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Governor asks auditor, attorney general to help in Film Office probe

September 21, 2009 By

The governor has asked the state’s attorney general and auditor to help investigate alleged mismanagement in the state film office. Late Friday Governor Culver suspended the program that provides state tax credits to filmmakers. Deputy State Auditor Warren Jenkins: “We will certainly talk to them, find out what has been done so far, what we might be able to do to help, how it might be coordinated, and do whatever we can to resolve this effectively to the taxpayers’ benefit.”

Bob Brammer is a spokesman for Iowa’s Attorney General: ”The attorney general’s office has accepted the governor’s request today that we review the film office situation and provide any advice or recommendations about legal issues. We’re going to be consulting with the state auditor’s office, the governor’s office and also the Department of Revenue about how to proceed in the matter.”  [Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government, Recreation & Entertainment

One person dead, three injured in Des Moines accident

September 21, 2009 By
Heaven Joy Chumos

Heaven Joy Chumos

One person was killed, three people were critically hurt, in a car crash in Des Moines early this morning. Des Moines Police Sergeant Lori Lavorato says a man who was collecting cans along the side of a road near the Birdland Marina flagged down a police car about 4:30 A.M. after spotting the wreckage.

“Officers responded and found a one-vehicle accident,” Lavorato says. “The vehicle had run into an embankment or a bridge entrance. At that point we found four people in the vehicle.” Rescue crews had to use the “jaws of life” to reach everyone. She says one of the passengers, 32-year-old Heaven Joy Chumos, of Des Moines, was pronounced dead at the scene. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Uncategorized

State sees some rain after dry spell

September 21, 2009 By

For the first time in several weeks, Iowans are breaking out the umbrellas. John Hinsberger is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “It’s been quite a while, since the last week of August, we haven’t seen any measurable precipitation,” Hinsberger said. Rain was falling over parts of western and central Iowa this morning and it’s expected to hang around through Tuesday.

Hinsberger says “on and off” rain could be accompanied by some thunderstorms over the next 24 to 36 hours. The thunderstorms, however, are not expected to be severe enough to cause any significant damage. “Not all of the ingredients are there for severe conditions, but we do see about a 60% chance for showers and thunderstorms today and tonight,” Hinsberger said. “There could be some locally heavy rains as well as some dangerous lightning.”

A dense fog advisory was posted for five counties in extreme northeast Iowa earlier this morning. Several schools in the area delayed the start of classes. Once the rain moves out of the state Tuesday, Hinsberger expects mostly dry conditions for the remainder of the week.

“It’s going to be partly to mostly cloudy with some on and off showers…about a 305 chance Thursday and Friday and Saturday as well,” Hinsberger said. High temperatures through the week will range from the lower 60s in northern Iowa to the upper 70s south.

Filed Under: Weather

Strawn says ideas, not age, important factor in 2010

September 21, 2009 By

A Des Moines Register “Iowa Poll” has found 48 percent of Iowans surveyed think it’s a good idea for former Governor Terry Branstad to run for a fifth term.

Branstad, a Republican, served as governor from January of 1983 to January of 1999.  Matt Strawn, the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, has been telling audiences his party must appeal to younger voters.  Strawn, however, says he’s not concerned with the prospect of having 62-year-old Branstad seek a fifth term as governor in the same year 76-year-old Chuck Grassley is seeking a sixth term as U.S. Senator.  

“It’s the ideas they talk about.  It’s sharing a vision for the future of this state.  I don’t think you ascribe a person’s age and say that means their ideas are old,” Strawn says. “I mean, everybody’s going to have to share their vision for where they want to take this state that runs for governor.” 

A half dozen other Republicans candidates have been appearing at candidate forums since July, outlining what they would do if elected governor.  Strawn says Branstad’s period of contemplation has not “frozen” the field — or the party. 

“While our candidates are out there building their individual networks for their primary campaign, it’s my job at the Republican party to build the network that they can plug into when we have a nominee that first Wednesday in June,” Strawn says.  “That’s what we’re doing when I talk about rebuilding the party precinct by precinct and county by county, it’s all in preparation for the 2010 gubernatorial fight and the local legislative races that will determine control of the legislature.”

