January 28, 2012

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Suspended Hawkeye football player charged with possession of pot

December 28, 2010 By

Iowa RB Adam Robinson (#32)

A star on the Hawkeye football squad who was suspended from the team earlier this month now faces a drug charge. The Iowa State Patrol issued a news release late this morning, revealing Iowa runningback Adam Robinson now faces a marijuana possession charge.

Robinson was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over at about 10:45 Monday night.  A state trooper pulled the vehicle over because it didn’t have a license plate on the front.  The traffic stop happened a few blocks from the statehouse, just north of the building that houses the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

According to the trooper, he “detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle” when he walked up to the vehicle. Robinson, who is 21, is a University of Iowa sophomore.  He is scheduled to appear in court on January 5th on the marijuana possession charge. 

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Branstad names Ottumwa native, military veteran to management post

December 28, 2010 By

A military veteran who is a former chairman of the Master Builders of Iowa will serve in Governor-elect Terry Branstad’s administration. 

The Department of Administrative Services is responsible for many of the day-to-day operations of state government, like clearing snow from sidewalks to making sure the computers in state offices work.  The merged agency was created in mid-2003 and part of its mission is to manage the state payroll.  Fifty-seven-year-old Mike Carroll of Clive is the man Governor-elect Branstad has chosen to be the agency’s new director.

Carroll is an Ottumwa native who served in the Iowa National Guard and Air Guard. He holds an engineering degree and he served a one-year term as chairman of the Master Builders of Iowa four years ago. Carroll is currently a partner at Hansen Company where he managed budgets for a variety of projects, including construction services.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Vander Plaats: Gronstal is politically vulnerable

December 28, 2010 By

File photo of Bob Vander Plaats outside of Iowa Judicial Building as wife, Darla, looks on

The man who led the campaign to oust three of Iowa Supreme Court justices in this year’s retention election is hinting the Democratic leader in the Iowa Senate may be targeted in 2012. 

Senator Mike Gronstal, a Democrat from Council Bluffs, said last month he intends to seek reelection in 2012.  Bob Vander Plaats, the president and C.E.O. of The FAMiLY Leader, says Gronstal’s politically vulnerable because Gronstal promises to continue blocking a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution which would ban gay marriage. 

“The people of Iowa are quite frankly tired of groveling to Gronstal and I think there’s going to be a lot of pressure put on his senate peers as well as people within his district, that they want leadership there as well,” Vander Plaats says.

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

Missing car found in Clinton homicide case

December 28, 2010 By

Clinton police have found what may be a key clue after a woman was found fatally-shot in her apartment last week, as her missing car has surfaced.

Investigators have announced they have recovered the car in question related to the homicide investigation of 24-year-old Kelsey Stahl.

The vehicle remains in police custody pending its examination for any evidence to help determine the circumstances surrounding Stahl’s death.

Police did not say where or when the 2003 Oldsmobile Alero was recovered. Investigators have said Stahl died of a gunshot, but little other information has been released. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Iowa’s December college grads compete with seasoned workers in tight job market

December 28, 2010 By

Iowa’s unemployment rate is still several points below national jobless numbers, but a new crop of December college graduates is now flooding into the marketplace. Those new grads will be competing with many experienced workers for some of the same openings.

Career services advisor Laura Kestner says she’d expect many entry level jobs to go to the new grads. Kestner says, “That’s simply because it would be a step backwards for someone seasoned, where for a college graduate, they might bring more enthusiasm and spirit to the position and be more comfortable with the pay than someone who has a lot of different experience.”

She says there’s no need for new college grads to get discouraged about the tight job market as there are still good entry level jobs in cities across Iowa.

Kestner says, “College graduates are still very marketable and they bring new and cutting-edge skills to the market that people with seasoned experience may not bring.” [Read more...]

Filed Under: Education

Branstad: governor doesn’t have a role in impeachment

December 28, 2010 By

Governor-elect Terry Branstad will not comment on news that three  Republicans who’ve been elected to the Iowa House plan to try to impeach the four remaining Iowa Supreme Court Justices. 

“This is a separate branch of government and I’ve got enough on my plate not to get into that one,” Branstad says. “So I don’t intend to comment on it.”

Three members of the state’s Supreme Court were ousted in November’s judicial retention election.  Critics charge the court overstepped its authority when it issued a unanimous 2009 ruling which paved the way for same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Branstad has repeatedly called on legislators to set the wheels in motion for a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage in Iowa. As for impeachment, Branstad says that’s the legislature’s business, not his.

“The governor doesn’t have a role in that,” Branstad says. “And I’ve got many things on my plate so I have not looked into that at all.”

Articles of impeachment first must be approved by the 100-member House, then a trial must be held in the Iowa Senate, followed by a vote of two-thirds of the state senators in order to impeach a justice.

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

Branstad and his budget chief say it’s time for “lifestyle change” in state gov’t

December 27, 2010 By

Governor-elect Branstad speaks at budget hearing. To his left is Lt. Governor-elect Kim Reynolds. To his right, advisors Carmine Boal and Jeff Boeyink.

Both Governor-elect Branstad and his budget chief say state government has to go through a “lifestyle change.” 

“It’s going to be a challenge, but it’s not nearly as painful as a lot of families have gone through,” Branstad says. “A lot of families have had to cut their budgets substantially, get rid of their credit cards, live with a member of the family unemployed. A lot of companies have done spending cuts. I mean, people have taken salary reductions.”

[Read more...]

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