Seven Iowa Democrats from Iowa are heading to Israel tomorrow for a nine-day trip. Brad Anderson…former campaign manager for President Obama’s 2012 election…is leading the delegation. It’ll be an informational trip…with visits to historic sites and sessions on important issues to the area.
GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham is the latest contender to join the lineup for the Family Leadership Summit in Ames next weekend. Nine other presidential candidates, including Dr. Ben Carson, Rick Perry, and Ted Cruz…will also speak at the day-long event.
41 percent of Iowa’s electricity could be generated from wind energy by 2020…and 133 percent by 2030…that’s the upshot of a report from the American Wind Energy Association. Iowa’s wind farms could produce as much power to power 6.3 million homes in the next 15 years.
Iowa’s solicitor general told the state appeal board under Iowa Code, the state has to pay Walsh Construction’s last 100-thousand dollars in retainage payments for work on the new Fort Madison Prison. The due date is today. The prison still hasn’t opened because of safety issues.
Iowa’s Board of Regents will consider this summer whether to extend a tuition freeze for the state’s universities past January. The regents agreed to keep the freeze in place before the governor vetoed extra funds in the budget. The board has a conference call August 5th.
Another Dahl’s Foods store is being converted…this one into a Walmart. The new supercenter in Ames will be 150-thousand square feet, and will employ about 140 workers.
Food trucks will now be setting up shop near the capitol. The Iowa Department of Administrative Services says it’s trying out a pilot program that will allow food venders to park in the lot north of the Lucas Building everyday starting next week…spots are on a first come, first serve basis.
The head of Monsanto told Midwest soybean growers yesterday its proposed merger with Syngenta AG will not reduce competition. He said they’re interested in Syngenta’s crop protection business, and will likely sell off Syngenta’s seed business.
More Iowa businesses, homeowners and utilities are going solar, according to advocates. They say state tax incentives boosted in the last legislative session and a decline in costs are making solar a more attractive power source. Jobs in the solar industry have more than quadrupled in the past couple of years in Iowa.
A state audit says a former doctor for U-I Health Care improperly billed insurance companies and diverted close to $1.9 million in collections into his own bank accounts. Dr. Brian Adams worked in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation for more than two decades, before resigning last summer.
