Iowa's Radio News Network
A group of state lawmakers used strong language to describe their frustration with alleged financial misdeeds at the Iowa Association of School Boards.
A lawyer and a C.P.A. who’ve been trying to unravel the organization’s financial records testified late this afternoon before the Legislative Oversight Committee. Senator Rich Olive, a Democrat from Story City who is the committee’s chairman, kicked off a question-and-answer session with this pointed statement.
About 500 students participating in the “Jobs for America’s Graduates” program in Iowa are at the statehouse today, along with managers of the program, to ask legislators to continue state funding for the effort. The program helps students who’re in danger of dropping out of school, but Laurie Phelan, president of Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates, says the budget draft legislators have developed doesn’t provide any state support for the program.
“Our goal in working with the governor and our legislators — and all the students are here for that reason — is to help get that restored in the budget,” Phelan says. Former Des Moines County Recorder Marilyn Monroe serves on the board of directors for the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates program. She says 93 percent of students who participate in the program graduate, which is higher than the statewide average graduation rate of 88 percent.
“We are very proud of what we do for Iowa and the education system,” Monroe says. Over a thousand students from 27 Iowa high schools are currently participating in the program, being linked with Iowa businesses where they learn job skills. Jeremy Schoen (SHAYN, like Shane), a senior at Des Moines East High School, has been in the program for two years, getting help from Cargill along the way with plant tours and advice about how to write a resume.
“Because of Cargill, I now know the importance of how one soybean farmer can change the fate of many businesses,” he said during a statehouse news conference. “I would take pride in my work if I were an employee of Cargill.” The Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduate program has raised about $340,000 from private businesses to go along with state and federal funding for the current year. Governor Culver has recommended that the program get $540,000 in state resources for the next budgeting year.
At a time when many Iowans are preparing for battle with flooding waterways, a Newton man is planning for a kayak trip across the state. Sixty-two-year-old John Craun plans to paddle the Des Moines River from the Minnesota border in northwest Iowa , more than 400 miles, to the Missouri line in southeast Iowa. The retired Maytag worker plans to leave in late April and camp along the way.
“Normally, they say it’s going to take a good two weeks,” Craun says. “I think it’s going to take me a lot less than that. I’m an avid paddler and I don’t mind paddling long hours. A lot of that will have to do with weather conditions and water levels.” Craun will be in a craft he built himself from cedar and redwood.
“I have three kayaks and the one I’ll probably use is my longer, skinny one,” Craun says. “It’s only 20 and a half inches wide and about 20 feet long. It weighs about 38 pounds and it’s fast.” Craun has competed in several kayaking competitions, including the Water Tribe Everglades Challenge, a 300-mile endurance race in Florida, in less than seven days.
Craun says this trip across Iowa is to raise awareness about the proposed Hickory Ridge Wilderness Camp, a 47-acre area on the south shore of Lake Red Rock. “It’s a hardwood forested area on the water,” Craun says. “They’re going to have it be a primitive campground where paddlers can stay overnight when they’re traveling around Lake Red Rock or down the whole Des Moines River system. Also, it can be used by people who backpack in and Boy Scout troops.”
A fundraising effort is underway by Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Red Rock Lake Association to buy the land and clean it up. The plan is to transfer its care to the Army Corps of Engineers and open it to the public. For details, see the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation website at: “www.inhf.org” and click on the Hickory Ridge link.
Ottumwa Police have identified a body found Saturday afternoon on the city’s west side. Lieutenant Tom McAndrew says 45-year-old Joseph James Storto of Ottumwa was found lying under a railroad bridge near the intersection of Paris and West Main Street. McAndrew says there were no signs of foul play.
An autopsy was performed over the weekend and police are waiting for results. Anyone who had contact with Storto on Friday or Saturday is asked to call the Ottumwa Police Department at 641-683-0661.
By Mike Buchanan, KBIZ, Ottumwa
University of Iowa Athletic Director, Gary Barta, said today he met with basketball coach Todd Lickliter and told Lickliter he would no longer be the coach. Barta says it was the conclusion of a process where he monitors the team throughout the season and then sits down and does an evaluation at the end of the season.
Barta says Lickliter’s record over the last three years, the revenue from ticket sales, and the revenue from contributions and all other basketball-related revenues have declines in those three years. Iowa won just 10 games this season and lost a school-record 22 games. Iowa was 38-58 in Lickliter’s 3 seasons.
Barta says Lickliter is due payments of $800,000 over the next three years and he will honor that contract.
Listen to Barta’s entire news conference here: Barta on Lickliter 36:00 MP3
Democratic Governor Chet Culver is again urging legislators to provide an additional $347 million to Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools. In January, Culver called on legislators to approve a two percent increase in general aid to those public schools, along with an additional $100 million to help fill some budget holes.
“I have no reason to believe that leadership will not comply with that budget request,” Culver says. “But I just think it is critically important that I make it crystal clear that these public schools across our state are relying on this additional funding.”
A woman has died in a moble home fire in Ankeny. A spokesperson for the city says firefighters were called out at 4:13 this morning. She says the elderly woman lived alone, and was discovered in the mobile home. The victim’s name is not being released pending notification of her family.
State and local investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.
O.KayHenderson.com