Presidents of Iowa’s three public universities are trying to keep their same budgets despite not receiving expected funding from the state legislature. The board was asked to consider raising spring 2016 tuition by 100 dollars for each undergrad to make up for lack of money from the state. They’ll vote on the proposal next month.
Governor Branstad answered to more than 300 school administrators yesterday on why he vetoed state supplemental aid to school districts this legislative session. Branstad spoke at the annual School Administrators of Iowa Conference and said he came into the office again on the promise of avoiding massive cuts to state departments.
University of Iowa researchers will be studying the high level of nitrates in Boone’s water. The nitrate check system they’re setting up will monitor how much the levels are affected by rain water, and how they dissipate after rain waters evaporate.
More than 110 million dollars will be spent on flood prevention projects for the city of Des Moines. The city already shelled out 140-million on similar projects over the past 22 years. They’re starting with the Red Pedestrian Bridge downtown.
The state’s tax-free holiday starts tomorrow at midnight, when parents and students doing back-to-school shopping can skip the sales tax on items under a hundred bucks. The holiday actually lasts for two days, wrapping up on midnight Saturday.
Des Moines Public Schools is doing its part to pull in solid substitute teachers…the district upped the subs’ daily pay by five dollars. The 135-dollars-a-day rate is the highest out of any district in central Iowa.
Governor Branstad is asking a judge to toss out AFSCME’s suit challenging his authority to close two state mental hospitals. Two dozen legislators are also supporting the suit. The governor says they cannot show he exceeded his authority to manage the facilities and to veto money to keep them running.
The state’s Healthiest State Initiative will continue beyond 2016, its leaders say. The group’s goal has been to see Iowa top the nation in overall health by next year, getting people to change their habits toward diet and exercise.
A federal jury is awarding an Indianola woman nearly 12-million dollars in a sexual harassment suit she lodged against the toy company she used to work for. Danielle Renneger says ToyQuest allowed coworkers to call her obscene names. Three other women have also filed suit.
You can buy a piece of Des Moines history tomorrow…that’s when a collection of historic items from Hotel Fort Des Moines go on sale at the Clemens Building on 10th Street in Des Moines. The hotel had screen, sports and political legends among its guests.
