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King explains "no" vote on monument to honor slaves who built capitol

July 8, 2009 By

Steve King Congressman Steve King was the only “no” vote in the U.S. House this week on a resolution to honor slaves who helped build the U.S. Capitol.

King, a Republican from Kiron, says he voted “no” because the resolution was part of a deal that would get the words “In God We Trust” back in a picture that’s on display in the capitol visitors center.

“The architect of the capitol had gone in — or directed someone to go in — and photoshop and scrub the language, ‘In God We Trust’ that was clearly visible in the picture of the (house) speaker’s chair that’s shown in the capitol visitors center,” King says. “And in order to get them to agree to put the real language back in the picture so the picture was real, we had to agree to pass a resolution to put another monument up to slavery.”

King says slavery was “abhorrent,” but he is tired of those who are trying to erase the country’s Christian heritage, an accusation King lobs at the architect of the capitol.

“The architect of the capitol has been for years trying to eradicate any sign of faith or Christianity from the capitol itself and from the historical documents that flow from it,” King says. “…I’m out of patience with these kind of maneuverings.”

The resolution calling for a monument to honor the slaves who built the capitol passed the House on a 399 to one vote Tuesday night. King says he believes there are others who would have liked to join him in voting no, but didn’t want to take a stand.

“I think it’s simply many of them thought, ‘I don’t want to die on that hill,’” King says. “‘It’s not worth fighting over.’”

But King says he was willing to take the heat and draw a line.

“This doesn’t have anything to do with slavery to speak of,” King says. “It has to do with them trying to amend our history after the fact.”

King made his comments during at telephone interview with Radio Iowa. Click on the audio link below to listen to the conversation. Read more about the conversation on The Blog .

King plans to “slowly” walk through the visitor’s center on Thursday to see if the picture in question has been corrected and the words “In God We Trust” are clearly visible.

AUDIO: King talks with Radio Iowa…MP3 6 min

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

Postal Service looking at closing some branch offices

July 8, 2009 By

The U.S. Postal Service is seeing mail volume fall, along with revenues. As a way to cut costs, postal officials in Iowa and nationwide are studying the possibility of closing some postal branches and stations, but not post offices.

Richard Watkins, spokesman for the postal service’s Hawkeye District, says the potential closings of the smaller postal facilities would primarily be in Iowa’s larger metro areas.

"We’ve got 36,000 post offices from coast-to-coast," Watkins says. "Just to put that into perspective, that’s nearly three times the number of post offices as McDonalds has restaurants. We’re not seriously looking at closing any of those small post offices, but we are looking, where we can and where we can maintain service levels, at some of those stations and branches that we might be able to consolidate."

In the past fiscal year, mail volume fell by nine-and-a-half billion pieces. That’s a decline of nearly five-percent from the previous year and translates to a loss of nearly three-billion dollars. "The Postal Service has been negatively impacted by the down economy like other organizations and companies," Watkins says.

"As you know, we’re not tax-supported so the Postal Service is not looking for a bailout, we don’t get tax dollars to begin with, but what we are looking for is some flexibility that will allow us to overcome this terrible economic downturn." He reinforces, the postal service is studying postal stations and branches for consolidation, not post offices.

Branches and stations report to a particular post office and have a manager who reports to the post master. There are about 850 post offices in Iowa and far fewer branches and stations. Watkins says the postal service is making every effort to cut costs without cutting service.

"We’ve worked very closely with the National Association of Letter Carriers, for example, over the past several months to review and expedite the consolidation of delivery routes because there’s such a significant drop in mail volume over the past year," Watkins says. "It only makes sense to look at any area where we can gain some economies of scale and save our customers money."

While the postal service cut costs by two-billion dollars last year, including 50-million fewer hours worked, USPS.com says on-time delivery of First Class mail hit a new record high. 

Filed Under: Business

You decide if Michael Jackson will be the man in the butter

July 8, 2009 By

Michael Jackson A spokesperson for the Iowa State Fair says the idea of creating a Michael Jackson butter sculpture has created a lot of “churn.”

Lori Chappel says Iowans clearly have strong feelings about the dairy tribute to the King of Pop, so fairgoers will now decide its fate.

“We’re going to leave it up to fairgoers to decide if he should be included in this year’s butter sculpture or not,” Chappel said. An online poll will be conducted at www.iowastatefair.org .

