GENERAL NEWS:                                                                                     Sunday, May 4,  2003

… Severe Thunderstorm Watch in effect for major portion of Iowa this morning – primarily covering area south of a line from Sioux City to Davenport. More “significant” storms – possible isolated tornadoes – expected this afternoon, too. Actually, the NWS has issued two different watches (until 11 a.m.) this morning  – one storm moving in from west, another from the south. The Weather Channel is broadcasting live storm updates from Columbia, Mo. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Yes, the same Columbia where ISU’s Eustachy was captured on film an a campus party. So far, there’s no known connection between this morning’s storms and Eustachy’s post-game drinking.)  

… A Sunday morning quote: Rev. Joe Darby, pastor of the Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston, the state’s largest AME church in South Carolina, explaining why Edwards, Dean and Lieberman have all stopped by for Sunday services – “Either everybody is very religious or looking for votes. I think it’s the latter.” (More on the Rev. Darby and SC’s black vote below.)

… So, if Joe Lieberman’s right, why did the nine Dem wannabes even waste their time debating in South Carolina last night? Lieberman debate comment: “No Democrat will be elected in 2004 who is not strong on defense.” And, where’s that leave Kucinich’s grand plan to create a cabinet-level Department of Peace? (More in special section on last night’s debate.)

… And another quote from Lieberman – who’s leading the latest national poll (see below) – re the Gephardt health insurance plan: “We’re not going to solve these problems with the big-spending Democratic ideas of the past.” 

… Eustachy Countdown continues: Less than 40 hours remain. The suspended Iowa State men’s basketball coach has until tomorrow night to formally appeal termination notice. (More on Eustachy situation below and in today’s “Eustachy File.”)

… Among the offerings in this morning’s update: NEW POLL: ABC News/ Washington Post survey released yesterday shows GWB with solid lead over top three Dem wannabes, but news isn’t all good – also shows that Bush 41 was stronger after ’91 Gulf War than ‘43’ is now. Lieberman has 10-point lead over Gephardt among Dem candidates …LA Times reporting team analyzes the Dem field, says Kerry and Dean are targets for criticism from other wannabes. Otherwise, fairly uneventful day on the Dem Pres Watch with all wannabes all in one place – as opposed to being spread out over nine different states addressing 36-50 different topics …Now that the Dems have debated in SC guess who’s coming next? Hint: His father was a president – and he’s speaking at the U of SC commencement next Friday …Broder column this morning says President needs to restore GOP discipline …WHO-TV (Channel 13, Des Moines) has expanded regular Sunday night “Soundoff” sports talk show from 30 minutes to an hour tonight: A special edition to discuss Iowa State basketball coach Larry Eustachy’s situation …Graham raids state Dem party staff to fill IA campaign slots …IA GOP Congressman Leach says negotiation – not confrontation -- needed in North Korea situation …Report: LaRouche, back for an eighth run at presidency, has raised more money than Lieberman, Graham, Dean, Kucinich, Moseley Braun or Sharpton …In SC, former Parris Island commander challenges Dean on statement that U. S. won’t always have the strongest military …Ex-guv Bob Ray receives Hoover humanitarian award … Peace Rules, once co-owned by DSM attorney Maggi Moss, finishes third in yesterday’s Kentucky Derby. Register sports page headline this morning: “Peace Rules wins belated affection from wistful Moss” …All these stories below and more.

THE EUSTACHY FILE: 
        … Front-page headline from today’s Des Moines Sunday Register: “A nation watches Eustachy battle his demons”  
… Some Register headlines leftover from yesterday’s coverage: “Eustachy’s ‘near-beer’ worries counselor …Alcoholics should avoid drinking beverages such as O’Doul’s during early stages of recovery, a counselor says.” Excerpt: “An addiction counselor cringed Friday when he heard that Iowa State basketball coach Larry Eustachy had sipped an O’Doul’s while he talked with reporters about his new fight to stay sober.” …From “Iowa Diary” feature on Register’s editorial page, headline: “Iowa in the spotlight” Excerpt: “It’s been quite a week for Iowans. An ISU basketball coach put his state on the map. The coach captured on film drinking and smooching coeds was a subject ripe for national media. But those Iowans who caught any of the debate on cable TV realized that this was more than just a story about some public employee gone astray. This was an employee in Iowa. That’s ‘the Heartland,’ one critic reminded a studio audience. It has ‘those Midwestern values.” …Sports page headline, “Player parents: Intimidation fears justified …Mistreatment has long been alleged by some parents of ISU players.” Excerpt: “Iowa State’s suspension of associate basketball coach Steve Barnes came as no surprise to two critics of head coach Larry Eustachy’s biggest critics.” Fathers of two players – one current, one gone – said they “expected new revelations about how players were treated by the Iowa State coaching staff.” …Apparently to further prove the Register can find any and every angle to cover the Eustachy story, the top headline from yesterday’s Business section: “Coach wins points in PR game …An ISU spokesman, however, says sensitivity and responsibility are more important.” Excerpt: “Iowa State University and ISU men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy faced steep odds in confronting a public-relations nightmare. Many say Eustachy emerged the winner, at least in a PR-spin game, after Iowa State bobbled the top-off. Iowa State spokesman John McCarroll, a veteran of political and corporate spin, said from the school’s standpoint sensitivity to personnel issues and legal responsibility are more important than timeliness.”  McCarroll was press secretary for former IA Guv Ray in the early 80s and then handled PR for Mid-American Energy before moving on to his current ISU communications post.    

CANDIDATES & CAUCUSES: 

… Because of the late start of last night’s debate (8:30 EDT), several newspapers missed publication deadlines for Sunday editions and will have more coverage in tomorrow morning’s papers …BUT some reports have emerged:

…Des Moines Sunday Register puts SC debate coverage (a dozen paragraphs from Associated Press) on page 12A of national news section. Headline: “In debate, Democrats look to take early lead” AP coverage that the Dem candidates “clashed over the war against Iraq, health insurance and President Bush’s tax cut in an ultra-early primary debate in which they hoped to distinguish themselves from the pack.”

…Headline from today’s Washington Times online: “No Democrat bolts from pack” The Times’ Charles Hurt reported that there were no “great battles” during the debate. Excerpt: “The Democratic primary usually is a time when candidates woo the left-leaning Democratic primary voters, but this time candidates were a bit more cautious. And the issue of gun control, an old reliable Democratic call to action, was officially junked last night. Only Mr. Sharpton spoke up in support of stringent gun-control laws when asked if anyone on the stage supports licensing or registering guns on a national level.”

… Headline from this morning’s New Hampshire Sunday News: “Democratic hopefuls begin debating season”

… Excerpt from Los Angeles Times coverage: “Nine Democratic Presidential candidates, trying to kick-start their race to oppose President Bush in the 2004 election, agreed Saturday night it was time to turn Bush out of the White House but agreed on little else.” The Dems, in fact, wasted little time focusing on their main target. Kerry: “I’m running for president to put our economy back on a track that will get America back to work. The one person in America who does deserve to be laid off is George W. Bush.” Sharpton: “The way to move a donkey is to slap the donkey. I’m going to slap the donkey until the donkey kicks and we are going to kick George Bush out of the White House.”…On the Iraq war – Lieberman took issue with Dean’s argument that Saddam wasn’t a threat, saying: “Saddam Hussein was a threat to the United States and, most particularly, to his neighbors. We did the right thing by fighting this fight, and the American people will be safer as a result.” Sharpton said, however, that “we could have disarmed Hussein by working with the United Nations.”

… Excerpt from New York Times coverage: “Nine Democratic candidates battled over the war in Iraq and over how to provide health care insurance for all Americans, in a debate that highlighted deep fissures in the party that several candidates warned could endanger its chances of winning back the White House.”…Gephardt’s health care plan – which calls for repeal of all Bush tax cuts and is the centerpiece of his campaign – came under attack by other wannabes. Edwards cautioned against a plan that would leave the decisions to “big corporate America and assume they do the right thing. That sounds like Reaganomics to me.” Lieberman said he opposed raising taxes for health coverage, adding, “We’re not going to solve these problems with the big-spending Democratic ideas of the past.” Gephardt said, however, the Bush tax cuts have been a failure and Dems must present issue options – “We can’t be Bush Light…We’ve got to give the people a choice.” 

… Excerpt from Chicago Tribune coverage: “The nine Democratic presidential hopefuls collided Saturday night over national security, and how to provide health coverage for uninsured Americans in the first debate of the 2004 campaign.”

