Rastetter says AgriSol is looking for new partner in Tanzania project: DI Reader, July 20

AgriSol looking for new partner in Tanzania project

In light of ongoing controversy involving an ethics complaint filed against him, state Board of Regents President Pro Tem Bruce Rastetter said AgriSol Energy officials are moving forward by seeking other education outreach opportunities with other universities.

Rastetter told Daily Iowan reporters during an interview Wednesday that AgriSol Energy Tanzania plans to work with other universities in the Kigoma region of Tanzania. Officials recently signed a lease there.

Rastetter was unable to disclose the names of those universities, and Henry Akona — AgriSol Tanzania’s director of communications — said they’re still in the working stages of partnering with those schools.

The Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement filed an ethics complaint against Rastetter with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board last month, maintaining there was a conflict of interest involving Iowa State University and AgriSol Energy Tanzania — the Tanzanian arm of Iowa firm AgriSol Energy. 

Read more here.

Johnson County Crisis Center looks to expand

The Johnson County Crisis Center might have room for expansion soon. 

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors decided to continue discussing the center’s acquisition of additional space at the vacant former site of the Johnson County Public Health Department, 1105 Gilbert Court, Thursday morning.

The Public Health Department moved to 855 S. Dubuque St. in January 2009, leaving the old space empty. Supervisors initially approached Crisis Center officials in 2009 to ask if they wanted the location.

Becci Reedus, the executive director of the Crisis Center, said the center could not take on the project when initially approached, but the organization became serious about acquiring the space a year ago. 

The Crisis Center — which serves approximately 18,000 clients annually — plans to share the building with three other nonprofit organizations. Reedus said the building will be shared with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Johnson County, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program or DVIP, and the free lunch program, which will use half of the space. 

Read more here.

T. Anne Cleary Walkway undergoing $524K in renovations

The T. Anne Cleary Walkway is undergoing renovation this summer after 15 years to address facilities issues, and officials say the project is on schedule for completion by Aug.10.

Jennifer Hoffman, University of Iowa Facilities Management project manager, said the main focus of the construction is to fix ongoing maintenence issues like deteriorating brick lining the walkway and removing short posts that have made snow removal difficult. The project also includes building a handicap accessible ramp into the Chemistry Building and an outdoor patio at the Blank Honors Center.

“We are making the brick area on the walkway smaller so there is not as much brick to maintain and we need to reuse the brick that is there,” she said. “We are dealing with concrete that needs to be repaired, and replacing where we need to.”

John Adam, Calacci Construction project manager, said the total estimated construction cost is $524,000, with $100,000 in concrete repairs and replacement, and $55,000 in granite work for sidewalk pavers and benches for the Blank Honors Center outdoor patio. Adam said the walkway has not been renovated at this scale in roughly 15 years.

Read more here.

Rastetter unsure of when Regents will discuss allegations against him

State Board of Regents President Pro Tem Bruce Rastetter said he unsure whether the ethics complaint filed against him will be discussed when the Regents meet the first week of August.

Rastetter sat down for an interview Wednesday with *Daily Iowan* reporters and editors to speak about recent allegations surrounding his connection to Tanzania and his hopes as a regent in the future.

Last month, the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement filed a complaint against the regent with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, alleging there was a conflict of interest involving Iowa State University with the Tanzanian deal. Rastetter said there was only a conflict of interest if Iowa State had remained a part in the project; the university backed out of the project in February. The Community Improvement group also released a report with the Oakland Institute alleging AgriSol is responsible in part for human rights violations against refugees in Tanzania.

“Would it have been better for the project had I not become a regent?” Rastetter said. “You know, we can speculate and debate on that … and maybe they still would be in it.”

Read more here.

Wells Fargo mural tells Iowa City, university stories

George Balluf Saloon, 1899; Hawkeye halfback Nile Kinnick, 1939; Nobel Peace Prize winner Paul Engle in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, 1950; and The Daily Iowan writing staff, 1919.

Together these moments  paint a picture of Iowa City’s rich vibrant history and strong community.

The Wells Fargo mural at 103 E. College St. depicts various scenes of Iowa City throughout its history. The Wells Fargo mural used photos from the UI Libraries, the Associated Press, and  John’s Grocery, 401 E. Market St., to emphasize its appreciation for the community.

Angela Kaipust, a Wells Fargo spokeswoman, said the company feels it is important to celebrate the history of the communities in which it operates.

“As a company that is 160 years old, we celebrate our history and the history of the community we serve,” she said.

Kaipust said the mural is a common project for Wells Fargo, and the company has been making historical murals since 2002.

Read more here.

Q&A: Matt Gatens on NBA summer league

Matt Gatens will always hold a special place in the hearts of Iowa basketball fans for leading the team through a tough four-year transitional period. He now faces another tough stretch of his career — trying to make an NBA roster.

The former Hawkeye guard was not selected in last month's NBA draft, but he signed with the Phoenix Suns the next day. Gatens is now in Las Vegas as a member of the Suns’ summer-league team, and he has scored 3 points in each of the team’s first two contests.

Daily Iowan: When did it first hit you that you were on the court with professional athletes and not with students anymore?

Matt Gatens: It hit me pretty quick. At minicamp and the two-a-days we had, you realize how good these players really are. It’s been an honor, and I’ve gotten great experience from playing with such great players and learning from elite coaches.

Read more here.

Editorial: Independent film shoots good for Iowa City

This summer, Backrow Studios, an independent-film company cofounded by University of Iowa alumni Ravi Patel, Tim Nash, and Joe Clarke, is making a movie that will likely do more than make Iowans laugh — it could even put Iowa back on the filmmaking map.

Since former Gov. Chet Culver shut down the Iowa Film Office in 2009 after a fraudulent tax scandal, the film industry in Iowa has been lacking, to say the least, but efforts to produce more films are likely to help turn things around.

The Iowa Film Office was shut down for reportedly misusing tax breaks and the program is suspended at least until July 1, 2013, according to Senate Bill 2380 of the Iowa Legislature. 

Read more here.