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Branstad to fly over sprawling Missouri River

June 27, 2011 By

Governor Branstad says Missouri River flooding has already done “tens of millions of dollars” in damage.

Branstad will be conducting an aerial tour of the sprawling Missouri River’s run along Iowa’s western border. “Today I’m going back to Sioux City and Council Bluffs to get a first-hand view of the flood situation and the work that’s been going on,” Branstad says.

Branstad has asked for a presidential disaster declaration for the six counties that border the Missouri River, and Branstad says he “can’t imagine” the president won’t grant it.

“That’s important because communities like Hamburg and Council Bluffs and Sioux City and virtually all the communities along the Missouri River have expended a lot of money to protect themselves and they should be eligible for 80 percent reimbursement and also the state’s match as well,” Branstad says. “And so we anticipate this will be a substantial cost at all levels, but under the FEMA guidelines, the federal government should pick up at least 80 percent of this.”

Some concerns have been raised about a nuclear power plant just across the border in Nebraska which is surrounded by water, but Branstad says he’s been “assured” there is no danger to the public.

“It is surrounded by water, but it is also actually shut down right now anyway for maintenance purposes,” Branstad says, “and they feel very confident there is no danger with it whatsoever.”

Branstad will fly in a Black Hawk helicopter from Sioux City to Council Bluffs this afternoon.  He has on-the-ground meetings in both cities with local officials involved in the flood fight. 

Branstad will be along the Mississippi River tomorrow to welcome President Obama to Bettendorf and the governor plans to visit with Obama about that presidential disaster declaration request for the Missouri River corridor.  Branstad also spoke with the governors of Montana and North Dakota this past weekend to compare notes on the status of the Missouri River basin.

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

Branstad to greet Obama as “courtesy”

June 27, 2011 By

Iowa’s Republican governor plans to greet the nation’s Democratic president tomorrow in Bettendorf. 

President Obama is scheduled to visit the Alcoa plant to highlight an economic message. Many Republicans are critical of Obama’s stewardship of the economy, but Branstad says he’s going — as a matter of courtesy.

“I think anytime the president of the United States comes to your state and you get invited as the governor to attend, it’s appropriate to do so,” Branstad says. “I also have concerns about the way the president has managed the economy and if I get the opportunity, I’ll bring that up as well.” 

[Read more...]

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

Number of college football programs is increasing

June 27, 2011 By

Despite difficult budget times the sport of football is expanding at colleges and universities across the country. A report from the National Football Foundation says eight new programs will debut this season with 17 more set to launch in the next couple of years. Nearly two dozen other schools are considering a similar move.

Drake University athletic director Sandy Hatfield-Clubb says football is expanding because more schools are trying to attract men to their campus. She says there are a higher percentage of women attending college now and she says this allows them to get more men on campus.

Hatfield-Club says football allows them to target their recruiting, “We target high character student athletes. We target people who’re very interested in seeking a degree.”

Two of the new programs coming on board are at Stetson and Mercer. Both will join the Pioneer Football League of which Drake is a member. Hatfield-Clubb says many of the schools adding football are choosing the non scholarship route. She says it’s an attractive brand of football where you don’t have to make as big an investment in the program for scholarships.

Hatfield-Clubb says they frequently hear from schools who are considering adding football and are always asked about the benefits of having the sport. She says it is “a tone setter” for the campus.

The report says three dozen new college football programs have started playing in the past six years.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Less travel expected this Fourth of July

June 27, 2011 By

Gasoline prices have been falling in Iowa for weeks, but they’re still well above a year ago, so travel projections for the upcoming holiday weekend are down. Rose White, at Triple-A Iowa, says the motor club estimates 39-million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the five-day Independence Day holiday.

