Could Cuts to Iowa's Department of Human Services Be Coming?: Iowa City Daily News Links, June 8

Details about tonight's Iowa City Patch one-year anniversary party can be found . You are all invited to attend.

On to the Links!

From this Site

It's our one-year anniversary this week. What were some of my favorite stories from the year? .

Here's on the situation at the Iowa City Landfill fire, with some photos of the stir, burn and cover operation.

An infamous apartment complex in Iowa City was the site of a earlier this week.

Jarrod Uthoff has switched allegiances from Wisconsin to Iowa. Here to why Iowa fans might be especially happy about this.

For the next few days we will have experts answering your questions about to get the most enjoyment out of your  selections.

A Horn Elementary School student had his dreams come true  this past week.

We  of photos from this past weekend's Iowa Arts Festival. Feel free to add your photos if you have them. We also have a gallery up featuring  from the past year.

From Other Sites

Gov. Terry Branstad returned from a trip to China and dotted the Is and crossed the Ts on the state budget. Could cuts to the Department of Human Services be coming soon? asks Rod Boshart of the Gazette. Also, Dear Mr. Boshart, please start using paragraphs in your online stories.

Speaking of trips to Asia, it looks to be a sign of the times, as UI President is also planning on visiting China, Hong Kong and Taiwan this summer. Read this story by the Daily Iowan's Kelly Olin to see what Mason hopes to accomplish  with the trip.

Mark Carlson of KCRG writes that a new UIHC clinic should help alleviate traffic and parking problems in the area, at least for a little while.

Mitchell Schmidt of the Iowa City Press Citizen writes that funding Marc Moen's high-rise tower project with TIF dollars may be the best option if it wants to fund it at all.

Lee Hermiston of the Press-Citizen writes that the Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a sexual abuse conviction against a former Lemme Elementary School guidance counselor.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is expected to vote on its potential involvement in the new Iowa City Animal Shelter project next week.

Only one win for an Iowa City native as he competed on Jeopardy!

Tara Bannow of the PC writes about a North Liberty development that is coming into its own.

Bannow also reported that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved additional funding for improving the condition of mobile homes in the county.

Daily Links Excerpt of the Day

The governor’s action comes at a time when at least one state agency head said he may need to consider employee layoffs to stay within a fiscal 2013 allotment that was less than the governor recommended given lawmakers did not approve a separate salary measure to cover employee pay increases mandated by collective bargaining agreements that are in place through June 30, 2013.

Charles Palmer, director of the state Department of Human Services, said the $1.597 billion measure the Legislature approved for the health and human services budget areas fell short of the $1.616 billion the governor requested but was more than lawmakers were considering earlier in the session when it appeared that about 200 full-time DHS positions would be jeopardized during the fiscal year that begins July 1.

“We’re not at a place where we can say no layoffs,” Palmer said in an interview. “I’ll know that fairly early” in the new fiscal year, he added.

But he noted that most of the expected shortfall could be managed by attrition, retirements and leaving positions unfilled to the point that fewer than 100 positions would be impacted if a reduction in force became necessary.

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