Latest news with #Iowa
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
20,000 people to watch Red Bull Soapbox Race in Des Moines
DES MOINES, Iowa — Around 20,000 people are expected to attend the Red Bull Soapbox Races in downtown Des Moines on Saturday. There are 50 teams competing for trophies which will be awarded to the top three finishers. Contestants can also win awards for people's choice, a cart theme award gifted by Casey's, and longest jump. Each team designed their own non-motorized cart that will race down a custom course which consists of turns, jumps, and obstacles. The carts travel at speeds of 25 to 30 miles per hour on average. Apart from being judged for course navigation and race time, a team of judges will also critique each team's creativity and card design, and the showmanship of a 30-second skit the group performs. The last time Des Moines hosted this event was in 2022, where over 25,000 people attended. One of the teams this year is the Eager Beavers Shreddin' Ash, a local team from Central Iowa. Their character names are Bucky, Chief Chipper, and Twiggy Smalls. In 2022, they competed in the race, but their props got in the way. As a result, this year they say they made their design simpler. However, to spectators, their design is anything but 'simple.' They have a two-piece truck and woodchipper concept that they will be driving in reverse down the course. Their cart also chips wood, leaving behind a trail of woodchips. Starting at 10 a.m., the pit lane will open for families to get a closer look at each of the carts. The Eager Beavers have an axe-throwing game and will give out woodchips and stickers to attendees. For the Eager Beavers' 30-second skit, the judges will critique their axe juggling skills. If spectators don't see this team coming, they might just be able to hear them yell, 'Timber!' Another team competing this year is the Revenge Against the Corn. This year, they are seeking redemption from their first experience in 2022, where they crashed close to the start line. Their cart in 2022 was a corn bobsled, so this year's design is a combine. Their ultimate goal is to get to the finish line this year. Even though they crashed in 2022, they didn't leave empty-handed. Their team won the 'It's Not Crazy It's Casey's' cart theme integration award for having a cart theme rooted in Iowa representation. Other teams are racing for the first time, including the Mystery Machine that was inspired by Scooby Doo. The team consists of five DMACC students studying engineering. The group is part of the college's STEM club and are applying skills they learned in school to this race. Landon Toom said, 'This has been an awesome opportunity for us to learn and grow.' The race begins at noon right next to the Iowa State Capitol and it is free to attend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Police say driver twice struck Davenport officer who was directing traffic
A 34-year-old Davenport woman was in custody Saturday after Davenport Police say she twice struck an officer who was helping direct traffic near a Davenport school. Kaniya Williams faces felony charges of assault on persons in certain occupations – use/display of a weapon and interference with official acts – dangerous weapon, according to Scott County Court documents. Scott County Court arrest affidavits show that on Friday, May 30, uniformed officers were working at an awards assembly at Wood Intermediate School, 5701 N. Division St., to direct traffic 'when a disturbance occurred in the middle of Division Street.' After an investigation, police determined Williams was the driver of a white SUV about 11:30 a.m. that day. Officers instructed her that all vehicles must turn north onto Division Street from the parking lot. Williams said 'No' multiple times 'and willfully and intentionally accelerated her vehicle in an attempt to drive around the officer, ignoring commands to go the other direction,' affidavits say. An officer 'stepped in front of the vehicle to prevent her from going the wrong way and in the process was struck by the vehicle.' Williams backed up her SUV a second time and ignored the officer's commands that she was under arrest 'and accelerated toward the officer, again hitting the officer a second time, placing him in fear for his life.' Affidavits say she then left the area. Williams, who was being held on a $1,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 3 p.m. June 10 in Scott County Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The ups and the downs: SE Iowa providers navigate child care, pre-K challenges
OTTUMWA — One facility is cutting its student enrollment by more than half. Another facility can't seem to fill up. A third was a little nervous if the funding would ever come and had plans if it didn't. Welcome to the world of child care and preschool in southeast Iowa. The stories of Wigwam Daycare and Preschool in Bloomfield, Sieda Child Development Center and Pickwick Early Childhood Center are reflective of many characteristics of offering either child care, 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool, or both, in what has been frequently dubbed "a desert." The three entities aren't the same; Pickwick does not offer child care, but is a fully-funded preschool free to families. The others? They do everything in their power to provide for students and families when the going gets a little tougher. Inside the Wigwam doors The 3-year-olds gathered around teacher Mari Melvin to watch a YouTube video on a TV dangling from the wall. The 4-year-olds were coming back into the former Bloomfield Elementary School from recess. They're all part of Traci Wiegand's passion, which will be restricted as she takes an enrollment of 140 students down to 60 in an effort to balance a philosophy of "quality over quantity" against the difficulties of maintaining child care and preschool. "It was so hard. I was emotional because I've been doing this for almost 25 years. Some of these families I've known for years," Wiegand said