Local Retail the Big Winners from Mega Millions: Iowa City Daily Links, April 3

I hate the Kentucky Wildcats, but, to be honest, I don't really mind that Kansas lost. I just wish it had been more of an even match up.

Enough blathering about basketball. On to the links!

From this Site

In Part Four of my interview with city manager Tom Markus, Markus talks about his going into the future as a more urban, concentrated area.

If you haven't seen it, yet, this stop-motion video created by Iowa City elementary students . Bravo guys!

We have a new Readers' Choice contest up. This week we match all the different against one another. Right now, Revival and Dulcinea are duking it out at the top.

Meet , a cuddly cat that's our adopt this pet of the week.

For Parent Talk this week we want to know, do you ? And why or why not?

From Other Sites

Erin Jordan of the Gazette reports that while nobody in Iowa reaped a win from the huge Mega Millions lottery drawing, local retailers still got a taste of some green as a result. Cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching.

Local African American leaders are hoping to use last week's Trayvon Martin rally as a springboard for a coalition that will improve race relations in Iowa City, writes Josh O'Leary of the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

Emily Schettler of the Press-Citizen writes that Sen. Chuck Grassley is asking for an investigation into the local Veteran's Hospital after "serious allegations" of patient care abuse came to his attention.

Gregg Hennigan of the Gazette writes that the Iowa City Animal Shelter's plans for a new center are moving forward well, despite the kerfluffle from the public following its original (now modified) price tag.

Tara Bannow of the Iowa City Press-Citizen writes that no other nonprofits filed proposals for the property on Gilbert Street being sought in tandem by four Johnson County nonprofits, increasing the likelihood that the proposal for these nonprofits will be accepted.

Students from all three Regents universities Monday rallied in Des Moines for more university funding, and they were joined in this effort by Governor Terry Branstad.

Iowa GOP registration has surpassed Democratic voter registration for the first time in six years.

James Q. Lynch of the Gazette writes that there is still some hope for legislators to pass a state reform of commercial property tax rates, but with the April 17 end of session date looming, they may be running out of time.

Chastity Dillard of the Daily Iowan writes that the Iowa City school district will begin reviewing applications from those interested in taking online schooling.

The Press-Citizen weighs in on urban chickens.

Iowa City Daily Links Excerpt of the Day

“It’s definitely a positive for us. Everyone’s to-do list says ‘let’s go get a lottery ticket’,” said Chris Major, who does inventory control for Deli Mart, a chain of six convenience stores in Iowa City and Coralville.

The Iowa Lottery sold nearly $9.7 million in Mega Millions tickets from Jan. 24 — the last time someone won the jackpot — through Friday. This includes nearly $3.2 million in tickets sold on Friday alone. In Friday’s busiest stretch, tickets were selling at a rate of about 6,000 per minute in Iowa, the lottery reported.

Beyond the commissions, lottery retailers also racked up peripheral sales, like beer, pop or gas, when people popped in to buy Mega Millions tickets, Major said.

“Everyone is dreaming about winning millions,” he said. “When they are thinking about millions, they are more apt to spend money on something they don’t need.”

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