blognetnews.com
» Iowa
edited by: Art Smith, Iowa Editor

24-Hour Dorman

  • Moving

    Number of comments: 3
    24-Hour Dorman has moved to a posh spot on The Gazette’s newly designed Web mothership. You can now find my blog here. Please, I beg you, update your bookmarks, links, blogroll, feeds etc. UPDATE -- Here is the link to the new RSS feed: http://gazetteonline.com/category/24-hour-dorman/feed/ [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 27, 2009, 10:29am EDT
    by tdorman

  • ChetChase 2010 – The Week

    Number of comments: 1
    It was a very active week in the race to become your Iowa governor. Party of Five – Five Republican gubernatorial candidates/near-hopefuls/explorers met in a forum sponsored by Iowa Politics.com. If you couldn’t be there, I was not, Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson graciously posted the audio here. There were gobs of [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 24, 2009, 11:07am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Column — Library Uncertainty

    Number of comments: 2
    Cedar Rapids Library boosters certainly make a strong case for a new central library. But I wonder whether the $45 million project may catch a fatal case of uncertainty. The library board of trustees wants to replace the flooded 85,000-squarefoot central library in the heart of downtown with a 105,000-squarefoot library on [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 23, 2009, 9:50am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Don’t Go Changin’

    Number of comments: 5
    State Rep. Christopher Rants stopped by my office Tuesday afternoon for a chat. I’ll be columnizing on our conversation over the weekend. I’ve been writing about Rants for 12 years, since I was a cub Statehouse reporter for his hometown Sioux City Journal. And during all that time he’s been Christopher [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 22, 2009, 4:04pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Stupid System

    Number of comments: 4
    Christian Fong’s campaign for governor sent out a news release today trumpeting that the Cedar Rapids Republican raked in $100,000 in campaign donations in the three weeks since he jumped into the race. Swell. Then I sent a reply to Victory Enterprise’s Brian Dumas, who sent the release, asking  if he [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 21, 2009, 4:10pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Why?

    Number of comments: 10
    1. Why do we keep misplacing top state government officials in this country? First, it was the governor of South Carolina. Now, we can’t account for Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus in the wee hours of July 12. Was she home while a seven-pack of 19-year-olds drank beers and partied loudly on her property? Did she know her [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 21, 2009, 11:22am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Column — Republicans Thinking Retro

    Number of comments: 2
    Republicans trying to figure out how best to chase Chet from Terrace Hill are feeling nostalgic yearnings. They’re thinking about going back to the ’90s, when one of their guys held the veto pen and the ribbon-cutting scissors and could call out the National Guard. That guy was Terry Branstad. And maybe, [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 21, 2009, 6:36am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Chet’s Choo Choo Rolls East

    This just in for our governor, who will be riding thr rails once again to promote his re-election campaign passenger rail service: GOVERNOR CULVER’S IOWA UNLIMITED ROLLS EAST THIS WEEKEND Train to promote passenger rail service throughout Iowa DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver’s Iowa Unlimited is on the move again, this time [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 20, 2009, 12:51pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Column — Coddling Casinos

    Number of comments: 2
    Back in the quaint old courting days of Iowa’s casino love affair, the state let you lose only so much. Loss limits were the law. But casinos lobbied to have those small-time limits removed. High stakes, baby, that’s the only way to compete. Maybe lose your shirt. Maybe win a bundle. No [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 20, 2009, 9:53am EDT
    by tdorman

  • ChetChase 2010 – The Week

    Number of comments: 2
    This week’s developments in Iowa’s race for governor. 1. Vander Poll– TheIowaRepublican.com continued releasing tasty tidbits from its  612-part poll, including numbers that showBob Vander Plaats leading the big ‘ol field of GOP hopefuls and potential hopefuls. Vander Plaats got support from 46 percent of Republicans polled, followed by Don’t Know at 27 percent [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 17, 2009, 1:29pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Honda Accord 1996-2009

    Number of comments: 5
    After 11 years of faithful service, I traded away my 1996 Honda Accord last week. We bought it with about 23,000 miles on the odometer and let it go just a few miles shy of 232,000. We traded it in on a new Civic, mainly because the Honda dealership was the only place [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 16, 2009, 11:25am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Column — Trip to Honey Creek

