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Agriprocessors charged with more workplace violations

August 22, 2008 By

Agriprocessors of Postville is facing more citations for workplace safety violations. Kerry Koonce, a spokesperson for the Iowa Division of Labor, says the 31 citations stem from an inspection on July 8th.

Koonce says six of the violations are repeat offenses and 29 are considered serious violations. The accusations follow similar safety violations filed against the kosher meatpacking company earlier this year.

"We’re talking about things like work platforms that are more than four feet above the ground that do not have safety railings to protect from falls, doorways that are not properly marked, compressed gas cylinders that are not stored properly – which creates an explosion hazard, respirators for hazardous chemicals not be used correctly and rotating equipment, such as saws, not adequately guarded," Koonce said.

The Iowa Division of Labor Services today proposed fines for the Postville plant of $101,000. The company has 15 days to respond to the allegations. Earlier this month, Agriprocessors was accused of hiring at least 57 underage employees. In May, the plant was the site of the largest immigration raid in U.S. history. 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, Crime & Courts Tagged With:

State files suit over proposed Carter Lake Casino, Ponca Tribe responds

August 22, 2008 By

The State of Iowa has filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court to challenge the decision by the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) that would allow the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska to build a casino in Carter Lake, Iowa. Bob Brammer is a spokesman for Iowa’s Attorney General.

Brammer says their main argument is that the agency made a mistake and should not have come to the decision, and did not follow the correct procedures. Brammer says one of the main contentions in the state’s case is the way the tribe represented how it would use the land. Brammer says the tribe had said several years earlier had promised that the land didn’t qualify for use as a casino, but would be used for a health clinic and other tribal services.

Brammer says the A-G’s office does not have an opinion on whether more gambling should be allowed in the state, it is simply acting on the legality of the decision involving the five acres in Carter Lake. Brammer says their dispute is with the Indian Gaming Commission and that the agency did not follow the correct procedures.

Ponca Tribe chairman, Larry Wright, says the move by the State of Iowa is an "unfortunate decision." Wright says the tribe believes the merits of the case looked at by the N-I-G-C are sound and the State of Iowa’s move will only delay a project "that will happen." "An we find it unfortunate that we couldn’t have more productive talks with Iowa," Wright says.

Wright says the tribe did nothing wrong in saying the land would be used for a clinic and then deciding to use it for a casino. Wright says there was nothing legally binding to prevent the tribe from reassessing the situation and deciding on a different path. He says it is true they changed their mind, but there is now a different administration involved in the tribe leadership, and that is not any different than changing a mayor or governor and having different leadership.

Wright says the State of Iowa has changed its mind on gambling issues. Wright says the Iowa required casinos had to be on a boat that floated for a certain time when gambling was first approved, and then they changed to allow them to be land-based. He says the state changed its mind, but the Ponca Tribe is being held to a different standard. Wright says the state should drop its legal challenge and begin dialogue with Tribal Council immediately.

 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Four to be inducted into Women’s Hall of Fame

August 22, 2008 By

Four women will be inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame during a Saturday ceremony at the State Historical Building in Des Moines. The event corresponds with Women’s Equality Day, which commemorates the day in 1920 when American women first obtained the right to vote. Joanie Axel, a Muscatine lawyer, is among this year’s inductees.

Axel says, "It’s probably one of the highlights of both my personal and my professional career. This is a commission from the state of Iowa that I’m well familiar with and I’m deeply honored and was quite surprised at the award."

Over the years, Axel has frequently been the first woman to serve on a board or lead an organization, including the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors, the first Iowa Lottery Commission and the first Iowa Communications Network Commission.

In addition to practicing law, the 65-year-old Axel says she devotes much of her time to mentoring women and girls in ways to reach their goals, to participate in good government at all levels, and to be economically secure.

"The achievements that are ones that I really do cherish are those that have to do with mentoring, assisting, being a friend and guardian angel with teens and women on issues that seemed insurmountable at many times in life," Axel says. "I’ve just had opportunities to do that both formally and informally for 30 or 35 years."

She took part in Iowa’s first sister-state mission to China in the 1980s with former Governor Robert Ray and, more recently, in the sister-state delegation establishing Iowa’s official ties to Stavropol, Russia. Axel was also one of the volunteer founders of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women in Politics at Iowa State University.

Axel says: "I’m not certain that I have any words of advice. I think often you just bring with you where you are. One of the things I remembered well is that I was taught to do my share and I was taught that there is no such word as ‘can’t’ as a youngster and I believed it, and I believe people just need to remember to do what they say they’re gonna’ do."

A release from the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women says this year’s inductees "symbolize the diversity of Iowa, demonstrating outstanding achievements in the fields of law, civic involvement, politics, writing, teaching, and nursing. Generations of Iowans can look to these remarkable individuals as role models."

In addition to Axel, the other honorees are: Barbara Moorman Boatwright of Des Moines, Hualing Engle of Iowa City and a posthumous award to Marilyn Russell of Des Moines. Also, the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice will be awarded to Dr. Kesho Scott of Grinnell.

Filed Under: Human Interest

Protestors ring new Planned Parenthood clinic in Dubuque

August 22, 2008 By

Planned Parenthood opened a health clinic in Dubuque on Thursday, and while officials say abortions will not be performed there, the clinic is being ringed by anti-abortion protesters.

Ellen Markham, a volunteer with Dubuque County Right to Life, carried a picket sign in the rain."Planned Parenthood is not the health care agency that they say they are. Their whole businesses is to promote abortion," Markham says.

Joe Lock, executive director for Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa, says the clinic will offer birth control, cancer screening and education for men and women. Lock says, "We will be providing various kinds of contraception, including oral contraceptives, condoms, the patch, the ring, Depro Provera."

