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President touts passage of health care bill in Iowa City

March 25, 2010 By

President Obama traveled to Iowa City today, crediting the state for being the place where he planted the seeds that grew into the health care reform plan he signed into law this week. “This is the state that believed in our campaign when all the pundits had written us off,” Obama said, “this is the state that inspired us to keep going, even when the path was uncertain. And because of you, this is the place where change began.”

Obama spent part of his speech outlining details of the new health care reform law. He said leaders of the Republican Party have actually been calling the passage of this bill ‘Armageddon. Obama says Republicans are already saying they are going to run on a platform of repealing the bill, and he said “go for it.”

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Filed Under: Campaign Countdown, Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Davenport prepares for flooding

March 25, 2010 By

The city of Davenport is preparing for a flood fight. Mike Clarke is the city’s public works director. He says holding back the rising Mississippi is his department’s top priority right now.

Parts of two low-lying streets are already under water and the National Weather Service says the river will be near the 15-foot flood stage on April 1st. Clarke says he doesn’t trust Mother Nature, so he’ll be ready for 16 feet. An emergency operations center has opened, jail inmates are filling sandbags and a floodwall is being erected to keep the entrance to the city’s riverfront baseball park dry.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

University of Iowa prepared for possible flooding

March 25, 2010 By

A University of Iowa official told the Board of Regents Wednesday that the school has put several measures in place to be prepared for flooding this spring. The school was hit hard by the floods of 2008 and is still in the process of recovering. U-I senior vice president of finance, Doug True, told the board the school is prepared if flooding develops.

True says the river is flowing at 10,000 cubic feet a second right now, which he says looks like a lot, but it’s hard to believe the flow was four times that much in the summer of 2008. He says they’ve been coordinating with the Corps of Engineers and the National Weather Service.

True says they’ve put bulkheads in the campus tunnels to prevent water from seeping into them, and have talked with the HESCO Company about using their flood barriers. They also acquired a logistics site east of Iowa City where they will keep necessary flood supplies, and have gone through individual building plans so they know the trigger points to begin taking action to keep floodwaters out.

True says they went ahead and purchased several supplies and equipment in anticipation of flooding to be sure they are on hand. He says they purchased supplies and equipment early to be sure they had them because of the enormous demand from the upper midwest due to the large snowmelt that makes flooding possible this spring. He says they have stockpiled the supplies in case they are needed.

True says that includes pumps, sand and the HESCO barriers. He says they have three miles of the HESCO barriers on hand. The barriers are filled with sand and are faster to put in place than sandbags. True told the regents he would have an update on the replacement of the flooded music building at their meeting in April.

Filed Under: Education, Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With:

Baby slings recalled over safety concerns

March 25, 2010 By

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has ordered a recall of one-million baby slings made by the company Infantino. The C.P.S.C. says the slings in question act more like a bag and make it difficult for some babies to breathe because the sling forces the baby’s chin against their chest. Tammy Bayer, who owns Birth, Baby and Beyond in Cedar Rapids, says baby slings are popular – but they should hold the infant upright. She provides demonstrations in her shop.

“With this little girl, she’s sleeping and I have my hands free and I could do the dishes or vacuuming. There are some carriers you could put on your side or back and could be cooking at the stove too,” Bayer said. The C-P-S-C says at least three infant deaths could be related to the Infantino slings. Leslie Kung of Cedar Rapids noticed problems with the sling after using one herself and complained to the company.

“I didn’t get a response,” Kung said. “The response is the government stepping in and saying you have to stop this.” Kung switched to other slings which hold the baby closer and tighter to the body. Bayer says moms she talks with rave about slings and their usefulness.

“Instead of your arms doing all the work, your baby is attached to your trunk and your body does the work, not just your arms,” Bayer said. The president of Infantino said his company is working with the commission on its sling concerns.