    Number of comments: 4
    The words “state” and “resort” don’t exactly fit together. Not like “state” and “penitentiary,” for instance. But our state owns Honey Creek Resort on Rathbun Lake in south-central Iowa. And for a few days last week, it was our staycation destination. The Legislature floated millions in bonds in 2005 to build the [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 16, 2009, 8:58am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Participation Garden – July

    Number of comments: 3
    Our Participation Garden has entered its wild, overgrown stage. Sure, it’s not drawing global admiration like the Obama Victory Garden, but we did manage to negotiate a hard-won truce with rabbit insurgents. It’s shaky, but holding, thanks to a new fence. A few dead-enders are sniffing around, but they’re in their last throws. The endless flow of zucchini [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 14, 2009, 2:39pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Don’t Poll, Don’t Tell

    Number of comments: 10
    Maybe you caught some coverage of a  poll commissioned by TheIowaRepublican.com (News for Republicans, by Republicans) showing that 67 percent of Iowans surveyed want a statewide vote on what the survey calls a “traditional marriage amendment.” The poll of 500 people, which also included a long list of questions about Gov. Culver, the 2010 [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 14, 2009, 12:50pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — Missing All the Fun

    Number of comments: 2
    Miss a week, miss a lot. There were developments on many fronts during my week away. A few thoughts on what I missed: I Can’t Believe it’s Not Popular — The Iowa State Fair-Michael Jackson butter sculpture debate has Iowans on the edge of their seats. First, the fair announced that [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 14, 2009, 6:27am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Fallon Says Culver’s In Trouble

    Number of comments: 2
    This op-ed piece arrived in our inbox this afternoon from former state lawmaker/candidate for governor/congressional hopeful Ed Fallon. He says Gov. Chet Culver could be the next Norman Erbe unless he dances with the Democratic base: Culver Needs to Learn to Dance by Ed Fallon Few leading Iowa Democrats will admit it publicly, [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 13, 2009, 4:05pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Put out the Red Light

    Number of comments: 8
    The Daily-Herald, which covers Chicago’s northwest suburbs, carries news today that Schaumburg, Ill., is dropping its red light traffic enforcement cameras after eight “tumultuous” months. That news comes along with a Daily-Herald investigative series over the weekend that raised some red flags about red light cameras: Most of the $100 red-light tickets are issued [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 13, 2009, 1:19pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Return

    Number of comments: 1
    So I’m back from my week-long Iowa staycation. I’d say I feel tan, rested and ready, but I just vacationed with two small children. So, in fact, I’m sunburned, groggy and ill-prepared. And what message should I take from the fact that, sometime while I was gone, the hard drive in my [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 13, 2009, 11:55am EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Break

    I’ll be on vacation through next week, so the posts will be few and far between, or not at all. I’ll be back July 13, unless something pressing prompts me chime in sooner. Have a fine Fourth. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 02, 2009, 3:09pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Summer Tunes

    Number of comments: 9
    Sources close to the solstice claim it’s summer. Judging by our recent Octoberish weather, I can’t confirm that.  But apparently it’s true. And I ran across Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top 100 summer songs of all time. It’s a fairly predictable list. “Summer in the City” by The Lovin’ Spoonful is No.1. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 02, 2009, 12:36pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tea Party Serves CR Media Lumps

    Number of comments: 1
    Sometimes, an e-mail ends up in some unintended in-boxes. On Tuesday, Tim Pugh, a driving force behind a Cedar Rapids Tea Party protest event on July 4th,  sent an e-mail providing his personal assessment of several local media types/organizations. It looks like it was supposed to be for Tea Party eyes only. The bad news for [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 02, 2009, 10:37am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thursday Column — In with a tweet, and lots of questions

    So Christian Fong couldn’t wait. The Republican Cedar Rapids marketing executive kicked off his run for governor with a Twitter tweet. Contrast that with the last GOP nominee, Jim Nussle, who entered the 2006 race with glitzy fanfare usually reserved for presidential hopefuls. We’ve gone from bunting and balloon drops to [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 02, 2009, 6:24am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Good News, Bad News, Pass the Tenderloins

    First, the good news. Iowa has the eighth-lowest rate of overweight kids in the nation, according to a new study by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  Still, at 26.5 percent that’s hardly a reason to get up and do jumping-jacks. Or actually, that might be a good idea. The [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: July 01, 2009, 10:56am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Fong’s In

    Number of comments: 5
    Christian Fong just tweeted that he’s entering the campaign for governor: christianfong Today I announced & filed that I am a candidate for Governor of Iowa So I guess Eastern Iowa now has a candidate.  He talked to James Lynch of The Gazette first. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 30, 2009, 4:11pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Krusty Calls it a Krush