of her decision. "You almost become part of their family. You develop a bond with them and their kids. "And then the community feedback you're going to get, right? It took me a little bit of time to realize that Davis County not having daycare was not solely my problem, but I'd been doing it for so long, and had expanded to such a large size that I started bearing the weight of, 'If I don't keep making this work, then this community doesn't have daycare.'" Wiegand is not alone in her predicament. Child care challenges have existed for decades, but were sharpened by the pandemic because of the "great resignation," which also affected the child care industry as providers struggled to find employees who would work for the typical low wages offered in the profession. But the business is for-profit, so it does not have the Head Start funding for the preschool, even though it follows Iowa's early-learning standards. "Head Start hires like a kitchen person, and that's the job. They know how many teaspoons of carrots are eaten, and they document that, send it in and that's where they get their funding," she said. "We don't have time to do that. We're talking about paying somebody $11 an hour. We're requiring them to take care of our kids, and now we're going to ask them to do an hour or two worth of paperwork so that we can get this funding. It takes away from the quality of care that we're giving to the kids." Wiegand is surrounded by a supportive and loyal staff, some of whom have taught in the Davis County Community School District, and has let go of unreliable employees. She said the decision to reduce the number of students and children began taking shape a few years ago. "The last three years have been hard, and I think if you asked any of the staff here, they would tell you the same thing," she said. "And as the years have gone by, it's just gotten a little harder. "I could have more kids than I currently have, and I know that I have quality people coming in here every day and not have to worry about a darn thing," Wiegand said. "I continue to love kids, and I love my program. It's not that we're not giving good care, but I'm hoping that we're going to do this for a year with 60 kids, and I hope it goes exactly the way I want to see it go, and then we'll evaluate again." 'Someone needs to do something about this' When Sieda Community Action opened up its child care development center on the Indian Hills Community College campus almost two years ago, it came at the height of a fevered pitch that child care was scarce in the area, there were no simple solutions, but that private-public partnerships were perhaps just around the corner. Sieda executive director Brian Dunn now wonders what the hype was about, because those complaints have been muted, for one reason or another. "There was an assumption that people would line up. We'd heard it consistently that we're in a child care desert," he said. "Maybe we're in a 'quality' child care desert." Sieda not only offers Head Start programming to seven counties in the area, but also provides Head Start and child care onsite. Dunn said Sieda has put a lot of its general fund into the child development center, but he and the staff see the bigger picture of preparing children for when they are ready to enter the school system. Still, as with Wiegand's situation, the out-of-pocket costs can be problematic for families, though Dunn said Sieda hasn't turned anyone away for that reason. "I talk about Sieda as being in the business of moving people out of poverty, not into it," he said. "Our biggest struggle is with child care assistance. You know, for many of these families, the reason they qualify for child care assistance is because they're low-income. That out-of-pocket [cost] is problematic for them, and a challenge for us." As for what "quality" child care and preschool looked like at Sieda, those under Dunn had their own definitions. "The safety of the children is the most important, but also having staff who understand how children learn, how their brains develop, and being able to provide the care that aligns with how they grow, develop and learn," said Ranae Banicky, Sieda's assistant director of the childhood development unit. "The quality is so important because the reality is, whoever is caring for your child during the day, the parent is not able to do that." Katie Thompson, the child care center coordinator, pointed to simply addressing the needs of each child. "I think meeting each child where they're at. I know it sounds cliche, but each child is so different, and you have to be able to provide for that individual," she said. "Nutrition is huge, especially for a lot of our Head Start students. You'll find there's food insecurities, so we provide nutrition needs under the Child and Adult Care Food Program under the USDA, and it opens lines of communication with the families. That way, a parent is comfortable with letting their child spend 10 1/2 hours a day with you. "I'm in the thick of it every day. It's always going to be about the kids. That's what keeps me coming here," Thompson said. Still, Sieda's child development center has rarely been completely full. Some of that, however, could be by design as teachers must follow federal Head Start guidelines for teacher-to-student ratios. "With our licensing oversight, we have to be very mindful of maintaining ratio," Thompson said. "So that'll always play into it." Dunn is satisfied with the arrangement Sieda has with IHCC; the lease on the building being used runs out at the end of 2026. "Nobody is making money. [Indian] Hills has been a fantastic partner for us," he said. "I think a couple of assumptions were made is that if there was such a great need for child care, that people would be lined up to send their kids here. The community rallies and says, 'Somebody needs to do something about this,' and we step up. "What we need is community support. We need money, because that was one of the things when we decided to move forward with this responsibility, was