The Iowa Speedway has landed NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. Track designer Rusty Wallace made the announcement. "We will be racing a Nationwide race here next year, the date will be August the first," Wallace says. The Nationwide Series is NASCAR’S second-tier stock car circuit and many of the top drivers take part. It has not been determined whether the unarmed race will be held during the day or under the lights. Wallace says it will be a 250 lap event, which he says is a pretty good distance. Wallace says the Nationwide event will add to what already is shaping up to be an outstanding schedule in 2009. He says the Indy Car race was sold out and now the NASCAR race adds another premiere event. Jerry Jauron, president of Iowa Speedway, says they’re elated to be part of the Nationwide Series and says it will strengthen and already strong schedule. Jauron says it is a great development for the track as they have a tremendous fan base in the midwest with a great potential to increase the number of fans.
Nationwide Series coming to Iowa Speedway
New Drake coach hopes to turn around volleyball program
A new coach hopes to breathe new life into the Drake volleyball program. Phil McDaniel is leading a program that has not had a winning season since 1994. He says pre-season practices have been spirited.
McDaniel says they want to be competitive and go all out to make the team successfully. McDaniel says a key this season will be limiting mistakes by keeping the ball in play and letting the defense keep them in games. He says defensively they’ve been solid, and offensively they need to cut down the mental errors.
McDaniel had been an assistant coach at South Dakota State and says he feels the program has potential. He says he’s seen them play from the other side of the court and says the level of athleticism has gone up in the years. The Bulldogs open the season August 29th at the Sam Houston State invitational.
Public hearings set for input on smoking ban rules
The Iowa Department of Public Health is set to begin a series of public hearings Wednesday on the state’s new smoking ban that went into effect on July 1st. Bonnie Mapes leads the Health Department division that oversees implementation of the “Iowa Smokefree Air Act” and says a public comment is required on the rules for the enforcement.
Mapes says the law normally requires public comment before the law goes into effect, but for the smoking ban they only had 10 weeks from when the law was passed to get the rules written, so they used an emergency procedure to implement the rules and then seek public comment. Mapes says even though the law has been operating for about six weeks — public comments are still important.
Mapes says they want public input, and got a lot of input before the rules were finalized, and that input help them put the rules together. She says the comment process will be extensive. Mapes says they’re giving people more chance for public comment than for most rules, and say they were even taking public comment in June before the rules took effect. She encourages you to go Department of Public Health’s website on the smoking ban at: www.IowaSmokefreeAir.gov to give comments.
Mapes says people have had a chance to learn how the law works and that should help with comments. Mapes says the rules were “very well done” but you can always find little things that need clarification once the rules are out in use.
The smoking ban was a big change for the state, and Mapes says it has generated lots of calls. She says they’re still getting 30 to 40 calls or website hits about the law, which is down from 300 to 400 when the law went into effect. One thing they do not want at the hearing is comment on whether or not the law should be in place.
Mapes says they don’t have the authority to change the law, so if there are questions about the law itself — such as why smoking is allowed on gaming floors — they can’t address that. She says they can only address questions about the rules that implement the law.
The first public hearing will be held on the Iowa Communications network in Iowa City, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Keota, Davenport and Ottumwa. See a complete schedule on the Smokefree Iowa website.
A day of highs and lows for Iowa Olympians
Three athletes from Iowa experienced much different emotions as their Olympic experiences came to an end today. Gymnast Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines, after claiming three silver medals, won gold in the balance beam competition. Meanwhile, Des Moines native Lolo Jones suffered a crushing defeat in the 100 meter hurdles.
Des Moines Register Sports Editor Bryce Miller, who’s in Beijing, watched the race as Jones clipped a hurdle and stumbled to a seventh place finish. "She just clipped the front of the second to last hurdle," Miller told Radio Iowa. "(It was) a stunning ending. She came through the finish line, collapsed on the track and really struggled with what had unfolded."
Jones was winning the race at the time of the mistake and had posted the fastest time, of 12.43 seconds, in the semifinals. "For somebody who had worked so hard, and it was pretty well documented the financial struggles she had and some of her childhood challenges…to be in that moment and be that close…that’s just got to be something you’ll never forget," Miller said.
Jones’ teammate, Dawn Harper, took the gold medal. Miller spoke with Jones after the race. "She said things like, ‘there are 10 hurdles and you have to clear them all or you’re not the champion, I didn’t clear them all, so I’m not the champ.’ It’s one of those things that she accepted she had control over it and it didn’t work the way she planned, but she didn’t make excuses and didn’t blame anybody but herself," Miller said.
Jones told reporters that it’s extremely rare for her to trip over a hurdle. Miller says Jones believes the last time she clipped a hurdle was the day before the Olympic Trials. "She said maybe (she) hits a hurdle twice in a season and that it’s just disappointing it happened in the biggest race of (her) life," Miller said. The 26-year old Jones missed the cut to make the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. It’s not clear if she’ll try again in 2012.
