I must respond to the guest column in the Feb. 3 Gazette concerning traffic cameras written by retired police officer Chuck Mincks of Marion. He comes down hard on anyone who is opposed to the cameras. I am all for safety on the highways, I just don’t care to be watched by a camera.

He also states the worn-out mantra, “It will save lives.” If they are so concerned about saving lives, then how about supporting helmet laws for motorcyclists? They won’t touch that with a 10-foot pole. Anyone can see it is just a fat cash cow, being milked by the local law enforcement.

John Payne

Central City

Nearing the summer of 1973, I was a senior at Coe College. My major was physical education. At the time, Barron Bremner (who died earlier this month) was the athletics director at Coe. My coach, Sharon Zuber, a former Olympian, was on the Coe staff. Coe didn’t have a gymnastics team, but it did have a gym and equipment, and our young girls’ gymnastics team trained there.

That summer, the team disbanded and my future husband and I became interested in starting a competitive gymnastics club of our own, along with a friend, Bob Shepherd.

We had few financial resources and approached Bremner about using the Coe gymnastics equipment for the summer, as the equipment would sit idle for that period.

This was the beginning of our club, Cedar Rapids Association of Gymnastics, which is now located in Hiawatha, and still going after 39 years.

If not for the generosity of Bremner and “giving a double dip ice cream cone to a child,” we would never have been able to follow our dream and bring it to fruition.

Thank you, Barron. You’ve left lots of ice cream cones behind.

Kathy Telecky

Cedar Rapids

I would like to point out that medical credentials do not guarantee compassionate or competent care. Modern medical interventions in labor and delivery have their place and purpose for good when they are medically necessary with appropriate supervision. But as drugs, like pitocin, become more commonly used, medical providers forget their dangerous side effects if used inappropriately. The labor and delivery unit in hospitals now treat birthing mothers like fast food, quickening the birthing process with drugs in order to empty beds faster to save money.

I made the mistake of trusting my medical caregivers, all with credentials, at St. Luke’s Hospital when I was treated with multiple medical interventions that I believe were unnecessary and injured my daughter. I encourage every woman to empower themselves with knowledge and find a medical provider that shares the same ideology of the birthing process, whether that is at home or a hospital.

Nicole Allen

Vinton

Of the reasons not to vote Republican, the most serious is their eagerness to dismiss science.

Traffic cameras reduce death and injury, yet many Republicans want them banned for “violating civil rights.” Do Republicans really think that there is a right to risk others’ lives with reckless driving — but not a right to marry who you choose?

Over 150 years, science has proved that lead is toxic. Iowa Republicans want to allow lead shot for hunting. Sixty years of science has proved that the most critical period for successful brain development occurs in the first five years of human life — yet Republicans insist that we can’t afford universal early childhood health care or preschools.

Then there are endless Republican denials that human pollution causes climate change. Based on much data, a vast majority of qualified scientists warn that this is pushing things toward global catastrophe. Still, Republicans dismiss the economic collapse and species extinction that loom if we fail to deal with this problem.

The scientific method is the best tool humanity has for obtaining the reliable and valid information needed for solving problems, protecting health and producing quality economic growth. Unlike dogmatic philosophies that cannot be tested, science offers a uniquely self-correcting process.

When Republicans ignore science or support anti-science positions, they put our children, our nation and this planet at serious risk.

Rob Johnson

Cedar Rapids

The Second Amendment indeed guarantees the people to keep and bear arms. Then why do we allow governments, state and local, to circumvent the U.S. Constitution with all kinds of unnecessary red tape and expense to exercise our Second Amendment rights?

This works both ways. If you say we do not need any more laws protecting our Second Amendment rights, then we do not need all these restrictive laws and regulations on the books that prevent law-abiding citizens from exercising these very Second Amendment rights. Reasonable regulation sounds like politicians trying to sound pro gun rights until they get elected. Then, except for a few champions, they vote against all attempts to secure our Second Amendment rights. This is what is taking place in the Iowa Legislature right now!

Stephen J Long

Marion

My husband and I were both born at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids and our two sons also were born there. We are proud to call Cedar Rapids home.

While our family was blessed to not be directly impacted by the flood of 2008, our hearts were still broken to see the devastation. So many familiar landmarks were wiped out. So many families were made homeless.

We are voting “yes” to extending the local-option sales tax on March 6 for flood protection.

Lori Hauskins

Cedar Rapids

Once again we are being asked to extend the local-option sales tax — i.e., you are being asked to voluntarily tax yourself.

Flood protection facts have not changed since last year’s vote. The design phase for the east side is not fully funded. If it ever is, Congress would then have to authorize this plan and appropriate project funding. The city has its own “preferred plan,” which differs from the Army Corps of Engineers plan. If this project is strictly about flood protection, why is the city unwilling to accept the Corps’ east-side plan?

The Cedar Rapids Extended Sales Tax committee is stressing ballot language that says all money will go for flood protection. If no federal money is appropriated for this project, which is a good possibility, then where does this money go?

Given the city’s spending of money since the flood, I am not going to vote to give them a blank check for 10 more years.

And it will be the city that decides how this money is spent. Don’t forget how inventive the city has become in spending LOST money, or that the city appointed an oversight committee for LOST money and ignored them when they did not agree with how some of the money was to be spent.

One other item not being mentioned is the ongoing cost to maintain flood-protection walls, levees, pumps, etc. For a city hard pressed to maintain its streets and parks, where is this money going to come from?

Michael S.

Augustine

Cedar Rapids

 Gazette correspondent

 AMES — Iowa State’s Royce White scanned the stat sheet and shook his head.

The multi-talented 6-8, 270-pound forward narrowly missed his second triple-double of the Big 12 season in the Cyclones’ deceptively lopsided 72-54 win over last-place Texas Tech.

Good game, right?

“I don’t think I was on the offensive track at all,” said White, who scored 13 points, snared 10 rebounds and rifled eight assists before a crowd of 13,587 at Hilton Coliseum. “The way I shot free throws was inexcusable. I was able to get some easy baskets that my teammates created for me — some easy dunks and some stuff on the break. But I’m still looking to get back on track, but getting that 20th win was huge for us.”

ISU improved to 20-8 overall and 10-5 in conference play.

They reached the 20-win plateau in the regular season for the first time since 2002, and the 10-win league benchmark for the first time since 2004.

“It’s a piece,” White said of the 20 and 10 numbers. “We can’t lose focus of what we want to do. We’re still not there yet, as far as the goals we’ve set forward. I’m just really happy for coach to have his first 20-win season in his second year. I’m just glad I could be a part of that. But we know that we’ve got to stay focused and our goals are much bigger than 20 wins and to reach those goals is going to be real tough, real tough. Great teams in this conference the last three.”

Those teams — fifth-place but peaking Kansas State, second-place Missouri and third-place Baylor have handed the Cyclones — who are tied with the Bears in the standings — two of their five conference losses.

ISU beat the Wildcats (19-8, 8-7) 72-70 on a last-second running jumper by White on Jan. 31 at Hilton Coliseum.

Tip is set for 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Manhattan, Kan.

“There’s a lot of work in front of us,” said Cyclone coach Fred Hoiberg, who generally eschews milestone musings. “I agree with those guys the the 10 conference wins are very important. And also where we are in the standings. But we’ve also got some work in front of us. We’ve got three very difficult games.”

Wednesday’s proved nettlesome, too.

The Red Raiders (8-19, 1-14) led by as many as nine points in the first half while shooting 57 percent from the field.

ISU held just a three-point lead, at 55-52, with 7:58 left before embarking on a decisive 17-2 run to close the game.

Cyclone forward Melvin Ejim scored 10 of his game high-tying 17 points down the stretch.

He’s been bothered by a sore shoulder, but didn’t show it.

“He’s going to bring it,” Hoiberg said of Ejim, who was also one game removed from being ejected for a flagrant foul in Saturday’s win over Oklahoma. “If he was too sore to play he would have let us know. But he said, ‘Hey, coach, I’m ready. I’ll give you anything you want,’ and he sure went out and proved it — especially in that second half.”

ISU guard Scott Christofferson also scored 17 points, but 12 of his came before the break while his teammates struggled to convert many points.

“He did hit a couple big threes that kept us in the game and kept the lead from getting away from us,” Ejim said.

Hoiberg credited Chris Babb’s defense for shutting out Tech’s Ty Nurse in the second half.

Nurse went for 15 before the break.

Super sub Tyrus McGee scored all five of his points during the late run — including a crowd-pleasing putback dunk over … White.

“That was pretty impressive,” Hoiberg said. “He came out of nowhere. I thought Royce was going to tip it in and then Tyrus came out of nowhere and threw it down. He does, he brings it, flying into the crowd, getting his hands on balls.”

As for White’s self-critique, Hoiberg offered a differing view.

“I don’t think he played a bad game,” he said of White, who shot 3 of 9 from the free throw line. “I think he was very effective, especially those last eight minutes when he was controlling the glass. He was getting out, pushing the ball. He’s such a key to our transition game.”

Note: Embedded video courtesy Cyclones.com.

The rim-rattling came late.

Iowa State kept 13,587 fans at Hilton Coliseum on the edge of their seats last night — uncomfortably at times, finally using a dunk-filled 17-2 run to close a 72-54 Big 12 win over last-place Texas Tech.

The main jam man: Royce White, who flushed three in the second half en route to a 13-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist performance.

“It’s a piece (getting 20 wins),” White said. “You can’t lose focus on what we want to do. We’re still not there yet, as far as the goals we’ve set for ourselves. … Our goals are much bigger than 20 wins.”

