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King supports move of agents to Southern borders

March 27, 2009 By

Republican Congressman Steve King says he supports the Obama Administration’s move to shift more agents to the nation’s southern border to respond to a drug war that’s raging just across the border in Mexico. King, though, worries the administration may divert resources from other areas of immigration enforcement.

"Is our focus going to be going away from worksite enforcement and towards enforcing toward guns and money going into Mexico as opposed to illegal people and illegal drugs coming north from Mexico?" King asks. "I think that’s where we need to pay our attention."

If the Obama Administration proposes an assault weapons ban, arguing it will stem the tide of weapons winding up in the armies of Mexican drug lords, King will oppose it. "I think we have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms. You can’t define an assault weapon without defining what it looks like rather than how it functions," King says.

"It’s been clear the American people have decided they believe this attack on so-called assault weapons was something that also was an assault on the second amendment rights of the American people." Earlier this week, the director of the Homeland Security Department announced the U.S. is committing $700-million to enhanced border activities. Beefed up surveillance is part of the plan as well as the additional border patrol agents being deployed.

King says he always supports the use of federal resources to "enforce the rule of law." On Thursday, King sat in on a "classified" security briefing from Homeland Security and other federal agencies involved in the effort. King cannot disclose details of that classified briefing, but King suggests the situation in Mexico is critical.

"There clearly is a risk that the government forces could break down in this war against the Mexican drug cartels. That’s legitimate," King says. "But I to think also that it provides cover for the administration to seek to pass an assault weapons ban." King is the top-ranking Republican on a House subcommittee which focuses on immigration issued. He met privately with Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano last week.

In other news this week, officials in the District of Columbia say a bookkeeping error gave Congressman King a tax credit on the condo he owns in Washington, D.C. that is reserved for D.C. residents. King plans to pay the additional property taxes that were deducted from his bill because records showed he was to receive a homestead tax credit. 

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Lights to go out at Statehouse Saturday

March 27, 2009 By

Spotlights have played upon Iowa’s statehouse for nearly two decades, illuminating the historic building at night. But not this Saturday night. Representative Donovan Olson, a Democrat from Boone, says it’s part of the World Wildlife Federation’s energy saving exercise called Earth Hour.

"We’ll be turning off all the lights at the capital from 8:30 to 9:30 except what the F.A.A. requires. Public buildings all over the country will be doing that a the same time," Olson says, "the goal is to bring awareness to the issue of climate change and interest in reducing our energy use."

Olson says the lighting takes a lot of energy. He says in the past only the capitol dome was lit up at night. Olson says:"Over time, for beautification purposes we’ve lit up the entire capitol. Maybe we can turn off those at different times of the day and evening and do our part to limit greenhouse gas emissions."

Governor Culver put out a statement urging Iowans to participate in Earth Hour and turn off their lights Saturday night.  

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation Tagged With:

Students participate in Science and Technology Fair

March 27, 2009 By

Some of Iowa’s future scientists, doctors and astronauts are in Ames today and tomorrow, competing in the annual Science and Technology Fair of Iowa. Andrea Spencer, the event’s director, says it’s drawing wonderfully creative and bright youngsters in grades six through 12 from around 70 Iowa school districts.

There are nearly 550 students who will be exhibiting more than 420 projects. Spencer says there are incredible projects in this year’s contest that clearly involved many months of careful research and preparation. She says the students are gunning for a total of $80,000 in prizes and scholarships.

The 250 or so volunteer judges will be talking with the kids over the two days, in addition to people in science and technology career fields. Spencer says, "Hopefully, through talking with the students, the students really get more interested in science and their research that they’re doing and want to continue on." The subjects of their projects are as widely varied as the kids — from research on diabetes to diaper absorbency and from wind turbines to greenhouse gases.

"Energy and transportation projects, there is a lot of interest there this year," Spencer says. "We also have a lot in the biochemistry and microbiology area and this year we’ve seen an increase in the medical and health sciences." Whatever’s popular in the public eye, she says, is where many kids focus their research.

The public can see the projects at Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum and the Scheman Building until 5 P.M. today and tomorrow (Saturday) from 9:30 AM to 3 P.M. The fair’s grand awards ceremony will be presented at 5 P.M. on Saturday.

The fair will send winners to three bigger competitions: the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Reno, Nevada; the National FFA Agriscience Fair in Indianapolis, and the International Sustainable World Project Olympiad in Houston.

 

Filed Under: Education Tagged With:

More Iowa Red Cross volunteers heading to Fargo

March 27, 2009 By

Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) At least four more Red Cross volunteers from Iowa are making their way to Fargo, North Dakota.

Bobbi Bishop, spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Central Iowa, says the flooding along the Red River has gone from bad to worse.

She says the National Red Cross sent an urgent request to Iowa chapters this morning requesting both personel and vehicles in Fargo.

"The Emergency Response Vehicle from Fort Dodge will be going up tomorrow morning, as well as the one here in central Iowa," Bishop said.

Dave Clark of Urbandale is one of the volunteers taking an Emergency Response Vehicle, or ERV, to North Dakota. "We can feed mass quantities of people right on the flood scene and take the food right to them," Clark said. Ron Dickerson, director of emergency services for the Central Iowa chapter, was busy preparing the ERV – which resembles an ambulance – for the 475 mile trip.

The vehicle is equiped to serve up to 5,000 meals per day. "If it’s not used in a feeding operation, then they’ll use it to haul bulk supplies for the needs of the clients," Dickerson said. "It’s mainly a cargo vehicle, it’s a very versatile vehicle." This morning, Fargo police issued a mandatory evacuation of a large area as the river moved more than 22 feet above flood stage and threatens to inundate the city.