The Des Moines Register’s poll on the gubernatorial race was conducted last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  It showed Branstad’s approval rating today stands at about 60 percent compared to the 50 percent approval rating for current Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat who intends to seek reelection in 2010.  The poll found 48 percent of all the Iowans surveyed by the Register thought it was a good idea for Branstad to run again.  While about one-quarter of those who identified themselves as Republicans said they did not want to see Branstad run again, 60 percent of the Republicans surveyed said they did want him to run.  Strawn would not speculate on Branstad’s flirtation with a fifth term.

“That’s for Republican primary voters to decide if the governor ultimately decides to get in the race,” Strawn says.  Strawn made his comments on this past weekend’s “Iowa Press” program on Iowa Public Television.

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

Sheldon man dies in ATV accident

September 21, 2009 By

A Sheldon man was killed in the wreck of an all-terrain vehicle. The Iowa State Patrol reports that 62-year-old Rodney VanMeeteren was riding a 2007 Honda ATV about two and a half miles southwest of Sheldon’s southwest corner. VanMeeteren was going south in the east ditch of Log Avenue.

VanMeeteren was apparently exiting the ditch when the ATV rolled over coming to rest on the driver, says the Trooper’s report. The accident was found by a passer-by at about 3 P.M. Friday. The actual time of the accident is unknown. VanMeeteren was transported by the Sheldon Community Ambulance Team to Sanford Sheldon Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Contributed by Scott Van Aartsen, KIWA, Sheldon

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Deer season underway

September 21, 2009 By

The deer hunting season opened Saturday with the youngest hunters taking to the field. Iowa Department of Natural Resources state deer biologist, Tom Litchfield, says the youth season is for those under the age of 16. He says it gives adults a chance to take kids out at a time where the deer haven’t been hunted yet and will be a little less leery. And he says it allows the adults to concentrate on working and teaching the young hunters. Litchfield says around eight-thousand youth took part last year and he expects that to increase a bit.

Litchfield says the early youth season helps get kids interested in hunting as they have a lot of things that attract their attention, and this help show them the outdoors and hunting. Another hunting season also began Saturday. The disabled hunter season runs concurrently with the youth season and approximately 300 disable hunters take part in that season. Litchfield says there are some special accommodations available to help the disabled hunters.

He says disabled hunters can do some things that other hunters can’t, such as shooting from a vehicle because they are unable to get out and move around through the woods. There are also special blinds that disabled hunters can use that they get on and lift them up off a trailer. Litchfield says the deer population and good weather should make it a good time for all hunters.

Litchfield says he expects the deer season to be very good this year and numbers should be similar to last year’s. Hunters took over 140,000 deer in the various seasons last year. Hunting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. The youth and disabled deer seasons run through October 4th.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With: ,

Effort continues to get rid of aphids

September 21, 2009 By

Researchers at Iowa State University are hoping to help soybean growers save millions of dollars by eliminating the use of insecticides to control aphids. I.S.U. professor of entomology Bryony Bonning says the soybean aphid was first discovered in the United States in 2000.

“In Iowa, it’s been a particular problem in the last few years,” Bonning said. “Of course, having to purchase the insectide and it’s usually applied by spray plane…it’s very costly and takes away from the profits of the growers.” The annual cost to prevent yield loss with insecticides is estimated at 64-million dollars for Iowa soybean growers. The ISU research involves genetically modified soybeans that would carry in-plant protection from aphids. Similar transgenic technology is used to protect corn, cotton and other crops from disease and pests.

But, Bonning says those plants use toxins that are derived from a bacterium to offer protection. The process in soybean plants, to target aphids, is a bit more complicated. Bonning says they’re working to introduce a gene into soybeans that’s harmless to mammals, but creates a toxin that’s lethal to aphids feeding on the plant. It may be a decade or more before the new research reaches Iowa soybean fields.

“Once the technology is adopted by industry, they have to go through some fairly rigorous tests as required by the Environmental Protection Agency to make sure it is safe for non-target organisms,” Bonning said. “I’m guessing it might be 10 years before a transgenic might be commercially available.”

The research at Iowa State University is being financed by a grant from the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a state program designed to support development of new technologies. The ISU team is working with researchers at Pioneer Hi-Bred on the project.

Filed Under: Agriculture Tagged With:
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