Saturday, May 25, 2013
High-profile kidnappings like those involving Evansdale cousins Elizabeth Collins and Lyric Cook-Morrissey – and now Kathlynn Shepard – inevitably lead to talk of restoring the death penalty in Iowa.
Emotion-gripped cases like the abduction, sexual assault or murder of a child often provide a platform for capital punishment advocates to argue for reinstatement of capital punishment, abolished in Iowa in 1965. After the Evansdale cousins’ bodies were discovered, a pro-death penalty effort led by state Sen. Kent Sorenson, R-Milo, failed to gather much steam in the just-adjourned Iowa General Assembly, but the question lingers: Is the death penalty an effective deterrent? Capital punishment proponent Noreen Gosch, whose son was kidnapped three decades ago, argues that Iowa has “a kidnapping problem” and the perpetrators of those crimes would be less likely to abduct children in Iowa if they thought they would be executed. Opponents say …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican, could appeal to both social and fiscal conservatives, making him a candidate to "fear" in the Iowa Caucuses, progressives warn.
Amid growing speculation that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is testing GOP presidential waters in Iowa and elsewhere, progressive activists warned Thursday at a rally in West Des Moines that a Walker presidency would be “terrifying" and disastrous to middle class families. The controversial Wisconsin governor hasn’t said he’s a candidate, but his appearance Thursday at a Republican fundraiser in Iowa’s largest county, as well as a handful of appearances in the Northeast and before powerful conservative groups, suggest that he’s at least considering a 2016 run for the Republican presidential nomination. The “Scott Walker Truth Squad,” as activists from Progress Iowa and One Wisconsin Now call themselves, told reporters at a news conference …
Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz gave the commencement address last week. Also, outgoing President Randy Yontz received a plaque from the leadership institute board. This year's class is working to build an amphitheater in Centennial Park.
From a WLI News Release: On May 16, the Waukee Leadership Institute recognized the class of 2013. The institute graduated 16 class members who attended nine sessions over the past nine months, according to a news release. The curriculum over the nine months included the following: Introduction to Leadership, Leadership & Leadership Styles, City Leadership & Relationships, Leading Professionally, School Leadership & Collaboration, Economic Development, the Waukee Business Community and Business Ethics. He talked about the importance of being involved in one's community, and community service. “You don’t have to be an elected official to make a difference,” said Schultz in the release. He encouraged all of the graduates to get involved, and …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
“Truth Squad” plans to rally ahead of Wisconsin governor’s appearance before Polk County Republican activists in West Des Moines Thursday.
Advocacy groups for progressives in Iowa and Wisconsin are holding “Scott Walker Truth Squad” in advance of the Wisconsin governor’s appearance Thursday at a Polk County Republican Fundraiser, one of several of appearances before GOP activists that point to a possible presidential run in 2016. Advisers to Walker say he’s returning a favor to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, who hosted a fundraiser in Dubuque, Iowa, for the embattled Wisconsin governor during his 2012 recall election, the Washington Post reported. Even if Walker’s advisers are telling it like it is, and that Walker’s appearance with Branstad is just a little quid pro quo among political friends, the pre-banquet rally by Progress Iowa and One Wisconsin Now is expected to add to the…
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
The Indiana bat is one of four endangered species living in the Des Moines metro.
LINK UP WITH PATCH: Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for Waukee's free daily email newsletter. The Indiana bat, an endangered species living in Waukee that has delayed work on the Alice's Road project, could become nearly extinct by 2022 according to a recent US Geological Survey. The population is expected to decline by 90 percent in nine years thanks to white-nose syndrome, WBAA public radio reported. The fungal infection named for the white ring of fungus that forms on the bats' face has killed more than one million bats since 2006, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Indiana bats spend most of their time hibernating in caves in northeastern states and roost in wooded areas in the summer months, which …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Both the U.S. Senate and House are working on immigration reform plans. What do you think should be done about the estimated 11 million people currently living in the country illegally or on expired visas.
A U.S. Senate immigration reform proposal that would allow the estimated 11 million residents living here illegally by the end of 2011 to remain in the country lawfully is expected to come to a final vote by June. The Senate plan would allow these people to earn a temporary status that lets them to work if they meet a number of requirements, including: passing background checks, submitting to fingerprinting and proving they've lived here before Dec. 31, 2011. The documentation process wouldn't begin until a border security system was in place, according to information about the bill posted on Sen. Mark Rubio's Senate website. The border security plan includes a border fence plan, an electronic system that would verify workers' status and …
Friday, May 17, 2013
The Waukee City Council member, who is seeking re-election, says creating a Community and Economic Development Department with City Hall will help boost the city's growth.
Submitted on Behalf of Waukee Councilman Shane Blanchard: Councilman Shane Blanchard has been a huge supporter of establishing a Community and Economic Development Department within the City of Waukee. With the success of Alice's Road becoming a reality while being elected to Council in 2010, Blanchard knew the City had to be more active and hands on with respect to bringing businesses into the City. After meeting with WEDCO (Waukee Economic Development Corporation) in May 2012, Blanchard asked for data in relation to accomplishments in regards to Economic Development. "The taxpayers of Waukee are the largest contributor to WEDCO, giving $60,000 year for three years. As a representative of our taxpayers, I expect results," Blanchard said…
Saturday, May 11, 2013
The cost of colonoscopies, MRIs, CT scans and mammograms can shift a lot from place to place.
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Saturday, May 11
You can save more than $2,000 by getting an MRI in Polk County than it costs to get the same medical procedure in Story County. The average cost here is $1,570 compared to $3,630 in Story County. The cost in Polk County is also a bit lower than the state average of $2,630. That's according to data from New Choice Health, a private company that encourages people to become smarter healthcare consumers. Other procedures such as colonoscopies are considerably more affordable in Polk County than Story County and, on average, across Iowa. Colonoscopies cost on average $1,990 in Polk County compared to $4,560 in Story County $3,690 across Iowa. Big regional differences for medical procedures have been in the news lately: As the Washington Post …
The Waukee City Council, which has set a goal for 2013 to emphasize community and economic development, agreed to bring much economic development work in-house.
From a City of Waukee news release: The Waukee City Council this week agreed to establish a community and economic development department. One of the top council priorities for 2013 is to reshape the approach to community and economic development to put the city in the best position for short term and long term economic success. Under the proposal, the city will establish a Community and Economic Development Department that will bring many economic development activities in-house. The city will hire a director to begin in August. An Economic Development Advisory Board will be created to engage citizens in the development process; working with city staff to write and implement an economic development action plan with the goal of improving …
This weekend is your chance to get rid of clutter around the house; it must be out on the curb by 7 a.m. Saturday.
Don Lloyd
1:18 pm on Saturday, May 25, 2013
Hang those S.O.B's! one trial and if convicted its over, no more cost to the tax payer and a length of rope can be used multiple times. These people generally pray upon young, naïve people. if the victims do survive they are the ones that will suffer a life time of wondering why nobody did anything to protect them. But if the perpetrator is dead that is one less of the worst kind of criminal to … more ›