that there would be community support for that as well. And that has not panned out as we hoped. But there is a synergy here in that we understand kiddos in that we can help families understand development milestones or refer parents if they need additional support. I think we have the best staff out here." Pickwick Early Childhood Success It's safe to say the administration at Pickwick Early Childhood Center had a little bit of angst for much of the early part of the year. Would the Iowa Legislature deliver on some sort of renewal of the Shared Visions grant program, or would the Ottumwa Community School District need some other funding sources for Pickwick? "We had structured a committee to look at viable options and begin to brainstorm what-ifs?" principal Kim Ledger said. "What is our backup plan to continue to provide this service to our community if the funding doesn't go through? We had talks on the table about plan B and plan C." The legislature, at the end of the session, managed to extend the program for one more year, rather than the usual five-year cycle. Ottumwa is the largest beneficiary of the program in the state, with $579,000 coming from the grant, which "is meant to help supplement preschool options for lower-socioeconomic" families based on household income, which is the top qualifier for the grant. Pickwick offers a fully-funded 3-year-old preschool, and moved into its current building in 2018, essentially consolidating preschool in the community. However, Pickwick takes in children from outside the school district, and officials believe the skills taught "travel well" to other school districts in preparation for kindergarten. "The state has standards for literacy, math, every subject area, and the child should be able to know and to this," Ledger said. "We have that in preschool too and it's Iowa's early-learning standards. The work we've done is align our curriculum, resources and assessments to those standards that we know will spiral into state standards for kindergarten. "So if we're doing that good work, the skills should travel. There is some uniformity to it." Pickwick currently serves 401 3- and 4-year-old children, but also has a junior kindergarten and kindergarten, and 26% of those used a dedicated bus service to Pickwick. However, like Wigwam and Sieda, Pickwick's overall goal is development of the entire child, not simply the academic standards. "I think one of the things that sets Pickwick apart, aside from full-day preschool, is really looking at the whole child, the social and emotional side," district director of curriculum Maria Lantz said. "I think that's something Pickwick does really well, and we're really proud of that. Some places do some academics, but it's not the majority of the work. We really balance that social and emotional piece with that academic piece." Ledger has spent time in other school districts as well, but said there isn't a competition for who offers the best preschool. In fact, many are up front and make referrals if needed. "You know the Sieda Head Start people will say, 'Here are some students who are coming your way. Can I share that information with you?' And I say, 'Absolutely.' I do feel like there is a collaborative relationship," Ledger said. "If a student residentially is in the district, but chooses to open enroll to Cardinal or Davis County and is eligible for an IEP (individualized education program), then the home principal gets invited to that meeting. "So I attend meetings for students who may reside in Ottumwa but open-enroll to Cardinal. I'm part of that time and helping make those decisions for that child, but I don't serve that child. We're like colleagues and we call upon each other for whatever they might need." Ledger believes in Pickwick's philosophies, but acknowledged others as well. "Seton Catholic is a great option. Cardinal is a great option. Sieda Head Start is a good option," she said. "I know a lot of people in lots of different places. Like, if I can't serve your child, I hope that another district can. "If we aren't the right place, then let me help you find the one that is right. I want that child being served."
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Government Contracting Symposium to be held at Vibrant Arena, Moline
The Iowa-Illinois Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) will host the 16th Annual Midwest Government Contracting Symposium on Tuesday, June 3 and Wednesday, June 4 at the Vibrant Arena in Moline, according to a news release. This year's event focuses on examining the recent current events throughout the world and how the Defense Department will sustain and grow the U.S. Industry Base, Supply Chain, and Mission Command. This year's symposium will give attendees insight into the latest information in governmentcontracting and Army Doctrine, as well as allow them to take advantage of the chance to interact with key government and industry experts. 'This symposium offers two, jam-packed days of valuable content you won't want to miss,' says President of the IA-IL NDIA Chapter Natalie Linville-Mass. To register, visit here. Within the Quad Cities region, there are thousands of individuals and businesses contracting with organizations on the Rock Island Arsenal. The Quad Cities is ranked as the third most industrially diverse area in the United States, making this event crucial to its attendees and sponsors. The symposium grants these groups the opportunity to gather once a year and work to advance the goals of The Defense Department in this area. About the Iowa/Illinois Chapter of National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) The National Defense Industrial Association is America's leading Defense Industry Association promoting national security. It is a non-partisan, non-profit association headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The Iowa Illinois Chapter was founded in 1945 as an arm of the national association. It provides geographic coverage for Iowa and the western 1/3 of Illinois, furthering the national objectives and policies. Its mission is to champion issues contributing to the strength, resiliency, and capacity of the industrial base; build a vigorous, responsive. and collaborative community in support of defense and national security; and convene legal and ethical forums for an exchange of ideas, information, viewpoints, and capabilities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
