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Cedar Rapids project honors crime victims

September 15, 2009 By

A new project to honor the memories of crime victims in underway in eastern Iowa. Linda Sorenson is a victim service coordinator with the Iowa Department of Corrections. “It’s really important we always hear the victim’s side. The victim’s story,” Sorenson said.

The Victim Advisory Board is planning to build a memorial garden next to a Department of Corrections’ facility in Cedar Rapids. Abuse survivor Ajai Dittmar says she appreciates the site selection. “I think it sends a clear message that victims are going to be part of the process and it reminds offenders why they’re here,” Dittmar said.

LeeAnn Hildenbrand, another abuse survivor, donated the garden’s first tree. The garden will also include benches, stones, a large bronze angel statue and a gazebo. “Nature is the most beautiful, peaceful thing you can have in life,” Hildenbrand said. “We just want people to remember and I think society’s so busy that (people) don’t have time.” The Victim Advisory Board has decided to call the project The Leah Wara Memorial Garden.

Wara was murdered in Cedar Rapids about 20 years ago. Sorenson is Wara’s mother, but she did not ask the garden to be named for her daughter. The project is expected to take two years to complete and cost around $20,000. Donations to the project can be directed to Kathy Saddoris, Department of Corrections, 951 29th Avenue SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404.

By Mark Geary, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Grassley expects Senate health care bill soon

September 15, 2009 By

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley expects many of his suggestions to appear in the health care reform bill that’s expected to be introduced by Montana Senator Max Baucus as soon as today. Baucus, a Democrat, chairs the Senate Finance Committee on which Republican Grassley sits.

The bipartisan committee, known as the “Gang of Six”, has reportedly pared the massive bill’s cost down to 880-billion dollars over ten years. Even after months of negotiation, Grassley says he’s unsure exactly what the legislation will contain as talks are still underway.

“You’ve gotta’ remember, we’ve been talking one-on-one since January and three-on-three for the last three months,” Grassley says. “We are still talking. We had two one-hour sessions yesterday and made some progress, made a lot of progress if you look at 100% of what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Grassley would -not- commit to saying he’d support the pending Baucus bill. “There’s still some very serious outstanding differences and we’ll continue to talk,” Grassley says. “You want to remember the environment we’re in is very collaborative, never been a harsh word said by anybody in any of these meetings. If (Baucus) goes ahead with the bill today or tomorrow, I expect that collaborative environment will continue.”

Among the bill’s unresolved issues, there’s ensuring illegal immigrants are excluded, the issue that prompted a well-publicized outburst of “You lie!” from a congressman during last week’s address by President Obama. Several other health care reform bills are already being considered in Congress. Grassley says he would never vote for the bill that was offered up a few months ago by Senator Chris Dodd, a Democrat from Connecticut.

“First of all, it isn’t paid for and it doesn’t bend down the inflation curve of health care,” Grassley says. “The same way with the Pelosi bill, and that’s not Chuck Grassley saying that, it’s the Congressional Budget Office, saying that they increase the deficit and they don’t do anything about health care inflation.” Grassley says the bill he’s been crafting with Baucus is “deficit neutral” and would tackle health care inflation.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Congressman King defends South Carolina Congressman

September 15, 2009 By

Iowa Congressman Steve King, a Republican from Kiron took to the floor of the U.S. House Monday to defend fellow Republican congressman Joe Wilson.

Wilson is the South Carolina congressman who interrupted President Obama’s speech to a joint session of Congress last week shouting out “You lie” when Obama said the health care plan would not cover illegal aliens.

Democrat leaders want Wilson to apologize to the House — but King says that’s not necessary. King says Wilson immediately called the White House, and the White House immediately accepted Wilson’s apology. “And that must be the end of it,” King says.

He says Wilson conducted himself as a gentleman immediately in the aftermath of what happened and “without putting his finger to the political winds, he did the right thing.” King says the issue should now be closed.

“No one has a claim to any further redress if the President of the United States accepts an apology, and he did. So, I stand with Joe Wilson. Let’s get on with the business of this house, let’s start running this country instead of doing cheap political points,” King says.