    Number of comments: 2
    Krusty Konservative today expands on his misgivings about the possibility of Christian Fong jumping into the GOP race for governor. Krusty contends that service on the Generation Iowa Commission does not make a hefty gubernatorial resume, he’s a young unknown and would be better off seeking a legislative seat first — all valid, [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 30, 2009, 1:34pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — Culver Visits Denial

    Number of comments: 7
    Misplacing a governor is never good, as we’ve learned in recent days. You think he’s hiking and it turns out he’s crying in Argentina. So it’s important for Iowans to keep track of our governor, for his sake and ours. So where is Gov. Chet Culver? “It’s just like he’s in a state [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 30, 2009, 6:31am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Elect Me. Impeach Me.

    Number of comments: 3
    Republican candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats has unveiled a new campaign strategy. If elected, he promises to be impeached. From The Iowa Independent: Appearing on the show of controversial Christian radio host Steve Deace, Vander Plaats once again said if elected governor in 2010 he would issue an executive order stopping [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 29, 2009, 12:22pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Iowa, You Can Still Make Me Smile

    Number of comments: 2
    Good news, the state isn’t banning smiling. The DOT is using new facial recognition software on driver’s licenses. But unlike other states, Iowa won’t require a long face. From Radio Iowa: (DOT spokesperson Dena) Gray-Fisher says the software Iowa is putting into practice will not require people to put on a blank, stony [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 29, 2009, 9:58am EDT
    by tdorman

  • The Register’s Excellent Choice

    Number of comments: 2
    So I was in an intense column idea-generating session yesterday afternoon on Gardner Golf Course when my BlackBerry buzzed with news that Kathie Obradovich will be The Register’s new political columnist.  She replaces some guy named David Yepsen, who took a job at Southern Illinois U. The Register made an excellent choice. Kathie was [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 26, 2009, 10:33am EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Presidential Precedent in Hiawatha

    Number of comments: 2
    The Washington Post carries newsof a new Maryland elementary school a few miles from the White House that’s going to be named for President Obama. It would be the second school in country named after The One. Obama is also not the first president to have a school named after him while he’s still in office.  [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 25, 2009, 11:20am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thursday Column — Young and Ambitious

    Number of comments: 4
    I spent Wednesday trying to pin down the young and ambitious. First, I hoped to check in with Christian Fong, the brain drain-plugging guru and rising conservative star from Cedar Rapids who is being mentioned as a potential Republican candidate for governor. With all these western Iowans running, I was wondering [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 25, 2009, 9:38am EDT
    by tdorman

  • New Digs

    Number of comments: 1
    My base of operation inside The Gazette mothership was moved to a new locale today. The opinion desk is now located on the first floor. The good news is that I’m still allowed in the building. Also,  I now have two windows instead of one. Bonus. For your enjoyment, I snapped photos of both the south [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 24, 2009, 12:36pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Hinzman Suspends his Mayoral Ambitions

    Number of comments: 1
    Gary Hinzman says he’s staying on the sidelines in Cedar Rapids’ mayoral race, at least for the time being. For months, the director of the Sixth District Department of Correctional Services was expected to run. He posted a campaign Web site and asked city officials for advice on any ethics problems that his election might pose for [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 24, 2009, 9:09am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Nix the Nazis

    Number of comments: 5
    So the Nazis have goose-stepped back into our politics. Swell. This time, it’s Iowans for Tax Relief chief Ed Failor Jr. who slipped a cameo appearance by the Third Reich into a speech he gave at a Republican Flag Day event in Boone earlier this month. One announced Republican candidate for [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 24, 2009, 7:05am EDT
    by tdorman

  • WATN Files — John Kasich

    Politico carries news today that John Kasich might give Democratic Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland a run for his money in 2010.  A new poll out shows Kasich just a couple of points behind Strickland. Back in the late 90s, when Ross and Rachel still had not gotten together and Kasich was a [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 23, 2009, 10:36am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — A Bill of Goods

    Number of comments: 4
    (I blogged a bit on this last week but expanded my thoughts today in something we old timers call the newspaper) Bob Vander Plaats is selling Republican voters a bill of goods. Last week, the Republican candidate for governor put out a media release again peddling the notion that, if elected, he [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 23, 2009, 6:34am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Lug on the Rocks