In Iowa, Trump's agenda collides with 2028 ambitions
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, at fundraisers in Iowa this week, sought to explain to the Republicans who are poised to have the first say in picking the party's 2028 presidential nominee why they want to put the brakes on the 'big, beautiful' bill that contains much of President Donald Trump's agenda. But Sue Cheek, a resident of Eldridge nearby, didn't want to hear it. 'We are the ones that elected Trump. This is what we wanted him to do. So let him do it,' she told CNN minutes before Scott took the stage at a fundraiser Friday night at a casino in Davenport. 'We are in a critical place right now in our country,' said Cheek, who works at a credit union. 'I don't care how much it costs to make our country secure. Once we get that done, then we can worry about that other stuff.' Trump is only months into his second term in office, but already, ambitious Republicans are flocking to the state whose caucuses are expected to kick off the party's 2028 presidential nominating contest. Paul spoke at a GOP fundraiser in Cedar Rapids on Thursday, and Scott followed with a fundraiser in Davenport on Friday. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders will speak at the conservative Christian group The Family Leader's summit in July. Days later, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will visit Des Moines to headline the state party's Lincoln Dinner. The two senators arrived in Iowa while the fate of Trump's legislative agenda rested in the Senate. Conservatives like Paul and Scott are demanding changes — with Paul seeking to remove a debt ceiling increase and both seeking much steeper spending cuts. Their positions put them at odds with many Republicans in this politically potent state who helped propel Trump to the White House. Asked by CNN before Thursday's event if he's faced pushback from Republicans in Iowa who want to see Trump's agenda advance quickly, Paul acknowledged that 'some have.' 'Some people come up to me and some people genuinely say, 'Support the president. Support the president,'' Paul said. 'But I think I was elected to be an independent voice.' 'There are things that we have some disagreements, and I don't think it would be right just to be quiet and not try to make the bill better,' Paul said. Scott said he is eager to achieve much of Trump's bill, including making 2017 tax cuts permanent and funding efforts to secure the US-Mexico border. 'I want to get the president's agenda done, too,' he told CNN. But, Scott said, 'we have to understand we have a spending problem.' 'Interest rates are high. Inflation is high. If we want to help … we got to get a balanced budget,' Scott said. 'We've got to have a we have to have a clear path to balanced budget.' Though the 2028 election is still years from taking shape, Iowa — where an open race for governor and competitive House races in next year's midterm elections give ambitious Republicans a pretext to visit and help raise money — is a near-permanent presidential battleground when an incumbent won't be on the ballot in the next election. Jeff Kaufmann, the longtime Iowa Republican Party chairman, said potential candidates are already calling him to ask for advice. 'We're certainly not going to have a 'Never Trump' candidate that even has a prayer. I'm not even sure at this point if a person that is lukewarm on Trump is going to do very well,' Kaufmann told CNN. But, he said, voters there have 'a high tolerance for debate.' 'As long as they explain themselves — and in Iowa, they're going to have a chance to do that — and as long as they are methodical and the underlying basis is conservative, come to Iowa,' Kaufmann said. 'Everybody is going to get an honest look.' That tolerance for debate was on display Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, when Paul received a friendly applause even after delivering a speech criticizing Trump's tariffs and staking out his opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill' that contains much of Trump's agenda. The Kentucky senator said he opposes the measure's debt ceiling hike and wants to see overall spending levels drastically reduced. Doug Dix, a retired banker who lives in Hiawatha who attended Paul's speech Thursday night in Cedar Rapids, said he agrees with Paul's positions on principle, but doesn't want to see Trump's agenda thwarted. 'I'm looking for somebody that wins and gets things done,' he said. 'Let's see if they get it done. I don't think Rand Paul's going to prevent it from getting it done.' 'Get the bill done. Get it on his desk,' Dix said. Many Republicans said they are frustrated — not with Senate conservatives yet, but with judges, Democrats and the media, which they described as playing much larger roles in impeding Trump. Tim Striley, the chairman of the Clinton County Republican Party, said Friday the intra-party debates over the bill are 'healthy.' More frustrating, he said, are court rulings blocking Trump's actions. 'You've got to give the man a chance to govern,' he said. 'They didn't do that the first time.' Bonnie Powell, a retired nurse in Davenport, said she'd like to see Republicans on Capitol Hill back Trump. 'It gets frustrating,' she said. 'But no matter how frustrating, Republicans aren't near at the level of disagreeing as the other party.' Her husband Steve Powell added: 'Rand Paul, I've always liked him, but I don't agree with him on this. … He's only one vote. He's not going to make the difference.' 'I'd like to see them follow through with what Trump's already started,' he said.
