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Former Iowan dies in Colorado snowboarding accident

April 16, 2010 By

A former Iowan was killed in a snowboarding accident in Colorado this week. Authorities say 27-year-old Todd Dunkel was found in some trees Wednesday while ski patrol members were doing a final check of the slopes at the Breckenridge ski area. They tried to revive him, but determined he was already dead. He had suffered a fractured neck.

Dunkel grew up in Dyersville and graduated from Western Dubuque High School. He had been living in Federal Heights, Colorado, for the last six months.

By Janelle Tucker, KMCH, Manchester

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Roberts says he can unite party factions

April 16, 2010 By

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rod Roberts says he’s the “uniter” Iowa Republicans need in order to win in November. 

Roberts is competing against former Governor Terry Branstad and Sioux City business consultant Bob Vander Plaats for the Republican Party’s 2010 nomination for governor.  Roberts says if Branstad or Vander Plaats win, their supporters won’t back the other candidate in the general election and that could doom the G.O.P.’s chances of defeating the state’s Democratic governor in November.

“We do have disunity within the party.  I believe that helps the alternative — Rod Roberts — to be the candidate who can appeal to Republicans who might naturally support Bob Vander Plaats or be more comfortable supporting Terry Branstad, but who are concluding a divided Republican Party after the primary cannot succeed against Chet Culver.”

Roberts says there’s a “strong” anti-incumbent mood among voters right now and Roberts argued he is the “new face” who can be supported by both factions within the Republican Party. ”We need a candidate who we can all rally behind and unite behind,” Roberts says. “I’m that candidate because a united Republican Party can then go into the general election and with a united front then make an appeal to independents and at least conservative Democrats to build the base we need to defeat Chet Culver.” 

Robert suggests many Republicans are wary of giving Terry Branstad another four year-term for a total of 20 years as governor.  And Roberts points out that Bob Vander Plaats, his other rival for the Republican Party’s gubernatorial nomination, has been seeking the nomination for “the better part of the past decade.”

“There’s a weariness that’s crept in and I’ve uncovered this,” Roberts says.  “It’s like, ‘You know what? We’re moving on and looking for someone new to get behind and support.’ And I’ve attracted a lot of those people who formerly may have been supporters of Bob Vander Plaats, but they’re very happy to be on board with me.”

Roberts made his comments this morning during taping of the Iowa Public Television program, “Iowa Press.” The show airs tonight at 7:30.  On Saturday afternoon, Roberts and the other two Republicans will speak at Iowa Taxpayers Day in Des Moines.  Independent gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Narcisse and Libertarian candidate Eric Cooper will also speak at the event, which is sponsored by Iowans for Tax Relief.

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

More jobs created in March, but state unemployment rate inches up

April 16, 2010 By

The state’s unemployment rate edged up to 6.8% in March compared with 6.7% in February. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Kerry Koonce says there’s good news despite the increase.

Koonce says it’s still a good news story as there were 7,300 jobs added, and it was the third consecutive month of job growth for the state. She says people who had given up on finding a job have now come back and that adds people to the labor force and causes the unemployment rate to go up.

Koonce says getting more people back in the workforce is a positive. She says it’s good because people see the economy in a positive light and see more opportunities are looking for jobs again. Koonce says most sectors saw job increases, including some important areas.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Tagged With:

Take a trip, clean up trash, on Project AWARE

April 16, 2010 By

Iowans who don’t want to go on that same old summer vacation might consider Project AWARE, for some R-and-R in the sun, on the water — and cleaning up trash. This year’s expedition will cover about a hundred miles of the West and East Nishnabotna rivers in southwest Iowa. Hundreds of kayakers and canoeists will paddle the waterways, picking up garbage along the way.

The D.N.R.’s Brian Soenen is coordinator of the annual effort and says he sees remarkable feats of teamwork. “That’s what’s been amazing, the outstanding and incredible things that can happen when people are working together,” Soenen says. “Eyepopping, some of the things that volunteers are able to do, creative ways they’re able to get garbage out of the river.”