    Number of comments: 2
    Krusty Konservative and others are pointing to new poll numbers from Survey USA that show Gov. Chet Culver’s approval rating sitting at just 42 percent.  His disapproval rating in the poll is 51 percent. The poll of 600 adults has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent. And for Dems, [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 22, 2009, 4:32pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Saturday at the Circus

    Number of comments: 1
    The Dorman daughters took in the Shrine Circus in Marion Saturday morning. Here they are modeling the summer’s hottest accessory. They arrived excited and slathered in SPF 50. They departed hot, tired, filled with sugar and loaded down with booty. Ella, for example, is pictured with her must-have three-foot inflatable sword, which is [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 22, 2009, 1:40pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • King of Snark

    Politico leads its assessment of the rising tide of beltway snark with this anecdote: When Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) mocked the relocation of Uighur ex-detainees to Bermuda, saying on the House floor Tuesday that the former Guantanamo prisoners would now waste away “in MargaUighurville,” it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, a clip [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 22, 2009, 11:53am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Be The Poll — GOP Gov Primary

    Number of comments: 7
    Several Republicans are exploring, contemplating, mulling and considering the prospect of running for governor. They think Democratic Gov. Chet Culver may be vulnerable and they’d like a shot knocking him off. Bob Vander Plaats is already in. State Rep. Christopher Rants formally created a campaign committee today. Several others are thinking it [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 19, 2009, 3:00pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Rants Tweets In

    Number of comments: 1
    State Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City has apparently tweeted himself into the race for governor. Or at least he’s filling papers to form an exploratory committee. The news has taken the Internets by storm: O. Kay Henderson says “Rants is In,” and she has updates from his appearance this morning on Iowa [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 19, 2009, 11:47am EDT
    by tdorman

  • In Memoriam — TV-1900B

    Number of comments: 7
    Casio TV-1900B passed away last week at the age of 10. The cause of death was listed as “digital television transition.” Casio was was given to local hack Todd D0rman as a present for his 29th birthday. For his part, Casio gave and gave over the next decade, never asking for much more [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 18, 2009, 12:41pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thursday Column — Reunions

    So my 20-year high school class reunion has been canceled. Lack of interest was the official cause of death. Only seven people said they’d show up, organizers said. What started as a country club dinner shrank to a lakeside picnic and now will be downsized to an informal gathering of friends. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 18, 2009, 7:03am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Separation from Reality

    Number of comments: 10
    GOP canddiate for governor Bob Vander Plaats performs for Bill Salier on WHO radio, then puts out a press release. An excerpt: Sioux City businessman Bob Vander Plaats said today his willingness to take a strong stand to protect the separation of powers and hold activist courts in check distinguishes him [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 17, 2009, 4:10pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Streetlight Grows in Time Check

    Last week, I wrote about Ronnee O’Brien, who has moved back into her once-flooded, now restored home on the 1300 block of Fifth Street NW in Cedar Rapids. She’s very glad to be back, but concedes that her neighborhood is a pretty lonely place without neighbors. Only one other homeowner on [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 17, 2009, 2:40pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Time Mag on the Flood

    Time Magazine has a one-year-later piece on the flood that it posted today. Cedar Rapids northwest neighborhood activist Frank King, as usual, doesn’t pull any punches: “The city didn’t look after their people,” says Frank King, a neighborhood leader. “They have used this flood for economic cleansing, to get rid of the [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 17, 2009, 1:40pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Why?

    Number of comments: 5
    1. Why is Brett Favre still hanging on? I mean, when you’re pushing 40, your skills are diminished and clearly your best days are behind you, why drag it out to an embarrassing end? Now if he were a columnist, this would be an entirely different matter… 2. Why can’t I take [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 17, 2009, 9:48am EDT
    by tdorman

  • From Testing the Waters to Hot Water

    Number of comments: 1
    Nev. Sen. John Ensign was in Iowa recently testing the presidential waters. Now, apparently, he’s in a some extramarital  hot water. CNN also has coverage. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 16, 2009, 7:50pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Monica’s Out

    Number of comments: 1
    CR City Council member Monica Vernon won’t run for mayor. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 16, 2009, 4:35pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tollway 100 Percent High Life Covered

    Beer truck carrying 40,000 pounds of beer, believed to be Miller, overturns on the Tri-State in Illinois. There was a breach, and a leak. Chicago Breaking News  has the details. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 16, 2009, 11:32am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column – Bureaucracy v. Boathouses