Melvin Ejim and Scott Christopherson scored 17 apiece to lead the Cyclones (20-8, 10-5), who rebounded from a lackluster first half in which they trailed by as many as nine points.

“We came out strong and we finished strong,” Ejim said.

The Red Raiders (8-19, 1-14) shot better, grabbed more rebounds and exhibited more hustle early, bolting to a 32-28 halftime lead.

They drained 8 of their first 10 shots — including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, but also coughed up 11 of their 17 turnovers.

Christopherson kept his team in it, going 3 of 5 from beyond the arc while scoring 12 points before the break.

The rest of ISU’s players?

They went 1 of 8 from 3-point range and 6 of 19 overall in the first half.

But the second half followed the standings-based script.

The Cyclones, fueled in part by a full-court press early, sprang a 10-2 run on the Red Raiders, including a White layup and Allen 3-pointer to lead 38-34.

They trailed briefly again, but Tech went cold and managed just four points in the final 9:55 of the game.

“Tough game against a good team,” Tech Coach Billy Gillispie said. “We fought about as hard as we could fight.”

ISU handed the Red Raiders (8-19, 1-14) their ninth successive road defeat.

The Cyclones won the previous meeting in Lubbock, 76-52, and brought out the broom for the third time in conference play.

ISU also went 2-0 against Texas A&M and Oklahoma — and hadn’t recorded multiple sweeps in a season since the 2000-01 team shut out four conference foes.

The Cyclones reached 20 wins for the first time since 2003-04 — and the same goes for hitting the 10 conference victory plateau.

A big road test at 12:30 p.m. Saturday looms at Kansas State.

The surging Wildcats (19-8, 8-7) sit in fifth — fresh off completing a sweep of top-five Missouri.

ISU is tied for third in the Big 12 with Baylor.

Bubu Palo saw his first minutes in nearly two months, providing some first-half energy.

Palo had been out with a fractured wrist

Architect's rendering, exterior of new Cedar Rapids Convention Complex

CEDAR RAPIDS — Easy to miss Wednesday in Mayor Ron Corbett’s State of the City updates on $300 million in city flood-recovery building projects was a cost jump of more than $25 million in the city’s hotel and Convention Complex projects.

Making the climbing costs tough to notice in the annual mayoral speech was Corbett’s announcement of good news: that the city had secured a new naming rights deal with U.S. Cellular on the city’s arena and new convention center that could bring the city $3.8 million over 10 years. U.S. Cellular Center had by paying the city $150,000 a year to put its name on the arena, now under renovation.

At the same time, though, the mayor made note to the 520 people who paid to eat lunch and hear his speech at the League of Women Voters’ event that the cost of the $25 million-plus hotel renovation would now climb to more than $40 million and the cost of the $75.6 million Convention Complex project, which started out with an estimate of $67 million early on before design, would jump to $85 million.

The new numbers came in a flurry of numbers and project synopses at the luncheon event that covered the library, Paramount Theatre, central and west-side district fire stations, City Hall, public works building, bus depot, riverfront amphitheater and animal control facility.

Later Wednesday, John Frew, the city’s project manager on both the hotel and Convention Complex projects, put the new projected cost of the hotel renovation at $44 million.

Frew said the new, higher number factors in the $2.1 million figure to service debt incurred on the project before the hotel is open and generating revenue and is able to cover debt costs. Another $3.2 million covers the funds the city used to purchase the hotel in March 2011 from the hotel’s creditors. The city has decided that hotel project budget should cover those costs, Frew said. Another $750,000 added to the project goes to a required “rainy-day fund for operations.”

But much of the jump in the hotel budget numbers, he said, is coming for two reasons: to bring the hotel up to the standards that come with having secured the DoubleTree by Hilton brand; and to put the city in position to sell the hotel in the future.

Frew said the city likely could have done a much less complete job of renovation if had secured a lower-caliber brand for the hotel. But at the end of the day, it would have still had a 30-year hotel it couldn’t sell.

“You have to upgrade the hotel’s systems, you just can’t change the bed sheets,” Frew said. “There is virtually nothing in this building, inside or out, that won’t be touched or improved.”

He said the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are being replaced as well as the roof, boiler and window systems, not to mention every customer item in each of the rooms.

Making the kind of improvements to the hotel and securing the DoubleTree by Hilton brand will allow the hotel to charge higher room rates and bring in more revenue to cover the debt payments on the increased project costs, Frew added.

Of the now $85 million figure for Convention Complex project, the mayor noted that the city has obtained $35 million in federal funds and $15 million in state I-JOBS funds for the project. He puts the city’s investment now at $32.4 million when private funding is added. He said the federal and state help makes the city investment “look like a bargain.”

Corbett acknowledged that convention centers don’t make money, but they “do bring money to town.” He noted that one event alone, the girls state volleyball tournament, brought $18 million of spending into the city over the last 10 years.

Frew said the cost jump at the Convention Complex is less than it appears. He said the most-recent project cost figure, $75.6 million, did not factor in the cost to issue bond debt for the project nor did it include Frew’s fees, about $4 million. Frew‘s firm, Frew Nations Group, serves as both project manager and construction manager. Bids on project work, including electrical and mechanical work, came it about $3 million over budget, he added.

As for the U.S. Cellular naming rights deal, Corbett called the deal the biggest one ever for the city.

The previous arrangement with U.S. Cellular expired on June 30, 2011, about the time the city closed the arena for renovation. The new contract starts July 1, 2013. The arena and convention center are slated to be open by then.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for northeast Iowa, including nearly all counties north of Interstate 80. The watch runs from Thursday morning through Thursday evening.

Here’s how the storm is expected to shape up, via KCRG-TV9 First Alert Storm Team meteorologist Justin Gehrts:

A very complex winter storm will bring a wintry mix across the area tomorrow, turning over to wet snow as the day wears on. At this time, it appears the morning commute will not be greatly affected by winter weather. However, the evening commute could be slower.

Through the morning, a wintry mix of rain and snow will move into areas generally north of Interstate 80, with areas south looking at mainly rain. In areas experiencing the rain/snow mix, it will likely switch back and forth a few times through the day. After noon, colder air will turn precipitation over to wet snow area-wide. Accumulation will be slow on pavement unless the snow starts falling heavily. Heavy snow certainly is possible from time to time, and occasional thundersnow can’t be ruled out. Locations that experience thundersnow will have road conditions worsen most quickly.

At this time, it appears the greatest potential for the higher snowfall totals is for areas generally north of Highway 20. Widespread totals of 3 inches or higher are possible. South of Highway 20, a rain/snow mix should help prevent much accumulation until the afternoon and evening. Some accumulation is possible, but it looks like it will mostly be under 3 inches.

This winter storm, as mentioned, is very complex. There is some disagreement among the data we’re looking at. Any small change in the storm track will greatly affect snowfall totals. If the storm moves farther north, more rain and less snow can be expected. If it moves south, more snowfall is likely. Very local temperature differences could also cause some areas of one town to be having heavy snow, while another part of town has just rain.

The entire First Alert Storm Team will continue to watch this winter storm and its snowfall potential. We’ll update our forecasts as we get more information. Again, we must stress that any small change in the storm’s track will greatly affect what specific weather conditions each part of our area sees.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett is shown during an April 2010 interview. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

UPDATE: Mayor Ron Corbett, tired of comments he hears about what’s wrong with the city, asked an audience of 500 on Wednesday to fall in love with Cedar Rapids.

In the annual mayoral State of the City speech at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Corbett singled out a handful of examples — neighborhood presidents, a woman with a plan for murals in the downtown, the creators of networks for entrepreneurs and startup companies and an advocate for a new city animal shelter — of people who have shown a passion and fondness for the city.

“Thankfully, we are the beneficiaries of many love acts from out past,” the mayor said. “Will we squander them or build on them? …

“I love Cedar Rapids, but you expect the mayor to love the community he or she serves,” he said at one point. “Can a mayor have the same expectations of the people (in the community)? … Do you love Cedar Rapids?”

The speech comes just 13 days before a significant vote in Cedar Rapids in which voters are being asked to extend the city’s 1-percent local-option sales tax starting on July 1, 2014, for 10 years to provide local money to help build a $375-million flood-protection system on both sides of the river.

The city money is needed, Corbett has said, to convince the federal and state governments to contribute to the system as well.

Corbett, though, made only passing reference to the upcoming vote, and he did so by fitting it into the speech’s central theme and by evoking the city’s legendary mayor, Don Canney, who died in 2011 at the age of 80.

Corbett recalled the event at the city’s Eastern Iowa Airport after Canney’s death in which the city named the airport terminal for Canney, who brought the then-new terminal’s construction about.

Corbett quoted comments that Canney’s son, Kevin, made at the airport naming ceremony when Kevin Canney said, “My father loved Cedar Rapids.”

Corbett then asked, “Can you imagine what Cedar Rapids would be without an airport? The community, through an act of love, gave that asset to be used by everyone in the future. The airport has continued to expand and improve as additional acts of love were pursued for its and our benefit.”

It took two community votes, he noted, before residents approved the bonds to build the terminal. The March 6 vote for flood protection is a second vote, too. The tax extension went down to defeat by a tiny margin on May 3, 2011.

“Could one our acts of love today be building flood protection?” the mayor asked.

The mayor also highlighted the statewide competition to be named one of three Blue Zone Project communities, which will bring the three cities grant funds to help the city and its citizens to become more healthy. Cedar Rapids is among 11 finalists, he noted.