By Justin Foss, KCRG-TV, Cedar Rapids

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Northwest Iowa couple SBA Persons of the Year

March 25, 2010 By
Rob and Tara Lynn Hach

Rob and Tara Lynn Hach

The husband-and-wife owners of a wind energy company in northwest Iowa are being named Iowa’s Small Business Persons of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Rob and Tara Lynn Hach opened their venture in the town of Alta  near Storm Lake in 2002 and now have 27 employees at offices in three states. Rob Hach explains what they do.

“We travel around the country and we’re even going international to test for wind in order to determine whether or not a wind farm is feasible for the generation of electricity,” Hach says. The company is called Anemometry Specialists. Anemometry is the study of wind. The 34-year-old Hach says it’s a big honor to win the award from the S.B.A. and he says they’ve worked hard to get where they are.

“We’ve had some really nice growth over the last five years,” Hach says. “We were even able to grow in the recession last year. We have a very family-friendly environment. Our crews, our technicians are on the road and we try to make sure they’re home for their Christmas pageant, for their son or daughter’s birthdays. We care a lot for our employees.” Since wind energy is what the company’s all about, you’d think the headquarters would have a giant wind turbine out back that powers the operation. Well, not exactly, Hach says.

“No turbine is powering the building,” he says. “We have a couple little ones inside the building but there are approximately 500 turbines north and south of us. So you go out the door and see three different wind farms around our building.” Wind is a family affair for the Hachs. He says his father first got the wind energy bug during the oil crisis of the mid 1970s.

Hach has five siblings and three of them are also involved in harnessing the wind. Anemometry Specialists has offices in Iowa, Texas and New Mexico with plans to expand into the Northwest and Northeastern U.S. in the coming months. The Hachs will represent Iowa at the National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., in May, where they will compete for the National Award.

Filed Under: Business

UNI set to practice in St. Louis for Friday’s game

March 25, 2010 By
UNI coach Ben Jacobson addresses send off rally as players look on.

UNI coach Ben Jacobson addresses send off rally as players look on.

The U.N.I. basketball team will practice later today in St. Louis as they get ready for tomorrow night’s Midwest Regional semifinal round contest against Michigan State.

The Panthers have been the talk of the nation ever since they beat top ranked Kansas in last Saturday’s second round but junior guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe says it is time to focus on the next challenge.

Ahelegbe says you have to stay focused because they have to face the Spartans in the next game as he says Michigan State doesn’t care who they are, so they have to be ready to play the game. The Panthers hope to continue a run of success in St. Louis where they have won the last two Missouri Valley Conference tournaments.

He says they love St. Louis and with native Anthony James, they know a lot about the town. Ahelegbe says playing there won’t help them jump higher or shoot better, but it does give them a mental boost. The first game on Friday night in the Edward Jones Dome will pit Tennessee against Ohio State.

By Elwin Huffman KOEL Oelwein

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

UNI basketball success brings attention to Cedar Falls campus

March 25, 2010 By

Northern Iowa’s success in the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament has brought unprecedented attention on the school with 13,000 students in Cedar Falls. The Panthers are one of 16 teams left in the field and will face Michigan State Friday night in Saint Louis. Noreen Hermansen, Vice-President of the U.N.I. Foundation, says she’s hearing from alumni around the world.

“I’ve had phone calls and text messages from people in Germany, Japan and Korea,” Hermansen said. Former U.N.I. Basketball Coach Eldon Miller, who now lives in North Carolina, told Hermansen he “can’t believe” how many calls he’s fielded. It’s doubtful the added exposure will lead to a boost in admissions at U.N.I., but Hermansen says the free national press doesn’t hurt.

“I don’t think there’s any way you can put a dollar amount on it,” Hermansen said. “We could never have the kind of money to get this kind of exposure. It’s just a real positive experience for everybody.” Hermansen spoke with Radio Iowa Wednesday after attending a pep rally for the basketball team. Around 1,200 people attended the rally on the U.N.I. campus.

Filed Under: Education, Human Interest Tagged With:
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