White says that’s a 2.5% decline from the Fourth of July weekend last year. Of those traveling, nearly 84% will plan to travel by automobile, another eight-percent will fly to their destination and the remaining eight-percent will travel by other modes including rail, bus and watercraft.” Gas prices in Iowa were near four-dollars a gallon in May but have fallen to a current average around $3.56 a gallon. That’s well above the statewide average price from a year ago of $2.67.

White says in addition to the regular road hazards, Iowa motorists will need to keep a closer eye on the highway. “Roadways near major waterways in the Midwest may be impacted by flooding,” White says. “Before you leave, pack a detailed road map in your vehicle in case you need to select an alternative route.” Also, she suggests you store phone numbers or web addresses to the state road departments on your cell phone or PDA. If possible, White says to avoid driving at night since it’s hard to see flooded roadways in the dark. Do not drive across a flooded roadway, she says, but instead, dial 911 and report it.

“Keep in mind that today’s automobiles are equipped with many electrical systems and computers that may be damaged if exposed to flood waters,” White says. “Always keep your fuel tank at least half full at all times, just in case an unexpected detour is required.” While Iowa’s current statewide average for gas is $3.56 a gallon, the national average is $3.60.

The state’s all-time high was set in July of 2008 with $4.02 a gallon.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment Tagged With:

Charles City whitewater park drawing attention

June 27, 2011 By

Churning, roiling water is not a welcome sight if you live along the Missouri River, but people in the northeast Iowa town of Charles City are pleased to see the river action. The city recently opened the state’s first whitewater park on the Cedar River stretching out some 1,200 feet from the town’s Main Street bridge. City administrator, Tom Brownlow, says the warmer weather has caused things to really pick up.

Brownlow says one of the goals was to bring kayakers to town and also give people in the town something to do. He says on hot days they have as many as 100 tubers on the course. Brownlow says they also thought the area would improve fishing, which some people didn’t believe, but he says they used to have three or four fishermen, and lately they’ve seen 15 at a time.

The course was created in a 23-acre open area that was mostly flood buyouts land. The Prairie Rapids Paddlers group of paddle boat enthusiasts based in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area came up with the idea for the whitewater course. Group spokesman Ty Graham of Cedar Falls says there was evidence to show the course would make an impact on the community.

Graham says statistics show that for every kayaker that would come to a whitewater destination, they would have four other people on shore. And each kayaker would spend approximately $75-a-day, while each person on shore would spend $45-a-day. Brownlow says they course is drawing people in.

He says they’ve had people from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska along with those from Iowa already come and kayak the course. “I had one of the actually tell me that you can’t find feature this fun within a thousand miles from here, so that is really gratifying to hear,” Brownlow says. Graham says the course is an example of how you can take a river problem and turn it into something that is valuable to a community.

“Yeah, this is a big whitewater park, but at the same time, this is an eye opener for the state of Iowa and every community that has a river running through it,” Graham says. He says it answers the question of what a city can to do make an environmentally responsible, economically viable project utilizing the river. Funding for the one-million dollar course came from the state, city and donors.

Filed Under: Recreation & Entertainment

Bachmann focuses on Waterloo roots (audio)

June 27, 2011 By

Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is formally kicking off her campaign with a speech in Waterloo this morning. Last night, there was a “homecoming” at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo.

“We’re family, so get comfortable,” Bachmann said. “We’re going to have a wonderful time here this evening.”

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Newton man killed in car crash

June 26, 2011 By

A weekend traffic crash claimed the life of a Newton man. Authorities say 65-year-old Michael Leroy Hawkins was killed in the crash, which happened on Saturday just before midnight.

Hawkins was a passenger in a vehicle driven by 64-year-old Ellen Howell of Newton. Iowa State Troopers reported Howell ran a stop sign at the intersection of Highway 14 and South 24th Avenue West. Her vehicle was struck in the passenger side by another car driven by 36-year-old Ingrid Sawyer of LeGrand.

Hawkins was wearing his seatbelt. Howell was injured and taken to a hospital in Des Moines.

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters
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