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State asks for drop in fines on Agriprocessors

July 28, 2009 By

Iowa Workforce Development has asked the bankruptcy judge handling the Agriprocessors case to cut the $10-million in fines against the Postville meatpacking plant. Workforce Development spokesperson, Kerry Koonce, says they felt this was the best way to see the company pays something for the violations.

Koonce says the requests asks the judge to cut the original fines down to one-million dollars and puts into the settlement process that the claim is a priority claim that would get paid right after secured debts. Koonce says changing the status of the fines is key to getting any money that’s available.

She says the original fine falls in line with other unsecured debt, and she says it looks likely there wouldn’t be funds to pay the fines unless its status is changed. Koonce says they are awaiting to hear back on the proposal and hope the judge agrees with the state.

Koonce says everyone wants to see the case get settled, and wants the company to come out of bankruptcy since a buyer is lined up.

"Hopefully since it has been agreed upon by both parties, hopefully the judge will look favorably on it and agree to this," Koonce says. Koonce says they are asking for the fines to be reduced, but that doesn’t take away from the impact as they are going after the fine they can collect.

Koonce says they are still punishing the company and in no way taking away from the fact they believe the company violated the regulations. Iowa Workforce Development alleged that Agriprocessors made illegal deductions from employee paychecks.

Agriprocessors went into bankruptcy in the wake of an immigration raid in May of 2008 where nearly 400 workers were arrested. S-H-F Industries — a company formed by a Canadian businessman and his son-in-law — has agreed to purchase the plant for eight-and-a-half million dollars.

 

Filed Under: Business, Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Demand high for free lunch program

July 28, 2009 By

A record number of new students are enrolled in Iowa’s “summer food service” program this year. The federally-funded program allows schools and other non-profit organizations to serve meals during the summer to low income school children who qualify for free or reduced price lunches during the school year.

While there was greater demand for the free meals this year, 14 more Iowa school districts and five more Iowa non-profit agencies began offering the service this summer and that helped expand enrollment, too.

“Behaviors frequently, I think, are improved because kids aren’t thinking about their stomach or being irritated because of hunger,” says Rod Bakken, an Iowa Department of Education consultant. “…I think that actually kids are generally mentally and physically more healthy and more ready to come back to school in the fall.”

The number of Iowa kids getting these free, summertime meals has increased 232 percent since 2002. Bakken says another side benefit of the program is the students get to interact with school personnel during the summer.

“These kids just see one more smile every day…They have a sense from that that they’re cared for,” he says. “…I don’t think there’s anything negative that comes from that.”

Last summer, the federal government spent over a million dollars to pay for these meals for school kids. Eighty-six different schools and non-profit groups are participating in the program this year, with food being served at 210 different sites around the state. A summer feeding site must be located in a school district or an area where 50 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch.

 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Summer/

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Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Education, Human Interest Tagged With:

Hearing on request from Becker defense attorney postponed

July 27, 2009 By

A hearing related to the case of the 24-year-old Parkersburg man accused of shooting his former football coach to death has been postponed.

The state prosecutor involved in the case is "tied up in a separate trial elsewhere" according to a spokesman for Iowa’s attorney general and cannot make the hearing scheduled for Tuesday. The hearing will "possibly" be held later this week.

Mark Becker of Parkersburg is accused of first degree murder for the June 24, 2009 shooting death of Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas.

Becker’s attorney has asked a judge to unseal any records about mental evaluations or substance abuse treatment that Becker has received. It’s the hearing on that request which has been delayed. Becker’s trial on the first degree murder charge is scheduled to start September 15. His attorney intends to use an insanity or dimininshed responsibility defense.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest Tagged With:

Shortage of medical isotopes grows

July 27, 2009 By

The director of nuclear medicine at the University of Iowa says a global shortage of medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in patients may get worse in the coming weeks.

Doctor Michael Graham says most of the reactors that produce the isotopes are shut down because of technical problems or maintenance. Graham says there are small number of nuclear reactors that are capable of making the isotope and all are in Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and South Africa.

