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Senate GOP calls for new tax credit for job creation

March 4, 2009 By

The 18 Republicans in the Iowa Senate today outlined a plan they say will "grow" Iowa’s economy.

Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton said the Iowa legislature should pass a bill that gives a business that creates a new job a state tax credit. "We’ve been in session for several weeks now and we’ve managed to talk about bicycle bills. We’ve talked about job-killing bills," McKinley said. "We’ve talked about a host of things and we have 80,000 Iowans out of work and we believe it’s time to talk about creating jobs."

McKinley and the 17 other Republicans in the senate say the state should hire an ombudsman to champion small business issues and they want to appoint a new state task force to focus on small business issues. They’d call the task force "SMUG" — which stands for "Solutions to Minimize Unreasonable Government."

Democrats occupy 32 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate, giving Democrats control of the debate agenda, so there’s little chance the proposals McKinley and his fellow Republicans touted today will become law. "We hope that the power of persuasion and the power of this presentation will prevail and that common sense will indicate that, ‘Hey, look! We’d better start talking about jobs,’" McKinley said during a news conference in his statehouse office, "and frankly we had better start talking about jobs because Iowans are losing them at an alarming rate."

McKinley’s also critical of the federal economic stimulus package Democrats in congress and President Obama passed last month. McKinley said it creates work, not jobs.

AUDIO: McKinley news conference (mp3 runs 16 min)

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

Ballard, SC Heelan win in 3A

March 4, 2009 By

Ballard of Huxley showed why it is the top ranked team in 3A. The Bombers raced out to a 35-10 lead at the half enroute to a 60-36 win over Harlan. Ballard coach Merle Olberding says it’s always nice to win the first game and the first four minutes were key as they came out and hit their shots and got into a comfort Zone.

The Bombers connected on 52% in the first half in building the lead. Senior Amber Leinen led Harlan with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Leinen says Harlan was one of the best teams they’ve played all year and very tough.

Defending 3A champion Sioux City Heelan overcame a chilly start and went on to down Dubuque Wahlert 46-34. The Crusaders trailed 7-4 at the end of one quarter of play but outscored the Golden Eagles 18-9 in the second quarter to take command.

Heelan guard Carli Tritz says the rankings don’t matter and the fact they won last year doesn’t matter in the state tournament this year. Wahlert made only 11 of 45 shots and finished the game by hitting only 23 percent.

Wahlert coach Kris Spiegler says they couldn’t get into any flow in the game. She says once they got something going then they would get a call that would give the ball back to the other team and they just couldn’t make baskets.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Turbine repair shop planned for Story City

March 4, 2009 By

Plans are in the works for a wind turbine repair shop in central Iowa NextEra Energy wants to build a 90,000 square foot building in Story City’s business park, located along Interstate 35 just north of Ames.

The Florida based company already runs a wind farm with 100 turbines in nearby Colo and has plans for a similar operation in Hardin County.

The facility in Story City would be used to maintain all of NextEra’s turbines across the Midwest. The Story City City Council is offering the company tax breaks on the project that would create 23 jobs. If approved, a groundbreaking could take place in April.

Filed Under: Business, Environment & Conservation Tagged With:

D.O.A. — maybe, maybe not

March 4, 2009 By

The Iowa House today gave final legislative approval to the idea of changing the name of the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs to the Department on Aging.

Representative Dave Heaton, a 68-year-old Republican from Mount Pleasant, said he’s "offended" by the agency’s new acronym — D.O.A.  "It is my hope that there will be some way that they can take this acronym D.O.A. and not have it there, perhaps shorten it to D.A.," Heaton said. "But you can’t have an acronym like this when you’re referring to elderly people."

Representative Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, suggested the agency’s managers may choose to use the full name.  "I’m not sure if they’re going to be called D.O.A. I think Representative Heaton raised a good point and so I’ll be talking to the department," Petersen said. "Maybe they’ll be D.A. Maybe we just won’t have an acronym for them. That’d be nice in state government, wouldn’t it?"

