Several soon-to-be announced presidential candidates will be in Iowa in the next few days. GOP contender Rand Paul and Democrat Bernie Sanders will both campaign on the eastern side of the state tomorrow, Friday, and Saturday. Rick Santorum is heading to Iowa tomorrow after his “major announcement” later today. He’ll be in Davenport and Council Bluffs to meet with voters. And most recently, Democrat Martin O’Malley…who is set to make his bid for the presidency on Saturday…will visit with Iowans in Davenport and Des Moines right after he announces.
Iowa has moved up in a well-being index…but that’s not good news for Iowans. According to the latest Gallup Healthways Wellbeing Index, the state ranks ninth in the nation for the most obese residents. Last year, Iowa ranked tenth in the category.
The city of Des Moines is considering what to put on top of a new parking garage on Seventh Street and Grand Avenue. Three proposals were submitted last week…Sherman Associates wants to put in $51 million worth of luxury apartments, complete with an outdoor pool and sky lounge. Local developer Nelson Development and Construction also proposed high-end apartments, as well as large rooftop courtyards atop the building. And Linden Street Partners proposed luxury apartments as well…along with a 20-room boutique hotel next to the building.
Two Iowa middle school boys are in the Scripps National Spelling Bee today. Zander Reed from Ames, and Bryan Keck from Dubuque took written tests yesterday to be among the 285 contestants. This is Reed’s third time in the competition.
American College of Hairstyling in Des Moines has been sanctioned for “uncleanliness” for the third time in six years. The Iowa Board of Barbering says the school has agreed to pay a 500-dollar fine to settle the most recent citations. State investigators say when they came in a few months ago, disinfectants weren’t being used.
Boating accidents continue to trend upward in Iowa as the boating season begins. DNR reported 32 serious boating accidents last year…up from 24 the year before. Three deaths related to boating have been reported so far this year…with seven total accidents on the books as well. Considering the recent trend, those numbers are expected to go up as the nicer weather settles in.
Two more cases of the bird flu have been added to Iowa’s growing list. One poultry farm in Adair County has nearly a million birds infected with the virus…and over in Webster County…an egg laying bird farm says its birds have come down with the bird flu as well. This brings the total number of cases in Iowa to 66.
Des Moines’ parks are getting national recognition. The city’s Parks and recreation department is a finalist in this year’s National Gold Medal Awards in Parks and Recreation. The program recognizes communities that have parks and rec departments that excel in long-term planning, volunteering, environmental stewardship, and program development.
More than 47,000 Iowans could be paying 18 percent more for health insurance next year. Coventry Health Care has notified the state insurance division it wants to raise rates at least that amount for those covered under plans subsidized through the Affordable Care Act. The proposal follows Wellmark’s request for a 28 percent premium increase for ACA-compliant plans.
Central Iowa is getting state funding for a couple of major projects. The nonprofit group set up to run the convention center hotel in Des Moines is getting $36.5 million dollars from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. IEDA is giving Bird-Dog-HR 212-thousand dollars toward its $3.3 million dollar project in Urbandale.
The latest crop report from the USDA shows recent wet weather has slowed current planting progress…especially in the southwest part of Iowa. Right now…96 percent of the corn crop is in the ground…three days ahead of the 5 year average. In southwest Iowa…only 81 percent has been planted, and that’s because it’s been too wet.
