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House passes bill forcing schools to use cash reserves

January 15, 2010 By

The Iowa House today approved a bill to force Iowa school districts to tap their cash reserves, instead of raising property taxes. Schools face that choice in order to cover the 10-percent across the board cut in their state funding. Critics say the cut will mean tens of millions of dollars in property tax hikes , as schools turn to levies to cover the cut.

The bill before the house would put the brakes on some of that. But, critics like Christopher Rants, a Republican from Sioux City, say it doesn’t do nearly enough. “Governor Culver needs a fig leaf,” Rants says. Rant, who is also running for governor, say the governor’s cut will push property taxes up as much as $250-million, while forcing schools to tap their cash reserves might save only about 8 million.

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Filed Under: Education Tagged With: , , ,

Dyersville church may have to cancel trip to Haiti

January 15, 2010 By

Members of a Catholic church in northeast Iowa are planning to visit Haiti next month, but may have to postpone their annual mission trip. For 20 years, Saint Francis Xavier Church in Dyersville has maintained a relationship with a sister parish in a village located about 30 miles from Port au Prince, the epicenter of Tuesday’s earthquake. Pastoral Minister Mary “Cookie” Scherrman says they’ve provided the Haiti parish with supplies and food.

“We just started a water purifying system, a bucket system…we hope each family in the parish would be able to have one in their home,” Scherrman said. “So, we’ve had a lot of good things happen this past year and then all of the sudden, this earthquake happens.” The parishioners in Dyersville haven’t heard from their friends in the Haiti village, but Scherrman says they have received news from people they know in Port au Prince.

They learned the orphanage, where they stay during visits to the village, was destroyed. Twenty boys in the orphanage escaped before it collapsed. “They did get out okay, but that place is just demolished,” Scherrman said. A medical clinic that serves the village is still standing, but supplies were damaged when they were knocked off shelves.

Scherrman is hoping the Dyersville group can still make their annual mission trip to Haiti in late February. “People always come back (from the mission trip) and they’re very glad and look at life different,” Scherrman said. “I always tell the young people that (Haiti) is the poorest country in our hemisphere, but a lot of the world looks like this. So, whenever anything pops up where you can help somebody, do it. Don’t wonder about it, just do it.” The Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville was built in 1888 and features two 200 foot tall steeples.

By Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Update: one person dead after spill at Mason City hospital

January 15, 2010 By

Officials at Mercy Medical Center North Iowa in Mason City now say one person died in a chemical spill last night on their West Campus. A news release from Mercy says that a sodium hydroxide spill happened in the hospital’s “Textile Service Department” at about 7 o’clock last night.

During the situation, one of Mercy’s associates had a medical emergency. The Mason City Fire Department and Ambulance Service was called and unable to revive David Weaver, who has worked with Mercy for 15 years. Four firefighters and four other Mercy associates involved in the incident were also evaluated and later released.

Mason City Fire Chief Bob Platts says once the fire department arrived, they realized that chemicals had been released in an area where they are used…that area was cordoned off until a private company came in to clean up the product. Platts says the chemical spill was well maintained and has already been cleaned up.

He says it was mostly contained to one room, and none of it got out into the environment. A spokeswoman for the hospital says they will be issuing a news release about the incident later today.

By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Health & Medicine

Famed Iowa City coffee shop to reopen

January 15, 2010 By

A coffee shop that played an unusual role in Iowa City history holds its grand reopening next week. Wild Bill’s Coffee Shop was the workplace of Bill Sackter, the man on whom the popular 1981 movie “Bill” was based, starring Mickey Rooney, and a documentary in 2008.

Jefri Palermo is development coordinator at the University of Iowa’s School of Social Work, and says the on-campus shop needed a major overhaul. “We had a very tiny kitchen,” Palermo says. “We didn’t have hot water. We didn’t have a dishwasher. We had no way to really function in a kitchen capacity. We busted out some walls and we’ve expanded. The whole goal is to make it wheelchair accessible.”

After months of planning and renovation, she says the shop has a brand new look, while retaining its quirky character. “Now, the coffee shop has a nice kitchen, a wheelchair accessible sink, a refrigerator was donated by the Social Work Student Association,” Palermo says. “We are ready to begin serving hot soup and sandwiches as well as gourmet coffee and pastries.”

Sackter spent 44 years in a mental institution and emerged as an international hero for people with disabilities. Palermo says many people who knew Bill will be back on campus for the January 19th reopening ceremony. She says the shop is in what used to be the kindergarten room of the old University Elementary School.

During the remodeling process, the original kindergarten floor was found and restored, along with the cubbies from the room and a variety of artifacts. Sackter died in 1983. The coffee shop is run by adults with disabilities as a service learning project in the School of Social Work at the University of Iowa. For more information, visit: “www.uiowa.edu/~socialwk/WildBills.shtml#root2“.

By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City

Filed Under: Human Interest Tagged With:

One person is injured in spill at Mason City hospital

January 15, 2010 By

One person was injured after a chemical spill last night on the West Campus of Mercy Medical Center North Iowa. Mason City Fire Chief Bob Platts says there was a sodium hydroxide leak in the facility’s laundry area known as “Textile Services.”. One person was found not breathing in that area, but Platts says it’s not know whether or not that was due to the leak.

He says once the fire department arrived, they realized that chemicals had been released in an area where they are used…that area was cordoned off until a private company came in to clean up the product. Platts says the chemical spill was well maintained and has already been cleaned up.

He says it was mostly contained to one room, and none of it got out into the environment. A spokeswoman for the hospital says they will be issuing a news release about the incident later today.

By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Health & Medicine

Culver would support ban on texting while driving

January 15, 2010 By

Governor Chet Culver says he “would support” a ban on texting while driving.  Cell phones and other devices can be used to send electronic “text messages,” but safety advocates say those who text while driving are endangering themselves and other drivers.  Culver predicts legislators will consider a bill which would ban texting while driving.

“Anything we can do that’s reasonable and makes sense in terms of increasing public safety is a good idea,” Culver says.  “The facts are there in terms of the consequences of distracted driving.” 

Culver says some statistics indicate many accidents involving younger drivers may have been caused by the distraction of reading or sending text messages.

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Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Politics & Government, Technology Tagged With: , , , , ,

U-I decides on location for rebuilding Hancher Auditorium

January 15, 2010 By
Flood Hancher Auditorium in 2008.

Flood Hancher Auditorium in 2008.

University of Iowa leaders have settled on a location to rebuild Hancher Auditorium and the School of Music.

U-I President Sally Mason will recommend to the Board of Regents that Hancher be built on the west side of campus, a few hundred yards up the hill from its current location.

“We’re looking at sites that will be well out of the floodplain for Hancher Auditorium and that was certainly a driving factor in terms of site selection for these facilities,” Mason said.

Hancher, the Voxman Music Building and Clapp Recital Hall were flooded in 2008. Construction on the new buildings could begin within 18 months.

“It’s very important we do this well, we do it right and we do it so that all Iowans will be very proud of what we will have accomplished at the end of this,” Mason said. Under the plan, the School of Music and recital areas would be located just south of the Old Capitol Town Center, adjacent to the main east campus along South Clinton Street.

The combined cost is expected to be more than $250 million but FEMA will contribute a significant amount. University officials will present the proposal to the Board of Regents on February 4.

Filed Under: Education, Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:
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