Corbett also updated the audience on the status of the city’s flood-recovery building projects: the new library; the new central fire station and new west-side district fire station; the renovated Paramount Theatre; the renovated former federal courthouse, which is the new City Hall; the new animal control shelter; the new public works building; the new riverfront amphitheater; the renovated Ground Transportation Center bus depot; the renovated hotel and renovated U.S. Cellular Center arena attached to it; and the new convention center next door.

He also noted renovations and new post-flood construction at the old City Hall, the Veterans Memorial Building; Legion Arts’ CSPS Hall; the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library; The African American Museum of Iowa; Theatre Cedar Rapids; and the NewBo City Market.

In the update, he announced that U.S. Cellular has agreed to a new, 10-year naming rights deal for the arena and convention center, which will bring in a total of $3.8 million over the period. The current deal with U.S. Cellular brings in $150,000 a year.

Corbett also took the good-news, upbeat nature of a State of the City speech to note that the price on the hotel and arena renovations and the construction of the new convention center is going up significantly.

At last report, the city had estimated that the renovation cost would be about $25 million-plus for a hotel that the city bought from its creditors for $3.2 million in March of 2011. The convention center was first thought to be a $67-million project, though that cost quickly went to $75.6 million after city brought on project manager John Frew and actual design of the building was completed.

On Wednesday, Corbett said the hotel renovation could reach more than $40 million and the Convention Complex — which includes the arena renovation and the new convention center — could reach $85 million
Much of the increased hotel renovation cost, the mayor said, is related to standards that come with having secured the hotel brand of DoubleTree by Hilton.

“It wouldn’t cost as much if it were a Ramada,” Corbett has said.

Members of the Senate State Government Committee voted 11-4 to allow the state Racing and Gaming Commission to establish a structure whereby competing hub operators would partner with state-licensed casinos to provide access to online sites for registered players ages 21 and older who were located within Iowa’s borders at the time they engaged in the Internet-based activity. Out-of-state residents would be able to come to an Iowa casino, establish an account and play during the time they were residing in Iowa under the bill that authorizes both interstate and intrastate agreements.

“I don’t see this as an expansion of gambling,” said Sen. Rick Bertrand, R-Sioux City. “I see this as an expansion of freedom.”

Proponents said illegal offshore gambling operations already are conducting online poker web sites that conduct up to $100 million in estimated gambling activity in Iowa in an unregulated, “wild, wild West” atmosphere.

“We have a situation in Iowa where Iowa citizens are not being protected. This will do that,” said Sen. Bill Dix, R-Shell Rock. He said bringing the activity under state regulation would halt unscrupulous operations from “preying on Iowans.”

Sen. Jeff Danielson, D-Waterloo, said Iowa currently has an untenable circumstance where online poker is neither prohibited nor legal. He said the structure envisioned in Senate Study Bill 3164 would bring a thoughtful policy to a problem, enable the state to bar anyone associated with illegal gambling operations from doing business in Iowa, and capture economic activity leaving the state while generating revenue via state fees charged to hub operators and an expected rise in revenue from state-licensed operations.

Three Republican senators and one Democrat voted against the bill, which opponents argue will bring a highly addictive form of gambling directly to Iowans’ computers and hand-held electronic devices. No one spoke against the bill during Wednesday evening’s committee meeting.

Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs, said online poker had a 50-50 chance of winning approval by the full Senate – odds that he speculated were better than the prospects that the issue may receive in the Republican-controlled House. Wednesday’s committee action meant the online poker issue would remain eligible for more legislative work having met the criteria necessary to survive a Friday “funnel” deadline for measures to clear a standing committee in either chamber to remain alive this session.

Malcom Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls (Photo courtesy of the WCF Courier)

CEDAR FALLS — Closing the Malcolm Price Lab School at the University of Northern Iowa would save the university up to $2 million annually, President Ben Allen said Wednesday in announcing he will recommend to state regents that the school cease operations June 30.

During three school meetings attended by hundreds, emotional parents, students and staff implored Allen to reconsider the decision.

It’s unknown how many job losses may result from the school’s closure, Allen said. The recommendation to close the school will go to the state Board of Regents “very soon,” he said, as part of ongoing efforts to trim the UNI budget after several years of state cuts.

“Keep in mind, we are going to be and we are the premier K through 12 program. It’s not like we’re quitting and not doing it anymore,” Allen said. “We’re doing things differently.”

Parents and students said they are angry and upset about the decision.

“We’re one big family and I honestly can’t imagine not being together,” said Alissa Geving, a 15-year-old sophomore at the school.

Her mother, Nicol Geving of Cedar Falls, said she was devastated by the recommendation. She likes the lab school’s small class size and personal attention from the teachers for her daughter.

“It just breaks my heart,” she said. “We didn’t have a chance to try and fight for it. They made that decision.”

Allen said the anger and emotion he heard at the day’s first meeting with parents, attended by about 500 people, was expected. Parents and teachers questioned how the decision was made and what the plan is going forward. They offered to raise money to keep the school open.

But it would require millions of dollars in an endowment to keep the school sustainable, Allen said, because of its low class sizes, high per-student cost and other factors.

“I expected them to be angry, angry at me, angry at the whole university,” Allen said. “The ‘Where are we heading?’ is a good question, a fair question. We probably aren’t at a place where we can give them good answers.”

It’s not yet known how UNI will replace the research and development portion of the Price Lab School, Allen said. The school’s 350 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade would go to other area schools once Price closes.

In the afternoon, Allen met with school faculty and staff to announce the plan and held two forums with school parents, where he heard passionate pleas from parents and students who support the school. Media were not allowed to attend the meetings, but the parent meetings were held in a school auditorium and some comments and applause could be heard through the open doors. After his meeting with staffers, several school employees came out in tears.

Parent Bridgette Wagoner of Cedar Falls has a daughter in sixth grade at Price Lab School, and Wagoner was the school’s director until she left two years ago. She told Allen she was disappointed in his decision, and that he lacked the vision, imagination and guts to support the school.

“My 11 years here was constantly a struggle,” said Wagoner, now director of educational services for the Waverly-Shell Rock district. “Constantly looking over your shoulder hoping someone’s not going to close the school, you can’t function.”

The College of Education is so core to UNI that it’s hard to imagine parting with Price Lab School, said Courtney Clausen, a high school social studies teacher there. Clausen, 29, left her job teaching in the Marshalltown district and took a pay cut to come to Price last summer because it’s her dream job, she said, merging teaching with teacher training and research and development for teaching practices.

“I’m not giving up. We’ll stand up for it,” she said. “It was just a lot of unanswered questions and the fact that there is such a failure in communication.”

UNI officials have spent months looking at ways to cut the budget, as state appropriations makes up less of the university’s funding and student tuition dollars make up more. UNI’s enrollment is 92 percent in-state students, who pay much less in tuition than do out-of-state students, putting UNI in a different situation regarding state budget cuts compared to Iowa State University and the University of Iowa.

More details about other university cuts, including to athletics and the UNI Museum, will be announced by UNI officials today.

Cuts to academic programs likely won’t be announced until next week.

Prompted by County Auditor Joel Miller, the supervisors voted unanimously to reaffirm a 1998 policy that ended longevity pay for elected officials and their appointed deputies. Sheriff’s Col. John Stuelke, appointed chief deputy by Gardner, had continued to receive the bonus under a policy established by Don Zeller, Gardner’s predecessor.

Miller said a member of his staff noticed an $1,100 check to Stuelke in December that proved to be the annual longevity pay. The practice had been discontinued, except for workers who receive it under their union contracts, after a consultant’s study of county compensation practices.

That change was accompanied by a one-time adjustment to deputies’ salaries to compensate for the loss of the longevity pay. But Zeller’s chief deputy didn’t receive the adjustment because his salary was already 85 percent of his boss’, the limit set by state law. The law also allowed Zeller to continue the payments, which he did, Gardner said.

“It’s been ongoing,” Gardner said. “Stuelke inherited that practice by virtue of his being my chief deputy.”

Assistant County Attorney Gary Jarvis told supervisors that Stuelke’s longevity bonus was legal under state code.

However, “I don’t like it, because it treats other political deputies differently,” said Supervisor Brent Oleson, R-Marion. The new resolution means “we’ll keep things the same for everybody.”

Stuelke makes $97,331 this year.

“It comes down to, really, nobody’s been paying attention and hadn’t been the past couple of years,” said Miller.

Gardner said Stuelke “was fine with it” when told that his bonus was ending.

The supervisors didn’t address Miller’s request to have Stuelke reimburse the county for the three years of bonuses he’d collected.

“When you make a mistake in payroll, you get the money back — you don’t just move on,” Miller said.

“We didn’t have the time,” said Sen. Hamerlinck, R-Dixon, ranking member of the education committee. He said the Democrats pushed their plan through in three days, and he accused education committee chairman Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, of “wasting our time for eight weeks.”

Quirmbach said the bill is “a work in progress,” and he would be happy to consider any amendments from the Republicans when the plan gets to the Senate floor.

The Senate reform proposal was released Monday, moved through a subcommittee Tuesday and passed the education committee Wednesday to send it to the floor for debate. By contrast, the House plan was released in January, and House members held five subcommittee and two committee meetings before approving it Tuesday night. Gov. Terry Branstad’s reform plan was outlined in October and released in January.

Unlike the House proposal, which amends portions of Branstad’s plan, the Senate version scraps the governor’s reform package entirely and replaces it with a significantly smaller bill.

The committee made some tweaks to the Senate plan Wednesday that fell along party lines, but it kept the major components intact. Among the provisions of the Senate plan are:

- A proposal that students could not get more than 50 percent of their coursework delivered over the Internet unless they get waivers from their home school districts and consent from their parents. That’s a change from the earlier version of the bill that said “not more than 20 percent” for open-enrolled students.

