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ISU coach looks for chemistry

April 10, 2009 By

New Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads has spent this spring installing a new system and trying to build some chemistry along the way. The Cyclones will out to improve upon last season’s 2-10 record in 2009.

Rhoads says if you look at championship and successful teams, they always talk about chemistry, and he thinks this team is getting there.

Rhoads says it takes time for a team to develop chemistry. He says the offseason program is designed to be hard and uncomfortable and as they come through those situations, you gain chemistry.

The Cyclones conclude spring drills with an intrasquad game next weekend. 

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Iowa looking at multiple runningbacks to replace Greene

April 10, 2009 By

It may be running back by committee for the Iowa Hawkeyes next season who must replace Doak Walker winner Shonn Greene. After rushing for more than 1,800 yards and 20 touchdowns this past season Greene has opted for the NFL draft.

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says they will be a different football team without Greene, and he compares it to defensive tackle where they had two longtime starters who led the team. Ferentz says they will rotate guys and don’t expect any one to have the production that Greene had, but if they do that "would be great."

The top returning back is sophomore Jewell Hampton. He finished with 478 yards of rushing last season in a part-time role. Iowa concludes Spring drills next weekend.

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Grinell College looks for better defense

April 10, 2009 By

A new coach is leading the Grinnell College softball team this season. Sandra Faulkner is coaching the 2009 Pioneers replacing Tom Sonnichson, who’s involved with other duties on the college campus. Faulkner has past coaching experience at Grinnell High School and Eldora-New Providence.

She would like to see the play of her teams defense improve, as she says they need to be solid throughout the game. The Pioneers are 3-13 going into Midwest Conference play, coming off doubleheader losses to Iowa Conference teams Buena Vista, Luther and Cornell. She would like to see the offense come around as well.

Sonnichson says they want to be able to score more runs on offense, scoring every inning instead of scoring sporadically. She hopes the weather improves to allow them go get in more work outside to be able to improve on both sides.

Grinnell opens conference play with a doubleheader at Knox College today and two games at Illinois College Saturday afternoon.

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Triple-A says keep your car up to avoid extra costs

April 10, 2009 By

The recession has many Iowans trying to stretch their dollars, but one thing they shouldn’t skimp on is vehicle maintenance. Rose White, of Triple-A Iowa, says ignoring your car’s necessities will likely cost you considerably more money in the long run.

"As consumers look for ways to cut their budget, some may consider forgoing or even delaying vehicle maintenance," White says. "However, keeping a vehicle properly maintained is the best way to avoid major repairs down the road that are far more costly than the maintenance. Proper maintenance is also critical to the safe operation of your vehicle." White says one important thing to do to keep your car in good shape is to routinely check and change your oil.

"Oil is the life blood of your engine," she says. "Not maintaining the proper levels or using the wrong oil or not changing it frequently enough can destroy your engine. Plus, oil that leaks on a heated surface can cause a fire. It’s also important to remember that many of the items and fluids that you check in your vehicle, it’s also recommended that you check those items when you change your oil."

White suggests several other things to make sure your car keeps running efficiently. "Tire pressure will make tires last longer and delay the need for you to buy new ones," White says. "Plus, having the proper tire pressure will help vehicle’s fuel economy. Engine air filters are also important. Dirty air filters not only affect your fuel economy but other vehicle systems such as emissions control system and spark plugs.

It’s also important you check the battery cables, clamps and terminals. No one enjoys walking into a parking lot and discovering their car won’t start and often that is the problem." White says you don’t have to be a mechanic to look under the hood and check out some of your engine’s vital parts.

"Antifreeze coolant is also extremely important especially as we approach the summer months for it’s important to maintain it to avoid overheating," White says. For safety reasons, make sure your wiper blades are in good condition and you have plenty of washer fluid. Also, she says, "Your car’s belts — replace every 4 years or 60,000 miles and the final list on our top ten list is checking the break fluid."

Behind our houses, White says our vehicles are the largest purchase consumers make, so it’s important to keep them in good running order. If you do, you could avoid expensive repairs and increase your trade-in value.  

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Cedar Rapids pastors debate gay marriage

April 10, 2009 By

A pastor in Cedar Rapids is calling the Iowa Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage a bigger disaster than last June’s flood. Northbrook Baptist Church Pastor Eric Schumacher wrote an article saying Iowa’s decision to allow gay marriage will cause "irrevocable damage" to society.

"The comparison isn’t meant to diminish the impact of the flood at all," Schumacher told KCRG-TV. "It’s meant to highlight the impact that I think the redefining of marriage will have on our state." Another religious leader in Cedar Rapids claims Schumacher’s comments distort what the bible teaches and will cause more harm than good.

Reverend Tom Capo from the People’s Church Universalist cringed when he heard Schumacher’s comparison. "I think he’s trying to scare people that these horrible, awful, catastrophic things are going to happen – just like the flood – if we allow gay marriage to stand," Capo said. The two religious men both consider the bible a holy book, but interpret it quite differently.

"The bible teaches that homosexual practice is sinful," Schumacher said. "When we go against God’s will, it does damage to our soul." Capo doesn’t see it that way. "Jesus never said anything about ostracizing or gay marriage or homosexuals in any way, shape or form," Capo said. "If you’re preaching that kind of message from the pulpit, all you’re going to do is cause more pain in our culture."

Schumacher argues he’s not trying to cause pain, but simply educate people about why he believes gay marriage is destructive. Capo hosted a rally at his sanctuary last week to celebrate the gay marriage ruling.

Read Schumacher’s article here.

