Metro Briefs
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Metro
UI prof gets Arctic grant
NASA has awarded UI Professor Greg Carmichael a $750,000 grant to study pollution and global warming in the Arctic, according to statement from the university.
Carmichael, a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, will participate in Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites - a two-part program with the first stage set for Tuesday through April 23 and a three-week phase in July, according to the release.
Carmichael's group will be based in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the April project. The Arctic is a collection point for much of the world's polluted air, said Carmichael, who also serves as co-director of the UI Center for Global and Environmental Research.
"The Arctic has also been collecting smoke and residue from recent and massive forest fires of northern Europe, Asia, and North America," Carmichael said.
The study is timely because of widespread ice melting in the Arctic Ocean, according to the release.
Carmichael's team has previously participated in NASA fieldwork experiments. In 2005, his team received the NASA Group Achievement Award for its contribution to the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America.
- by Clara Hogan
Culver signs voting-machine law
A verifiable paper trail for Iowa voters is the main intent of a new law that will create a $4.6 million system of voting machines.
The bill passed by wide margins in both the House and Senate - 92-6 in the former, 47-1 in the latter - and Gov. Chet Culver signed the measure into law Tuesday.
Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett said the system is an improvement on the current one, making election results faster, more verifiable, and simpler.
"I think it's the best option available at this point in time," said Slockett, who eventually hopes to move toward machines that automatically recount random precincts.
Culver lauded the new law, surrounded by Secretary of State Michael Mauro and other county auditors.
"Greater access to the polls must coincide with complete confidence in election day practices and procedures, which is why I am proud to sign Senate File 2347 into law," Culver said in a statement. "This new law will give Iowans a verified paper record of the ballot they cast and ensure Iowa voters have complete confidence in our voting process."
In other state government news, the House is set to consider a textbook-information bill, which the Senate passed a version of on Monday.
HF 2197 would encourage colleges to post ISBN 14 days before the start of a semester.
The Senate included an exemption for community colleges, while the House's version - passed last week - is for both community colleges and "institutions of higher learning." In addition, the original version of the bill would require institutions to post the information, rather than encourage it.
- by Shawn Gude
Man dies in crash
An Iowa City man died after a crash near Hills on Monday, the Iowa State Patrol has reported.
Austin Maier, 20, died after being involved in an offset head-on crash with Howard Pewitt, 58.
A Chevrolet pickup driven by Maier and Ford F250 driven by Pewitt collided at 4965 Maier Ave. in rural Johnson County around 5:30 p.m. The vehicles hit offset head-on, according to the report.
Maier's pickup rolled and ejected him. The vehicle came to a rest on its top, and Maier became partially pinned underneath, troopers reported. Maier was not wearing a seat belt, reports show.
Pewitt, who troopers said was wearing a seatbelt, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Man charged with 3rd OWI
A North Liberty man faces a felony after receiving an OWI Monday, authorities have reported.
Sean Krueger, 36, is charged with a third-offense OWI.
According to reports, North Liberty police stopped Krueger around 10 p.m. for speeding.
Krueger reportedly admitted to drinking and smoking marijuana, reports show. An officer conducting a preliminary breath test said Krueger's blood-alcohol concentration was .185. Another test showed his blood-alcohol concentration to be .161.
Krueger reportedly had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and smelled strongly of alcohol, police reported.
He also failed field-sobriety tests, according to the reports.
A third-offense OWI is a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Man faces 4 charges in BB-gun incident
A Coralville man faces a number of charges after allegedly shooting a woman in the arm with a BB gun, authorities reported.
Christopher Harrington, 20, 413 Sixth Ave. Apt. 12, is charged with assault with the use or display of a weapon, assault causing bodily injury, interference with official acts, and discharging weapons, police said.
As of Tuesday, Harrington was not being held at Johnson County Jail.
According to reports, Coralville police responded to Capri Motor Lodge, 705 Second St., on March after a woman reported she had been shot in the area of Sixth Avenue in Coralville.
Investigating officers reported that Harrington shot the woman from a friend's apartment at 413 Sixth Ave. Apt. 9.
Harrington initially gave police a false name but allegedly admitted that he shot the woman with a BB gun.
Reports show the woman had pain and an injury to her left forearm as a result of the shooting, and she found the injury to be "painful and offensive."
Harrington's charges range from simple to aggravated misdemeanors, punishable by various fines and anywhere between 30 days in jail and two years in prison.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Council hears housing report
It was a quiet, quick evening meeting for Iowa City City Council Tuesday.
Steven Rackis, the Iowa City Housing Authority administrator, gave an update of the Grant Wood neighborhood and addressed a tweaked Housing Authority policy that deals with selection criteria for public housing - such as screening family behavior.
Rackis said the neighborhood specifically targets the elderly, families with disabled members, and families with children under 18. These families' estimated waiting time is a year, but for others, the wait could seem indefinite.
"But we got a lot of phone calls because people didn't understand that," he said. "So we just picked a date. We say five years."
In addition to the Housing Authority items, the council passed all of its agenda items - mostly without discussion. They were:
• An ordinance to increase solid-waste collection fees by 50 cents. Starting July 1, the cost will rise to $14.50.
• Changes in some of the rules and regulations of eligibility into public housing.
• Second considerations concerning the proposed aggressive begging and sitting or lying downtown ordinances.
• A five-year continuation of the previous paratransit agreement between Johnson County and Iowa City.
