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Congressman push for Amtrack service from Des Moines to Chicago

March 28, 2009 By

Congressional backers of Amtrak service from Des Moines to Chicago are pressing the federal government to support the project. Congressmen Phil Hare of Illinois and Bruce Braley of Iowa announced Friday that two legs of the proposed project are shovel ready, from Chicago to the Quad Cities and on to Iowa City.

Braley says it may take several years to complete, but he claims Amtrak service to the Quad Cities alone would create as many as 800 jobs. "If we can get the initial funding to make this a reality between Chicago and the Quad Cities, the likelihood of going further to Iowa City, Des Moines, and Omaha is greatly expanded," Braley said.

Braley estimates annual ridership on a Chicago to Iowa City line at nearly 200,000. Paul Rumler is with the Quad Cities Passenger Rail Coalition. "With the combined population of 2.2 million people between Quad Cities and Omaha, this is the most highly populated corridor without passenger rail service to Chicago," Rumler said.

Hare and Braley say the proposed rail line should be a top national priority. The economic stimulus package includes about eight billion dollars for passenger rail service projects nationwide.  

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

DOT may lose battle over heavy trucks on roadways

March 28, 2009 By

The Iowa Department of Transportation may lose its battle keep some heavier farm trucks off Iowa roadways. This past week the Iowa House voted to let farmers carry heavier loads when they’re hauling ethanol byproducts out of an ethanol plant, bound for a farm where they’re feeding the stuff to cattle.

Truckers face higher registration fees when they haul heavier loads, but the bill that cleared the House waives those higher fees for farmers. Representative Gary Worthan, a Republican from Storm Lake, says while the D-O-T opposes the move, many others endorse it.

"The ethanol people, cattlemen, corngrowers," according to Worthan. Worthan says if the bill becomes law, farmers can haul in a full load of corn to the ethanol plant and return home with a full load of ethanol byproduct. "Farmers were getting ticketed when they were loading trucks with distiller’s grains and hauling back home for their own use to their feedyards," Worthan says.

The D.O.T. argues heavier trucks should pay higher fees to account for the additional wear and tear on roads. The bill is now under consideration in the Iowa Senate.

Filed Under: Agriculture Tagged With: , , ,

U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids could get a facelift

March 28, 2009 By

The U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids is one step closer to receiving a major facelift. The idea for renovating the center is not new but the prospect of receiving significant amounts of federal money for the project is. The chair of the commission in charge of the center, Patrick DePalma, says that key to the project is adding on a convention center to the current building.

DePalma says, We’ve estimated that the addition of a convention center would have an economic impact in the neighborhood of 15-million-dollars per year to the city." DePalma says the total cost of the project is about fifty million dollars. He says the payback period on this is only 3 to 5 years before they recognize benefits in excess of the costs of doing it.

DePalma says the plan could really help bring back the area. "I think it’s something that will definitely revitalize downtown and be a catalyst for other business and other economic development in the area," DePalma says. For just the convention center, DePalma estimates it would bring in about fifteen million dollars a year. Proposed improvements to the U.S. Cellular Center include better seating, concessions, and lighting.

DePalma says the commission will apply for funds from the U.S. Department of Commerce. He says the federal agency has expressed an interest in funding projects in Cedar Rapids and he says the money could come as soon as this summer. DePalma says the commission is also exploring the idea of a new hotel next to the proposed convention center. While money for a hotel is not included in the project, DePalma says he thinks it would generate more money for the city.

 

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment

Part of stimulus money will go to Amtrack stations

March 28, 2009 By

A portion of Iowa’s federal stimulus money will be used to increase accessibility for disabled persons at Amtrak stations. Governor Culver’s office announced Friday that Iowa’s six railroad stations that serve Amtrak passenger trains will receive just over $402,000 to bring them in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The improvements will include new sidewalks and curb cuts, markings and signs for handicap accessible parking and new wheelchair lifts. Iowa’s Amtrak stations are located in Burlington, Creston, Fort Madison, Mount Pleasant, Osceola and Ottumwa.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Humane Society seeing impact of tough economy

March 28, 2009 By

Economic times are tough for many Iowans, but some families are seeing such hardship, they’re being forced to take their dogs, cats or other pets to a shelter as they can no longer afford to feed them. Lori Hagey, with the Humane Society of North Central Iowa, says their shelter is seeing only a modest impact from the recession.

"It’s a really amazing thing — the last thing people want to give up are their pets," Hagey says. "We’ve seen some of that, people who are moving and can’t keep their animals." She says the shelter in Fort Dodge serves communities in a 60-mile radius and is able to place dozens of pets per month in new, loving homes.

February was a record month for adoptions at the shelter, with 69 animals finding new homes during the month. Hagey says, "Maybe people are thinking about being closer to home and having entertainment from their new dog or cat." The agency is a non-profit that gets no city or state funding — only donations.

She says the shelter is sometimes the last stop and the only stop for people who have to surrender their pets so they can find new homes instead of risking being put to sleep. The Fort Dodge facility does no euthanization, she says, "We find new homes for everybody." The Humane Society of North Central Iowa is hosting a fundraiser in Fort Dodge tonight (Saturday) called, The Fur Ball — Bets For Pets. It features a host of casino-type games, food, a D-J, and silent and live auctions. For information, visit the website: www.fdhumane.com .

 

Filed Under: Human Interest