…And from Associated Press coverage of last night’s debate: “No Democrat has carried South Carolina in a presidential race since Jimmy Carter of neighboring Georgia in 1976. Al Gore visited the state only once in 2000, but Graham and Edwards tout their southern roots as an advantage that can help them beat Bush.”

… ABC News/Washington Post poll released last night indicates that Bush gets support from six of ten voters while the Dem Big Three – Lieberman, Gephardt and Kerry – would generate about one-third of support in respective matchups against GWB. That’s the good news. The not-so-good news from the poll – half of those surveyed said the economy was worse now than when the president took office & half said he doesn’t understand the problems of average people. A report by ABCNews.com’s Gary Langer also reported: “Far fewer Americans say the war has increased their confidence in Bush’s ability to handle other issues than said so about his father in 1991 – 70 percent then [for Bush I], 43 percent now [for the current president]. And, in 1991, 55 percent said the war made them more likely to support then-President Bush’s re-election (not that it turned out that way); today just 37 per cent say the same.” 

… More from the ABC/Washington Post poll: ABCNews.com’s Langer also reports that Lieberman has now established a “statistically significant lead” over the other Dem wannabes. He notes that Lieberman is “likely the best-known Democratic candidate by dint of his exposure as Al Gore’s running mate on the 2000 ticket” – but that the ABC News/Washington Post showing is “numerically his best in any national media-sponsored poll this year.” The Big Three – the group that’s topped most recent polls – continued their dominance: Lieberman 29%, Gephardt 19%, Kerry 14%. All others in single digits, but the surprise is Moseley Braun in fourth with 6%. The rest: Edwards at 4%, three – Sharpton, Graham and Dean – at 3%, and Kucinich 2%. 

… Pre-debate handicapping and analysis from yesterday’s Los Angeles Times: “Each candidate has begun to try to establish distinguishing characteristics: Kerry has sought to capitalize on his medal-winning service in the Vietnam War – where he served in a Navy unit in the Mekong Delta – to establish in voters’ mind his competence on national security issues. That could be a key in running against Bush’s record as a wartime leader …Dean, a strong critic of Bush’s policy toward Iraq, has received warm receptions from Democrats who opposed the war. The early support Kerry and Dean have attracted [was] likely to make them targets [during last night’s debate]. Edwards, an attorney before winning his Senate seat in 1998, raised more money than any of the candidates during the first three months of this year, with many of the contributions coming from trial lawyers. Lieberman, who was Al Gore’s vice presidential running mate in 2000, is seeking to appeal to party centrists. Gephardt has set out a detailed health-care proposal that aims to provide coverage for nearly all Americans – an issue dear to many Democrats. Graham, who was governor of Florida for eight years and is now serving his third Senate term, has touted himself as the most experienced candidate.” Times’ staff writers James Gerstenzang and Mark Z. Barabak concluded their report: “Braun, Sharpton and Kucinich are liberal underdogs in the race who are seeking to present themselves as realistic alternatives to the more prominent candidates.” 

… From the Washington Post online this morning – under the headline, “Bush’s Slip on GOP Order” – political columnist David S. Broder writes: “It may be sheer coincidence, but the discipline that has marked the Republican Party under the command of George W. Bush has broken down repeatedly in the past three weeks – and the president seems unable to restore order. House and Senate GOP leaders were sniping at each other over their disagreement on the size of the new Bush tax cuts. Newt Gingrich took a hard shot at the State Department record under Colin Powell and, in turn, was rebuked by many other conservatives. Sen. Rick Santorum stirred up a bit of controversy with his comments on homosexuality, and there was grumbling from the right flank about the president’s push for a global anti-AIDS campaign. None of the incidents was that serious in itself, but the disarray on both the fiscal and diplomatic fronts was striking for a party whose leader has shown little tolerance for argument or dissent – let alone outright opposition. The White House line is still focused on the final stages of the campaign in Iraq and cannot be expected to referee all these secondary squabbles …With divisions evident on both fiscal and national security policy, the commander may have to exercise firmer command of his own ship.” (Iowa Pres Watch Note: For those wondering, yes – Grassley was mentioned in the Broder column for the Senate tax cut decision.)

