The Iowa Board of Regents is expected to announce today its choice for the next University of Iowa president. The board has been looking over feedback from the campus and community on the four finalists via a secure website set up by Parker Executive Search.
Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton still dominates the rest of her party in Iowa in the latest Loras College poll of likely caucus goers…but her lead’s not as big as it was. Clinton is at just over 48 percent, while her closest contender, Bernie Sanders, is just under 23 percent. Both Clinton and Sanders are stumping this week in Iowa.
Expect to see the lowest prices in a decade at the pump this Labor Day weekend…currently at 2-39 per gallon in the metro. The lower gas prices and steadier incomes are expected to prompt more folks to hit the road. More than 35 million people are expected to travel this holiday.
The healthiest city in Iowa is Ames…according to USA Today. The survey measured obesity rates and citizens who reported being in poor health. USA Today also noted Ames residents were more likely to receive preventative medical care than others in Iowa…as well as have health insurance to cover those costs.
The Uptown area in Ankeny may soon be home to a 4-point-7 million dollar mixed use development. The project will have Main Street-style store owners living behind their shops, and other apartments above the stores.
A drive-thru bail bond office is in the works for Polk County. Lederman Bail Bonds is building a new office near the county jail north of Des Moines, and will include a drive-thru window to deal with simple misdemeanor cases with bail of around a hundred bucks.
Senator Chuck Grassley is demanding an update on the probe into last year’s drowning of a handcuffed Clive man who fell from a patrol boat in the Lake of the Ozarks. Grassley says in a letter to a special prosecutor in Missouri that he wants the current status of the investigation into Brandon Ellingson’s death. The latest probe was launched five months ago.
The Des Moines Chamber of Commerce and Des Moines Police are doing a training session for area businesses on how to deal with an active shooter in the workplace. The seminar is today at 1 PM at Wellmark YMCA, and it’s free and open to the public.
A pair of bomb threats in the metro yesterday had police clearing out public areas…but no explosives were found. The first threat was at Waukee High School, the second at Valley West Mall. Waukee police are questioning “persons of interest” in the case.
Crowds rallied at the state capitol yesterday, pushing for a hike in the minimum wage. The group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement wants to see the rate increase to 15 dollars an hour, saying it will help the local community, as well as the workers, since they’ll have more money to spend.
A new poll of the Iowa Business Council shows Iowa companies are expecting the state’s economy to cool off over the next six months. IBC’s Overall Economic Outlook Survey Index hit 59 for the third quarter…down eight points from last quarter, and six from a year ago.
It’s Des Moines Vintage Bike Night tonight in Historic Valley Junction. They’ll have the usual Thursday night Farmers Market and a beverage garden with live music to kick off the holiday weekend.
