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Regents talk about potential tuition increase

September 17, 2009 By

At least one member of the Iowa Board of Regents says the standard used for tuition increases for students at the three state universities won’t be enough in the 2010-2011 school year. The Regents use the midpoint of what’s call the Higher Education Price Index to set tuition and that would equate to a 2.7%, increase.

Regent Craig Lang of Brooklyn doesn’t think that’s nearly enough of an increase. Lang says, “Until the Revenue Estimating Conference comes out in October and makes its projection, I don’t want people to think I would support 2.7% because I think looking at everything in the past two years, it’s unreasonable to say that I wouldn’t ask for more than that from the student.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , ,

Beware of gold buying schemes

September 17, 2009 By

Iowans that are selling gold jewelry for cash are being warned of a scam. Bill Brauch with the Iowa Attorney General’s office says people are being ripped off by con artists on web-based auction sites. He says a sure sign of possible fraud is when anybody offers a check for more than the asking price or what the piece of jewelry is worth.

“What happens is the check turns out to be counterfeit,” Brauch said. “They ask you to send the overage back to them and keep the price you were asking, but you end up liable to your bank for the whole amount because (the check) turns out to be counterfeit.”

Gold prices are hovering at $1,000 an ounce, so it may be tempting to sell jewelry for cash. Brauch says it’s always best to deal directly, rather than exchanging cash on-line or through the mail. “The fact that it goes to a location in some other state doesn’t necessary mean that it is a (U.S. company). You might have someone in Canada or Europe using a post office box in some small town somewhere,” Brauch said. “So, you need to be very, very careful about sending an item away.”

In addition, Brauch says if you send items through the mail and they’re stolen, it’s almost impossible to prosecute the case. He suggests getting items appraised and dealing with the buyer face to face. It’s also important to get a receipt or something in writing to verify the transaction.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Iowa State looks to end road loss streak

September 17, 2009 By

Iowa State will try to snap a 16 game road losing streak when they visit Kent State. Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads want to see improvement from the offensive line this week. He wants that unit to maintain blocks a little longer. Rhoads says it comes down to getting a little lower and finishing off a block and not letting the defense get its hands on the ball carrier. He says that can turn little runs into big runs really easy.

Rhoads says on the road it is even more important to limit big plays. He says they have to be everywhere they are supposed to be and show up. He says it only takes one big play to give a team momentum.

Rhoads did not even want to talk about the road losing streak this week and wants his players to be focused but relaxed. He says there is a fine line between being loose and taking care of business. Rhoads says it will be very similar to the preparation for home games.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Stoops ready for return to Iowa

September 17, 2009 By

Saturday’s Iowa-Arizona game will feature the return to Kinnick Stadium of Arizona coach Mike Stoops who along with brothers, Bobby and Mark played safety for the Hawkeyes during the 1980s. Mark is the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator. Stoops says he hasnn’t reminisced that much about it, but it will probably hit him when he gets to the stadium. Stoops says the stadium is where they did all their work as Hawkeyes and he says he wants his program to be built like Iowa.

Mike says none of the brothers were heavily recruited out of high school as he says they weren’t the most talented players, but had competitive instincts that allowed them to overcome their physical limitations.

Stoops says Iowa has a pair of outstanding safeties in Tyler Sash and Brent Greenwood. He says Iowa is a very disciplined team that understands their roles very well.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Central off to 2-0 start

September 17, 2009 By

Central is off to an impressive start to the season but coach Jeff McMartin says their most important game to date is this weekend’s Iowa Conference opener at the University of Dubuque. The Dutch are 2-0 and ranked 16th nationally after beating then #7 Wisconsin-Stevens Point on the road.

McMartin says you can win your first two non-league games and if you don’t take care of business the rest of the way then all you have are two victories. So he says they’ve focused on playing well in the conference.

The formula has been simple. Central is averaging 260 yards of rushing per game and giving up just over 45. He says you have a great chance to win if you run the ball and keep the other team from doing that.

Dubuque is 1-1 and McMartin says the Spartans will test their defense. He says they stretch you out and you have to watch ever gap or they will burn you.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Drake will face motivated opponent

September 17, 2009 By

The Drake Bulldogs expect to face as motivated opponent this week when they visit the University of South Dakota. The Coyotes are 1-1 after a 66-7 pasting at the hands of UNI.

Drake coach Chris Creighton says South Dakota has had two lopsided games and will probably come out and play the best game of the year. The Bulldogs are 2-0 after a 34-6 win at Marist and Creighton says South Dakota causes a number of concerns. He says they want to run the football and can stretch you vertically with the passing game.

Creighton says this may be the first of several games between the two schools as they are talking about making it a series. He says the schedule won’t allow it next year, but they are looking at doing a home and home when their schedules permit.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Vander Plaats says Culver doesn’t grasp “gravity” of IPERS loss

September 17, 2009 By

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats suggests Governor Chet Culver must not know “what’s going on around him.”  Vander Plaats says that may be the only explanation for Culver’s “Why, me worry?” attitude about IPERS — the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System. 

Culver, a Democrat who plans to seek reelection in 2010, said Tuesday there’s “no need for alarm” or for immediate legislative action to address a four-billion dollar drop in the value of the IPERS fund. Vander Plaats says Culver must not grasp the “gravity” of the situation. 

 ”My biggest disappointment is Governor Culver’s attitude of ‘No need for alarm; we’ll just hope and wait; the stock market will rebound and if that happens, all will be o. k.,” Vander Plaats says.  “This is going against the advice of experts in the field who are saying, ‘No, this is a long term problem — we’re in a deep hole that goes way beyond the stock market rebound.’” 

Vander Plaats opposes a taxpayer bailout, but he says other options must be considered to keep the fund solvent.

“It starts with confronting the brutal facts and then coming up with common sense solutions,” Vander Plaats says.

The 11-member board that oversees IPERS investments will consider some options to deal with the shortfall at its meeting in November, but Vander Plaats says Culver needs to act now.

“Governor Culver needs to bring a panel of experts together, confront the brutal facts, take a look at the long-term needs of IPERS as it relates to the beneficiaries who are planning on that money at retirement, as well as the participants in IPERS at this point to make sure that we have some common sense solutions to the long-term viability of a very important retirement system,” Vander Plaats says. 

Vander Plaats, a former teacher and coach, is one of the more than three-hundred-thousand Iowans who are part of IPERS through past or current employment in the public sector.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,
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