"Today, the emphasis is changing to not only feeding, but also sheltering," Dickerson said. "They’re expecting to shelter quite a number tonight as the river went out of the banks early this morning." Police issued the evacuation order because of "seepage" in one of the levees. Bishop says, with the four additional volunteers, there will now be 11 Red Cross workers from Iowa helping in Fargo.

"Because we are so close to North Dakota, we anticipate there will be more Iowans deploying," Bishop said. The Red River, which runs between Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota, is expected to crest at 43 feet Saturday. That would exceed the previous record height of 40 feet in 1897. 

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

Iowa loses four players, coach still excited about future

March 27, 2009 By

Iowa basketball coach Todd Lickliter says a total of four players are leaving the program. Jermain Davis is heading to Minnesota State at Mankato while fellow junior David Palmer is also headed to the division two ranks.

Sophomore guard Jeff Peterson is on his way out as is Jake Kelly who most likely will end up at Indiana State. Lickliter says every player that comes to Iowa, they want the same thing, for them to complete their career at Iowa.

But he says they also know that sometimes change is good, so they are going to honor the requests. Lickliter says despite the departures he is still optimistic about the future of the program.

"I’m very excited about the future, I love the guys we got here, I’m excited about the two recruits," Lickliter says, "we’ve talked about championships, we’re pursuing ‘em and we’re on the right track. Sometimes it’s a little dark before the dawn. We’re going to get through and move forward."

Lickliter says Kelly expressed a desire to be closer to him. His mother was killed in a plane crash this past year. Lickliter says Kelly’s father and Jake have been very upfront about it. Lickliter says he would love for Kelly to stay, but it would be selfish. Lickliter wants to assure Hawk fans that the wheels have not come off of the program.

He says if Hawkeye fans are hurting, it’s because they are "so loyal and they love their Hawkeyes." Lickliter says that will inspire and drive the team.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

ISU women look to keep alive in NCAA tourney

March 27, 2009 By

The Iowa State women stand two victories away from a first ever trip to the Final Four and they will try to take another step Saturday night when they play Michigan State in a regional semifinal round game in Berkley, California.

The Cyclones opened the tournament with wins over East Tennessee State and Ball State and have a record of 26-8. The Spartans are into the Sweet Sixteen after upsetting top seeded Duke in East Lansing.

Coach Bill Fennelly says Michigan State will be a tremendous challenge, as they are obviously a great team to beat Duke. With a victory, the Cyclones would advance to the regional final for the second time since Fennelly has been the coach.

Fenelly says it’s something you dream about and it’s an honor to represent the school. Sophomore guard Kelsey Bolte says the Cyclones want to extend their season.

Bolte says they are either going to keep playing or it’s going to be the last game for some of them in their careers. It’s an eight o’clock Iowa time tipoff. Ohio State and Stanford collide in the other regional semifinal. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

No way yet to determine IPERS losses in investment scam

March 27, 2009 By

A deputy state attorney general says there’s no way, yet, to determine how much money from the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System was lost by Westridge Investments, the firm which was shutdown by federal regulators last month.

That firm at one point held over $300 million in funds from the state-run retirement system, which is known as IPERS. Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Thompson told the IPERS board this morning that there should be no expectation IPERS will recover 100-cents of every dollar invested, partly because all stock market values have dropped in the past year. “Let’s be cautious about which way we jump on this so we know that we’re taking the actions that are appropriate to protect our interests,” Thompson said.

On February 25, a federal judge froze all Westridge Investment funds. According to Thompson, an experienced company was appointed the receiver. On April 27 that company will release a report detailing what’s happened to the assets in the trading pool where IPERS money was invested. Thompson has been talking once a week with the agents who are working on that report. ”We know there were assets there. We know that were securities purchased. We know that the business of the doing arbitrage that we invested in was ongoing and they were, in fact, trading,” Thompson said. “That’s very important to us.”

The investment pool was started in 1997 and when it was shut down, IPERS was the single largest client in the group of investors. ”I can’t stress enough that what we really have to be right now is patient,” Thompson told the IPERS board. “We have confidence that things were locked down quickly and that the professionals are on it and the judge is paying attention and to do anything to disrupt that really risks putting ourselves adverse to the court and to the receiver and that is not in the best interests of the retirees and of the fund.”

Thompson suggests it’s impossible, at this point, to determine whether there were “red flags” that might have hinted the investment firm’s top managers were diverting money to help finance their lavish lifestyle. About 85,000 retirees were getting IPERS checks at the end of 2007 and thousands of current government workers — including teachers — are paying into the pension system.

State Senator Steve Kettering, a banker from Lake View, is a member of the IPERS board. Kettering wasn’t surprised when he heard the Westridge managers were using the investment funds to buy things like collectible teddy bears. ”In good times these type of schemes can go on for great extended periods of time,” Kettering says. “It’s when times change and it goes neutral, it goes down and there’s no ability to cover their tracks that these types of events get exposed.”

Thompson is working on another high-profile case — the lawsuit against the state which was filed by bar owners who hope to overturn the state’s ban on smoking in bars and other public places. While IPERS has a private law firm working on this case as well, Thompson’s now serving as the chief litigator. ”I’m the hit man who’s been brought in to work on this particular problem,” Thompson told the IPERS board this morning.

You can listen to Thompson’s presentation to the board and questions from board members by clicking on the audio link below.

AUDIO: IPERS board mtg 38:00 MP3

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