Democratic leaders say if Wilson doesn’t apologize, they plan to propose a resolution of disapproval against him. Wilson says he does not plan to apologize to the House.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Man pleads not guilty in Webster County murder case

September 15, 2009 By

The man accused in the 2001 murder of a Webster County woman entered a plea of not guilty on Monday. Fifty-year-old Mark Anthony Wilson is charged in the death of Joni L. Manning at her home near Clare.

The attorney for Wilson, Susan Flander of the Mason City Public Defender’s Office, filed the written arraignment with the Webster County Clerk of Court Office in Fort Dodge on Monday.

Flander was appointed to represent Wilson after James Koll of the Fort Dodge Public Defender’s Office withdrew from the case due to a growing case load in his office.

Wilson returned to Iowa on August 28th after surrendering to California authorities. Wilson is also facing charges of theft and forgery. A pretrial conference is now set for October 26th in Fort Dodge.

Submitted by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Ames woman dies in accident

September 15, 2009 By

The Iowa State Patrol investigated a one-car accident on Interstate 35 at the 171 mile marker in Franklin County on Monday afternoon that claimed the life of an Ames motorist.

The victim is identified as 72-year-old Sheryl Barta. Reportedly a southbound 2000 Nissan driven by Barta lost control of her car.

The auto then veered into the west lane landing in the west ditch on its top. Barta was pronounced dead at the accident scene.

Submitted by Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Farmers look to good yields as crop matures

September 15, 2009 By

Iowa is on pace for a record corn crop this fall, with the U.S.D.A. estimating production at nearly 2.5 billion bushels. Bruce Rowher, a farmer from the northwest Iowa town of Paullina, says this is the best crop he’s ever raised, and that’s true for many corn producers in the state.

Rowher says he’s heard at the grain elevator that there may be some fields yielding 220-bushels per acre, though some areas will certainly be lighter as there’s been very dry weather lately. Rohwer says the corn is fully dented now and ready for harvest, but whether or not it all reaches full maturity is still in question.

He says the dry weather is “moving the maturity along” though he also questions whether the cool July may have extended the pollenation period to the extent that some crops won’t be ready to harvest for some time yet. The USDA predicts Iowa farmers will harvest a record corn crop of two-point-four-seven billion bushels. It would beat the record of 2.38 billion set two years ago.

Submitted by Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton

Filed Under: Agriculture Tagged With:

Businesses honored for support of National Guard

September 15, 2009 By

This week has been singled out to honor businesses that have employees in the National Guard — and who support the guardmembers service. Governor Culver issued a proclamation naming it “Iowa Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Week” and announced winners of the Iowa Freedom Awards that honor employers for their guard support. Carol Bodensteiner, a volunteer of the Iowa Committee of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, says employers are required to give soldiers their job back after deployment.

But those that won the awards went beyond that. She says the businesses were exceptional in their support of guardmembers and went beyond the law. Bodensteiner says employers help guardmembers and their families in many ways. Bodensteiner says their efforts range from providing support to a family member, to mowing the law or keeping in touch with the soldiers. She says others do things like maintaining the soldier’s salary and health benefits while they are deployed, which the law does not require.

Bodensteiner says the employers understand the importance of guardmembers. She says the employers appreciate what the soldiers are doing to protect the country, whether it be overseas, or in the state helping with flood recovery. Bodensteiner says it’s more important than every to have good support from employers for the soldiers who temporarily leave their jobs to serve.

Bodensteiner says the National Guard and reserve make up almost 50% of the active duty fighting force now, so the country relies on them in a way not seen before. She says that makes it important to recognize employers who support the guardmembers. The winners of the Iowa Freedom Awards are: large employer, Decker Truck Lines of Fort Dodge; small employer, The Printer, Inc of Des Moines; and in the public sector, the Iowa State Patrol Post 14 in Ottumwa. For more about about Iowa E.S.G.R.  here.

Filed Under: Business, Military Tagged With:
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