Governor Branstad wants to know what the president plans to do with the 10-thousand Syrian refugees he plans to allow into the U-S. The governor is concerned about the administration being as secretive as it was with unaccompanied alien children from Latin America, some of whom were settled in Iowa.
Governor Branstad wants to continue to push for more attention to Iowa’s school choice programs. Branstad told the group at the Iowa School Choice Summit earlier today that the state has made strides in alternative school learning. Branstad said funding for the tuition and grant programs will depend on the December revenue report…and that may be lower due to the bird flu.
The University of Iowa wants to add three initial degree programs at the AIB College of Business…as the Iowa Board of Regents is predicted to accept AIB’s proposal to donate the campus to UI next July. The programs would focus on Social Work, Sports and Rec Management, and Enterprise Leadership.
GOP presidential candidate Lindsey Graham will be in central Iowa tomorrow, just two days after the debate and the day before the Iowa Faith and Freedom Summit at the state fairgrounds. Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz, George Pataki, Bobby Jindal, Scott Walker and Donald Trump will speak at the coalition’s fall dinner.
Polk County GOP women are making strides to gain new membership…and now have a national award to prove their efforts are working. Gloria Mazza is the Executive Director for the women’s group and says being awarded the highest jump in membership from the National Federation of Republican Women is a huge honor.
The board overseeing the Metro Waste Authority wants a few questions answered before it lets the authority dump yard waste in landfills instead of composting it. State lawmakers have approved a law that lets yard leftovers be sent to landfills with methane-gas recovery systems…which would include the Metro Park East landfill.
Iowa’s uninsured rate is down, by nearly two percent over the past year. Federal figures show the number of those without insurance dropped from 8-point-one percent to 6-point-2 percent. Iowa Congressman Dave Loebsack says the decrease shows the Affordable Care Act is working.
The biggest financial challenge facing Iowans is planning for retirement, according to GoBankingRates.com. The survey showed more than half the states face that challenge, while another third said sticking to a budget was their biggest hurdle.
Iowa homes have reached a 5-year low in average days on the market, according to the Iowa Association of Realtors. Sale prices are going up as well, although home sales last month by 7-point-8 percent from the same time last year.
The South Des Moines Sculpture Park Art Festival is lined up for Saturday at Southwest 8th and McKinley. Organizer Phil Barber says the free event is great for the family.
The Des Moines Renaissance Faire happens this Saturday at Festival Park, with jousts, jokes, craft demonstrations, food, music, pirates and jugglers. It’s the final weekend to catch the event.