- The commission of a study to see whether grade-point average requirements for prospective teachers need to be raised to 3.0, as proposed by Branstad.

- An annual review requirement for teachers, with two of those reviews by peer instead of supervisors. Current law requires a review every three years. The Branstad proposal requires annual supervisor reviews.

Phil Wise, a lobbyist with the Iowa Department of Education, told the committee that the Senate plan doesn’t address student assessment and asked that senators include something in that regard before they vote on the full plan.

“We’re making a start on what’s going to be a long path in this chamber and the other one,” Quirmbach said. “There are going to be plenty of amendments and discussion and then we have to bring the two (bills) together.”

The view from the penalty box at last Saturday's Cedar Rapids-Fargo game. Not bad.

CEDAR RAPIDS - There are two things you really notice by watching a hockey game up close and personal from the penalty box.

The first is the speed. Holy cow, these kids get up and down the ice.

Then there’s how much they stink. No offense, boys, but there is no more “distinct” odor in athletics than in hockey.

Think about it. You’ve got all that unwashable, confined equipment that keeps accumulating more and more sweat.

It’s a reek fest, for sure.

A quick thank you to Cedar Rapids RoughRiders CEO Jeff Jauch for allowing this longtime team beat writer the opportunity to observe last Saturday’s game against Fargo from a place no fan gets to sit. It was me, director of off-ice officials Andy Pantini, scoreboard operator Steve Meyer and penalty timekeepers Al Gruwell and Jeremy Reuter.

I just tried to stay out of the way.

The penalty box crew: Andy Pantini (seated), Steve Meyer (in green hat), Jeremy Reuter (standing) and Al Gruwell (in background with back turned)

“There’s actually a lot more they ask us to do than they used to,” said Pantini, whose main duty is to provide constant game updates for the USHL’s website. “Part of it is being a Tier-I league now. They want a lot more stuff, a lot more stats. It’s hard for me to get after anyone because we’re all volunteers. I think we do a good job for what we’re asked to do.”

Pantini is in charge of a crew of about 25 total off-ice officials. Ten work a game: four in the penalty box, two goal judges, two videographers and two guys who keep shots on goal charts.

“I like this better than being a goal judge,” said Reuter, who has done both tasks. “As a goal judge, you’re always watching the net. You miss games.”

Pantini usually arrives at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena at 5 p.m. to prepare for a 7 p.m. game, with duties that include obtaining and inputting lineups for both teams. About 45 minutes prior to opening faceoff, Meyer meets with the on-ice officials to ask if they need anything and remind them of team in-game procedures, such as taking timeouts between the 12 and five-minute mark of each period.

I tag along and listen in, coming to the realization the officials aren’t much older than the players.

“These guys go from league to league, arena to arena,” Meyer said. “I just try to let them know how things work here at The Stable.”

Gruwell and Reuter manually record each penalty on sheets of paper and keep track of who is on the ice for each even-strength goal for plus-minus rating purposes. They also are at the ready with towels, water bottles and chit-chat for officials, and extra pucks for linesmen when one goes out of play.

Meeting with the game officials pregame.

Those are kept in a small Igloo cooler filled with ice cubes.

“We start with 20 pucks,” Meyer said. “If we get down to six or seven, then we ask for more.”

Gruwell and Reuter also are penalty door gatekeepers (Gruwell for the RoughRiders and Reuter for Fargo on this night), letting guys out as penalties expire. That’s done on a Pantini countdown.

“One minute!” he shouted as the first minute of Jordan Nelson’s two-minute, first-period penalty for Fargo expired. Then, it’s “30 seconds!” And eventually “Five, four, three, two, one, let him go!”

If you’ve been to a game this season, you’ve probably noticed the weird-looking “Green Guys,” usually high-school kids hired by the RoughRiders to dress up in green lycra body suits and black shorts. They taunt opposing players from outside the penalty box, both verbally and non-verbally.

Kids - and many adults - get a kick out of them. Needless to say, opposing players do not.

“Are those guys here every game?” Nelson asked, shaking his head when told yes.

Perhaps the funniest moment of the night came in the second period when Pavel Zykov of Fargo goes to the box. The Russian doesn’t say a word until he stood up to get ready to leave at the end of his penalty.

All of a sudden he yelled to Reuter “Open door! Open door!”

“He doesn’t speak any English. None,” a teammate later told Reuter. “He’s only been here a month. We’ve got another guy (Russian) that helps him out.”

Fargo's Pavel Zykov sits in the penalty box with a "Green Guy" staring him down.

This was a tame game, kind of a shame since I was really looking forward to some controversy. But there were no fighting majors, no disputable referee calls, just seven benign minor penalties in a 2-1 Fargo victory.

Each player calmly skated to the box and took a seat, with the exception of Fargo’s Neal Goff, who earned a 10-minute misconduct for briefly arguing his cross-checking penalty to referee Andrew Wilk.

A cooler full of game pucks.

“That’s pretty weak,” Goff told Reuter he said, only with an additional word between ‘”pretty” and “weak” that you could probably guess.

After the game, Pantini wrapped up official scorekeeping duties on his laptop computer, as I headed to the main concourse to write a game story. On my way out, I grabbed a couple of non-used game pucks from the cooler and handed them to young kids on the other side of the plexiglass.

Let me know if I owe you any money, RoughRiders.

No great stories emerged from my night in the box, but it was a blast anyway. After all, how many times do you get to see a game from this vantage point.

“Best seat in the house,” Meyer said.

I’m not going to disagree.

Andy Pantini updates the game for www.ushl.com.

The Cedar Rapids Police Department's mobile speed camera was parked along 16th Avenue SW on Jan. 4, 2012. (Jeff Raasch/The Gazette)

At least one person hadn’t heard about the Cedar Rapids police department’s famous red Jeep.

She knows about it now, though.

The vehicle, which is equipped with a camera system that automatically snaps photos of speeders as they pass by, was damaged in a minor accident Tuesday. Police said a 49-year-old Marion woman backed into it with her vehicle around 5:15 p.m. in the 100 block of Brentwood Drive NE. She then approached a few neighbors, asking if the Jeep was theirs.

They told her it was a police vehicle. It had been parked there to slow down traffic after a car slammed into a house in the same block early Saturday morning.

Sgt. Cristy Hamblin said the woman told officers she was was backing out of a driveway when she hit the Jeep, after picking up a child. The Jeep had a scrape on the rear quarter-panel on the passenger’s side, police said.

Because the accident involved a city vehicle, police did a full accident report. Hamblin said the damage was very minor and did not think a repair would be necessary. No charges were filed against the woman.

Police have parked the Jeep in various locations in Cedar Rapids as a form of traffic enforcement for the past two years. The crash Tuesday was the first time it has sustained any damage, Hamblin said. She said someone put cardboard over the windshield shortly after it debuted, but has otherwise not been vandalized.

The police department lists the streets where the Jeep will be parked each week on its website. Requests about where the Jeep should be parked to slow down speeders can be made by calling (319) 286-5356.

“It’s very hard to see a way forward in this environment,” Braley told The Gazette Editorial Board on Wednesday.

It’s not impossible, though: Braley cited his experience last spring with four town hall meetings organized with help from the non-partisan Concord Coalition anti-deficit group. The events in Davenport, Dubuque, Cedar Falls and Fayette included a brief orientation followed by constituents’ votes on specific program cuts and tax increases.

“Each group found trillions of dollars of deficit reduction, and each group did it with a balanced approach of targeted spending cuts and revenue increases, which is what most economists tell you we have to do,” Braley said.

Braley said fellow Democrats were “blown away” by video of the exercise, which some have since duplicated.

“There should be no reason why Congress can’t do the same thing, but it’s just an incredibly difficult environment when ‘compromise’ is seen as a dirty word,” he said.

Braley said he’d like to include deficit-fighting elements in his efforts to keep college education affordable. He recently introduced legislation to lock in a 3.4 percent student loan interest rate for another five years — it would jump to 7 percent if Congress doesn’t act by July 1 — but he’d like to see loan eligibility tied to graduation and placement rates, especially in the case of for-profit institutions.

“We have to continue to challenge the institutions that receive these funds to demonstrate the value they return,” said Braley, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “When we have money going to a program that has high default rates and students not completing their academic programs, that takes money away from students here in Iowa.”

Braley thinks Cedar Rapids stands a good chance of landing the flood-recovery funding it’s seeking from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in part simply because others are seeking similar aid.

“The Hurricane Katrina disaster is the relief event that refuses to die,” he said. “Every time somebody else gets impacted, there are still requests coming up for unmet needs from that event.”

Braley said he called FEMA Director Craig Fugate just last week, “trying to make sure they are living up to the commitments they made.”

Linn County voters’ approval of a proposed local-option sales tax extension March 6 would have little direct effect on the city’s case in Congress, but it couldn’t hurt, Braley said.

“The federal program guidelines are fairly clear in terms of what’s considered” for funding, Braley said. “I’m not sure what the significance of that vote will mean to ongoing efforts to provide funding that should have been provided previously, but it certainly could be another factor in the city’s appeal.”

The third-term Democrat from Waterloo said he hasn’t thought much about his challengers in the new 1st District. Two Republicans, Independence attorney Ben Lange and Dubuque businessman Rod Blum, have announced bids.

“I am going to have no impact whatsoever on who the Republicans choose,” he said. “There’s plenty of time to worry about politics later.”

