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State track meet opens with record performance

May 20, 2010 By

The state track meet got off to a record setting start as Dowling Catholic’s Katie Flood won her fourth straight class 4A three thousand meter title. Her winning time of 9:27.25 seconds smashed the previous record she set as a freshman by nearly 15 seconds.

Flood says she was pretty nervous as she gets nervous every time at state, but she says it’s what she has been working for all season.

Flood says she was really happy as she has not idea she would run that fast. Flood becomes the fourth four-time winner in the event and her time was the fastest in the nation this year.

After winning the state cross country title last fall Wapsie Valley’s Katy Moen added the 3,000 meter title to her list. Moen won the class 1A crown in a time of 10:31.39 seconds. She says she was happy, and could have run faster, but she wanted to save up for other races.

Moen say winning both a cross country and track title is something to be proud of, and a real honor.

By John Martenson KGRN Grinnell

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With:

Economic Development Board approves money for TPI proposal in Sioux City

May 20, 2010 By

The Iowa Economic Development Board today agreed to provide loans and tax breaks to a couple of large projects that could create hundreds of jobs in Sioux City and Burlington. In Sioux City, wind blade manufacturer T-P-I Composites is planning a nearly $40 million factory that would employ 500 workers.

T-P-I already has a plant in Newton and announced this week it was cutting the workforce there to 233 workers. Iowa Department of Economic Development spokesperson Kay Snyder says board members are confident workers being laid off will be brought back later this year.

“The company has indicated that they plan to rebound with their employment starting here in the next few months and be up to 500 jobs, they’re estimating, by February,” Snyder said. The board is giving Sioux City a $2.5 million forgivable loan to develop the infrastructure around the proposed plant.

T-P-I will also receive tax credits. The John Morrell plant in Sioux City closed last month, leaving 1,500 without a job.

“In a time when the economy is down, looking to bring 500 jobs to a community which has experienced plant closings and downsizing, this project can be a bright spot for that area,” Snyder said.

The Economic Development Board also approved tax incentives for a Case New Holland expansion project in Burlington. Snyder says the project is expected to create 121 new jobs and retain another 327 jobs. Case New Holland officials say they plan to bring farm equipment to the plant – which currently produces mostly construction equipment.

Filed Under: Business, Politics & Government Tagged With:

Report says federal weatherization funds have helped Iowa economy

May 20, 2010 By

A report by the Iowa Policy Project (I-P-P) says federal money sent to Iowa to help low-income residents upgrade furnaces and weatherize their homes has had a positive impact on the state economy. Molly Fleming of I-P-P wrote the report along with Iowa State University economist David Swenson.

Fleming says Iowa received $81-million for the weatherization program under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). She says they found that ARRA increases total state output, it boosts the incomes of Iowa workers, and it creates and saves jobs for workers statewide.

Fleming says the money helps those who do the weatherization of homes as well as those who manufacture and sell energy-efficient heating systems. And she says it is a boost to the low-income families that have taken part.

Fleming says it eases the burden of high home energy costs, allows them to access expensive energy retrofits that reduce energy bills, and it helps reduce greenhouse gases statewide. “So there’s multiple impacts happening here,” she explains. Fleming says

weatherizing a home on average can reduce their energy bill by three percent and save them about $400. She says the addition of the federal dollars allowed the weatherization of some 7,200 homes, and increase of 76% over the past year.

Fleming says there’s both direct and indirect impact to Iowa’s economy from the weatherization of the homes. She says, “All told, ARRA funding will increase the state output by nearly 49-million dollars in this currentfiscal year, it will boost the incomes of Iowa workers by over $20-millions in this fiscal year, and will create or save 612 jobs in this fiscal year.” The funding is expected to have the same impact in the next fiscal year.

Fleming says the money spent on this program clearly extends beyond the low-income families, as they have more money to spend back into the economy. She says every federal dollar of economic stimulus spent on the program yields about $1.47 in total output for the state, and out of that original dollar — about 61% is returned to Iowa workers in the form of wages, salaries, and incomes to small business owners.

 ”So as all these figures show, weatherization funding the recovery act is able to produce a pretty significant ripple in the Iowa economy,” according to Fleming. You can see the entire report on the federal weatherization project at: www.iowapolicyproject.org.

Filed Under: Business, Environment & Conservation

Study says not all kids getting needed eye exams

May 20, 2010 By

A study finds about one in three Iowa parents have never taken their child for a vision check. May is Healthy Vision Month and a reminder that everyone needs regular eye exams. Optometrist Michael Slusky says most people assume if they can see well, all is okay with their eyes.

“If I’m seeing well, my eyes should be pretty good,” Dr. Slusky says. “Well, the importance of that annual eye exam by a trained eye care provider is to ensure not only that you’re seeing to your best ability but to check for eye diseases. Many eye diseases can go undetected for years before an individual can start to have symptoms.” Many Iowans have jobs outdoors — folks like construction workers, farmers, outdoor market vendors. Slusky says these are the ones who really need to be careful with their eyes because the sun isn’t kind. He says wearing a hat with a brim is a tremendously effective way of blocking the rays…along with:

“U-V blocking sunglasses, but not all sunglasses are effective at blocking U-V light. For example, if the sunglasses are setting further away from the face or if it’s a narrow frame, light can pass in through the side or bounce off the ground and be reflected from below into your eyes.” He say surfaces like water, grass or sand reflect light. Slusky says as summer nears, children will be spending much more time outdoors and parents need to insist the kids wear proper eye protection.

“Eighty-percent of the U-V exposures we receive over a lifetime actually occurs before we reach the age of 18,” he says. “It’s so important for parents out there to put a hat on them. Put a pair of sunglasses on them. Kids have larger pupils and they’re outside a lot more than we are, about three-times as much.” Slusky says it is possible to suffer sunburn on our corneas, which is the window to our eyes. That can contribute to cataract formation over a lifetime.

By Karla James

Filed Under: Health & Medicine

Michael Anderson

May 20, 2010 By

Michael-Anderson150Michael Anderson is a senior with the Davis County Homeschool Assistance Program. He was nominated by his mother and teacher, Zelda Anderson:

AUDIO: INS Superior Student for May, 2010

“Scholastic: Michael is a senior who has been homeschool since Kindergarten with the Davis County Homeschool Assistance program. He has done well with his Academics and will be graduating with a 3.86 GPA and is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. He was on the honor roll for 2 years with extra classes he took at the Ottumwa Christian School.

Music: He has played the piano for over 10 years and was able to go to the Southeast Iowa State Competition in 2009 and 2010 receiving a Division I rating both years. For 2 years he enjoyed singing and was a member of GOVAP – the Greater Ottumwa Vocal Arts Project. This group traveled and sang and put on concerts in South East Iowa.

Sports: He has been actively involved with sports playing Basketball for the Ottumwa Christian School and Davis Co. High School; playing on Varsity and Junior Varsity respectively. He also played soccer through all his grade school years and in the 9th grade for the Ottumwa Community Soccer Club. For years he has attended the Gardner Tae Kwon Do class and was able to attain a First Degree Black Belt. In the spring of 2010 he just completed the American Red Cross Course to qualify him as a Life Guard for the local YMCA.

Community & Church: For the community he has been an active volunteer at the local hospital; Ottumwa Regional Health Center for the last 3 years. He is also a teen volunteer for the Heartland Pregnancy Center which is a crisis pregnancy center. He helps with fund raising, practical helps and services. He has been very involved in his church since childhood. As a teen he has worked as a leader for the youth group, assisted with the Awana kids Club, helped with youth and mission fund raising, working as an assistant in the Sunday School and nursery, helping with church maintenance, and other needs as they have arrived. He is an active member in the youth group. He has also assisted with the greeting visitor programs. During his grade school years he worked hard on receiving the Timothy Awana Trophy” at Northgate Alliance Church. The work to achieve this award is similar to working for an Eagle Scout Award. For his community he has helped with the “Make Ottumwa Shine” program cleaning up streets and parks of litter. One spring in particular he and his family worked on a major highway and park area that helped prepare for the Ragbrai Biking Event that brings bikers from all over Iowa as well as from around the world through different cities in Iowa  2009 coming through Ottumwa. He also served as a volunteer helper for the NICHE (Network of Christian Home Educators) convention held each summer in Des Moines. This is the state convention for families that are homeschooling in Iowa.

Politics: For the last 2 years he has been an active member of an organization called TeenPact. This is a National Civic Leadership training program. He attended week long classes at the Des Moines State Capital learning how to be actively involved as a citizen with the political process. After the state convention he went to the National Convention where he participated in mock presidential elections. He also served in the fall of 2008 at the Republican local office in helping with campaign calling and work for the election. At his homeschool group in the fall of 2008 via mock elections he attempted to become President of the Herald Homeschool group. Him and his running mate placed second during these school elections.”

Filed Under: INS Superior Student

Branstad, Vander Plaats spar in final GOP debate

May 20, 2010 By
Republican candidates for governor, Rod Roberts, Bob Vander Plaats and Terry Branstad. (L-R)

Republican candidates for governor, Rod Roberts, Bob Vander Plaats and Terry Branstad. (L-R)

The third and final debate among the three Republicans who are running for governor featured claims that a rival was lying, along with a call for a cease fire.

 Former Governor Terry Branstad bristled when Sioux City business consultant Bob Vander Plaats said Branstad had advised him he’d be a better G.O.P. nominee against an incumbent Democratic governor.

“He did give me some helpful advice,” Vander Plaats said during today’s debate to open the combative session between Vander Plaats and Branstad. “He said, ‘Bob, the best way to beat an incumbent governor is not to have a political record that that incumbent governor can attack’ and…I think that’s why this election is so crucial on June 8 because I believe Chet Culver’s only chance at reelection is if we offer up a candidate with an extensive political record.”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Nashua teen hurt after falling in grain silo

May 20, 2010 By

A teenager from the northeast Iowa town of Nashua is recovering from injuries he sustained after falling into a grain silo Wednesday afternoon. Eighteen-year-old Keegan Henry, an employee of the Mill Incorporated in Nashua, was apparently working in an empty silo when he fell about 60 feet to the bottom.

According to sources, Henry was breathing but was unconscious when emergency workers arrived. Henry was taken by air ambulance to Covenant hospital in Waterloo. A condition report was not available.

Reports say Henry is scheduled to graduate from high school on Sunday.

By Roger King, KOEL, Oelwein

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters
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