Stories

Approximately 130 soldiers from the 186th Military Police Company will return today from its recent deployment to Ira. A homecoming ceremony for the returning soldiers is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.

As if mirroring the anticipated record turnout for this year’s general election, over 56,000 middle and high school students from 445 classrooms across the state participated in this year’s mock election – 5,000 more students than in 2004.
The Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama won the election with 32,552 votes (58 percent of the total vote), [...]

Not all eyes are on Tuesday’s upcoming election, in particular those of the approximately 310 Iowa National Guard soldiers and their families and friends, who said their goodbyes at sendoff ceremonies across the state Thursday.

Iowa veterans and their families were the biggest winners in the Iowa Lottery’s most recent quarterly payout, which transferred $992,773 to the Veterans Trust Fund (VTF). The payout stemmed from sales of the $1 instant-scratch game, “Stars & Stripes,” between July and September 2008.

Although the Iowa City Press-Citizen editorial board says Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack is no Jim Leach, they chose to endorse his candidacy – making the case that it would be wrong for second district voters to again replace a sitting Congressman with an untried challenger.

Based on his record for supporting veterans’ issues during his first term in Congress, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Political Action Committee endorsed Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack in Iowa’s Second District Congressional race. Loebsack is running against Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa –- a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve, who served 24 years and retired [...]

After meeting with UI faculty members who presented her with 200 signatures asking for the reinstatement of Marcus Mills, University of Iowa President Sally Mason said Thursday that she is standing by her decision to fire two former vice presidents last month, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.
“While I understand that some faculty and staff were [...]

Not everyone was satisfied with University of Iowa President Sally Mason’s firing of former vice president of general counsel Marcus Mills, including Political Science Professor Michael Lewis-Beck, who will meet with Mason today and deliver nearly 200 signatures, which includes several distinguished faculty members, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported.

In the wake of the University of Iowa’s mishandling of an alleged sexual assault case, the Iowa State Board of Regents ordered a comprehensive review of the sexual assault and misconduct policies at all of the state’s universities. The regents’ office will pick up half the tab, while the other half will be funded by a portion of a $1 million Flagship grant awarded in 2007 to the University of Northern Iowa from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

To help support the ongoing war effort in Afghanistan, approximately 310 Iowa National Guard soldiers have been ordered to federal active duty by the Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau.