Just Tweaks for TIF?, Improving Minority Graduation, Thumbs Down Fighting Sioux: Iowa City Daily Links, Feb. 28

Rain instead of snow? I'll take it!

On to the Links

 From this Site

What are some of the of Leap Year? One UI Professor has some of the answers.

We have a competition up asking to do yoga in Iowa City. This competition will run for two weeks.

We have a of St. Mary's Church as part of our series of profiles on places of worship in the community.

Check out this from Bowl for Kids' Sake, a fundraiser celebration for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County. This year had a superhero theme.

In our Parent Talk this week, we asked about parental concerns .

Meet Gregory Peck , the first bird featured to be featured as our Adopt this Pet of the Week.

From Other Sites

James Q. Lynch of the Gazette writes that despite the controversy over TIF, the House study bill will likely refine its use rather than call for major changes.

Diane Heldt of the Gazette has a nice article on state Universities trying to improve minority graduation rates.

Mark Carlson of KCRG writes that the $4 million new Iowa City Animal Shelter proposal is not finding many backers in the county.

The controversy continues about the University of Northern Iowa's proposed budget cuts. Follow the latest developments on Cedar Falls Patch.

Emily Schettler of the Iowa City Press-Citizen writes that the University of Iowa turned down the University of North Dakota for a track invite due to that schools Indian inspired mascot.

I never would have connected lower lotto sales to high gas prices, but apparently the Iowa Lotto is worried about just that, writes William Petroski of the Des Moines Register.

A former Saturday Night Live cast member will be performing at the Iowa Memorial Union Friday night.

Derek Kellison of the Daily Iowan writes that local businesses have welcomed a federal mandate to switch to a more efficient brand of light bulb.

Beth Bratsos of the Daily Iowan writes about local seniors trying to get up to speed on technology.

Daily Links Excerpt of the Day

Despite hearing a blistering critique of how Iowa cities and counties use tax increment financing (TIF), members of a tax writing panel insist they have no plans to kill the popular economic development tool.

“There will be some changes,” Rep. Chuck Soderberg, R-Le Mars, said Feb. 27 after hearing from David Swenson from the Iowa State University Department of Economics. Swenson called for more oversight and transparency as well as putting a burden of proof on developers to show that “but-for” the taxpayer assistance the development would not occur.