- by Kelli Shaffner
NASA has awarded UI Professor Greg Carmichael a $750,000 grant to study pollution and global warming in the Arctic, according to statement from the university.
Carmichael, a professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, will participate in Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites - a two-part program with the first stage set for Tuesday through April 23 and a three-week phase in July, according to the release.
Carmichael's group will be based in Fairbanks, Alaska, during the April project. The Arctic is a collection point for much of the world's polluted air, said Carmichael, who also serves as co-director of the UI Center for Global and Environmental Research.
"The Arctic has also been collecting smoke and residue from recent and massive forest fires of northern Europe, Asia, and North America," Carmichael said.
The study is timely because of widespread ice melting in the Arctic Ocean, according to the release.
Carmichael's team has previously participated in NASA fieldwork experiments. In 2005, his team received the NASA Group Achievement Award for its contribution to the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America.
- by Clara Hogan
Culver signs voting-machine law
A verifiable paper trail for Iowa voters is the main intent of a new law that will create a $4.6 million system of voting machines.
The bill passed by wide margins in both the House and Senate - 92-6 in the former, 47-1 in the latter - and Gov. Chet Culver signed the measure into law Tuesday.
Johnson County Auditor Tom Slockett said the system is an improvement on the current one, making election results faster, more verifiable, and simpler.
"I think it's the best option available at this point in time," said Slockett, who eventually hopes to move toward machines that automatically recount random precincts.
Culver lauded the new law, surrounded by Secretary of State Michael Mauro and other county auditors.
"Greater access to the polls must coincide with complete confidence in election day practices and procedures, which is why I am proud to sign Senate File 2347 into law," Culver said in a statement. "This new law will give Iowans a verified paper record of the ballot they cast and ensure Iowa voters have complete confidence in our voting process."
In other state government news, the House is set to consider a textbook-information bill, which the Senate passed a version of on Monday.
HF 2197 would encourage colleges to post ISBN 14 days before the start of a semester.
The Senate included an exemption for community colleges, while the House's version - passed last week - is for both community colleges and "institutions of higher learning." In addition, the original version of the bill would require institutions to post the information, rather than encourage it.
- by Shawn Gude
Man dies in crash
An Iowa City man died after a crash near Hills on Monday, the Iowa State Patrol has reported.
Austin Maier, 20, died after being involved in an offset head-on crash with Howard Pewitt, 58.
A Chevrolet pickup driven by Maier and Ford F250 driven by Pewitt collided at 4965 Maier Ave. in rural Johnson County around 5:30 p.m. The vehicles hit offset head-on, according to the report.
Maier's pickup rolled and ejected him. The vehicle came to a rest on its top, and Maier became partially pinned underneath, troopers reported. Maier was not wearing a seat belt, reports show.
Pewitt, who troopers said was wearing a seatbelt, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Man charged with 3rd OWI
A North Liberty man faces a felony after receiving an OWI Monday, authorities have reported.
Sean Krueger, 36, is charged with a third-offense OWI.
According to reports, North Liberty police stopped Krueger around 10 p.m. for speeding.
Krueger reportedly admitted to drinking and smoking marijuana, reports show. An officer conducting a preliminary breath test said Krueger's blood-alcohol concentration was .185. Another test showed his blood-alcohol concentration to be .161.
Krueger reportedly had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and smelled strongly of alcohol, police reported.
He also failed field-sobriety tests, according to the reports.
A third-offense OWI is a Class D felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $7,500.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Man faces 4 charges in BB-gun incident
A Coralville man faces a number of charges after allegedly shooting a woman in the arm with a BB gun, authorities reported.
Christopher Harrington, 20, 413 Sixth Ave. Apt. 12, is charged with assault with the use or display of a weapon, assault causing bodily injury, interference with official acts, and discharging weapons, police said.
As of Tuesday, Harrington was not being held at Johnson County Jail.
According to reports, Coralville police responded to Capri Motor Lodge, 705 Second St., on March after a woman reported she had been shot in the area of Sixth Avenue in Coralville.
Investigating officers reported that Harrington shot the woman from a friend's apartment at 413 Sixth Ave. Apt. 9.
Harrington initially gave police a false name but allegedly admitted that he shot the woman with a BB gun.
Reports show the woman had pain and an injury to her left forearm as a result of the shooting, and she found the injury to be "painful and offensive."
Harrington's charges range from simple to aggravated misdemeanors, punishable by various fines and anywhere between 30 days in jail and two years in prison.
- by Kurtis Hiatt
Council hears housing report
It was a quiet, quick evening meeting for Iowa City City Council Tuesday.
Steven Rackis, the Iowa City Housing Authority administrator, gave an update of the Grant Wood neighborhood and addressed a tweaked Housing Authority policy that deals with selection criteria for public housing - such as screening family behavior.
Rackis said the neighborhood specifically targets the elderly, families with disabled members, and families with children under 18. These families' estimated waiting time is a year, but for others, the wait could seem indefinite.
"But we got a lot of phone calls because people didn't understand that," he said. "So we just picked a date. We say five years."
In addition to the Housing Authority items, the council passed all of its agenda items - mostly without discussion. They were:
• An ordinance to increase solid-waste collection fees by 50 cents. Starting July 1, the cost will rise to $14.50.
• Changes in some of the rules and regulations of eligibility into public housing.
• Second considerations concerning the proposed aggressive begging and sitting or lying downtown ordinances.
• A five-year continuation of the previous paratransit agreement between Johnson County and Iowa City.
- by Kelli Shaffner
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