January 27, 2012

You are here: Home / 2010 / Archives for August 2010

Governor says FEMA has denied public assistance for Lake Delhi

August 25, 2010 By

The governor’s office says FEMA has issued a decision to deny eligibility for public assistance to the Lake Delhi and Lakewood areas. Many residents of the area saw their homes flooded or destroyed when the Lake Delhi dam in Delaware County failed on July 24th following heavy rains.

Governor Culver issued this statement on the decision:

“This is an example of a federal government agency changing rules and regulations, and its interpretation of them, in the middle of a great hardship, getting in the way of help for Iowans who have lost so much in the floods. I stand with the people of Lake Delhi and Lakewood. We have strongly encouraged Lake Delhi and Lakewood to appeal the FEMA decision. It is the right thing to do and I will support them in these efforts. Let me say in the clearest possible terms – this is a matter of fairness. We will do everything we can to make things right.”

Photo courtesy of Bob Fisher, KRIB Radio

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Two killed in Highway 30 crash in Benton County

August 25, 2010 By

A section of Highway 30 in Benton County was closed today after two people died in a head-on collision that happened at about 4:30 a.m. The scene of the wreck was about 15 miles west of Cedar Rapids, not far from where Highway 218 intersects with Highway 30.

A woman in an eastbound car ran into a westbound S.U.V. being driven by a man. There were no passengers in either vehicle. A trucker who came upon the scene tried to help, using his fire extinguisher to fight the flames consuming the S.U.V. Highway 30 was closed in both directions for about two hours.

The identies of the victims have not been released.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Charles City woman accused of stealing thousands in lottery tickets

August 25, 2010 By

A north central Iowa woman has been accused of taking thousands of dollars worth of lottery tickets from her employer. Police say they arrested 41-year-old Gail Crooks of Charles City last week.

She’s accused of taking more than $8,000 worth of Iowa Lottery tickets while working at Hy-Vee Gas in Charles City. Crooks has been charged with embezzlement, a Class D felony, which if found guilty could land Crooks in prison for up to five years.

By Bob Fisher, KRIB/KLSS, Mason City

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Congressman Braley on committee looking into egg recall

August 25, 2010 By

Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are looking into the recall of eggs from two Iowa farms that may be responsible for hundreds of cases of Salmonella poisoning. Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, is vice-chair of the committee.

“One of the things we are trying to do is make sure that we have a system in place that protects America’s food consumers and provides assurances that necessary safety precautions are being carried out before those products enter the market,” Braley said. More than 500 million eggs have been recalled by Wright County Farms in Galt and Hillandale Farms in New Hampton.

Braley says the committee will focus on uncovering the facts before reaching any conclusions. In an e-mail, Braley praised Wright County Farms for taking the appropriate steps to correct the problem despite legal problems in the past. Braley says there’s a big difference between past misbehavior and how they company responded.

“They have a very troubling history in terms of the way they’ve operated,” Braley said. “Their employment practices, their environmental practices…are to be properly condemned for things they have done in the past that were not according to the law.”

Braley says he is trying to focus on the immediate problem of protecting consumers. He was a guest on the Iowa Public Radio program The Exchange.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Rock Rapids man charged with beating his girlfriend

August 25, 2010 By

A Rock Rapids man is behind bars, facing felony charges for allegedly beating his girlfriend because she didn’t give him money. Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that about 5:30 P.M. on Sunday they investigated a domestic abuse case which occurred in Rock Rapids earlier that day, about 6:00 A.M.

Upon investigation, 29-year-old Matthew Jeremy Craig of Rock Rapids was arrested and charged with domestic abuse assault, a serious misdemeanor; willful injury, a class D felony; and robbery, a class D felony.

Court documents say that Craig assaulted his girlfriend after he asked her for money and she said she didn’t have any. He allegedly choked her, leaving bruises on her neck.

Craig is currently being held in the Lyon County Jail on $10,000 bond.

By Scott Van Aartsen, KIWA, Sheldon

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Court says buying pseudoephedrine not probable cause for drug search

August 25, 2010 By

The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled that buying pseudoephedrine is not reason enough for police to believe you might be making meth. The ruling involves a search warrant request filed by a Tama County deputy in 2009 that said suspicious traffic had been reported by neighbors at the homes of Pamela Robbins and Michael Watson in Marshalltown.

It said Watson had a history or making meth, and documented 27 purchases of drugs containing pseudoephedrine — a key ingredient in making meth — at area pharmacies. The application said Robbins had purchased pseudoephedrine 25 times during the same period, and her car was seen at Watson’s home on several of those days.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Branstad defends plan to scrap Department of Economic Development

August 25, 2010 By

Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad is defending his plan to get rid of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. The former governor has proposed a new public-private partnership to replace the agency. Last week Branstad touted a similar effort in Indiana that Branstad said took “the best knowledge and experience of business leadership” in Indiana and partnered it with state government.

But Governor Culver’s campaign cites problems with that Indiana program. Job creation claims were exaggerated and, in one case, a factory was empty and padlocks were on the gates despite claims there were 1,400 new jobs created at the facility.

Branstad is still touting his public-private partnership idea this week, however, saying it has worked elsewhere, including in Indiana as that state has seen “real” job growth. “We’ve seen some other models in other states where they partnered with businesses in those states and with professional developers and where it’s been very successful,” Branstad said yesterday in Pella.

The Culver campaign suggests there are significant questions about secrecy in a quasi-government agency that would be “partnered” with private sector groups, but Branstad says he would ensure his “Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress” would be “open and transparent.”

Branstad, however, joked about how he was a bit too transparent at the beginning of his 16-year run as governor, and wound up skuttling some potential business deals. “People would ask me a question and I’d give them an honest answer,” Branstad said. “But sometimes I’ve learned to say, ‘Well, I really can’t talk about that yet.’”

Branstad says if he’s elected to a fifth term as governor this November, he’ll lead a new effort to lure former Iowans back to the state, particularly former Iowans who work in advanced manufacturing, value-added agriculture, biotechnology, insurance and financial services businesses.

Filed Under: Business, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »