http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ia-news/ en-us Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:58:25 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048555/posts CEDAR FALLS, IOWA -- Standing near a mound of rotting floorboards and door frames outside his home near the Cedar River, Steve Aldrich shouted to the volunteers who had driven 1,000 miles to muck out his finished basement and carve 4 feet of soaked drywall from the walls of the first floor. "I love you guys, thank you so much," he said as he headed off to the city planning department of the Midwestern university town, hoping to learn whether he would have to raise his house a foot above the 100-year flood plain in order to rebuild. "I'll be... The Times-Picayune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048555/posts#comment Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:58:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047959/posts Click on the link for a great video report on the attempt by Democrat Rep. James Oberstar and unions to shut down the 1926 passenger steamboat Delta Queen, which sails America's inland rivers. Fox News Channel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2047959/posts#comment Sat, 19 Jul 2008 12:44:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046088/posts DES MOINES -- Republican Congressman Steve King carries a copy of the Constitution with him everywhere he goes. He said it reminds him of the oath he took when first elected in 2002 to Congress. King stressed at Saturday's GOP state convention that Constitution could come under fire if Sen. Barack Obama is elected in November. "If we don't exercise our rights, we will lose them," said King, noting he has defended the Constitution even when it wasn't popular, cheap or easy. "Even when we have a Constitution (we think) is a guarantee that doesn't mean it is a guarantee... http://www.iowapolitics.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046088/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 01:09:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046080/posts Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, in his bid for a fifth term, still holds a 16-point lead over Republican challenger Christopher Reed. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Iowa voters finds Harkin ahead 52% to 36%. When “leaners” are included, the incumbent leads 55% to 37%. Last month, Harkin led his challenger 53% to 37%. The Democrat is currently chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, a key position for a farming state like Iowa. Rasmussen Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2046080/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:48:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044653/posts Soldiers bring back uplifting stories from KosovoStaff Sgt. David Klein plans to make good on a promise he recently made to a Kosovo barber. Sgt. John "Chico" Oberfoell is exchanging his U.S. Army equipment for baseball bats and gloves.Hundreds of people welcomed back Klein and Oberfoell along with about 90 other Iowa Army National Guard soldiers Friday morning at the Peosta Community Centre. Last year, approximately 330 soldiers were mobilized from the 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery and Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry for a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Other homecomings took place Friday around the state in Algona,... Dubuque Telegraph Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044653/posts#comment Sun, 13 Jul 2008 03:21:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044061/posts U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell was recovering well Thursday from "corrective surgery" and will return to work soon, an aide to the five-term congressman said. "Doctors expect he will return to work in short order," Susan McAvoy, Boswell's chief of staff, said in a statement. The statement didn't offer a timeline for Boswell's recovery. The surgery on Wednesday in a Washington, D.C., hospital came about three years after doctors removed a non-cancerous mass from Boswell's abdomen. Though the mass wasn't cancerous, the 74-year-old Boswell underwent radiation treatment after the procedure. Boswell declined to offer further details at the time, citing medical... Burlington (Iowa) Hawk Eye http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044061/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:29:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042178/posts Local scouts donate to Little Sioux camp The Boy Scouts of Troop 66 on Fort Leavenworth were recognized Wednesday for donating $1,074 to help rebuild the Little Sioux Scout Ranch near Little Sioux, Iowa. The ranch was nearly destroyed when a tornado touched down in the camp on June 11, leaving at least four people dead and more than 40 injured. Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, commanding general of Fort Leavenworth, congratulated the scouts on a job well done. Lt. Col. Chip Bircher said his son, Brion Bircher, wanted to help the scouts affected by the tragedy after seeing... leavenworthtimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042178/posts#comment Tue, 8 Jul 2008 02:02:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041491/posts QUAD CITIES -- Wednesday all Genesis Medical Center Pediatric Clinics suspended their use of childhood vaccines. The decision comes after a baby received routine vaccinations on Tuesday, then died several hours later at home. Genesis Health Group says its suspending pediatric vaccinations merely as a precaution until the cause of the baby's death can be determined. Tuesday morning a 4-month-old baby boy came to the Genesis East Pediatrics Clinic in Silvis for a routine checkup that included several vaccinations. The seemingly healthy baby boy was brought in for a "well baby" visit, that's a check up that includes routine vaccinations... WQAD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041491/posts#comment Sun, 6 Jul 2008 17:01:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2040634/posts CEDAR RAPIDS - Two supervisors at the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville on Thursday became the first known members of the company's management to be arrested after a federal immigration raid of the company in May. A federal arrest warrant has been issued for another Agriprocessors employee whose whereabouts are unknown. Juan Carlos Guerrero-Espinoza, 35, and Martin De La Rosa-Loera, 43, are accused of encouraging illegal immigrants to work at the plant, in some cases even helping them obtain false documents before the raid. The two men were arrested at Agriprocessors on Thursday morning by U.S. marshals and were... Cedar Rapids Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2040634/posts#comment Fri, 4 Jul 2008 07:37:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038089/posts Scores of heavily armed federal agents last month stormed into Agriprocessors, which produces up to 70 percent of all kosher meat in America. The feds seized almost 400 of the plant's 900 workers in the largest single roundup of illegal immigrants to date, charging about 300 of them with identity theft and using stolen Social Security cards. Some of those workers have since sued the company, alleging abuse, fraud and sexual coercion. Postville, which once sold T-shirts boasting of the peaceful coexistence of its many cultures, has been left "absolutely shattered," said the Rev. Paul Ouderkirk of the town's St.... Star and Tribune (MPLS) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2038089/posts#comment Sun, 29 Jun 2008 12:00:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036689/posts Des Moines, IA (AHN) - The marine dead zone resulting from the Midwest flooding is expected to expand to over 10,000 square miles, according to researchers from the Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. The water in the dead zone, approximately the size of Massachusetts, does not have sufficient oxygen at depth to support marine life. Since 1990, the zone, located off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas, usually covers 6,000 square miles, varying according to the flow of the Mississippi River. Its low oxygen content is caused by the presence of large algae blooms which feeds... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036689/posts#comment Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:25:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036464/posts Vandals stoned and beat to death about 50 ducks, including some that were just days old, at the Bever Park Children's Zoo overnight. A zoo employee discovered the dead birds around 7 a.m. this morning. Some were floating in a pond, and others were piled up near a broken rake. Dave Smith, the city parks superintendent, said whoever was responsible broke the lock on the front gate to the pen and broke into two of the three night houses where the birds are kept overnight. They believe at least one person herded the ducks together while someone else did the... Cedar Rapids Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036464/posts#comment Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:15:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035392/posts As Senator Barack Obama courted voters in Iowa last December, Representative Keith Ellison, the country’s first Muslim congressman, stepped forward eagerly to help. Mr. Ellison ...volunteered to speak on Mr. Obama’s behalf at a mosque in Cedar Rapids, one of the nation’s oldest Muslim enclaves. But before the rally could take place, aides to Mr. Obama asked Mr. Ellison to cancel the trip because it might stir controversy. Another aide appeared at Mr. Ellison’s Washington office to explain. “I will never forget the quote,” Mr. Ellison said, leaning forward in his chair as he recalled the aide’s words. “He said,... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035392/posts#comment Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:40:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035209/posts During the week after Father’s Day, I received a number of interesting emails from readers asking me to write about the dearth of looting after the recent floods in Iowa. Specifically, they wanted me to write about the reason there was so much more looting in New Orleans after Katrina hit the “Chocolate City” in 2005. Of course, the problem involves so much more than race – a factor most people are thinking about, even if they won’t admit it... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035209/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:17:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035006/posts When VeraSun Energy inaugurated a new ethanol processing plant last summer in Charles City, Iowa, some of that industry’s most prominent boosters showed up. Leaders of the National Corn Growers Association and the Renewable Fuels Association, for instance, came to help cut the ribbon — and so did Senator Barack Obama. Skip to next paragraph Related To Ease Gas Prices, Obama Eyes Speculators (June 23, 2008) Times Topics: Barack Obama Blog The Caucus The latest political news from around the nation. Join the discussion. Election Guide More Politics News Then running far behind Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in name recognition... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2035006/posts#comment Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:48:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034510/posts It was only a matter of time until the mainstream media began ramping up global warming alarmism by connecting flooding in the Midwest to climate change. ABC’s “World News with Charles Gibson” took a page out of the alarmists’ playbook – connecting natural disasters to global warming, which according to the broadcast is caused by mankind’s use of fossil fuels. The segment, which led off the network’s June 19 broadcast, cited a government report that stated there’s definitive evidence such a link exists. “[T]oday, the administration report draws a clear link between this destructive and severe weather and the fossil... businessandmedia.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034510/posts#comment Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:11:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034227/posts Record prices for gasoline and jet fuel should be good news for Amtrak, as travelers look for alternatives to cut the cost of driving and flying. And they are good news, up to a point. Amtrak set records in May, both for the number of passengers it carried and for ticket revenues — all the more remarkable because May is not usually a strong travel month. But the railroad, and its suppliers, have shrunk so much, largely because of financial constraints, that they would have difficulty growing quickly to meet the demand. Many of the long-distance trains are already sold... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034227/posts#comment Sat, 21 Jun 2008 05:38:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034077/posts Des Moines, IA (AHN) - The flooding of the Mississippi River has brought out to the open the fact that half of 31 levees between southern Iowa and St. Louis are dated and could no longer withstand the river's rampaging waters.According to the Army Corps of Engineers the majority of the levees were build three decades ago, while some were as old as 6 decades. With a National Weather Service forecast of more rains and higher waters on the river, the army engineers fear at least 18 of the levees would give way and this would result to worst flooding... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034077/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 21:40:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034034/posts They while away the long hours behind drawn shutters, in front of televisions tuned to Spanish-language soap operas. Though they realize it's irrational, many of them still live in fear that immigration agents will return, crash into their homes with drawn guns, yell obscenities at them, call them dogs, and drag them away amidst screams and tears. That's what happened May 12, when the largest, single-site workplace immigration raid in U.S. history engulfed this small Iowa town. The raid targeted hundreds of undocumented workers at the Agriprocessors, Inc. kosher meatpacking plant, which dominates the local economy. Over a third of... New American Media http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2034034/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:48:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033997/posts "Where are all of the Hollywood celebrities holding telethons asking for help in restoring Iowa and helping the folks affected by the floods? Where is all the media asking the tough questions about why the federal government hasn't solved the problem? Asking where the FEMA trucks (and trailers) are? Why isn't the Federal Government relocating Iowa people to free hotels in Chicago? When will Spike Lee say that the Federal Government blew up the levees that failed in Des Moines? Where are Sean Penn and the Dixie Chicks? Where are all the looters stealing high-end tennis shoes and big screen... Political Brawl Hall http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033997/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:50:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033923/posts A young man got caught in the river's rage while trying to recover more of his folks belongings. He died in those merciless waters. At the rate the river was moving, it boggles the mind that his body could be recovered. Yet instead of being swept away, he was found relatively close by. God was hanging onto him for his family's sake. Perfect strangers were driving up to people's houses and would just start loading belongings. No questions asked, just pitching in. Getting people and parts of their life to safety. God was the matchmaker, giving people that could help... Associated Content http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033923/posts#comment Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:10:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033215/posts CHICAGO — The debate about whether Senator John McCain is “McBush’’ continues, but on Thursday one thing will be clear: The presumptive Republican nominee and President Bush will be in Iowa touring areas hard hit by floods. Mr. McCain’s campaign said on Wednesday that he had decided to cancel a town-hall-style meeting in Minnesota on Thursday morning and visit Columbus Junction, a city of fewer than 2,000 residents. News York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2033215/posts#comment Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:39:52 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032738/posts Maybe I missed it because I have been doing my best to not watch CNN, but I don't think Anderson Cooper has rented a rowboat and paddled around Cedar Rapids or Des Moines with a concerned look on his face. If it wasn't Cooper who paddled around New Orleans in the aftermath of Katrina, I apologize; but even if he didn't go out in a boat, he was at the edge of the water with a concerned look on his face. CNN has been on in our house far too much lately, what with the prolonged presidential campaigns and what... St. Paul Pioneer Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032738/posts#comment Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:22:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032512/posts Washington, D.C. (AHN) - The flood waters of Iowa has just started to recede, but America is already feeling the impact of the flood on corn prices which hit $8 a bushel on Monday. After preliminary reports of poor harvest for July delivery came out, corn price went up to $6 a bushel in late May and closed $7.325 a bushel on Monday at the Chicago Board of Trade. Corn contracts for later months even exceeded $8 and then lowered a bit at $8. Iowa, one of the largest corn and soybean producer in the U.S. was flooded by as... All Headline News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032512/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:34:11 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032339/posts OAKVILLE, Iowa -- Southeastern Iowa and other parts of the Midwest filled sandbags in anticipation of the Mississippi River's wrath Tuesday as the rest of Iowa began the slow move from protection to cleanup. The federal government predicts that 27 levees could potentially overflow along the river if the weather forecast is on the mark and a massive sandbagging effort fails to raise the level of the levees, according to a map obtained Monday by the Associated Press. The Wall Street journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2032339/posts#comment Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:00:33 GMT