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This is the Twitter feed of Kirk Bohls, who's covered Texas for the Austin American-Statesmen since when I was in college. I was told today that Greg Davis is "a super nice guy" and "transparent." So, I'm guessing Bohls has an "in" with Davis and this is so.

So, there’s the tweet.

Kirk Bohls has covered Texas for the Austin American-Statesman for several years. He tweeted that Greg Davis, who served as the Longhorns’ offensive coordinator for 12 seasons before resigning in 2010, has accepted the offensive coordinator position at Iowa.

Officially from the University of Iowa, coach Kirk Ferentz is on the annual coaches cruise and can’t be reached for comment. The stop today is Antigua. Maybe they have phones in Antigua. So, still no official word.

UI sports information director Steve Roe, who would neither confirm or deny the hire, said Iowa likely won’t release anything Wednesday night.

Mayor Ron Corbett delivers his Condition of the City speech Wednesday, with the help of his trusty Viewmaster. (Liz Martin/SourceMedia Group)

If Mayor Ron Corbett’s third Condition of the City speech were a book, I’d call it “Spend, Pray, Walk, Love.” Anybody else smell a movie deal?

Really, it was two speeches. The first 30 minutes was suitable for C-SPAN. The last 15, more geared toward Lifetime. The mayor clearly delivered the first part. But from my seat way in the back of the room, squinting, I wondered if Dr. Phil had stepped in for the second.

The first part was all meat and spreadsheets.

The mayor asked his large audience dotted with community leaders and business barons to conjure up a metaphorical Viewmaster (youngsters, to the Google) picturing the many major, pricey recovery projects the city is digging into, from the new library to the Paramount Theatre to the Convention Complex. Corbett insisted that local taxes are covering only about 30 percent of the tab, with piles of state, federal and private dollars footing the rest. The guy elected three years ago vowing to whisk away delay for a new era of decisiveness now has to spend much of his time defending decisions.

“This is what had to be done,” he said.

His Viewmaster didn’t show how it will all turn out, however, especially the hotel gamble, now pegged at an eye-popping $44 million. He did announce a 10-year, $3.8 million deal with U.S. Cellular to keep the company’s name on a renovated U.S. Cellular Center. The hunt is also on for four foundation sponsors at $1 million each.

The city’s crumbling streets are a “dark cloud,” he said, while praying that state lawmakers will raise the gas tax to pay for more pavement.

Soon, the speech took a turn from infrastructre to introspection. I should have seen it coming. Maybe it was a hint when he mentioned that seats in the Paramount are being changed to “enhance patron comfort.” Or perhaps when he touted Cedar Rapids’ Red Box ranking as one of the country’s most romantic cities. “Apparently, we all like a chick flick once in a while,” Corbett said.

The mayor implored us to embrace the Blue Zones project, a worthwhile effort aimed at making us healthy and fit. As in theater seats, etc. Corbett talked about the value of “walking school buses” for kids. No mention of walking City Council meetings, however. “Have you ever seen the show, ‘The Biggest Loser?’ ” Corbett asked the audience. Sure. But I’ve never seen a guy who delivers a 6,600-word speech lead a push for portion control.

Then came the love.

“I want you to fall in love with Cedar Rapids,” Corbett said. “We know we can love other people, we can love animals and we certainly can love food like ice cream, but can we love a city? The answer is yes.”

Ice cream? Surely he meant celery.

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make,” Corbett said, quoting The Beatles after urging citizens to get involved in their community.

But there was no love for LOST. Last year, Corbett delivered what ammounted to a 4,900-word full-court press to pass a local option sales tax extension for flood protection. This year, with another vote looming, he made a brief, veiled reference and didn’t address the subject until he was asked during post-speech Q&A time.

A striking transformation. Dr. Phil, any thoughts?

Mike Driscoll (photo/Julie Kelly)

Mike Driscoll of Cedar Rapids and the Rockwell Collins Retiree Volunteers, based in Cedar Rapids, were inducted Tuesday, Feb. 21, into the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame.

Driscoll, who retired from Rockwell in 2008, spearheaded the development of the Human Services Campus in Cedar Rapids after the Floods of 2008.

Members of the Rockwell retirees group design, build and modify devices to aid people with disabilities, including building ramps for low-income residents.

They also are involved in science programs at area schools.

The group, which has donated 100,000 volunteer hours in the past two years, has grown to 236 volunteers since its inception in 2000.

When trying to select an interior paint color, use a piece of furniture, artwork or bedding as inspiration.

 Karen Mahannah, designer with Klinger Paint in Cedar Rapids, recommends taking items already in use or that you will be using as inspiration for a room color. “It might be a couch or a piece of artwork, or the bedding in the bedrooms,” she says. “It’s easier to pick a color to go with your items, than choosing furniture to match the room color. I can make any color (of paint) you can dream of.”

 Mahannah says grays and charcoals are still the neutral color of choice, with bright, clean colors like coral and lime green to go with the gray tones. There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to ceiling color, she says, but more homeowners prefer a lighter shade than the wall color. “With moldings we like to stick with a little more of a creamy off-white color if you’re going to paint them as opposed to staining them.”

 How often should a homeowner paint interior walls? Mahanna says style-wise, trends usually run about five years, while the durability depends on the quality of paint.

 Don’t forget the exterior

In addition to selecting the right color, finding the right product is important for the exterior of the home, according to DeWayne Hughes, manager of Sherwin Williams on Collins Road. “There’s different quality of paint so read the labels to know what you’re getting,” he notes. “Our lowest line of paint has a 15-year warranty and our highest has a lifetime warranty.”

 Depending on the time of year the exterior is being painted can also play into the product selection. Low temperature paints can offer insurance if the evening temperature dips downward, and moisture guard products won’t streak if it rains a few hours after the paint is applied.

 Sherwin Williams, like a host of other paint companies, helps take the guesswork out of trying to imagine what your house will look like in a new color. By uploading a house photo on their websites or smart phone applications, you can see what your house looks like in a variety of colors.

The Cedar Rapids Jefferson grad and 2011 Iowa Mr. Basketball was at the scorer’s table, getting ready to check in late in the first half of Wisconsin’s season opener against Kennesaw State in November. He steps on the court, he’s playing the rest of the season.

Perhaps it was fate that stepped in and prevented that from happening.

Jarrod Uthoff

“I was all ready to go on,” Uthoff said during a phone interview Tuesday. “Coach put me in, but just a little late. The ball was put in play, then the clock ran out.”

Was that a sign?

Uthoff had second thoughts and decided against playing in the second half. He reassessed his options, talked to his family and came to a conclusion: this would be a redshirt season.

“That close to playing,” he said with a laugh.

Instead he’s sitting, observing and gaining weight. The 6-foot-8 Uthoff said he has packed on 18 needed pounds since he first stepped foot in Madison, putting him over 200.

The goal before next season begins is to get to 220.

“It’s been pretty hard not to play, but it’s allowed me to work on my game and get stronger,” Uthoff said. “I asked msyelf how I could benefit the team best. Strength-wise, I’m not ready to play, so I decided, ‘OK, it will benefit me and my team by playing a fifth year.’”

Uthoff has traveled with Wisconsin on all of its road trips, so at least he’s getting to see almost all of the Big Ten Conference arenas. He’ll be on the bench Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena when Wisconsin (20-7) plays the Iowa Hawkeyes.

It’ll be his first trip home since last summer.

“It’ll be pretty good to see everyone,” he said.

Uthoff picked Wisconsin over Iowa after a whirlwind recruiting period. He was asked if he has had any second thoughts, considering the way his career has begun.

Or not begun.

“No, I like everything here,” he said. “No regrets. No regrets at all.”

William Kobelt

ELKADER – A Clayton County judge sentenced 27-year-old William Kobelt to 10 years in prison Tuesday, nearly four months after Kobelt led deputies on a high speed chase and rammed his truck into a deputy’s squad car.

According to a Clayton County press release, Kobelt, of Guttenberg, plead guilty Tuesday to felony assault on Clayton County Sheriff’s Deputy Shawn Boeke, eluding a pursuing law enforcement vehicle while exceeding the speed limit by 25 mph or more, illegal possession of ammunition, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, and driving while barred.

A District Judge imposed prison sentences for all charges to run over a 10-year term, the release said.

On Oct. 28, Kobelt was involved in a early morning high speed chase to which Boeke responded.

The chase ended when Kobelt rammed his truck head-on into Boeke’s squad car. Boeke shot at Kobelt, and Kobelt fled into the woods. He was arrested in Colesburg less than 24 hours later, the release said.

Boeke suffered minor injuries, but has since returned to work, the release said.

Dubuque Senior quarterback Robby Jones (9) is pressured by City High's Steve Ferentz (41) during their game Friday, Aug. 26, 2011 in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Here’s the list as far as I know. Remember walk-ons are a little different. Iowa can’t announce they’re on the team because nothing is signed.

Preferred walk-ons are allowed to practice during August camp. The regular sort of walk-on isn’t allowed to practice until school begins (last week of August this year?).

Jalen Chambers 6-5, 300, OL Bellevue High School

Cole Croston 6-6, 230, OL/DL from Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Andre Dawson 6-1, 220, RB Iowa Western Community College/Cedar Rapids Washington

Steven Ferentz 6-1, 220 OL/TE Iowa City High

Alex Imming 6-3, 205 WR  Sioux City East

Will Kincart 6-3, 235 OL/DL/LS Davis County High School

Michael Malloy 6-0, 180-pound RB/WR Sioux City Heelan

Riley McCarron 5-9, 165 DB/WR/RB Dubuque Wahlert

Jeremy Nelson 6-2, 210 LB Sioux City Heelan

David Tann 5-10, 185 DB Cedar Rapids Washington

____________________

I’m assuming Steven Ferentz walks on at Iowa. I think the last time it was discussed, dad and Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz kind of left it open.