Chappel says fair officials have been a bit surprised with the reaction to the announcement that Jackson would be part of this year’s array of butter sculptures. “We have heard many opinions, both positive and negative,” Chappel said.

“For us, it’s a testament to how important the fair is to Iowans and how much they appreciate the butter cow and the sculpture. We want people to know that we’re listening and acknowledging their comments.” The 2009 butter sculpture will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon mission and Neil Armstrong’s walk on the lunar surface on July 20, 1969.

Butter cow sculptor Sarah Pratt. “With Michael’s untimely death, we decided to add him to that moon walk tribute as a side sculpture,” Chappel said. “If he is included, he would not be in with the astronaut, the flag and the moon surface that has been planned from the start…but as a sculpture to the side.”

The online poll will be open Thursday and run through July 16th at 3 p.m. Chappel says the results will be released next Friday, July 17th. Michael Jackson performed on the Iowa State Fair Grandstand in 1971 as a member of the Jackson Five. The 2009 Iowa State Fair runs from August 13th through the 23rd.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Iowans arrested in Missouri dog fighting case

July 8, 2009 By

Four Iowans were arrested today in a multi-state federal investigation of a dog fighting ring. The acting U.S. Attorney for the western district of Missouri says the Iowans and three others from Nebraska and Missouri were indicted by a federal grand jury for participating in a conspiracy to promote and participate in dog fights.

A news release from the U.S. Attorney says 43-year-old Jill Makstaller of Perry, 32-year-old Zachary Connelly of Ogden, 51-year-old Kevin Tasler of Jefferson and 42-year-old Ryan J. Tasler were named in the indictment. The court information says Kevin Tasler, Ryan Tasler, Makstaller, and Connelly are each charged with one count of transporting animals for participation in an animal fighting venture.

Proscuters allege the Iowans traveled to a Missouri farm for dog fights in April, May and June of this year. They say Ryan Tasler was the spongeman in one fight– providing sponges to the dogs’ handlers to wipe blood off their dogs or cool them down. On another night Connelly allegedly handled his dog, "Tommy". Makstaller was the referee for that first fight and the timekeeper for a second fight.

Ryan Tasler also allegedly was the timekeeper and spongeman for the first fight and also bet on the fight along with Connelly and Makstaller. The indictment says the dogs were often seriously injured and shot to death after the fights. The information also says several hundred dogs were seized in raids by several federal and state law officers connected to the case. It does not say if dogs were seized in Iowa.

The information says Ryan Tasler is employed by the Madrid Community School District — but does not give further information on the other Iowans. 

See the indictment in the link below.

Dog fighting indictment. PDF

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Former Waterloo attorney to serve in U.S. State Department

July 8, 2009 By

Steve Rapp A former state legislator and congressional candidate from northeast Iowa is destined to be an ambassdor in the U.S. State Department. 

Stephen Rapp of Waterloo served at the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa during the Clinton Administration.

President Obama has nominated Rapp to serve as the U.S. State Department’s Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues.

Since 2001, Rapp has prosecuted international figures accused of war crimes, first in Rwanda. In 2007, Rapp became the lead prosecutor of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and others charged with committing war crimes during the civil war in Sierra Leone.

Rapp, who graduated from Harvard and then got a law degree from Drake, was a state legislator in the 1970s and again in the 1980s.

Rapp ran for congress twice, in 1974 and 1976. He lost both times to former Congressman Chuck Grassley. Grassley is now one of Iowa’s U.S. Senators. Rapp must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in order to become an ambassador.

The White House issued a brief biography of Rapp.  Read it here .

 

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

Class 1A: JoAnna Wells, Melcher-Dallas

July 8, 2009 By

The junior pitcher was 5-1 on the week and in 33 innings of work yielded only one earned run, 10 hits and struck out 39 batters. She also helped her own cause by batting .438, including three doubles and two triples. Wells tossed a no-hitter and struck out nine in a victory over Murray. She was two-of-three at the plate with a triple.

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Uncategorized

Class 2A: Jenny Brons, Okoboji (Milford)

July 8, 2009 By

The senior shortstop batted .400 for the week and in four games scored three runs and drove in nine more. Brons homered and drove in four runs in a victory over Sibley-Ocheyedan and also had two hits and four RBI in a win over Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley.

 

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Uncategorized
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