    Number of comments: 5
    Bureaucracy appears intent on sinking the boathouses. A year after the flood, which brought destruction and state scrutiny to Ellis Boat Harbor, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is charting a course for boathouse extinction. True, it’s letting existing boathouses stay, so long as owners comply with costly regulations and don’t [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 16, 2009, 6:48am EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Taste for Whiskey

    Number of comments: 4
    Iowans have purchased 1,117 cases of Iowa-made Templeton Rye this year through the end of May, according to the state’s Alcoholic Beverages division. That’s good for 94th among the state’s Hot 100 brands. Not too shabby. A 13 percent increase over a year ago. I’ve done my part for the home team. So what’s No. 1?  Black [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 15, 2009, 4:39pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Throw ‘em Out

    Number of comments: 2
    Am I the only one who heard about this and was reminded of this? [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 15, 2009, 1:57pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • The Rantsolution Will be Tweeted

    Republican gubernatorial explorer Christopher Rants tells the Muscatine Journal that if he ever formally jumps into the race, he will make the annoucement on Twitter: “I am exploring running for governor,” said Rants, 41 — a Sioux City Republican, 17-year veteran of the Iowa Legislature and former Speaker of the House. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 15, 2009, 1:26pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Flood of Opinion

    The Des Moines Register says Iowa must stand by Cedar Rapids. The Gazette grades the CR City Council’s flood performance as incomplete. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier says communities have learned lessons from 2008. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 14, 2009, 11:00am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Sunday Column – Tweet On, Chuck

    Number of comments: 1
    U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is coming at us live, raw and unfiltered. I, for one, like it. In case you missed it, last weekend President Barack Obama used his weekly radio address to urge Congress to get moving on health care reform. The speech was broadcast while Obama was in France [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 14, 2009, 8:07am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Be The Poll — Commemoration

    Number of comments: 1
    There’s been some debate in Cedar Rapids this week over the appropriateness of commemorating the first anniversary of the flood. Some flood victims, pointing to  neighborhoods still deeply scarred by the disaster, say they want no part in commemoration events. A few have argued that a “celebration” is inappropriate. Community leaders and [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 12, 2009, 4:00pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • A New Anthem?

    Number of comments: 2
    Michael Kinsley makes a case for picking a new national anthem in this morning’s WaPo.  I like the current one, but he makes some interesting arguments  for other possibilities. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 12, 2009, 2:48pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Year Ago Today

    Number of comments: 1
    These are a couple of pictures I snapped from atop the Crowne Plaza Hotel on June 12, 2008. The top one shows floodwater inundating Quaker Oats and the second shows the Cedar River just starting to flood Third Street SE downtown. The last big wave of heavy rain that morning was [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 12, 2009, 11:51am EDT
    by tdorman

  • True

    Number of comments: 1
    The Quad-City Times’ legendary Bill Wundram is making lots of trouble for the rest of us columnistas: Writing a column is child’s play. Don’t tell anyone. Here’s how. I just wander around, aimlessly looking and listening to people talk, and then sit down for a few minutes and tap out a [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 11, 2009, 2:34pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • When State Fairs Attack

    Iowans love our State Fair, except when it spills a suspicious white powder on them. From the AP via the SC Journal: A powdery substance that led to a lockdown at a Des Moines radio station has turned out to be cookie mix contained in a promotional packet from the Iowa [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 11, 2009, 1:43pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column – Waiting for Progress

    For a while Wednesday, Time Check was hopping. U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan was there with an entourage. They walked through the neighborhood, spreading news about $517 million in federal recovery dollars headed for Iowa. A big chunk is expected to land in Cedar Rapids for buyouts and other [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 11, 2009, 6:35am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Defending Students’ Right to Fizz

    Number of comments: 2
    Just when you thought politicians are  just a bunch of unprincipled weather vanes, some state lawmakers are defending the virtue of diet soda. From Radio Iowa: The Iowa Board of Education agreed upon new nutritional guidelines at the end of April, but a legislative panel has put those rules on hold ’til next [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 10, 2009, 4:44pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Rushing to the Microphones

    Number of comments: 2
    You don’t need to be a high-paid flood consultant to understand the significance of Tuesday’s news that  a $516 million share of federal disaster recovery bucks Iowa finally broke loose from the D.C. glacier and is headed for Iowa. With any luck, it means long-awaited home buyouts and a mountain of [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 10, 2009, 6:55am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — A Dose of Perspective

    Number of comments: 6
    Sometimes, you get a dose of perspective and inspiration when you least expect it. Mine came Friday afternoon. My boss asked me to sit in on a visit by a pair of journalists from Azerbaijan. I’d like to say I was enthused, but hey, it was Friday afternoon. I had to hit [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 09, 2009, 7:34am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Why?