Graham says the U.S. didn’t produce the needed isotopes because Canada had planned to build two new reactors — but those were never brought up to speed because of technical problems. Graham says the federal government is looking into one option to produce the isotopes in the U.S.

Graham says a bill is being introduced into congress to convert a Missouri University research reactor to supply the isotopes, and that will costs about 150-million dollars to upgrade that facility. Graham says the isotopes are used in a number of diagnostic tests for things like heart disease, cancer and thyroid problems. 

Filed Under: Health & Medicine Tagged With:

Missouri man died on last day of RAGBRAI

July 27, 2009 By

A Missouri man died after a bicycle crash on the final day of RAGBRAI, the annual bike ride across the state organized by the Des Moines Register. The victim of Saturday’s crash is identified as 69-year-old Donald Myers, who was a professor of engineering management at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz says the crash happened at about 11 a.m. at the bottom of a big hill near Geode State Park in southeast Iowa. "The entire route through southern Iowa was very hilly," Juskiewicz said. "That was the only accident on that particular hill, so I don’t want to speculate what could’ve contributed to this accident."

No other cyclists were involved in the crash and Myers did not collide with any object, according to officers. Myers was wearing a helmet. Another unidentified cyclist was injured on Friday after running into a county road grader near Germanville.

"For the most part, injuries were down overall from what I understand from our medical coordinator," Juskiewicz said. "Safety is our number one concern out there when we start planning for RAGBRAI. It’s a tragedy to end the ride this way. Our thoughts are with the family and the extended family of the professor."

Next year’s RAGBRAI is scheduled for July 25th through the 31st. The route for the 38th annual RAGBRAI will be announced in January.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Recreation & Entertainment

Two 36-year-olds charged in "Slip ‘N Slide" caper

July 27, 2009 By

A fire hydrant, a "Slip ‘N Slide" and 1,500 gallons of water have landed a couple of 36-year-old men in hot water. The two men have been charged with public intoxication, interference with official acts and fifth degree theft for allegedly stealing water from a fire hydrant in Underwood for the outdoor water slide.

"It’s amazing," Sergeant Dwayne Ritchie of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department says of the case.

Ritchie says the caper happened this past Saturday. Michael Wheeler of Omaha and Shane Benedict of Neola were taken into custody outside of Underwood after the trailer they were pulling behind their pick-up blew a tire, sending the pick-up and the trailer into a ditch. The two men were hauling a 1,500 gallon tank filled with water on that trailer.

A witness took a picture of the two men and their stop to get water from the fire hydrant in Underwood, but Sergeant Ritchie says the two suspects told a different story.

"They actually said they had taken the tank and filled it…in Council Bluffs, which was not true," Ritchie says.

Both men were held over the weekend in the Pottawattamie County Jail. Ritchie says the men told authorities they had hoped to use the water for a "Slip ‘N Slide."

"Just looking for some good, clean fun, I guess," the deputy says.

An unidentified teenager was also involved in the incident, but no charges were filed against the teen.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Human Interest

Quick Trip chain ordered to pay $750,000 in overtime case

July 27, 2009 By

A convenience store chain with more than 30 locations in Iowa and along the border is accused of not paying its workers their due. Oklahoma-based QuikTrip is agreeing to pay nearly $750,000 in overtime and other bonuses to thousands of employees in Iowa, Nebraska and seven other states.

Elizabeth Todd, spokeswoman for the U.S. Labor Department, says the investigation by the Wage and Hour Division found Tulsa-based QuikTrip violated the Fair Labor Standards Act by failing to pay its employees the overtime compensation they were entitled to receive. She says QuikTrip also failed to pay the additional overtime premiums on performance-related bonuses.

Todd says, "There are about 3,819 employees involved in the investigation." Todd couldn’t say how many employees in Iowa or Nebraska are getting the back-pay. She says, "QuikTrip cooperated with the investigation and they have agreed to future compliance."

Todd says, "We’re very pleased that the case resulted in collecting all of these back wages for these employees." Q-T has 22 stores in central Iowa and 11 stores in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area, along with dozens more in Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.  

Filed Under: Business, Politics & Government Tagged With:
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