Filed Under: Politics & Government, Religion

Some GOP conservatives upset with Grassley

April 10, 2009 By

Some conservative Republicans are upset with Senator Chuck Grassley for his recent remarks on the gay marriage issue. A Des Moines Register reporter asked Grassley this week whether he supports amending Iowa’s constitution to ban same-sex marriage and Grassley said he needed a month to think about it.

Bill Salier of Nora Springs, a Republican activist, says Grassley’s statement is outrageous.

"Clearly, he is not the same conservative that he was when he originally ran," Salier says. "…And if it takes you a month to find your opinion on whether or not there should be an amendment (banning gay marriage), as far as I’m concerned, don’t run for reelection."

Grassley was elected to the Iowa House in 1958. In 1974, Grassley won a seat on congress and he’s been a U.S. Senator since 1981. In 2010, Grassley plans to run for reelection to another six-year term in the Senate and despite the grumbling, Salier hasn’t heard of any Republican who’s willing to step forward to challenge Grassley in a primary.

"There is a certain amount of angst for folks when they look at running against somebody who is an icon in Iowa, having been there so long and, you know, he wins by tremendous percentages in the general (election)," Salier replied. "But if anybody was ever vulnerable to a primary who is an icon, it would be Chuck Grassley now…People become more and more and more incensed to more they start to pay attention to how far he has drifted."

Grassley issued a statement the day the Iowa Supreme Court ruling was issued which legalized gay marriage. Grassley cited his votes for the federal Defense of Marriage Act which defines married as a union between one man and one woman and his support of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution which would ban gay marriage.

Salier, though, is "incensed" that Grassley is taking a month to consider whether he’ll back fellow Republicans who are trying to amend the Iowa Constitution.

"If you’re not willing to stand up against a runaway judiciary, if you’re not willing to stand up for the republic, at least be willing to stand up for the principles that you hear when you’re in church on Sunday," Salier says. "If you’re not willing to and it takes you a month to figure these things out, then perhaps it’s time that you go back, put your two lawn mowers together and drive around in circles."

Some Iowans may remember Grassley’s 2004 campaign ad which featured the riding lawn mower and the two "push" lawn mowers Grassley welded to it in order to cut wider swaths of grass.

Iowa Republican Party chairman Matt Strawn dismisses the idea that conservative Republicans are grumbling about Grassley.

"I’ve been statewide. I’ve been in front of, oh goodness, I would probably say almost a dozen to two dozen (county) central committee meetings. We’ve done seven ‘Listen and Learn’ forums across the state," Strawn says. "Not once have I had a single Republican activist or county leader approach me with a concern about Senator Grassley." Strawn was elected chairman of the Iowa G.O.P. earlier this year.

Salier ran for the U.S. Senate in 2002, but lost to former Iowa Congressman Greg Ganske in the Republican primary and Gankse went on to lose to Senator Tom Harkin in the general election. Salier, who has married and become a father in the past eight years, says he is not interested in running for office now.

 

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Iowa GOP chair says Republicans united on taxes

April 10, 2009 By

The chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa says the current statehouse squabble over a tax bill has unified his party. Party chairman Matt Straw says the G.O.P. plans to focus on fiscal issues in the 2010 election.

"Right now, you look at some of these legislative Democrats that won by the skin of their teeth in 2008 and 2006. They won by running on a platform of fiscal responsibility. They (ran) on cutting taxes," Strawn says. "But you know what? They haven’t done that when they got in charge."

Democrats who control the legislature’s agenda plan to bring up their tax plan for debate on Tuesday or Wednesday. Strawn is among those hoping the debate takes place on Wednesday, which is April 15th — deadline day for taxes.

"When Republicans act like Republicans — when we talk the fiscal responsibility game and we act on it — that’s how we win a majority in this state," Strawn says.

Strawn is the guest on tonight’s "Iowa Press" program on Iowa Public Television. During this morning’s taping of the program, Strawn did not criticize Democratic Governor Chet Culver for his lack of support for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Instead, Strawn criticized the timing of Culver’s statement on gay marriage.

"Everybody in this state had an opinion on that ruling within five seconds of it hitting the news wire except our governor. He puts out a two-sentence statement, talking about it being a complicated issue that he has to, you know, talk to his advisors about," Strawn said. "That’s not leadership and our people see that and Iowans see that, not just Republicans."

Three of the seven justices on the Iowa Supreme Court will have their names on the 2010 ballot in a retention election. While some Republicans unhappy with the court’s gay marriage ruling have started to encourage Iowans to vote those three justices off the court, Strawn said it is too early to tell whether the Republican Party will join an effort to vote those justices off the court.

"When we make those campaign decisions, you know, those are made, you know, based on the resources you have available at the time and, you know, right now we’re about a year and a half out so, you know, we don’t know where the resources will go for out statewide constitutional officers or even a potential constitutional convention or retention of justices," Strawn said. "And keep in mind, those are nonpartisan positions."

The names of Iowa judges and justices on the state’s highest courts go on the ballot periodically for a "retention election," but the judges do not list a party affiliation.

While Strawn criticized Governor Culver for consulting with the attorney general and other advisors before issuing a statement on the gay marriage ruling four days after that ruling was handed down, Strawn suggests he’s taking his time with the decision on whether the party will ask voters to support a constitutional convention as a means of getting a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in Iowa.

"I don’t think any decision has been made by proponents of banning same-sex marriages in Iowa because I think the discussion has just started on what the various pros and cons are of pushing for that. That’s why the party has not made any decision. I mean, we’re hearing from our activists. We’re hearing from our legislative leaders. We want to make sure we exhaust every other possible avenue first," Strawn said. "…I don’t make decisions immediately out of hand. I think you have to think about things first, and listen to your constituencies."

Strawn was elected Iowa G.O.P. chairman earlier this year. Strawn, who is co-owner of the Iowa Barnstormers, lives in Ankeny.

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