    Number of comments: 5
    1. Why are so many politicos jumping on U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley for firing off some testy Tweets on health care reform over the weekend? We media types complain incessantly about prepackaged pols who spew talking points, then one shoots off what he really thinks and we scoff. I say [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 08, 2009, 12:26pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Sunday Column – Time Capsule

    Number of comments: 4
    On Thursday evening, Cedar Rapids will bury a 50-year time capsule to commemorate last year’s flood. I think it’s a good idea. The capsule will include several relics, such as the ironic 2008 Year of the River proclamation, print, video and audio news coverage, letters from children telling their flood stories, an [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 07, 2009, 8:52am EDT
    by tdorman

  • New Blog I Stumbled Upon

    Number of comments: 3
    A Des Moines friend forwarded me a link to Glass Half Full, a first-rate Iowa blog dedicated to drinks and related stuff. Cheers. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 05, 2009, 2:07pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Coaxed by Oats

    A couple weeks ago I wrote about the curious Quaker Oats box media kits sent out to national news outlets with hopes of coaxing them to cover Cedar Rapids’ flood anniversary and ongoing recovery. Cassie Willis, the city’s communications liaison, says, so far, four news organizations have responded. National Public Radio is [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 05, 2009, 11:38am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Just a Wee Bottle for Me, Thanks

    Number of comments: 2
    A vacationing friend sends along this pic of a Belgian Coke machine decorated with Brussels’ famous tinkling landmark. The bottom of the machine says “Taste the Coke Side of Belgium.” I say when urine Belgium, do as the Belgians do. OK, I’ll stop. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 04, 2009, 4:00pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Big Lug – No Special

    Number of comments: 1
    Gov. Chet Culver says he won’t need to call a special session of the legislature to fix a very shaky 2009 budget, which will be dipping its toes in red ink when the fiscal year ends June 30. Culver says he can manage any difficulties on his own. Wise call. I mean, can you imagine [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 04, 2009, 2:27pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Iowa Drivers Pass the Test

    Number of comments: 1
    Iowa ranks 8th-best in the nation on the 2009  GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test. The annual survey of 5,000 drivers includes actual questions from motor vehicle license exams. But, evidently, it does not require you to use a turn signal. Otherwise, I’m sure we would have had a lower ranking. New York and [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 04, 2009, 10:20am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — Difficult Anniversary

    Sonjia Cornell doesn’t have big plans for next week’s flood anniversary. “Cry, maybe,” said Sonjia, who lost her home of 27 years at 401 G Ave. NW. “Maybe just go there and look at it.” I first wrote about Sonjia on Thanksgiving Day. Despite all her floodspawned woes, she kept her spirits [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 04, 2009, 9:44am EDT
    by tdorman

  • New Clouds over CR

    National Geographic has an interesting piece about a new cloud type, potentially the first to be identified since 1951. The magazine uses the above photo to illustrate the article. Gee, that looks familiar. [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 03, 2009, 3:22pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Rants Edges Closer

    AP Says state Rep. Christopher Rants, R-Sioux City, is eding closer to a run for governor: The 41-year-old Rants is known for his sometimes caustic approach to politics but in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press, he argued he could bring together a state Republican party divided between religious conservatives and [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 03, 2009, 10:44am EDT
    by tdorman

  • No More Senators Jumping on the Bed

    So U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama is all trying to have a dignified meeting with Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. But the calm is broken by a nearby rukus, according to The Washington Times: Meanwhile, right around the corner, Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa Democrat, and Sen. Richard M. Burr, North [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 03, 2009, 6:46am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thanks. Pass the Pork Rinds.