“He’s looking around here,” Kirk said. “He’s looking pretty hard at Iowa, as you might imagine. If that ends up being what he does,that’s great. You know, we’ll support him, whatever he chooses to do.”

Kirk Ferentz also was asked a general question about walk-ons:

“We’d like to get our roster to 115, 118, somewhere in that ballpark,” he said. “We’ll know more after we get through spring practice to see who sticks with the team, whod oesn’t. We just had a freshman walk-on lineman retire a couple weeks ago. So, those things happen. Hopefully, we’ll end up around 118, typically.”

Of last year’s walk-ons, I expect former Solon kicker Marshall Koehn to have some sort of role, probably kickoffs if he can get the ball to the end zone.

My recent travels to high schools around Eastern Iowa has been fun, interesting and revealing.

I’ve seen outstanding journalism programs at places like Lisbon and Iowa City West. I’ve been to schools like Clayton Ridge and Williamsburg where journalism classes don’t exist.

I’ve found enthusiastic and eager students and teachers at every stop.

The newspaper business took a big hit a few years ago, with companies across the country laying off writers, editors and photographers as advertising dollars and subscriptions dwindled.

It appears high school journalism programs have taken a hit, too, with budget cuts at our schools.

Williamsburg senior McCall Meade was our first quarterly winner in our high school journalism program. She won an iPad. You want to win next time? Contribute.

This is too bad, of course.

My message to students everywhere is that the media is alive and well. It has changed and will continue to evolve, but news still is important. The problems is wadding through the legitimate, trustworthy media and those websites and blog posts that have an agenda, care little about the truth or do little to no reporting.

There was a report recently stating we have more information at our fingertips than ever before, yet we are the least informed we’ve ever been. We pick and chose what we want, what we agree with and don’t challenge ourselves or reach outside our box.

That is why I tell high school students their message — their stories about their schools, their teams and their peers — is so important to us. We want to share their stories, photos and video with more people than those in their communities, i.e. their schools. Our community includes more than 80 high schools in the newspaper area, more than 100 in the TV market and a countless number at www.IowaPrepSports.com.

We want our readers and viewers — our sports fans — to be as well-informed about your school and your athletes as they are about their own.

Who knows their schools and their athletes better than the other students?

We stand at around 30 high school journalists — writers and photographers — contributing content from 13 different schools. Their work can be found at www.IowaPrepSports.com, and it’s very good work.

We want more.

If doesn’t matter if you have a journalism or newspaper class. A yearbook or creative writing course will do just fine. If you’d like to hear more or contribute, contact me or, better yet, invite me to your school. I want to recruit more contributors, but also want to help make journalism important in your school.

“We are extremely grateful to KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA FOX 28 for their continued partnership and support of the VOICE the VISION Rally,” said Paige Knebel, Event Coordinator for the Alzheimer’s Association East Central Iowa Chapter. “The event coverage allows us to educate viewers about the disease and why we need to be concerned. Too many of America’s baby boomers will spend their retirement years either with Alzheimer’s disease or caring for someone who has this heartbreaking disease. Efforts to raise awareness and funds are more important now than ever.”

We would like to thank all of the Alzheimer’s Association VOICE the VISION Rally sponsors. Our Presenting sponsor is　KGAN CBS 2 and KFXA FOX 28. Our radio sponsors are 104.5 KDAT, KCJJ AM 600 and 93.5 The Mix. For more information, visit www.alz.org/eci.

Of course not. But they’ve successfully weathered the loss of their top scorer to make for an important closing week of the regular season.

“Any time you lose your leading scorer and an outside threat and the experience that we lost with Jaime, that’s a blow,” Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said Wednesday.

“But what I can say is that our team has handled that adversity as well as I’ve seen any team ever handle this. Again, I think every player has risen to the occasion and I mean every player.”

The Hawkeyes (17-10 overall, 9-5 Big Ten) take a six-game winning streak — including four straight since Printy tore the ACL in her left knee — into Thursday’s game at Northwestern (14-13, 4-10).

Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Iowa has scrambled its way into a good position for its fifth straight NCAA tournament. Now, the aim is a high Big Ten finish; everything from third place to seventh place is in play, depending on the Hawkeyes’ finish.

“As close as the standings are, every game is important,” said Iowa’s Kelly Krei. “A couple weeks ago, a high seed didn’t look possible.”

The top four seeds earn first-round byes at the Big Ten tournament March 1-4 at Indianapolis.

Six games ago, Iowa was sitting 11-10 and 3-5, spinning its wheels. The Hawkeyes started the turnaround with a win against then-league leader Purdue, then won a bittersweet overtime game at Wisconsin.

Printy was injured in the final seconds of overtime.

Since then, Bluder said, “Every player has risen, and that’s exactly what you have to have happen. When one player that is so significant like Jaime goes down, is that everybody has to raise the level of their game.

“You all know that when it happens, but rarely do you see everybody buying into it and really doing it, and this team has.”

Since Printy was injured, Samantha Logic has posted 13.5 points and 11.8 points per game, earning Big Ten freshman-of-the-week honors twice. Kamille Wahlin has averaged 17.5 points per game, Morgan Johnson 16.0.

“I think that since Jaime has went down, Kamille has really risen,” Bluder said. ”Kamille has just realized that she was kind of sharing that leadership role on the floor with Jaime and now she’s taken ownership in it.”

Iowa opened the Big Ten schedule Dec. 30 with an 86-55 rout of Northwestern. The ease of that victory causes Bluder concern.

“I don’t think it’s good when you win it so decisively and you have to go play at their place,” Bluder said. ”To me, it can be a situation where (we) think (we) have the game won.” 

IOWA (17-10, 9-5) at NORTHWESTERN (14-13, 4-10)

Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Thursday

TV: None

Radio: KXIC-AM (800), KMJM-AM (1360)

Notable: The Hawkeyes have won six straight games and enter the final week of the regular season in a four-way tie for third place in the Big Ten. Morgan Johnson leads the active roster in scoring at 14.9 points per game. Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said Virginia Johnson remains out from complications of a concussion. Northwestern opened some eyes with a win Feb. 16 at Nebraska. The Wildcats are led by the trio of Kendall Hackey (15.2 ppg), Morgan Jones (14.5) and Dannielle Diamant (13.8). Iowa defeated the Wildcats 88-57 in Iowa City Dec. 30, hitting 12 3-pointers.

Next up for Iowa: Michigan, 2 p.m. Sunday, Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

y-clinched tie for league title

THURSDAY’S GAMES

Iowa at Northwestern, 7 p.m.

Wisconsin at Indiana

Michigan State at Northwestern

Minnesota at Ohio State

Nebraska at Michigan

SUNDAY’S GAMES

Michigan at Iowa, 2 p.m.

Michigan State at Northwestern

Indiana at Purdue

Ohio State at Nebraska

Minnesota at Penn State

Illinois at Wisconsin

Cameron Wilson is among several potential wide receivers Iowa brought in with the 2012 class. The Hawkeyes lost Marvin McNutt and will lose Keenan Davis after next season, so WR is an obvious need.

By any measure, Cameron Wilson is a good get.

He had 14 offers, including West Virginia, Boston College, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Illinois. BC and Illinois were the other two finalists. No, Ohio State didn’t offer the Ohio native.

The 6-1, 195-pounder picked the Hawkeyes in June and didn’t look back.

“Certain schools made me feel more at home, but I definitely looked for schools that acted like they wanted me,” said Wilson, who signed with Iowa over Illinois, Michigan State and Notre Dame. “It’s always been a dream of mine (to sign with a major college program) and I’m really happy for the opportunity to play under coach (Kirk) Ferentz.”

At one point last summer, Iowa had 16 offers out to wide receivers, including West Des Moines Dowling’s Amara Darboh. Iowa’s primary wideouts for 2011 were senior Marvin McNutt and junior Keenan Davis, so there is a little sense of urgency to fill the roster and create competition.

Wilson, Tevaun Smith and Greg Mabin are coming in as wideouts. Ruben Lile could join them if the 6-3, 200-pounder keeps growing.

Wilson is proven. He holds every Jerome High School (Dublin, Ohio) record for receiving. He finished his prep career with 176 catches and 21 touchdowns and, according to ThisWeek community newspapers, became the first player from the school to sign with a BCS program. Wilson finished last season with 40 catches for 680 yards and six touchdowns.

Scouting snippet

From ESPN.com: Wilson is a prospect we are actually surprised does not have more offers in the early evaluation period. Given his height/speed/athleticism ratio he is certainly a player we feel will see his stock rise over the summer and throughout his senior year. He has very good size although we are not sure he is quite as tall as his listed height, his ability to accelerate and run in the open field is impressive for a bigger wide receiver. Really drives off the ball and can be an imposing figure that will back DBs off him. Consistently utilizes his large, soft hands to extend and pluck balls away from defenders at its highest point.

Shields defenders well in traffic and is not afraid to go over the middle and absorb the big hit. Size, timing and leaping skills on the jump ball could land him in early red-zone packages. Concentration and body control adjusting to the deep ball is excellent; he is a natural pass catcher who can make the difficult grab look effortless. Plucks and tucks and gets upfield quickly. Crisp, sharp route-runner despite his elongated lower-body. Will show some suddenness into and out of his breaks. Smooth through his cuts and fakes and is a difficult one-on-one matchup on intermediate-to-deep routes with his blend of size and separation speed. Wilson will show flashes of burst and ability to separate as a route runner, but more importantly in the open field. He is a prospect that could easily play on the inside as well due to his strength and ability to use his frame to get open in traffic. Will be a sneaky deep threat due to his size and more than adequate speed. Good player with upside and we like his overall productivity.