… Speaking of the President, he will make his fourth visit to South Carolina in a year next Friday to deliver the keynote address – and accept an honorary degree – at the University of South Carolina commencement. The State newspaper in Columbia reported that “the announcement he’s coming to USC is a major coup for the school and indicates how important South Carolina has become on the national political scene” – not to mention a state that hasn’t been carried by a Dem presidential candidate since Carter carried it in ’76. Even SC Dem state chairman Dick Harpootlian is commenting on GWB’s scheduled visit: “We believe this is the beginning of the 2004 campaign. We welcome President Bush to come to South Carolina and explain how his positions are different from those positions” debated by the nine Dem candidates in Columbia last night. Every president since JFK has addressed a USC commencement, including President Bush I in 1990 – and GWB has a nephew attending the university. 

… The Des Moines Register reports that two Iowa Dem party staffers have been hired to oversee Graham’s campaign effort in the state – and probably plan the Graham family vacation in the state this August. Jessica Vanden Berg, 28, the IA party’s caucus director, will be director of Graham’s IA caucus campaign. Sarah Benzing, 25, who was the state party’s field director last fall, will become director of field operations for Graham. 

… Before last night’s debate – and with Dean in South Carolina anyway – a former commanding general at Parris Island challenged Dean to explain over the weekend why he believes the United States won’t always have the strongest military. Retired Brig. Gen. Steve Cheney – who headed the Marine Corps Recruit Depot from 1999-2001 (and was an unsuccessful Dem candidate for the SC House last year) -- sent the former VT governor a letter saying Dean’s comments raise questions about his ability to become commander in chief. Associated Press reported that the Dean campaign issued a response to Cheney’s letter, saying the former VT governor believes that strong diplomacy and multinational institutions are critical to America’s future and that his words have been “twisted, distorted and spun” by the Kerry campaign. 

… More from the Dem political epicenter this weekend – South Carolina. A report by Media General’s Marsha Mercer: “A change in the Democratic calendar gave South Carolina the first primary in the South – and the first with a sizeable black electorate. Blacks are expected to make up one-third to one-half of the voters in the Feb. 3 primary. South Carolina’s new Democratic clout is why nine major contenders converged in Columbia for a debate this weekend, why Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, former Gov. Howard Dean of Vermont and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut have found their way on Sunday mornings to Morris Brown AME Church in Charleston. ‘Either everybody is very religious or they are looking for votes,’ said the Rev. Joe Darby, pastor of Morris Brown, the largest AME church in the state with 3,000 members on the rolls. ‘I think it’s the latter.’ Potentially a kingmaker in the kingmaker state, Darby, who also serves as vice president of the state NAACP, sets ground rules for visiting candidates. They must arrive before the worship service starts and stay until the benediction. Eat breakfast first, he says, since the services easily last two hours.” 

… He wasn’t on the podium in South Carolina last night, but reports indicate that perennial presidential wannabe Lyndon LaRouche has collected $3.7 million for his 2004 bid for the Dem nomination. His secret to fundraising success: He started soliciting contributions about two years ago. An AP report also noted that LaRouche supporters handed out fliers at DC subway stations last week proclaiming him the leader among the Dem hopefuls in the number of individual donations. He first ran in 1976 – and the 80-year-old economist has been a fixture in every campaign since then.  

IOWA POLITICS: 

… Former Iowa Gov. Ray has received the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association Humanitarian Award. Ray – IA’s guv from ’69-’83 – received the award for encouraging resettlement of Southeast Asians in the state and calling upon Iowans to welcome the refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Sen Grassley, who presented the award to Ray on Friday in West Branch, said: “Like Herbert Hoover, Bob Ray shares in the philosophy of giving the suffering a fair chance and equal opportunity.”

MORNING SUMMARY:    

… Morning headlines:

Top front-page headline, Des Moines Sunday Register:  “Newton waits to go racing” Lengthy Sunday-sized report on plans to locate major auto racing/entertainment complex along Interstate 80 in Newton. 

Quad-City Times, main online headline: “Victim says God, family have helped her survive” Report features Delores Werling of Tipton – victim of a pipe-bomb explosion a year ago when college student Luke Helder placed bombs in several mailboxes across nation with goal of putting a “smiley face” on the U.S. 

