific, Atlantic and Gulf coasts — along with other measures like expanding the production of alternative fuels. "What we have to do is to make sure that we create those jobs right here as Americans, that we become (an America) independent of their oil and their resources that we have to pay so much for," Latham says, "like T. Bone Pickens talks about the $700 billion dollars a year we’re shipping off to folks."
Latham’s also critical of Democrats from failing to forward more flood relief to the Midwest. "To me, it’s an embarrassment to be home here right now because we have not done our work for the American people. We have not done our work for Iowans, for the Midwest," Latham says. Latham made his comments Saturday during a ceremony to mark the opening of an office in Ames that his campaign shares with the McCain campaign.
Latham is seeking a ninth term in congress and faces Democrat Becky Greenwald the ballot in November.
Shooting in Fort Dodge linked to other crimes
Police say a weekend shooting in north-central Iowa is tied to other crimes. Authorities in Fort Dodge say a shooting early Saturday morning is linked to a series of gun thefts from sporting goods stores. One person was injured as a result of the shooting. The name of the injured victim has not been released. Special Agent Larry Hedlund with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the shooting over the weekend is related to the investigation into the thefts of guns at two Fort Dodge sporting goods stores. The thefts were reported the week of July 23rd. Hedlund said some of the guns have been recovered but that others remain missing.
Schools hit by flooding, tornadoes scramble to prepare for Fall
A number of Iowa school districts are busy working to track down students displaced by tornadoes or flooding during the summer break. Funding from the state is based on enrollment, so if a district faces a sudden drop in students this Fall, the budget could suffer.
The director of the Iowa Department of Education, Judy Jeffrey, is encouraging districts to find out which students are returning and which ones have moved away for good. She says even if a student returns at mid-year, the district can count them in the Fall enrollment. However, the district will have to share that money if the student plans to attend a different school temporarily.
Jeffrey says most small districts have students that moved out of town to live with relatives, but will return to the district once their family’s home is rebuilt. Cedar Rapids Superintendant Dave Markward faces the toughest challenge…more than 18-hundred students in his district were displaced by flooding.
"I know that he will be able to take his busses into the surrounding communities where the kids are living and bring them back to Cedar Rapids to be educated," Jeffrey said. "So there’s all kinds of creative ways that people are thinking about not harming the district in the future because of the way our financial formula operates."
A report issued last week by the Department of Education shows Iowa schools suffered over 60 million dollars in flood and storm damage. The Waverly-Shell Rock School District has 260 displaced students, Wapello 120 and Dike New Hartford 100.
The Applington Parkersburg High School was destroyed by a tornado and 50 students will have to attend classes in other buildings. Mason City, Cedar Falls, Tipton, Columbus, Union and Mediapolis also reported students that won’t be able to attend school at their normal building this fall.
Guardian Angels patrol Omaha
For the past six months, volunteers have been patrolling high-crime areas in the Omaha metro area in an effort to reduce crime. Curtis Sliwa is one of the founders of the Guardian Angels. He says they are not vigilantes, but there are some requirements for those wanting to join.
"You’ve gotta’ be certified in C-P-R and first aid," Sliwa says. "You have to know the laws, particularly if they apply to the state of Nebraska and Iowa because remember, we’re going back and forth between Omaha and Council Bluffs." Sliwa says part of the plan is to get out on the streets and meet the gang members themselves.
He says, "You go out there and you start kicking it with the gang bangers because your goal is to try to recruit gang members away from the gang." Sliwa says one of the responsibilities of the Guardian Angels is to look for recruits in odd places.
"They are working nine to five. They’ll actually work hard. They’ll show up. They’ll be early. But, then the moment the clock strikes five, then all of a sudden they are hanging with their homies, it is almost like they have changed personality," he says. Sliva says gang violence is definitely responsible for the recent spike in gun-related crimes in the Omaha metro area.
He says they are also seeing a spike in gang-related activity in Cedar Rapids, so the Guardian Angels are considering establishing a chapter there to help serve as the eyes and ears for the police. The Guardian Angels started in 1979 in New York City and now there are more than 100 chapters across the country.
Des Moines argument leads to stabbings
A confrontation on a Des Moines sidewalk early Sunday morning lead to multiple stabbings and attempted murder charges.
The Polk County Sheriff’s department says they believe the whole thing started as 23-year-old Johnathon Trigg and his girlfriend, 24-year-old Cody Cockerham were walking home from a party.
The couple met a group of people on the way and exchanged words and then an argument started. Deputies says some of the people went into the street and a fight started between Johnathon Trigg at least one person. As others from the group tried to break up the fight, Deputies say Cody Cockerham pulled out a knife and started stabbing people.
Deputies say 19-year-old Anthony Miklus of Urbandale, 26-year-old Larry Ruby the third, 20-year-old Jason Benton, and 32-year-old Cody Reinier, were all seriously injured. Cody Cockerham was charged with three counts of attempted murder and one assault charge, while her boyfriend Johnathan Trigg was charged with pubic intoxication and disorderly conduct.
ISU coach doesn’t discourage talk of bowl game
Iowa State football coach Gene Chizik isn’t promising to take the team to a bowl game in his second season, but he isn’t discouraging fans from wishing for one either.
Chizik says the question is what is a successful season, and he says he won’t set a win-loss number.
“If there’s a noticeable improvement in our football team, you’ll see it, I think it’ll be glaring.” Chizek says it would be nice to go to a bowl game and “to ask if that’s out of the realm of hope, no I don’t think it is at all.”
Chizik says they are still trying to find experienced leadership to replace those who graduated last year. Chizik says they are coming together as a team, but he says they don’t have anyone yet who has stood out as a complete team leader. He says that’s alright, because there are no superstars on the team.
Oklahoma and Texas are off the schedule this year, but Chizik doesn’t think that makes it automatic that team will do better than last year’s 2-6 conference record.
“I won’t miss Texas or Oklahoma, I promise you,” Chizik says. But he says you can’t discount Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. He says they’re switching teams, but says this is the Big 12 and the teams are all good. Iowa State opens the season on Thursday August 28th against South Dakota State.