What Iowa coaches said

Recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson: He was one of the first kids to commit to us. I don’t know if his team had as good of a year as it would’ve liked (4-6), but he’s a guy we feel very comfortable with from the playing standpoint.

What I think

I don’t do this for a living, the whole evaluation for recruits. So I admit, sometimes my only read is the number of quality offers a recruit receives. It’s not an indicator of future success, but it certainly can be used as a metric for demand and what college football coaches — you know, the ones who do this for a living — think about a player.

With Wilson, it’s an impressive list. It doesn’t include Ohio State, but it does include a lot of schools Iowa is in direct competition with, including Boston College (we see Iowa and BC bump heads more than I would think).

And, if it’s accurate, I like the fact that Wilson is the first Jerome player to sign BCS. He’ll carry that sense of pride with him. It’s an intangible and, really, that has been the theme throughout this whole exercise.

An aerial view of the Kirkwood Community College campus.

CEDAR RAPIDS — The bargaining group that represents Kirkwood Community College faculty opened contract negotiations Tuesday with a proposal for a 6 percent salary increase next year.

The negotiation team that represents the Kirkwood administration then followed with its proposal for a 0.5 percent increase to salary and a 0.6 percent increase to the retirement contribution, for a 1.1 percent increase overall.

After the public meeting Tuesday to open 2012-13 contract negotiations, the two sides now will continue negotiations in closed-session meetings until a new contract is agreed upon.

Both sides said insurance costs and potential rate increases are unknown yet, so they did not include them in their opening proposals.

“We also are mindful of controlling costs, especially when it comes to insurance,” Bob Freeman, chief negotiator for the administration, said during his presentation.

Freeman said after the proposals that neither side presented anything he would consider to be big changes or surprises for the contract.

The Kirkwood Faculty Association represents the college’s nearly 300 faculty in the contract negotiations. Faculty Association Chief Negotiator John Dawson, from the math and geology faculty, said the 6 percent salary increase request is an opening number, and any discussion beyond that is “part of the negotiations.”

Faculty this year received a 3.49 percent total package increase to salary and benefits.

The 2012-13 opening proposal from the Kirkwood administration also includes a change to the contract dates. Faculty contracts now start Sept. 1 of each year, and the administration is proposing to move the contract start to July 1, to mirror the college’s fiscal year.

Future Iowa DT Jaleel Johnson on the left and future Iowa OT Ryan Ward on the right. We'll call them big and biggerer.

Ryan Ward’s commitment might end up being the most meaningful for the 2012 class.

Iowa beat several direct competitors (Michigan State, Northwestern) to get the 6-5, 275-pounder from Providence Catholic (New Lenox, Ill.), a school that also produced Iowa all-American OL Eric Steinbach. Northwestern had an in, too, with Ward’s brother, Patrick, has started 26 straight games at right tackle.

This also shows Iowa can leverage its expertise in offensive line PhDs and go get who it wants. That’s why Ward, a U.S. Army All-American Bowl participant, might be the most important Iowa recruit.

Iowa has it going with O-linemen. Robert Gallery turned into Bryan Bulaga who turned into Riley Reiff, who brought along Markus Zusevics who’ll have an NFL career along with Steinbach, Bruce Nelson, Pete McMahon and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few.

Ward has already tuned into the laser focus and grind lifestyle it takes to reach elite status.

Check this link from the Chicago Tribune.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound Iowa recruit usually wakes up before 6 a.m. and goes to bed at 9:30 p.m. He comes from a family with an elite athletic pedigree and a penchant for excelling in the classroom.

His dad, Brian, was an offensive lineman for Illinois. His brother, Patrick, is a starting right tackle for Northwestern.

Working hard is part of Ward’s DNA. He scored a 30 on his ACT and earned a 4.0 grade-point average last year. His hectic days force him to miss out on normal teenage pursuits, including watching one of his favorite shows, Workaholics.

Still, Ward remains unapologetic.

“Normal teenagers don’t get Division I scholarships,” Ward said. “That’s who I am, and what I do. I’m in bed by 9:30, even in the offseason, and I’m forced to be an early riser. If I had my way and I wasn’t an athlete, I would sleep late.”

This should work.

Scouting snippet

From ESPN.com: Ward is a tough run blocker showing the ability to dominate and knock defenders off the ball. Has the size for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition and it appears his frame is capable of handling additional body mass. Displays very good flexibility, balance and agility; can play on his feet in space and is very effective downfield; playing out of a three point stance we like the initial quickness and explosion we see. Comes off the ball low and hard with very good fit and pad level; is into defenders quickly, rolling his hips and getting underneath their pads; does a great job sustaining blocks downfield as a result of his blocking base and persistent leg drive. This is a tough customer who demonstrates the nasty, aggressive finishing attitude we expect to see when evaluating offensive linemen.

When asked to pull and trap he is quick out of his stance; shows the ability to get out in front and locate defenders on the move, finishing with crushing results. We see the quickness and agility required to consistently get a hat on active 1st and 2nd level defenders and feel this prospect has the tools to make the necessary run blocks at the next level of play. His arm length, quick hands and nimble feet should be assets in pass protection; demonstrates the ability to short and quick set to the deep point. Can bend and slide his feet displaying the athleticism to stay in front of pass rushers. This guy uses his upper body playing strength well; flashes the ability to get his hands inside with initial punch, working to maintain good extension. Ward’s toughness and athleticism along with his excellent potential for physical growth indicate he could have a long and productive career at the BCS level of play.

What Iowa coaches said

Recruiting coordinator Eric Johnson: He’s very athletic guy. Tough kid. Very, very smart. Excellent family. Father played in college. Brother plays in college. Younger brother is getting recruited. A great kid. I mean, he is a great kid. He wants to be here and is excited about getting going. It’ll be fun to work with him.

What I think

Ward is in the chute. I wrote that very same sentence about Reiff as a redshirt freshman. Now, we should pump the brakes here at least a little bit. It’s hard to say what will happen to the raw material, but maybe you can compare Ward to Bulaga. They come from the same general area, Chicago suburbs. They both played OL in high school and were firmly set on that track. Reiff did start out as a D-end at Iowa. Either way, we’re talking about first-round NFL draft picks, so I guess I’m not exactly pumping the brakes. Sorry about that. Rivals.com, BTW, compares Ward to the Green Bay Packers’ Chad Clifton. Again, not exactly pumping the breaks.

This Jan. 29, 2010 file photo provided by the Franklin County Sheriff's Department shows firefighters battling a blaze from a shake-and-bake meth lab explosion, in Union, Mo. Meth lab seizures rose nationally again in 2011, with Missouri regaining the top spot according to an Associated Press survey of the nation's top meth-producing states. AP's survey found Missouri first with 2,096 lab seizures, Tennessee was second with 1,687, followed by Indiana with 1,437, Kentucky with 1,188 and Oklahoma with 902. (AP Photo/Franklin County Sheriff's Department, File)

Methamphetamine lab seizures rose nationally again in 2011, further evidence the powerfully addictive and dangerous drug is maintaining a tight grip on the nation’s heartland, according to an Associated Press survey of the nation’s top meth-producing states.

Missouri regained the top national spot for lab seizures in 2011 with 2,096, the AP confirmed through the survey that also found Tennessee was second with 1,687, followed by Indiana with 1,437, Kentucky with 1,188 and Oklahoma with 902.

The total for Missouri lines up with numbers AP obtained this week from the Drug Enforcement Administration, whose data appeared to show meth lab seizures remained about even during the past two years. But the totals for each of the other states surveyed by AP are higher than the federal data.

Combined, the numbers indicate nationwide meth lab seizures rose at least 8.3 percent in 2011 compared to 2010.

The AP polled the states after obtaining the DEA breakdown of meth lab seizures by state for 2011 and finding that several had not yet reported full-year data.

Missouri had been the nation’s No. 1 meth-producing state every year from 2003 until 2009 until falling behind Tennessee for one year. In 2011, a single Missouri county had more busts than Texas, Florida and California combined. Jefferson County, which is near St. Louis, tallied 253 seizures; the three other states had 219.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Tim Hull attributed the state’s consistently high seizure rate to law enforcement agencies’ focus on addressing the meth problem.

“Is Missouri that much worse or does Missouri just take a more aggressive approach? I think Missouri law enforcement just aggressively deals with the issue,” Hull said.

Indeed, Missouri and Kentucky are among a handful of high-meth states that developed their own programs to train local police to better handle meth cleanup and take the hazardous waste to container sites placed around the state.

The programs helped those states continue with busts after millions of dollars in federal funding set aside for cleanup suddenly was cut in February 2011. Many local police agencies in states without their own programs all but stopped seeking out meth labs because the local governments couldn’t afford the cleanup cost.

An AP analysis in August found that the number of labs seized had plummeted by at least a third in several key meth-producing states within six months. The federal money then was restored late last year.

The pause in funding could make Missouri’s reappearance as the No. 1 state for seizures somewhat misleading because busts in some states all but stopped for several months in 2011, meaning the figures don’t reflect the depth of the problem, experts said.

“When we lost the funding Feb. 22 lab seizures fell approximately 75 percent,” said Tommy Farmer, director of the Tennessee Meth Task Force. “They stayed down for the next four months.”

Tennessee’s state container program took effect July 1. “Then lab seizures rose 73 percent,” Farmer said.

