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Culver touts Cedar Rapids recovery, defends fundraiser in flood zone

August 30, 2010 By

Governor Chet Culver is in Cedar Rapids this afternoon, touting a public-private program that’s helping flooded-out homeowners rebuild, “Block by Block.”  

“This is another great example of Iowans helping Iowans. Local folks in Cedar Rapids have come together to create this ‘Block by Block’ program,” Culver says. “…With a combination of resources including an additional $1.3 million, we’ll be able to build back about 365 homes in a 24-square-block area of Cedar Rapids.”

To participate in the “Block by Block” program, at least 60 percent of the property owners in the block must agree to participate. ”And most importantly, you’re talking about hundreds of volunteers who actually get into these homes, do the necessary repairs and help provide a new home for families that were forced out in the summer of 2008 because of the flood waters,” Culver says.

[Read more...]

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

Radio Iowa High School Football Poll 8/30/10

August 30, 2010 By

Class 4A
1. Iowa City High (1-0), LW #1 vs Waterloo West
2. Dowling Catholic (2-0), LW #2 @ DSM East
3. Cedar Rapids Xavier (1-0), LW #3 @ CR Prairie
4. Ankeny (2-0), LW #4 vs DSM North
5. Cedar Falls (1-0), LW #5 @ Waterloo East
6. Linn-Mar (Marion) (1-0), LW #6 @ CR Kennedy (Thur)
7. Cedar Rapids Washington (1-0), LW #7 @ CR Jefferson
8. Bettendorf (1-0), LW #8 @ Davenport North (Thur)
9. Fort Dodge (1-0), LW #10 @ Urbandale
10.Davenport Assumption (1-0), LW (X) @ Burlington

Class 3A
1. Harlan (1-0), LW #1 @ CB Lincoln
2. Williamsburg (1-0), LW #2 vs Mount Pleasant
3. Solon (1-0), LW #3 vs 2A-#1 Iowa City Regina
4. Pella (1-0), LW #6 vs Knoxville
5. Clear Lake (1-0), LW #5 vs Forest City
6. LeMars (1-0), LW #9 @ 2A #9 Sioux Center
7. Union (LaPorte City) (1-0), LW #9 vs Independence
8. Grinnell (1-0), LW (X) vs DSM Roosevelt
9. Ballard (Huxley) (1-0), LW (X) vs ADM Adel
10.Fairfield (1-0), LW (X) vs Central DeWitt

Class 2A
1. Iowa City Regina (1-0), LW #2 @ 3A #3 Solon
2. North Fayette (1-0), LW #2 vs Oelwein
3. New Hampton (1-0), LW #3 vs Decorah
4. Western Christian (Hull) (1-0), LW #9 vs 1A #1 West Lyon
5. Pella Christian (1-0), LW #5 @ Van Meter
6. Carroll Kuemper (1-0), LW (X) @ Atlantic
7. Albia (1-0), LW (X) vs Chariton
8. Sigourney-Keota (1-0), LW (X) @ Wilton
9. Sioux Center (1-0), LW (X) vs 3A #6 LeMars
10.Fort Dodge St. Edmond (1-0), LW (X) vs Manson-NW Webster

Class 1A
1. West Lyon (1-0), LW #1 @ 2A #4 Western Christian
2. Council Bluffs St. Albert (1-0), LW #2 @ Glenwood
3. HMS (Hartley) (1-0), LW #3 @ Cherokee
4. West Branch (1-0), LW #4 vs A #9 Lisbon
5. Emmetsburg (1-0), LW #6 vs Spencer
6. Turkey Valley (1-0), LW #7 @ Valley (Elgin)
7. Aplington-Parkersburg (1-0), LW #8 @ West Marshall
8. Treynor (1-0), LW (X) @ AHST
9. Logan-Magnolia (1-0), LW (X) vs Clarinda
10.Woodward-Granger (1-0), LW (X) @ West Central Valley

Class A
1. Madrid (1-0), LW #1 @ PCM (Monroe)
2. Mason City Newman (2-0), LW #2 vs Saint Ansgar
3. North Tama (1-0), LW #3 @ HLV
4. Central (Elkader) (1-0), LW LW #5 vs Clayton Ridge
5. Bedford (1-0), LW #8 @ Mount Ayr
6. WACO (Wayland) (1-0), LW (X) @ North Mahaska
7. Clay Central-Everly (1-0), LW (X) @ East Sac County
8. LeMars Gehlen (0-1), LW #4 vs Hinton
9. Lisbon (1-0), LW (X) @ 1A #4 West Branch
10.Montezuma (1-0), LW (X) vs New London

Eight-man
1. Lenox (1-0), LW #1 vs East Mills
2. Armstrong-Ringsted (1-0), LW #2 @ Laurens-Marathon
3. Northeast Hamilton (2-0), LW #3 @ #6 North Sentral Kossuth
4. Preston (2-0), LW #5 vs Central City
5. Graettinger-Terril (1-0), LW #6 vs Ventura
6. North Sentral Kossuth (1-0), LW #8 vs #3 N.E. Hamilton
7. Adair-Casey (1-0), LW #10 @ Fremont-Mills
8. CAM (Anita) (1-0), LW (X) vs Stanton
9. Tripoli (2-0), LW (X) idle
10.Janesville (1-0), LW (X) vs Tama Meskwaki

Filed Under: Radio Iowa Poll, Sports

Cedar Rapids trucking company benefits from cutbacks in the industry

August 30, 2010 By

Expansion underway at C.R.S.T. trucking in Cedar Rapids.

