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Governor cuts his own pay by 10 percent

October 14, 2009 By

Governor Culver plans to cut his own pay by 10 percent.  

Governor Culver ordered a 10 percent, across-the-board cut in the state budget last week.  In a prepared statement released this afternoon, Culver said the recession has forced everyone to make “financial sacrifices” — including him.  Culver said his office would “lead by example”  and that means a 10 percent cut in his own $130,000 salary. 

Culver’s asked all of his department directors to cut their own salaries by 10 percent, too.

 The salaries of the governor, the state attorney general, treasurer, auditor, secretary of state and secretary of agriculture are set by the legislature.  Culver said he doesn’t expect them to cut their own pay. In his written statement, Culver said those five other statewide elected officials make less than nearly all his department directors and “considering the effort each of them will make…during this difficult time” Culver said he would “insist that they not reduce their salaries.”

Culver’s chief of staff met this afternoon with the leaders of state agencies, outlining proceedures for making budget cuts.  Their plans are to be submitted to the governor’s budget director on October 20th.  Some state worker layoffs could be announced at the end of the month.

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

Goss gives Grinch-like view on Christmas shopping season

October 14, 2009 By

Some Iowa stores are already displaying their Christmas decorations, but one market analyst is taking something of a Grinch’s view on the likelihood of a prosperous season ahead. Creighton University economics professor Ernie Goss says many consumers are still hunkered down and will keep their year-end spending in check.

Goss says, “I expect holiday buying to probably be up from last year but it’s going to be up maybe one to two-percent which, of course, is just around the rate of inflation.” He says the holiday shopping season will be slightly better than last year… “…but not much better,” Goss says.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business

Woman and Money conference set for this weekend

October 14, 2009 By

State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is hosting the annual Iowa Women and Money Conference this weekend in Des Moines. Fitzgerald says it’s the third annual conference and women have responded to it. “Women like to learn in a group setting and talk about these things, and so we’re bringing in experts to talk about all kinds of issues, whether it’s investing money, putting together a budget, or just what are the basics to get ahold of your home financials that you need to know,” Fitzgerald says.

He says the event focuses on women because there are issues unique to them. Fitzgerald says “the world has changed” and women are facing a lot of different financial situations than men. He says for one, women are living longer than men, and there are a lot of divorces and families headed by women. He says women should know what’s going on with their finances, whether they are single or married.

Fitzgerald says journalist and best-selling financial author, Jean Chatzky, will be the keynote speaker for the Saturday, October 17, 2009 at the Polk County Convention Complex in Des Moines. For more information visit: www.iowawomenandmoney.com.

Filed Under: Business, Politics & Government

Opposing coaches talk about Iowa, ISU and UNI

October 14, 2009 By

Iowa gets set to meet Wisconsin on Saturday and Badgers’ coach Bret Bielema has been on both sides of this rivalry. Bielema played for the Hawkeyes and was also an assistant coach. This will be his fourth matchup with Iowa as the head coach at Wisconsin. Bielema says he has great respect for Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz and learned a lot about defense from coordinator Norm Parker.

He says it will be a great Big Ten Conference matchup between a one loss and an undefeated team. Bielema says he really does not think about his ties to the Iowa program when he prepares for the game. He says the toughest part is after the game, as he says before the game you do see a lot of familiar faces. Bielema says he would not be where he is without the things he learned at Iowa. He says unfortunately someone has to win and someone has to lose and he’d rather be on the winning side.

Even without their star quarterback Baylor has hopes of playing in a bowl game this season and that makes this week’s visit to Iowa State a big game. The Bears are 3-2 after opening Big-12 play with a loss to Oklahoma and they will be without the services of standout quarterback Robert Griffin who underwent season ending knee surgery this week.

Baylor coach Art Briles says all the conference games are tough and you have to be ready to play. Briles has been impressed by the play of Cyclone quarterback Austen Arnaud. He says Arnaud is really playing within himself and giving the Cyclones the opportunities they need to be in games.

The Cyclones are 3-3.

The UNI Panthers hope a streak continues when they host Southern Illinois in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup this weekend. Home field has been a huge advantage in this series in which the home team has won the last 12 games.

Saluki coach Dale Lennon says playing the UNI-Dome with a sell out and a lot of noise is a fun scenario to prepare for. Like past years there is plenty on the line in this matchup. Lennon says the winner of the game sits pretty well for a conference championship and the playoffs. He says you add in the fact that both teams are ranked and that adds into the excitement.

Lennon says the Salukis hope the home streak ends this weekend and he says they key to winning on the road is overcoming adversity. He says when you are on the road the adversity seems more challenging and the fans are a part of the game.

Both teams are 3-0 in the conference.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Story County hopes photos lead to robbery suspect

October 14, 2009 By
Story County robbery

Story County robbery

Authorities are hoping someone can help them identify a man who robbed a bank in central Iowa last week. The Story County Sheriff’s office released surveillance photos of the suspect today.

Sheriff’s Sergeant Rodney Bunn says the photos were taken inside the South Story Bank and Trust in Slater, just before noon last Friday.

The bandit is shown wearing a black mask, black clothing and carrying a blue duffel bag and what appears to be a sawed-off shotgun. No one was injured.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Spencer manufacturing plant closing

October 14, 2009 By

A key employer in Spencer that makes sealers and vibration control products used by the auto industry is closing. Freudenberg-NOK is going to transfer all operations from its Spencer plant to two facilities in Ohio. Sarah O’Hare is a vice president for the company.

“At some point you can’t afford to keep, you know, 40 buildings open and you have to start to combine operations,” O’Hare says. “…You don’t need as many people; you don’t need the floor space; you can’t pay for it.” About 65 people work at the Spencer plant and some will be offered jobs in Ohio.

“The manufacturing side of Spencer will go to Troy, Ohio, primarily,” she says. “And then the warehouse and distribution side would primarily go to our distribution center in Milan, Ohio.” Freudenberg-NOK opened its facility in Spencer in 2000. The shut down may be complete in six months. O’Hare says the decision is due, mostly, to a sharp decline in automobile production.

“When the automotive companies are not building 17 million cars and those of us who supply into that industry, primarily, or other industries that aren’t doing as well as they should, they stop ordering,” O’Hare says. “And when they stop ordering because they can’t sell cars off the lot or not selling as many John Deere tractors or Harley-Davidson motorcycles or whatever the case may be, our volumes go down.”

Sales of U.S. autos fell 23 percent in September. Sales of all brands of tractors fell 24.3% in September according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. Harley-Davidson, however, reported record sales for the third quarter.

Contributed by Ryan Long, KICD, Spencer

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: ,

Class 4A: Chad Owens, Waukee

October 14, 2009 By

The senior quarterback completed 19 of 30 passes for 372 yards and four touchdowns in a victory over West Des Moines Valley. Owens has nine touchdown passes this season and has rushed for another 17.

Filed Under: INS Player of the Week, Sports
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