He says the center will offer neither abortions nor RU-486, the so-called abortion pill. Lock acknowledges the anti-abortion group has spent several weeks fighting to keep the clinic from opening in Dubuque.

"We’re not here to have a fight," Lock says, "we’re here to open a new health center and provide services to women and men that need it and do so in a low cost or no cost fashion."

Markham says she and other members of Dubuque County Right to Life will stand outside the clinic, rain or shine, as long as it’s open for business. Markham says, "Oh, no, nothing will stop us." Planned Parenthood did not allow the media inside the new clinic as Lock says there are still finishing touches to be made. The organization plans to hold an invitation-only open house next month. 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Iowa minority population slowly increases

August 22, 2008 By

While Iowa is a state that is over 90% white, an analysis of U.S. Census data by Iowa State University researchers says the state is becoming more diverse. Liesl Eathington, an economist with the I-S-U Regional Capacity Analysis Program (ReCAP), says the increasing diversity is happening slowly.

Eathington says there’s not radical change, but the rate of change in the minority population in this decade is a little bit more rapid that the 1990′s. Iowa’s total minority population grew by more than 32-percent between April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2007.

Persons of Hispanic origin now represent 4% of the state’s total population — up from 2.8 percent in 2000. Eathington says you can credit young people for the increase in minority population. "The highest diversity rates in the state are within the age zero to 20 group, and the next highest would be in the age 20 to 44 age group, so our new residents in minority groups do tend to be younger," Eathington says.

Eathington says only the state’s larger metro and suburban counties — including those around Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City — are seeing increases in younger populations among the non-minority groups. She says the increase in minority population seems to be touching many counties.

Eathington says there are concentrations in certain counties that would attract minorities to certain types of jobs, but she says one of the more interesting things in the study is that counties that have lost overall population, have still seen an increase in minority population.

In Wapello County, Humboldt County and Allamakee County, the minority population more than doubled. Buena Vista’s 26% minority population ranked highest among all counties. Eathington says the increase in minority population does give some indication of changes in Iowa’s economy. She says if you look at the economy over the last decade or two, the state has increased the number of low-wage jobs that tend to attract workers who are not "white collar" and highly educated.

But, Eathington says though, the new minorities in the state can’t all be pegged as low-wage and uneducated. Eathington says we’ve also got a lot of people with advanced degrees that fall into the minority groups that are earning on par or more with people in the non-Hispanic white group.

"We’ve kind of have a dichotomy in the state, when we talk about minorities, it’s important to not to just characterize them all as the low-wage workers," Eathington says, "we’ve got them across the board in terms of jobs, occupations, earning levels, education."

Among the Baby Boomers, Iowa had 776,627 residents between the ages of 45 and 64 in 2007, an increase of 26%. Nationally, the age group grew by 24% during the seven-year period. You can see the complete report titled "A Profile of Iowa’s Population by Age, Race, and Ethnicity in 2007" on-line at the ReCap website.

Filed Under: Human Interest Tagged With:

Counties testing new optical scan voting machines

August 22, 2008 By

Iowa counties are preparing for the fall election by testing new optical scan voting machines, which are required under a new state law. Modern touch-screen machines have been dumped to provide for a paper trail and an easy manual recount if equipment fails.

Deputy Secretary of State Linda Langenberg says almost all of the new equipment has arrived. "The last I heard, there’s about a half-dozen counties that don’t have all of their equipment," Langenberg said. "There’s just a few counties that haven’t received their optical scan machines…those of the 19 that are getting brand new machines."

Seventy-eight counties need at least some new equipment to comply with the law. State and county training on the new equipment is underway. "We provided a systematic ballot test that they have to do to make sure it counts ballots. They need to make sure that every mechanical part of the machine works, that it fits on top of the ballot box," Langenberg said.

Many of the new machines will get a test run in September. Langenberg says some counties will comply with the mandate in time for September schoolboard elections. The paper trail is required by November. A handful of counties anticipated the change, and were leasing their voting machines. That will free up some federal dollars to help cover the 8.5 million dollar upgrade statewide.  

Filed Under: Politics & Government

Aplington-Parkersburg students adjust to post-tornado surroundings

August 22, 2008 By

Aplington-Parkersburg Superintendent Jon Thompson says, after the first two days of classes, students and teachers in the district seem to be adjusting to their new surroundings. The EF-5 tornado that hit northeast Iowa on May 25th destroyed the high school in Parkersburg.

High schoolers are now attending classes at a middle school, with 6th, 7th and 8th graders, in Aplington. Thompson says there are 40 more students in the building this year compared to last, so it’s not too crowded. "Now, the bodies are bigger than a kindergartner would have walking around, but there are not many more students in the building," Thompson added.

K through 5th grade students are attending classes at Parkersburg elementary. The tornado destroyed desks, computers, text books and many teacher’s lesson plans. Thompson says they’re still working to replace some of those items. "There’s a few things we’ll have to order yet, but for the most part, through donations and insurance coverage, we had everything students needed on the first day," Thompson said.

Two high school business classes and all of the 5th grade classes are taking place in portable buildings. Thompson says there were a host of things to think about this summer. "Everything from bussing, to coming up with parking spots for our students who were suddenly driving to school instead of being bussed here, organizing lunch room procedures…there was a lot to undertake and we’re proud of what we did to start school on time," Thompson said.

The tornado and flooding in June also caused major problems in nearby New Hartford. A school building in that town needed fresh paint, new floors and cabinets. Officials completed that work over a two-month period to start classes this week.

Dike-New Hartford and Aplington-Parkersburg will open the high school football season, playing each other in Dike, on August 29. The classroom portion of a new high school in Parkersburg is expected to be ready for students in 2009.

Filed Under: Education, Fires/Accidents/Disasters
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