Petersen said the name change is being made to conform with federal agencies on aging. "And people that are 60-plus in Iowa I think are deciding that they don’t necessarily want to be called elders," the 38-year-old Petersen said, with a laugh.

The Iowa Senate had endorsed the name change earlier and this morning the House endorsed the idea on a 67-29 vote.  The department intends to buy a new sign printed with its new name, at a cost of about $500, but managers say they’ll use up all the paper and envelopes which bear the name Iowa Departnent of Elder Affairs before ordering new supplies.

The governor’s office has not made a public statement of support or opposition to the name change.  Click on the audio link below to listen to today’s House debate of the bill.

AUDIO: House debate 12:00 MP3

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Mason City cement plant shutting down

March 4, 2009 By

After more than a century in business, one of the two cement plants in Mason City is shutting its doors, eliminating 165 jobs. Holcim Cement Company confirms they’ll mothball not only their Mason City plant but as well a plant in Artesia, Mississippi.

Holcim U.S. president and CEO Bernard Terver says in a written statement that the measures are being taken in light of the nation’s struggling economy and despite the federal stimulus package, existing market conditions and the forecasted significant reduction in cement demand has led to the announcement.

Terver also says the Portland Cement Association projects that cement consumption will continue to decline in 2009 and demand is forecasted to be 25% below the 2005 levels until at least 2011.

Terver says they will "mothball" the operation and secure the plant in such a way that operating permits and equipment will be preserved for possible future operations, but admits that there is no current timeline for possible future operations since it will depend on the economy in the future.

The Mason City plant celebrated its 100th anniversary last May, having started operations in 1908 as the Northwestern States Portland Cement Company under the MacNider family. The Swiss group Holcim purchased the plant from the MacNiders in 1990 and continued production under the name Holnam before changing to Holcim in 2001.

According to information provided by the company as part of last May’s centennial celebration, the plant was employing 165 people and contributed more than $60-million to the Iowa economy with nearly one-million metric tons of various types of cement being produced at the plant.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With:

Vote on Clinton fire stations fails to get a majority

March 4, 2009 By

While it got majority support, Tuesday’s bond issue vote to upgrade Clinton fire stations fell short of the required 60-percent — and failed. The $4.1-million dollar bond issue would have helped build a new north end fire station and renovate a fire station in the southern part of the community.

There were 1,066 “yes” votes and 1.001 “no” votes for 51.57% in favor of the projects, but, that is short of the required 60% approval needed for the bond issue. There 2,067 votes cast for a turnout of over 11%. The bond issue would have cost a $100,000 home about $18 a year over the next 20 years to pay off the bond issue. 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Politics & Government

Second 80/35 Music Festival planned for Des Moines

March 4, 2009 By

The Flamming Lips perform at the 80/35 Music Festival. Plans are in the works for a second 80/35 Music Festival in Des Moines this summer.

Last year’s inaugural event drew nearly 30,000 paying fans to see dozens of bands, including headliners The Flaming Lips and The Roots.

The two-day festival was held in an area of downtown that’s now being converted into a sculpture park.

The 80/35 project manager Amedeo Rossi says this year’s event will remain downtown – moving just one block east. "We looked at some parking lot arrangements and other things, but we really felt this park and area had enough to replicate what was done last year and we’ll actually be a bit closer to the core of downtown," Rossi said.

Booking high-profile acts has been a little easier this year following last year’s successful event. Rossi says it also helps that other Midwest music festivals are taking place at the same time as 80/35. That includes Summer Fest in Milwaukee and the Rothbury Festival in Rothbury, Michigan.

"Those events happening the same weekend really help draw some artists to the area and we’re already looking to place (acts) that are going to be in those festivals," Rossi said. He plans to announce some of those bands in the next few weeks, but music fans can begin purchasing tickets for 80/35 this Saturday. The festival, named for the interstates that cross paths in Des Moines, is scheduled for July 3rd and 4th.

AUDIO: Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis report on 80/35 festival. :53 MP3

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment
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