Top headline, Omaha World-Herald online: “Expect gains of 6% to 7%, Buffett says” Excerpt: “U.S. investors can expect annual gains of 6 percent to 7 percent over the long term, Omahan Warren Buffett told about 15,000 of his shareholders Saturday. Subtract brokers’ fees and other costs, and investors may net 5 percent to 6 percent a year.” 

Chicago Tribune top online heads: “Russian Space Capsule Lands in Kazakhstan” & “Bush Says Weapons Will be Found in Iraq”  

Sioux City Journal, main online headline: “Space station crew comes home safely”

… For the second time this week, a western Iowa teacher has resigned after allegations surfaced about inappropriate conduct with female students. The Register reported that the Sioux City school board has accepted the resignation of John J. Dennison, 34, a West Middle school science teacher. He had been on administrative leave since January when the reports of misconduct were initially reported. The allegations included reports that Dennison attended a party with students and acted inappropriately. Also during the past week, a Malvern teacher resigned after being investigated for having a relationship with a student.

… In a state where ISU basketball coach Eustachy has been suspended for his conduct at a post-game party in Missouri, two teachers have resigned this week for alleged misconduct involving students and a Centerville teacher faces 20 counts of sexual abuse, this Des Moines Register headline shouldn’t be too surprising for most Iowans: “Scout leader faces sex charges …Boone man, an ex-church leader, is accused of fondling 13-year-old.” Report says Timothy Sadler, a troop leader for the past decade, got permission from mothers of two buys to take them to the Mall of America in Minnesota last year “despite a Boy Scouts policy that forbids troop leaders to be alone with scouts.” Sadler, an Ames travel agent, also has stepped down as vice president of the Augustana Lutheran Church in Boone.

WAR & TERRORISM: 

… IA GOP Congressman Leach said negotiation rather than confrontation is needed to resolve current disputes with North Korea. Among the problems, he said, is that “no part of the world understands less of the rest of the world than North Korea” – and vice versa, meaning the rest of the world doesn’t understand North Korea because of their isolationist policies. Leach, who was in the U. S. Foreign Service before joining the family business and entering elective politics, told Radio Iowa that the North Koreans “don’t watch CNN everyday the way the Iraqi leadership did.” He added that it appears the North Koreans have “no desire to give up” the nuclear option in favor of a stronger economy. 

… Leftover from Friday’s Daily Iowan (University of Iowa) – a report that a group of protestors gathered outside the Iowa Memorial Union, including “some with mouths symbolically taped shut with black electrical tape,” to object to the alleged firing of a temporary employee at ACT (American College Testing) in Iowa City. The objective of the Thursday night demonstration: to draw attention to an ACT policy that prohibits workplace promotion of political beliefs. Sarah Townsend contends she lost her job last month for refusing to remove a button she was wearing that said, “The World Says No to War.”  ACT officials say she left on her own volition. Among the signs at the Thursday night rally: “Freedom to Dissent, Freedom to Organize” and one using the ACT initials – “Anti-democratic Coercive Tactics” 

… From the China/Taiwan Front: VOANews (Voice of America) report: “In a surprise reversal of its usual policy, Beijing has approved a visit by World Health Organization officials to Taiwan, to study the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome there …The decision marks a departure from Beijing’s usual insistence that international organizations not deal with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a rogue province. The approval appears to be another indication of how seriously Beijing is now taking the SARS outbreak.”

FEDERAL ISSUES:  

… From syndicated columnist Robert Novak on townhall.com: “Democratic insiders, acknowledging little chance of recapturing the House in 2004, have all but given up hope of winning a Senate majority, unless there is such a transcendent development as an economic collapse. The early calculation in Democratic circles is for a net loss of four additional Senate seats, extending the present 51-49 Republican majority to 55-45. Democratic seats are in real jeopardy in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, South Dakota and Nevada. (Iowa Pres Watch Note: Given these possibilities, it means two of the Dem wannabes – Edwards (North Carolina) and Graham (Florida) – could be out of elective office after the 2004 elections. The smart money would suggest, however, that at least one of them – if not both – will seek re-election to the Senate once their presidential bids falter, but recent NC polls indicate Edwards’ re-election to the Senate isn’t assured.)