A Cedar Rapids trucking company is taking advantage of the downturn in the economy to create an upturn in its business. C.R.S.T. International has begun a one-million dollar expansion of the training facility it opened just two years ago.

Company president, Dave Rusch says they need to expand to meet the demand for increase driver training.

Rusch says the training facility allowed them to house 96 drivers, but they’ve expanded so much that they have been at capacity, and have been spending $10,000 a week on local hotels for drivers. The expansion will allow 175 drivers to stay at the facility while they undergo training.

Rusch says the downturn in the economy dramatically cut the number of trucking companies, with an industry report that some 7,500 went bankrupt. He says in addition to the ones that went bankrupt, many of the other big carriers downsized and sold off some of their trucks. Rusch says all the changes left the industry with no surplus of trucking as things picked up a little in the economy — and his company is trying to fill that need.

Rusch says their goal is to reach one billion dollars of revenue in the next year, and he says it’s not because the economy is that strong, but because so many of their competitors have left the business. Rusch says the economy and need for trucking improve some at the start of this year and that helped C-R-S-T’s expansion plans.

“Demand increases a little bit, and if supply has been driven down like we’ve seen in our industry over the past three years, those that are surviving are seeing some pretty good times,” Rusch says. The down economy has also been a positive when it comes to finding people to fill the trucking jobs.

“With high unemployment, there’s more people out there looking, so we do see a better quality driver,” Rusch says. He says there are lot of people from the construction, housing and automotive industry that have seen their jobs go away and look to the trucking industry for new jobs. Rusch says C.R.S.T. International is the sixth largest truckload carrier in the United States.

Photo courtesy of C.R.S.T. trucking.

Filed Under: Business

Mason City woman charged after two pit bull attacks

August 30, 2010 By

Mason City police say two men were attacked by two pit bulls over the weekend. Sergeant Mike Thomas says officers responded shortly after 6:15 Saturday night to a southwest Mason City residence for two men being attacked by the pit bulls.

One of the pit bulls approached an officer in an aggressive manner, with the officer firing at the dog and it retreated. The two dogs were then captured by the officers, with one being transported to a veterinarian for examination.

Both dogs were impounded for observation to monitor for rabies and for the owner to show proof of vaccinations. 22-year-old Paige Burgess was charged with two counts of having a vicious animal, two counts of not having rabies vaccinations, two counts of not having a city dog license and one count of having a dog at-large. All those charges are simple misdemeanors, each punishable by up to 30 days in jail.

John Hanson and Nathan Dorsey of Mason City were injured in the attack. Hanson was taken to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa for treatment, while Dorsey was treated and released from Mercy.

By Bob Fisher, KRIB, Mason City

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Debris on tracks may’ve caused derailment in Le Mars

August 30, 2010 By

Investigators believe debris at a railroad crossing may have caused a trail derailment in northwest Iowa. Three freight cars left the tracks Friday in the Le Mars Industrial Park. No one was injured, but 200 to 300 gallons of diesel spilled from a refrigeration unit on one of the cars. Officials built a dike to contain the spill.

Le Mars Fire Chief David Schipper says it appears one of the Union Pacific cars hit debris at the crossing.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Meth lab explosion leaves several homeless in Des Moines

August 30, 2010 By

A weekend explosion and fire left as many as 100 people homeless in Des Moines. The blast and blaze destroyed an entire apartment building at Willow Park Apartments on Saturday afternoon, gutting some 30 units.

Des Moines police suspect the explosion was sparked by two men who were cooking methamphetamine. They were the only people injured in the fire. They’re identified as 21-year-old Jerraun Smith and 28-year-old Rodney Mellows. Both are being treated in Iowa City for severe burns.

No condition reports are being released. As yet, no charges are filed.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Fires/Accidents/Disasters Tagged With: ,

Former GOP congressional candidate endorses Democrat Congressman Boswell (AUDIO)

August 30, 2010 By

Mark Rees and Leonard Boswell (L-R)

One of the seven Republicans who competed for the G.O.P.’s nomination for congress in Iowa’s third district has endorsed the Democratic incumbent. 

Mark Rees, a retired architect from West Des Moines, says Brad Zaun — the victor in  the G.O.P. Primary — is “too far to the right” on “virtually all issues.”  Rees says he decided shortly after the Primary that he would endorse Congressman Leonard Boswell.

“I focus on the issues and ideas, on character and that’s how I vote my conscience,” Rees says. “I don’t vote along party lines.”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,
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