The junior forward averaged 16 points and seven rebounds in two victories. Velez-Westphal scored 19 points, hauled down eight rebounds, had four assists and three steals in a win over Iowa City Regina. He finished the week by connecting on 76 percent from the field.
Class 1A: Marcus Mechaelsen, Northeast Hamilton
February 23, 2010 By
The sophomore guard scored 35 points, added five rebounds, three assists and six steals in a victory over CAL (Latimer). Mechaelson was 13 of 17 from the field, including four of five from three point range.
Governor defends handling of Film Office situation after more firings
February 23, 2010 By
Governor Chet Culver
Governor Chet Culver says this week’s firing of three more Department of Economic Development officials is part of an “on-going” investigation. “As you know, the attorney general has stepped in,” Culver says. “There’s a criminal element to this.”
Last fall Culver fired Film Office manager Tom Wheeler after the first public airing of discrepancies in the way state tax credits for movies made in Iowa were being awarded.
Earlier this month Wheeler was charged with misconduct in office and two Minnesota-based filmmakers were charged with first degree theft for what prosecutors say are the highly-inflated costs they claimed for making the movie “The Scientist” in Iowa.
Grassley asks for justification of Wellmark rate increases
February 23, 2010 By
Iowa’s largest health insurance company is announcing plans to significantly raise rates in April by as much as 25%. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’s sending a letter today to the C.E.O. of Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, asking for justification of the rate increases that are being planned.
“I’m getting questions from Iowans about this and I need to know the basis for Wellmark making these decisions,” Grassley says. “What factors were considered? Did they have individual actuarial analysis? We need data on their reserves.”
Some 80,000 Iowans buy their own health insurance through Wellmark and their rates are expected to rise between 10% and 25 %. A company spokesman has said the rate hikes are due to increasing health care costs, but Grassley says he wants more detail from Wellmark, though people in several other states are facing similar premium increases.
Over 30 ticketed under Dubuque cell phone ordinance
February 23, 2010 By
So far, 32 motorists have received warning tickets for talking on a cell phone while driving in Dubuque. The city passed an ordinance that took effect Friday, outlawing the use of a cell phone held up to the ear or texting while driving. Dubuque Police Lieutenant Scott Baxter says officers will issue warning tickets for the first 30 days of the ban.
“After March 19, the officers still have discretion in terms of issuing a written citation, a written warning or a verbal warning,” Baxter said. “It’ll be up to each independent officer to make that decision.” Dubuque is the first municipality in Iowa to enanct a distracted driving ordinance. The measure still allows drivers to use hands-free devices. After March 19, motorists who violate the ordinance could face a hefty fine.
Violating the ban costs $50 and the fine jumps to $250 if the driver is involved in a crash. Baxter says Dubuque residents have a wide range of opinions about the new ordinance. “Some are totally in support, some are totally against it and some are somewhere in between – they want to ban just the texting and not the cell phone talking,” Baxter said. “Obvioulsy, everyone is entitled to their own opinion but our main goal is to keep the roads safe.”
The Iowa House today is expected to debate a bill that would ban texting while driving. Baxter says a statewide law would take precedent over the city’s ordinance.
Accident leaves Coin woman hanging on bridge
February 23, 2010 By
An accident in southwest Iowa’s Page County seriously injured a Coin woman and left her vehicle hanging by its bumper from a bridge. Eighteen-year-old Shelby Lorraine Schmelze was traveling on a rural road about two an-a-half miles northeast of Coin at around 11 A.M. Monday, when the 1991 Buick Park Avenue she was driving began to slide sideways.
The car hit a metal bridge approach and a pole, on the southwest corner of the bridge, before ending up with its rear bumper resting on a corner of the bridge, and its front bumper in the ditch. Schmelze became trapped in the vehicle, and had to be freed by the “Jaws of Life” but not before rescuers could stabilize the car to prevent it from falling.
The woman suffered what officials said were “incapacitating injuries” and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
By Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic
February survey showed drop in gas prices
February 23, 2010 By
The latest survey from the Iowa Office of Energy Independence shows the average price of a gallon of unleaded gas was down nine cents compared to the January survey. Analyst Kerri Johannsen says the drop appeared to be a market adjustment. She says it seems the prices increased between December and January and then there was a correction in the market as people saw the numbers and demand in the U.S. was still weak and supplies were still good.
Johannsen says the economy is still impacting the demand for gas in Iowa with driving down. Johannsen says the business use of petroleum is still down. The average price of a gallon of unleaded gas was $2.45 in the February 16th survey. That is 32% higher than February of last year. While Iowans noticed a drop at the pump, that has changed again in the past week, which Johannsen says is a symptom of the up and down oil market.
She says they expect prices to remain volatile, making it hard to predict what will happen with gas prices. In the last week oil prices have rebounded to just under $80 a barrel and she says they appear to be sticking at that price. The rebound in oil prices prompted a bump up of five to 10 cents in gas prices — depending on where you live.
You can see the gas price averages for the various metro areas on the Office of Energy Independence website at: www.energy.iowa.gov.
