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Iowa Association of School Boards faces serious financial problems

March 16, 2010 By

The Iowa Association of School Boards isn’t facing insolvency, but a lawyer who’s been hired to sort out the group’s affairs says some association services may be scaled back.  Des Moines attorney Nolden Gentry was hired last week after a series of financial irregularities came to light, including a salary for the group’s executive director that was not approved by the association’s board of directors.

“We will do everything we can to make certain that there’s no interruption in service,” Gentry says. 

The association manages a wide array of services, like helping school districts form foundations for private fundraising and helping schools obtain school bus insurance.

[Read more...]

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

Iowa women to face former Iowa coach in NCAA tourney

March 16, 2010 By

The Iowa Hawkeye women will play Rutgers and former coach C. Vivian Stringer in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Stanford, California on Saturday night. The Hawks earned an at-large bid after a late run helped them finish with a record of 19-13.

Iowa coach Lisa Bluder says she felt confident they were in, and it’s always fun to see your name come up. Bluder admits she was surprised they were given an eighth seed. She says there’s not a lot of difference from being seed 8 or 9, and she thought they might be a 10 seed.

Bluder says it was Stringer who put the Iowa program on the map in 12 years, taking the team to the Final Four. Bluder says Stringer has taken three teams to the Final Four and was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and has continued to win.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Grassley says governors’ goal for wind energy is too high

March 16, 2010 By

A group of state leaders chaired by Iowa Governor Chet Culver is calling on Congress to adopt new national standards for renewable energy. The Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition wants Congress to mandate ten-percent of America’s electricity be renewable by 2012. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says that’s aiming a little high.

Senator Grassley says he’s supported what are referred to as renewable portfolio standards in the past, but not necessarily at that percentage or by that year. Grassley, a Republican, says wind energy is growing in popularity, but the mandate the governors are calling for is too high.

“Probably not ten-percent by 2012,” Grassley says, “I don’t think that that’s possible but I surely think 15% by 2020 is possible.” Culver is among 29 governors who signed a letter to President Obama, requesting the renewable energy mandate. Reports say Iowa already gets up to 20% of its electricity from the wind.

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

Bill to reduce tax credits advances

March 16, 2010 By

A bill that would reduce the amount of business tax credits the state awards is advancing at the statehouse. Democrats say tax credits have grown by 350% in the past five years and this year the state will award half a billion dollars in tax credits. The bill proposes a variety of new limits, limits that business groups oppose.

Bill Brown is chairman of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry’s board of directors. He is also a lawyer and his firm does work connected with one of the state funds targeted for cutbacks. “It sends a signal…that we’re really not open for business here,” Brown says. Brown calls the proposal to cut the state fund that provides venture capital to start-up businesses a “knee-jerk reaction” to the problems with the state tax credit for filmmakers. Democrats propose reducing that fund from 100-million down to 60 million.

Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, is the chief architect of the tax credit cutting plan and he is unmoved by Brown’s argument. “Their arguments were not compelling to me,” Bolkcom says. “If they can come back and convince us that we should put more money in the pot, then we can come back and do that at a later date.”

 The Democrats’ tax credit proposal would eventually scale-back state tax credits by $115-million over a three-year period. Representatives of a variety of other groups pressed their case to legislators during a meeting on the tax credit issue on Monday.

 The Farm Bureau is urging legislators to maintain a tax credit for beginning farmers. The Iowa Catholic Conference wants lawmakers to maintain a tax credit for Iowans who contribute to private school scholarship funds.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: ,

Fight in Iowa City involves lid of toilet tank

March 16, 2010 By

A squabble between sisters led to an unusual attack in Iowa City. It’s not likely the weapon of choice in a battle, but it does command attention.

Nitasha Johnson is accused of attacking her sister with the lid of a toilet tank. Iowa City police say it happened as the two fought. Johnson is charged with domestic abuse assault and interference with official acts. Her sister received an injured foot and finger.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Wyoming kennel under investigation

March 16, 2010 By

Authorities are investigating claims by animal rescue groups that a kennel near the eastern Iowa town of Wyoming is mistreating its dogs. A Jones County Sheriff’s deputy says they’ve conducted animal welfare checks at the Thunder Ridge Dog Kennel in the past but they’ve never resulted in charges.

A formal, written complain led to a nearly six hour search warrant Monday. Sonia Brandley of Last Hope Animal Rescue Group says she believes many of the dogs are dehydrated and have tooth problems and skin conditions.

“You can see it in my face, it’s breaking me up to be here doing this and it’s not because I’m psycho or crazy, it’s because we love animals,” Brandley told KCRG-TV. Thunder Ridge Dog Kennel owner Harold Buzz Powell says he never mistreats his animals and the rescue groups are unfairly targeting him.

“They think every kennel is a puppy mill. Not all kennels are puppy mills. We strive to keep our kennel clean and our dogs are well taken care of,” Powell said. Thunder Ridge is a U-S-D-A-licensed kennel. Powell says he’s been breeding dogs for 13 years and has never received a citation from the federal government. Despite his arguing, officials let rescue groups take more than 30 dogs to another location, while authorities decide whether to file charges. Brandley admits the rescue groups could be fighting a costly battle.

“We may have to give (the dogs) back if the court deems that and all that cost falls on the rescue groups,” Brandley said. Powell says two of the four types of dogs he breeds are known to have skin conditions. He admits some of the dogs need minor dental work, but believes all of his dogs will be returned.

“The dogs will be returned because there is no neglect, the dogs are well fed, well taken care of and well groomed,” Powell said. The Jones County Attorney will review a veterinarian’s report and decide whether to file charges. Since Thunder Ridge is a U.S.D.A.-licensed kennel, a representative from the federal government was also there Monday.

By Claire Kellett, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

Filed Under: Agriculture, Crime & Courts

Ankeny police train for hostage situations on campus

March 16, 2010 By

Nearly all the officers on the Ankeny Police Department are going back to college over the next two days for education they hope they never have to use. Lieutenant Ed Hamilton says officers will go through training to deal with shooting and hostage situations.

Hamilton says this two-day training consists of what are called “active shooter” situations, or people who have guns and are shooting at people. He says they’ve held such training in local school buildings in the past, but this training will take place in buildings on the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) campus in Ankeny.

Hamilton says officers will use special technology that allows them to shoot their own weapons with special bullets. Hamilton says they use plastic bullets that shoot a colored liquid soap material. He says the role players may or may not have a weapon that’s also equipped with the marking ammunition. The colored soap will allow them to see where the shots hit.

Hamilton says it’s a realistic way to provide officers some experience and training. “It’s literally a split second decision that the officers have to make,” Hamilton says, “and it’s also a very stressful situation.” He says they believe this training actually helps to inoculate officers from the stress and adrenaline they might feel in a live situation.

Ankeny officers provide emergency services to the DMAAC campus on the south side of the Des Moines suburb. Hamilton says departments across Iowa and the country use this type of training — and it’s something they need to do — even though they hope they will never use it.

“I think if you were to go into those communities where these types of shootings have taken place and you were to ask them ‘did they every think it would happen to them,’ they would answer the same as we would,” Hamilton says, “they would not have predicted that it would happen in their community.

Ankeny currently has a force of around 46 officers, and 36 will take part in the training in today and Wednesday.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Education
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