IOWA ISSUES:

… Commentary by Quad-City Times Ed Tibbetts on legislation that cut about $60 million -- originally a $70 million reduction with $10 million restored during final hours of session – in state aid to IA cities. He writes about the need to maintain services and programs while also developing “art museums and other quality-of-life projects.” Tibbetts: “I’ve always thought it was judicious to do both. To ignore infrastructure needs is unfair to people with sewer backup in their basements; to ignore amenities is to sacrifice growth. Finding a balance always is the key. How hard is that going to be when Davenport suddenly has to find $1.7 million to fill a hole created in Des Moines? How hard will it be if the number grows next year? The Legislature’s idea seems to be to force local governments to reorganize by starving them of money. To be safe, the cities should heed the warning signs …Downtown revitalization requires a broad base of support. Cutting off money to cities that already are struggling to balance basic needs against positioning themselves for growth is a good way to undermine it.”  

… And what other states have been doing: From VOANews – under the headline “US states Target Tobacco Taxes” – report: “The governor of Missouri has ordered that every third light bulb in the state house be unscrewed. In Oklahoma, teachers are working as janitors, and in Kentucky, prison inmates are being released early. It’s all because of severe budget crises in at least two-thirds of America’s 50 states. Lawmakers have been reluctant to increase state income taxes to deal with the shortfalls. Instead, they’ve been cutting back on services and increasing fees on specific items sold within their borders and cigarettes have been the primary target …according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 20 states have raised their cigarette taxes in the last year, collecting more than $3 billion in revenue.”

OPINIONS: 

…This morning’s editorial, Des Moines Sunday Register: State Issue – “Iowa Values Fund: Make it happen …It is so important that failing to approve it will set Iowa back” Says Guv Vilsack and the House of Representatives “recognize the need to move forward. So far, the Senate has not.” 

… All letters to editor in today’s Register devoted to one topic – the ongoing Eustachy saga. About 20 letters, headline: “Should he stay or should he go?” Letters fall into three basic groups – pro-Larry that say alcoholism is “not cause for dismissal” …anti-Larry that say he “failed to lead by example” and a third group that says the Register should have passed on making the Eustachy situation a front-page story last Monday. One letter writer refers asks: “What are you, the Des Moines National Inquirer?”

… Register political columnist David Yepsen, headline: “Give all our grandchildren a brighter future – in Iowa” Yepsen chimes in to call for passage of Iowa Values Fund – saying “the neanderthal Republicans who’ve hijacked the GOP caucus in the Iowa Senate weren’t so agreeable” in supporting the economic development package. 

IOWA SPORTS: 

… Iowans 0-2 in Kentucky Derby aspirations. Peace Rules – once co-owned by Des Moines attorney Maggi Moss – finished third in the Derby. Moss and trainer Gary Contessa bought Peace Rules for $35,000 a year ago and sold him after he won his first race last September for $350,000. A regular rider at Prairie Meadows in Altoona – Terry Thompson of Ankeny – didn’t even make it onto the track. His ride, Sir Cherokee, was scratched from the Derby with a fractured right rear anklebone.

… The Iowa Hawkeyes made a profit of just over $250,000 from the school’s Orange Bowl appearance. The university’s athletic department received $1.550 million from the bowl for expenses – and spent $1.298 million, including $972,357 for team travel and expenses. The university sold all but 652 of the allocated tickets it received – and distributed most of those to members of the U. S. military stationed in southern Florida. 

IOWA WEATHER: 

DSM 5 a.m. 56, rain /overcast. Temps across IA this morning range from 44 in Dubuque and the Quad-Cities (Davenport) to 56 in Sioux City, Lamoni and Des Moines. Today’s high 68, possibly severe storms. Tonight’s low 52, possibly severe storms. Monday’s high 68, chance showers. From WHO-TV’s Brandon Thomas: “Scattered t-storms Sunday morning, with another round of severe weather likely Sunday afternoon/night. The main threat will be large hail and heavy rains, with a chance of isolated tornadoes. Highs will range from the low sixties to the low seventies. A few showers on Monday, with highs in the low/mid sixties. Dry on Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs in the mid/upper sixties. Partly sunny Thursday, with a good chance of strong t’storms in the evening, highs in the low seventies.”

IOWAISMS: 

… Marshalltown Community College this weekend is observing the school’s 75th anniversary. The college – established in 1927 – hosted a “Diamond Jubilee Anniversary Gala Banquet” was held on the Marshalltown campus last night.

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