Farmer projected that if not for the loss of cleanup funds, Tennessee would have had in excess of 2,300 seizures last year. The state already had 200 seizures this year through Feb. 7.

The AP’s tally of the top meth states is unofficial because while the DEA’s El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) compiles meth lab seizure data, some states are slow to report complete figures and final data for 2011 won’t be made public until mid-year, said DEA spokesman Rusty Payne.

However, the Missouri State Highway Patrol has access to the preliminary EPIC lab seizure data and provided it to AP this week.

That EPIC data showed Illinois sixth in lab seizures with 584. The remainder of the top 10 were: Iowa (382), Michigan (352), North Carolina (340) and South Carolina (265).

Iowa's Matt Gatens (5) and Eric May (25) put the press on Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor (11) during the first half of their game Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

IOWA CITY — Wisconsin and Iowa have a bond forged well beyond the 110-mile border that pits the state on opposite sides of the Mississippi River. The schools are separated by 175 miles and before Iowa and Wisconsin became states, they were linked as the Wisconsin territory.

But the current Iowa-Wisconsin sports rivalry is more than about just proximity or history. It’s about people. It’s also about how surprisingly even the Iowa-Wisconsin series has become.

Through 103 years of basketball meetings, the Hawkeyes and Badgers each have won 77 games. Iowa and Wisconsin have played football against one another since 1894, and the series is knotted at 42-42-2. No other rivalry among major college sports programs can boast a series tie in both of college athletics’ most high-profile sports.

There have been long streaks, such as Iowa’s 17-0-1 record against Wisconsin football from 1977 through 1996. Wisconsin basketball is 13-3 against the Hawkeyes since 2002 and had won nine straight at Kohl Center until Iowa’s 72-65 win on Dec. 31.

“I’ve always thought it was (a good rivalry),” Iowa senior Matt Gatens said. “I don’t know how the outside looking in sees it. There always seems to be player recruiting battles; we share borders. They’ve had good teams in the past, they’ve always been good matchups, good coaches. So those are recipes for a good rivalry. I don’t want to lose to them. It’s a team I always want to go after and beat.”

Eastern Iowa sports fans agree. Of 4,433 votes cast on www.thegazette.com, readers voted Wisconsin “Iowa’s football rival to loathe” over Nebraska, Northwestern and Iowa State. Of 1,070 votes cast, Wisconsin was votes second (behind Illinois) as “Iowa’s basketball rival to loathe.”

Iowa and Wisconsin waged perhaps their epic football battle in 2010 at Kinnick Stadium. In a game that featured nine lead changes, the Badgers won 31-30 en route to a Big Ten title. Wisconsin claimed the Heartland Trophy and will hold it until at least 2013, when the schools have their next scheduled meeting.

Wisconsin Coach Bret Bielema talks with Wisconsin Athletics Director Barry Alvarez before their Big Ten game against Iowa Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. Under former Iowa Coach Hayden Fry, Bielema was an Iowa football captain, and Alvarez was an assistant coach. (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

The last two basketball meetings in Iowa City were overtime clashes. Iowa held off Wisconsin 73-69 in 2009. Then-freshman Jordan Taylor, now the Badgers’ star point guard, drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a five-point rally in the final 26.7 seconds to force overtime that night. Last year Iowa senior Bryce Cartwright missed a jumper that would have won the game in regulation. The Badgers outlasted Iowa 62-59 in overtime.

The people involved bring another aspect to the Iowa-Wisconsin rivalry. Jarrod Uthoff was named Iowa’s Mr. Basketball last season but developed a relationship with Wisconsin assistant Gary Close, who worked under former Hawkeye Coach Tom Davis and later was the Iowa City Regina head coach. Uthoff, a Cedar Rapids Jefferson prep, picked the Badgers over Iowa and is a red-shirt this year.

Wisconsin sophomore Ben Brust, who leads the Badgers in 3-pointers, originally signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Iowa. Then when Iowa fired Todd Lickliter, Brust received his scholarship release. The Big Ten later changed its rules about transfers to accommodate Brust, who eventually picked Wisconsin.

Barry Davis, who owns the most wins in Iowa wrestling history, coaches Wisconsin. Barry Alvarez was a Hayden Fry assistant and later became a Hall of Fame football coach — and current athletics director — at Wisconsin.

Bret Bielema was an Iowa captain under Fry and an assistant for both Fry and Kirk Ferentz before he became the Badgers’ head football coach in 2006. Bielema, in fact, still has a Tiger-Hawk tattoo on his calf. He doesn’t hide it among his recruits.

Iowa's Sam Okey shakes hands with Wisconsin Coach Dick Bennett before to the start of their game on Saturday, Jan. 23, 1999, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Okey transfered from Wisconsin to Iowa. (Buzz Orr/The Gazette)

“It was something that when he was young and 19 and it was something that he did and it was something that he’ll be forever a part of,” former Wisconsin safety Aaron Henry told The Gazette last summer. “You really can’t knock him for, being that you’re at the University of Wisconsin; he’s the head coach there.

“He graduated from the university. It’s his alma mater, so you’ve got to respect it. But soon enough I expect to see a Wisconsin motion ‘W’ somewhere around there.”

Perhaps the most high-profile talent transfer involved Linn-Mar basketball product Jason Bohannon — son of Iowa’s 1981 Rose Bowl quarterback Gordy Bohannon — picking Wisconsin over Iowa.

But the personnel river flows both ways between Madison and Iowa City. Sam Okey was the Big Ten basketball freshman of the year in 1996 for Wisconsin but later transferred to Iowa. Darrell Wilson was a two-year football assistant at Wisconsin before joining the Iowa staff in 2002. Davis, Iowa’s all-time winningest basketball coach, is a Wisconsin native. Davis played guard at Wisconsin-Platteville, a school that current Wisconsin Coach Bo Ryan led for 15 seasons.

In women’s basketball, Iowa freshman sensation Samantha Logic is a Racine, Wis., native. Wisconsin sophomore Morgan Paige, who averages 9.5 points a game, is a Marion product.

Tonight’s men’s basketball game will give one program the upper hand in the series — for now. But Iowa’s players aren’t thinking about history; they just care about the game.

“Students are in free,” Iowa senior Bryce Cartwright said. “ESPN2, so it’s a primetime game. So you definitely want to be hyped for it.”

One game after the other. That’s what makes a great — and historically equal — rivalry.

Larissa Mottl, manager of Grinnell College’s Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA) and outreach coordinator for the Center for Prairie Studies, was named the first recipient of the Iowa Native Plant Society’s Conservation Award.

Larissa Mottl, manager of Grinnell College’s Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA) and outreach coordinator for the Center for Prairie Studies, was named the first recipient of the Iowa Native Plant Society’s Conservation Award in recognition of Outstanding Education and Community Outreach at a ceremony on February 18, 2012, at CERA.

In presenting the award, Thomas Rosburg, professor of biology at Drake University, noted that “since 2000, Larissa has been actively promoting the goals of the INPS through her work at CERA and through serving the INPS as its president for a two-year term.”  At CERA, Larissa works to restore prairie, savannah, and woodland ecosystems by removing non-native species and conducting prescribed burns.  She also directs research with students.

“Larissa’s dedication to native plants,” Rosburg said, “is also exemplified by her organization and leading of many public fieldtrips and workshops.  The workshops have helped to bring a new awareness and understanding to dozens of participants about sedges, insects, woodland wildflower restoration, and prescribed burning.”

Larissa earned a BA degree in Biology and Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, Morris.  In 2000, she received a MS degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Iowa State University, where she studied techniques to restore native plants to woodland habitats.

The Iowa Native Plant Society is a member forum for plant enthusiasts, gardeners, professional and amateur botanists, photographers and naturalists that aims to encourage conservation and ethical use of Iowa’s native plants, promote education about Iowa’s plants, their habitats, ecology  and cultural uses, foster the preservation of these plants and their environments, and appreciate and enjoy Iowa’s native flora.

Starting in 2012, the Iowa Native Plant Society will annually present the Iowa Native Plant Society Conservation Award to recognize an individual who demonstrates outstanding success in advancing the goals of INPS.

They really shouldn’t put those drawers at the bottom of the fridge. They need to be eye-level, where I keep my Diet Mt. Dew.

Still, eating your fruit inside a puffed pastry shell with cheese totally counts as healthy, right?

BAKED BRIE EN CROUTE WITH APPLE COMPOTE

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut to ½-inch dice
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch grated nutmeg
• 10-inch round puff pastry, rolled to ¼-inch thickness
• 1 round Brie cheese, 6-8 oz. and about 4½ inches wide, chilled
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have released most of their juices, about 5-7 minutes. Mix in the sugar and nutmeg, stir well to combine, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 12-15 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Transfer the round of puff pastry to the prepared baking pan. From here, you can go two ways.

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the disc of cheese in half horizontally to create two thinner discs. Place the bottom disc in the center of the puff pastry round. You can spread about half of the apple compote over the surface of the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese disc. Layer with the remaining compote. Bring the puff pastry up around the edges of the brie-apple layers. Fold and pinch the edges so that only a small portion of the top surface is exposed.
2. Or, if you are like me and just want to eat this thing, place the cheese in the center of the puff pastry round. Top with the apple compote and completely cover with the puff pastry. Smooth the edges to seal cheese and compote inside. If you want, use the extra dough to decorate the top of your pastry.

Brush the surface of the puff pastry lightly with the egg wash.

Bake until the puff pastry is golden all over and crisp, 40-45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter with a knife and crackers.

Recipe courtesy of Williams Sonoma