    Number of comments: 2
    Santa Barbara Independent columnist Sunshine Roshell says Iowa “kicks California’s toned tanned tushie:” We were the heralds of “hot.” The harbingers of “hip.” But no more. Last week, our high court handed that mantle over to a pot-bellied, farm-belt state called Iowa. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. Whereas California’s Supreme Court [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 02, 2009, 1:16pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • A Well-Crafted Argument

    On Monday, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy rejected calls for allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes. But only after board members thought very long and hard about the issue: Board member DeeAnn Wedemeyer-Oleson compared the decision to her teenage years when she argued to her father she should be [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 02, 2009, 9:45am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — Early Presidential Birds

    Number of comments: 1
    Iowa is famous for its retail politics. And apparently we’re a supercenter that never closes. For the clinically sane, it’s really, really early to start thinking about the 2012 Iowa caucuses. But like a struggling department store determined to sell you Santa snow globes while you’re still in sandals, some Republicans [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 02, 2009, 6:55am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Openness is Right, but not “Ripe”

    Number of comments: 2
    Hey, can you guess which state bordering the Mississippi River, starting with the letter “I,” strengthened its freedom of information laws this year? Iowa? Nope. An open meetings/open records law update stalled for the second straight year. Actually, it’s Illinois, that bastion of clean government just to our east. Illinois lawmakers approved a sweeping [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: June 01, 2009, 4:09pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Be The Poll – Duuuude

    Number of comments: 4
    As I noted yesterday, the Illinois Senate approved legislation legalizing marijuana for medical use. Minnesota’s governor vetoed a similar bill last week. During the last Iowa legislative session. Sen. Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, floated the idea but eventually dropped it. Officials in several states have talked about it, especially the idea of [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 29, 2009, 1:22pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Salier v. King

    Number of comments: 2
    U.S. Rep. Steve King disagrees with the Iowa Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling and wants Iowans to vote on a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. But he’s smart enough to know that government officials still must abide by court rulings. But conservative “activist” Bill Salier says King has gone lefty soft. It may take [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 29, 2009, 12:20pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thursday Column — Swastikas

    Number of comments: 5
    The swastika just won’t die. There they were again Sunday morning, this time painted on 80 cars and some houses in Cedar Rapids. They were hastily drawn, judging by photos I saw, but unmistakable. “Springtime for Hitler,” without the music and laughs. I know what some of you are thinking. It was [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 28, 2009, 9:26am EDT
    by tdorman

  • What are the Neighbors Up To?

    Number of comments: 2
    The Illinois Senate approved legislation yesterday that would legalize marijuana for medical uses. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The measure would allow people suffering from unrelenting pain or nausea due to a narrow list of conditions — including cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis or Crohn’s disease — to use marijuana if prescribed [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 28, 2009, 7:22am EDT
    by tdorman

  • County Bonding Update

    Linn County Supervisor Lu Barron and county staffers visited The Gazette’s editorial board this afternoon to discuss issues surrounding the possibility of floating bonds to expanded the county’s Administrative Office Building, or AOB. Last week, supervisors talked about using new powers granted by the Iowa Legislature allowing counties and cities hit by disasters [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 27, 2009, 3:29pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • While You Were Sleeping

    Gov. Chet Culver wielded his veto pen just before a midnight deadline last night to take final actions on the work product of the 2009 legislative session. The press release popped on my BlackBerry around midnight. I can’t remember a governor wrapping up his work in the dark of night like [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 27, 2009, 6:44am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Iowa SCOTUS Reax

    So what are Iowa politicos saying about President Obama’s nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court of the United States? Iowa Democratic Party Chair Mike Kiernan. He likes her: “Today President Obama delivered on his promise with the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor’s stirring life story and outstanding career – at [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 26, 2009, 3:41pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Participation Garden Update

    Number of comments: 1
    Finally got most of the Dorman family “Participation Garden” planted over the holiday weekend. The Obamas have a “Victory Garden”  outside the White House, but we’re only hoping for a few nice parting gifts. A few tomatoes, some peas and maybe some chili peppers.  Thanks for playing. There have been some [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 26, 2009, 12:30pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thoughts on CR’s New (Temporary) Slogan

    Number of comments: 1
    Since the flood, temporary has become the new permanent in Cedar Rapids. So we might as well have a temporary city slogan, too. In case you missed it, the deciders who make these sort of calls have temporarily replaced our familiar “City of the Five Seasons” slogan with “The Fifth Season [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 26, 2009, 10:20am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column – Diamond Days

    Years ago living in Sioux City, I went to many minor league ball games. The hometown Explorers play in the Northern League, unaffiliated teams with mix of young hopefuls and aging veterans. I remember seeing an ex-big leaguer, whose name escapes me, smack a ground ball to right. As he chugged [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 26, 2009, 8:18am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Be The Poll — A Burning Issue