"She didn’t really address that," Miller said. "There were a couple of Jamaicans that are 33 years old in the hurdles, so it’s conceivable she could be back, but it’s a lot of investment emotionally and physically to go through those four years." In freestyle wrestling, former Iowa Hawkeye Mike Zadick lost two matches and was knocked out of competition at 132 pounds. Zadick, who was a late addition to the Olympic roster, failed to score a single point against his opponents.
Miller says Zadick struggled to make weight and was seriously dehydrated after the opening round loss. "Probably, mentally, only having a couple days to really feel like he was in the tournament…I think all of those things factored in to him really not being in a position to contend," Miller said. Another former Hawkeye, Doug Schwab of Osage, will compete in freestyle wrestling Wednesday – as will Ben Askren, a native of Cedar Rapids who wrestled in college at the University of Missouri.
Culver: special session may not be necessary
Governor Chet Culver says it may not be necessary for state legislators to meet in special session this fall to respond to this spring’s massive flooding.
When the flooding began in June, Culver began talking about a special legislative session in Des Moines so lawmakers could approve an assistance package for flood victims this fall rather than waiting ’til January when the regular legislative session is scheduled to begin.
But today Culver told reporters a lot’s been accomplished without special legislative action. "For example, yesterday the executive council — which I’m the chair of — appropriated $4 million to deal with helping cities and counties pay for things like debris removal," Culver said, "so we’re looking at all options on the table in terms of finding financial resources."
Culver is using the emergency powers at his disposal as governor to redirect state funds to flood recovery effort. "We’re being as flexible and creative as we can here, trying to free up resources," Culver said.
The Rebuild Iowa Commission is to present its report to the governor on September 2 and the commission’s recommendations might require some legislative action before January, so Culver isn’t totally ruling out the idea of calling lawmakers into special session this fall. "It’s just a matter of if we have to do it, you know, we will," Culver told reporters.
One unknown at this point is how much the federal government will pay to cover the costs of flood recovery. "Those types of things will also impact my final decision on whether or not we call a session," Culver said, "depending on what we hear from the feds in the next couple of weeks."
On Monday, legislative leaders said the chances for a special session are 50/50 and Culver today told reporters he agreed with that assessment.
Adopt a Family program to help flood victims in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids real estate agents are launching a new program to help residents displace by the flooding in June to return to their neighborhoods. Realtor Rick Kullander says the "Adopt-a-Family" program will match non-profit groups, churches and businesses with flooded out families to help them get back on their feet.
Kullander says if they don’t get on it now, winter will be upon them and it will create a whole bunch of new problems in the spring — such as burst pipes. "So the more people we can help get back on their feet this fall, the better off everybody’s going to be," Kullander says. Kullander says they’re at a point where the families really need some help getting back in their homes.
Kullander says a lot of the families have been running on adrenaline in the last month or two and don’t know where to get started in rebuilding. "And we as a community need to come together to let those people know that they’re going to be supported in the rebuilding process," Kullander says. Kullander says the "Adopt-a-Family" program borrows from other programs that help people in need.
He describes it as a combination of the Angle Tree Christmas program where people pick a child and go and buy gifts for the child — and the Habitat for Humanity program where you get a church or business that has a group of people with resources to help the family get back on its feet. Kullander says groups that wish to adopt a family can visit the Cedar Rapids Area Association of Realtors website, or call 319-363-9604.
Veterans resource center coming to Iowa City
Federal officials are announcing plans to build three Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers in the U.S., including one in Iowa City. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says with so many veterans returning to Iowa from Iraq, Afghanistan and other trouble spots, the Department of Veterans Affairs facility will be of great benefit.
Grassley says: "The center is intended to help the department better understand the issues facing increasing numbers of veterans living in rural areas. The department is then expected to take this information and develop special practices that can be replicated around the country." Grassley, a Republican, says he’s co-sponsored several pieces of legislation that are designed to make it easier for veterans living in rural areas to access health care.
Grassley says: "These proposals would take the Veterans Administration health care services on the road to veterans’ homes. That bill’s been introduced and then another bill, providing travel resource for veterans to get to medical care — that’s been passed by the Veterans Affairs Committee."
The Iowa City center will be a satellite office for the V-A’s Office of Rural Health and will serve the nation’s central region. It will be staffed with administrative, clinical and research staff who will be tasked with identifying disparities in health care for veterans living in rural areas and formulate practices and programs to enhance the delivery of care.
Grassley says: "The high number of National Guard and Reservists taking a major role in the War on Terror means many of them are coming home to rural areas where the nearest assistance may be hundreds of miles away, hence, these rural health centers are serving a very needed purpose."
Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Democrat Tom Harkin says: "We have a moral obligation to the men and women who have served our country and providing them convenient, quality healthcare is a key part of that obligation. I am glad that the V-A is making health care for Iowa veterans a priority by focusing on the unique needs of those living in smaller communities and rural areas."
