Monday, May 20, 2013
This past weekend marked the graduation for several University of Iowa students
Photos by Bill Adams and Tom Jorgensen Iowa Now Some 5,000 new graduates receive University of Iowa degrees this spring, and many marked the achievement in May 16-18 commencement ceremonies. Related: ' Guess I should tweet about this': Commencement 2013 as seen via social media Ten separate ceremonies recognized graduates from liberal arts and sciences, engineering, business, pharmacy, nursing, law, medicine, MBA and graduate programs. (Dentistry graduates will receive their degrees June 7.) The university also recognized two longstanding leaders with honorary degrees. John Colloton and Mary Louise Petersen received the awards at the Graduate College ceremony May 17.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Also inside: Iowa City sees gluten-free spike, Daily Iowan Year in Review, Story of the Year: NIT run
When much of the University of Iowa community returns to Iowa City in the fall, students will be met with a slew of changes to downtown, led predominantly by the real-estate development company Moen Group. And although some local groups have mobilized against the developments, the paths of three projects, including the 14-story Park@201 and the proposed high rise Chauncey will march on. Read more here. The tuition freeze would only apply to in-state undergraduate students. Read more here. The beauty school has been serving Iowans for 75 years. Read more here. Although gluten-free products are seen as a trend by officials, they say they are not going to stop serving the products soon. Read more here. Iowa airports benefit …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Also inside: Pizza on Dubuque set to move, Iowa golfers head to regionals, 80 Hours: UI Youth Ballet puts on concert.
Despite a flurry of construction projects around the Iowa City area, the demand for real estate is still on the rise. The latest reports from the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors indicate that home sales and prices rose last month compared with last year. The average sale price of a home in the Iowa City area was $201,080 in April, a jump from $198,086 the same time a year ago. From January to April, 542 residential units were sold in the area, with Iowa City accounting for 175. In April 2012, 526 housing units were sold. Locally, real-estate experts say a number of factors are contributing to current trends, including available land, low interest rates, and economic protection from the University of Iowa, Oral-B, and Proctor & …
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Also inside: IC approves fraternity rezoning, UI celebrates Rainbow Graduation, DI frosh of the year: Gesell.
Richard Maine has a bit of trouble hearing these days. His left hand shakes as he brings a mug of coffee to his lips but steadies when it finds the familiar wooden contours of his Winchester lever-action rifle or the checkered grip of his .38-caliber revolver. His military haircut faded long ago, replaced by a neat, gray horseshoe hairline cradling the back of his head. It breaks at his ears to reveal a face well-lined by a lifetime of his top-toothed, crinkle-eyed grin. But the 85-year-old Bettendorf resident’s experience with guns did not begin with the .38-caliber revolver or the machine guns that blunted his hearing; Maine has lived with firearms since his childhood in Wapello, Iowa. He said his father owned guns primarily for hunting…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Also inside: Local officials bike to work, Council to consider rezoning request for College and Gilbert lot, Older pitchers anchor Iowa baseball staff.
The once theatrical Hancher Auditorium now sits abandoned among mounds of dirt surrounded by construction tape and heavy machinery. June 2008 will be remembered for the infamous flood that damaged much of the University of Iowa riverside campus. While most damage to the campus was minor, the Arts Campus on the west bank of the Iowa River took a devastating hit. Hancher, once host to a variety of shows ranging from music to dance is now shut down by floodwaters that exceeded stage level. Art Buildings East and West, Voxman Music Building, and Theater Building were also severely damaged and closed after water flooded their main levels. Fast-forward to 2013 and the five-year anniversary of the flood. Even though a majority of the facilities …
Monday, May 13, 2013
Also inside: Johnson County parties eye 2014, students start charitable clothing line, Iowa baseball takes MSU series.
The auditorium in the Pappajohn Business Building echoed with sounds of laughter and the occasional crack in speakers’ voices as tears slid down their faces. Twenty-two students sat in graduation caps and gowns, with smiles beaming. This was a day many of the graduates, and their parents, sometimes wondered if they’d ever see — and they credit the REACH program at the University of Iowa for helping them achieve that goal. “I would call today a steppingstone,” second-year REACH student Jonathan Korsmeyer said. “I’m still working toward my goals, but it’s definitely a milestone. I probably would not have had this opportunity [to graduate] if [the UI] didn’t have this program.” The REACH program — Realizing Educational and Career Hopes — …
Friday, May 10, 2013
Also inside: UI aids patient communication, Tax credit pushed wind investment, Iowa baseball set for Michigan.
It was arduous work for two Iowa City residents, collecting more than 4,000 signatures over the winter and into the spring for a petition against autonomous traffic devices. But now that the required amount of signatures on the petition has been verified by City Clerk Marian Karr, one of the two citizens is glad to see that the effort isn’t going to waste. “We’re very excited about that,” Aleksey Gurtovoy, one of the petitioners, said about the news. “I’m glad to have it out of the way, we were sure we would [get the required amount] all along but it was still a lot of hard work.” Read more here. Iowa officials point to the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit as one of the main reasons for MidAmerican Energy’s announcement of a $1.9 …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Researchers at the University of Iowa and colleagues at Cornell University have received a five-year, $10.6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue their work.
By Jennifer Brown Iowa Now Researchers at the University of Iowa and colleagues at Cornell University have received a five-year, $10.6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to continue their work investigating the biological links between high blood pressure and obesity. According to the American Heart Association, one in three Americans, or about 100 million people, has high blood pressure, and nearly 75 million adults are obese. Hypertension and obesity increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases including stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney failure, and obesity promotes diabetes, which also promotes cardiovascular disease. It is estimated that 300,000 …
Also inside: UI adopts hearing loop tech, 80 Hours: Ansari comes to Iowa City, Iowa softball's Blank adds power to swing.
Just six voter percentage points was all that stood between a now-failed bond referendum and the construction of a new Johnson County Justice Center Tuesday evening. Collecting 13,648 total votes with 54 percent voting in favor of the plan, the referendum was unsuccessful in obtaining the 60 percent supermajority needed to pass. A collective 7,394 ballots were cast to approve the project, while 6,226 voted to deny the measure. Despite the drastic drop over the six-month period, Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert said he remains pleased with turnout of the estimated $65,000 to $70,000 special election. “We were really happy with even 13-14 percent of this special election,” he said. “Would we have liked 100 percent turnout, of course. …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Also inside: Mason discusses cambus accident, Iowa baseball loses to Neb.-Omaha, Campaign supports entrepreneurs.
After more than 12 tumultuous years of back-and-forth divisive debate regarding the treatment of Johnson County’s growing judicial and jail demands, a $43.5 million bond referendum was defeated Tuesday evening, leaving plans for a new justice center in the dust. The bond referendum gathered 13,648 votes with 54 percent voting in favor of the plan. A 60 percent supermajority was needed for the measure to pass. In all, 7,394 ballots were cast to push the two-tier project forward, while 6,226 voted to deny the measure. Longtime advocate and Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil said the next step for government officials is to hold a May 14 meeting to begin the process of mulling the facilities’ future. “I have a responsibility for the …
Jim Knapp
3:55 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013
Hats off to the petitioners. It would be a shame to economically support a company that makes its income from lawbreakers. Our government in DC is another prime example. Oh yeah, what about the rolling stops of police vehicles or would they be exempt? more ›