    Number of comments: 1
    Charcoal or Gas? I’m a charcoal guy. Always have been. I understand the gas grill convenience argument. But I’m just not in a hurry. Some gas backers say their method is more environmentally friendly. I say charcoal is a renewable fuel. And, oh yeah, charcoal-grilled/smoked food tastes better, in my humble opinion. We’re never going [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 22, 2009, 11:49am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Aged Picture of the Week

    I really like the feature The Des Moines Register has been running since December, “Old-Time Photo of the Day.” I check it out nearly every day. Then I thought, “Hey, I’ve got some old photos. And I could really go for a doughnut right now.” OK forget the 2nd part. This is [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 22, 2009, 6:24am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Battle Flags Program Survives

    Jeff Morgan, spokesman for the State Historical Society, says a state effort to save tattered battle flags carried home by Iowans from the Civil War and other conflicts still has enough cash to keep going. In January, Gov. Chet Culver’s budget proposal did not include funding for the program. But when the dust [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 21, 2009, 3:59pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • Thursday Column — Rethink the Bonds

    Number of comments: 8
    State lawmakers can hand out power, but not the instincts to use it wisely. An example: Last month, legislators gave local governments in disaster areas the power to issue bonds without asking voters’ permission. This week, the Linn County Board of Supervisors left the impression it lacks the instincts to use [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 21, 2009, 6:26am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Culver Brings Signing Pen to CR Friday

    Number of comments: 1
    Fresh from the office of Gov. Chester Culver: PUBLIC SCHEDULE FOR GOVERNOR CHET CULVER Friday, May 22, 2009 WHAT: Governor Chet Culver will sign five disaster related bills : • Senate Files 415 – an act relating to the acquisition of title to disaster-affected abandoned property by cities in certain years and authorizing cities [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 20, 2009, 4:11pm EDT
    by tdorman

  • That’s What I Call Infrastructure

    Number of comments: 1
    Gov. Chet Culver has signed I-Jobs into law, so the race to capture a chunk of those big, juicy bonded bucks is on. I humbly make these proposals. 5. The Metro Marion Regional Institute of  Barbecue Sciences (MMRIBS)– Situated in a picturesque, subdivision of one of Iowa’s fastest growing communities, MMRIBS would foster [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 20, 2009, 9:24am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Be The Poll — County Bonding

    Number of comments: 3
    So the Linn County Board of Supervisors is talking about floating $9.5 million in bonds to rennovate its Administrative Office Building. The feds will provide $2.2 million to fix flood damage, but an additional $9.5 million is needed for extra remodeling. The plan includes adding a new top floor. That’s where [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 19, 2009, 10:46am EDT
    by tdorman

  • What’s Nebraska Up To?

    Number of comments: 1
    Nebraskans will find out today what what their new license plates will look like. More than 100,000 Nebraskans have voted on four finalists, according to The World-Herald. Personally, I like the state bird and flower design. It was submitted by the public. Power to the people! In any event, this is a [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 19, 2009, 8:30am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Tuesday Column — Trying to Get Some Attention

    Number of comments: 2
    Will it be the oatmeal box heard ’round the world? I’m referring to media kits sent recently to the nation’s major news outlets with hopes of drumming up interest in Cedar Rapids’ continued struggle to recover from the flood of 2008. Inside a familiar cylindrical Quaker oatmeal box with a Cedar Rapids [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 19, 2009, 6:29am EDT
    by tdorman

  • Vaudt’s Out

    Number of comments: 4
    State Auditor Dave Vaudt says he’s not running for governor. From The Des Moines Register: Vaudt, who is in the middle of his second, four-year term as state auditor, said this afternoon that the state would best be served with his continued focus upon Iowa’s fiscal picture instead of 18 months [...]
     | Rate | Archive
    Posted: May 18, 2009, 4:29pm EDT
    by tdorman
← David Yepsen What Happened to My Country? →

Blog Info:
24-Hour Dorman

» http://24hourdorman.wordpress.com

Categories

Media

BNN Traffic Index

Alexa: 11,737,510
-448,267

Compete: No data
0

Quantcast: No data
-1

BNN Traffic Index: -448,267

BNN Influence Index

Rank

This week: Not ranked this week.

Last week: Not ranked last week.

12-week Average:

BNN Authority Index

Technorati: 0

Google: 0

BNN Authority Index: No data

» Subscribe to the 24-Hour Dorman feed