Project AWARE stands for: A Watershed Awareness River Expedition. Now in it’s eighth year, Soenen says it’s a great “alternative” vacation.) Soenen says, “It provides volunteers with an opportunity to spend one day or up to the entire week, not only enjoying the unique beauty that can be found in Iowa along its river corridors, but more importantly, provides them with an opportunity to give back to those natural resources and their fellow Iowans by picking up garbage along the river as they go.”

He says people who’ve never before paddled a canoe are welcome on the trip and they’ll learn on-the-job. “There are limited numbers of canoes available, if they don’t have their own or don’t want to bring their own,” Soenen says. “With regards to canoeing experience, there are literally hundreds of people who come on Project AWARE and it’s a great opportunity to build those skills amongst those who are from experts to beginners.” He says it’s a teriffic bonding experience for everyone involved.

Soenen says, “With hundreds of people out there, it’s just a positive atmosphere, a great experience for the volunteer efforts and picking up garbage, it’s a great way to connect with one another.” The project runs July 10th through the 17th. In the previous seven years of Project AWARE, the expedition has achieved nationally-recognized results: 15-hundred participants, more than 500 river miles, and 1,700 cubic yards of trash with a recycling average of 72%.

 Learn more at “www.iowaprojectaware.com“.

Filed Under: Environment & Conservation Tagged With:

Colorado man captured after chase in Des Moines

April 16, 2010 By

A man from Colorado was captured in central Iowa early this morning after a chase involving U.S. Marshals and local authorities. The chase happened after authorities tried to arrest 27-year-old Dewayne Lee Cole at a Des Moines hotel. He somehow escaped and wound up as a passenger in a minivan being driven by a woman who is his cousin.

The woman’s two-year-old child was in the vehicle, too, strapped into a safety seat. Authorities aren’t charging her in connection with the chase which involved eight vehicles carrying U.S. Marshals and officers from the Des Moines Police Department.

 Once authorities got the minivan stopped, Cole jumped out and ran, but Marshals captured him. He is being charged with being a fugitive and he also faces two kidnapping charges connected with forcing his cousin to drive the minivan that led the early-morning police chase.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Expect some extra train noise in Davenport

April 16, 2010 By

It’s going to be a little noisy in part of Davenport for a while. In order to fulfill federal regulatory requirements, the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad will begin testing horns on all of its locomotives starting Monday. Anyone near the rail yard in southwest Davenport is likely to hear the testing, which should be completed by July 31st.

The horn tests will consist of two initial sounds followed by six additional tests in 10-second intervals. Depending on the results, additional testing may be required. Hours of the horn tests are 7 in the morning to 9 at night.

By Phil Roberts, Davenport

Filed Under: Human Interest

New test measures fifth graders against 8th grade standards

April 16, 2010 By

Some 10 and 11-year-olds are already taking the A-C-T, but it’s not the college entrance exam the weighs so heavily on the college future of high schoolers. The fifth graders are taking the “Explore” test that A-C-T test developer Sherri Miller says is designed for assessing eighth graders. She says the students seem to do very well, and are compared to 8th grade norms, so they are not compared to fifth graders.

Miller says they perform very well and like the testing situations. Miller admits the students are encountering test questions that go far beyond their classroom instruction. Miller says especially in math, some of the concepts on the test they have not learned yet.

The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center provides programs for high-scoring elementary and secondary school students, and center director Susan Assoline, says the Explore test helps identify those students. She says the purpose of the test is to see how much more of a challenge they are ready for. Assoline says the test has identified a lot of potential.

Assoline says the results have shown students who have outperformed the students for whom the test was developed. In other words –instead of being frustrated by advanced concepts the fifth graders are outscoring traditional 8th graders. Assoline says the 60-dollars parents pay for the test is a good investment.

“I think they’re very wise to take this type of circumstance, which is not high-risk, and allow their student, allow their child to take two hours and answer these kinds of questions, and be exposed to the multiple choice format, to the fact that it’s a little more challenging than what they’re used to,” Assoline says.

A group of students recently took the test at Kirkwood College in Cedar Rapids. Amy Christianson of Anamosa decided to try it for her daughter who scored high on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. “I just would like to see how excelled she is so I know how to proceed in her education for her future,” Christianson says. Another parent said the test gave them a good idea for the proper placement of her daughter in her class.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With:
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