Iowa

DMACC moves ahead with new facilities planning for dental, diesel programs • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Published

5 months ago

August 12, 2024

DMACC moves ahead with new facilities planning for dental, diesel programs • Iowa Capital Dispatch

Seeping groundwater. Cracked and bowing walls. Outdated equipment and facilities never meant to be utilized for so long. Des Moines Area Community College Board of Trustees members saw these first-hand Monday while touring buildings on the Ankeny campus slated for possible renovation or demolition under the college’s new facilities master plan.

During its meeting, the board discussed two capital projects slated as priorities within the facilities master plan. The projects encompass programs in need of larger, more modern spaces.

DMACC President Rob Denson said in an interview that the college hasn’t focused on these buildings for renovations or demolition before now because there have been other needs across campus and a limited amount of money. The faculty and staff have done a lot to keep the buildings suitable for use up until now, he said.

“We want to get every ounce of life out of every facility we’ve got, and we pretty much don’t move on a new facility and tear something down until we’re at the end of life,” Denson said.

Dental programs to find new home

The community college’s dental assistant and hygiene programs were in danger of losing their accreditation last fall due to concerns with program facilities and other areas. The programs received full accreditation in February with the contingency of building a new, up-to-code space. That clinic has been included in the facilities master plan with an area on campus already picked out and the college moving ahead with finding a firm to act as construction manager and contractors.

DMACC Vice President of Operations Bill LaTour said in the meeting that the board should have the chance to approve a recommended construction manager at its October meeting, after which staff can get started on design, development and collecting all the necessary construction documentation. The plan’s timeline has construction starting in September 2025 and finishing in summer 2027, with an estimated total cost of $17 million.

Jeanie McCarville-Kerber, dean of Health & Public Services at DMACC, said the college will need to let the accreditor, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, know that the new facilities will be finished anywhere from six to nine months after the date stated in previous communication, but she hopes there won’t be any issues.

The new 24,000-square-foot clinic will take the place of tennis, basketball and sand volleyball courts located on the Ankeny campus. It has existing parking and better traffic flow for the patients who receive care in the program, Denson said.

As some of the equipment currently utilized by the dental programs is outdated or cannot be moved, such as sterilization equipment purchased to keep the current location in compliance, some items will need to be purchased for the new facility.

“Some of the curricular materials and things that we purchased just to keep this location running will come over with us,” McCarville-Kerber said.

The building currently housing the dental programs would not be demolished, Denson said, as it is used by other programs and is in “pretty good shape.”

A new building for diesel, building trades

Planning is set to begin on a new trades building as well, which would house the college’s diesel programs; fire science; heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) training and building trades, among other areas of study. LaTour said the hope is to fast-track the process to construction, which would look similar to the dental building, in order to have them both going at the same time.

The project is estimated to cost $34 million and would be 55,000 square feet, replacing the current, 31,000 square-foot building.

Money for the projects could come from the college’s plant fund, but donations or other sources could contribute to the dental building, Denson said.

Board Chair Joe Pugel asked that the possibility of postponing the new diesel trades building be explored from a cost perspective, in order to see if it would save money in the long run to keep the current facilities working for one to two additional years before starting on a new building.

A cracked wall on building 14 of DMACC’s Ankeny campus. (Photo by Brooklyn Draisey/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Jenny Foster, executive academic dean of building trades, transportation/engineering and manufacturing, said the diesel programs are “living on borrowed time” in their current home.

“Is the building functional? Yes. Can students take classes there? Yes,” Foster said. “But at any moment, something could happen, and then we’re in a lot of trouble.”

LaTour said in an interview the buildings proposed for demolition, built between 1969 and 1970, were not intended to last 50 years. During the tour of building 14, the oldest on campus, Foster and Joe Baxter, physical plant and construction services director, pointed out areas in the buildings where cracks had formed on the walls and where water would seep up from the ground, creating times where students and faculty would have to walk through water in the halls.

It lacks a sprinkler system, still houses the original electrical system and, despite repair efforts, still leaks heat in the winter, Baxter said. The things that could be repaired or replaced, like the roof and electrical system, would take anywhere from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. With certain problem areas, such as the outdated bathrooms, he said if you update one thing, you need to commit to updating all of it.

Programs housed in the building are also running out of room, with engines and equipment sitting out in the hallway due to lack of space.

In buildings 15-20, which make up a connected semi-circle of classrooms, offices and labs, programs have grown to take up empty rooms left behind by others that moved into new facilities. Baxter said they “truly were built as temporary buildings,” and have bowing walls, issues with standing water and a permanent blockage in one of the sewer lines.

With programs needing more space and buildings far past their prime, Baxter said they’re at a point where decisions need to be made on whether to fix what they can to keep the buildings alive a bit longer or do something more drastic.

“I think we’re kind of on the threshold,” Baxter said. “We can get by for another one to three years, and then at that point in time, three years out, then you’re replacing the roof. So we’re kind of at the end here of, ‘Okay, do we start investing money in this? Or do we start over?’”

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Iowa

Why is Iowa’s governor having dinner with Donald Trump at Mara-a-Lago?

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Why is Iowa’s governor having dinner with Donald Trump at Mara-a-Lago?

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds returns to Mara-a-Lago for the second time in two months. Reynolds will have dinner Thursday night with President-elect Donald Trump and several other Republican governors at his Florida Resort.

One of those dinner guests with be the former presidential candidate that Reynolds endorsed before the Iowa Caucuses instead of Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as first reported by Politico.

Governors could be a necessary ally for Trump if he moves forward with plans for mass deportations of people living in the United States without legal status.

Reynolds announced her visit to Florida late Thursday morning before she flew to meet with the returning president.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced that she will join President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida resort.(Kim Reynolds post on X/Twitter)

This will be Reynolds’ second trip in two months to visit Trump’s resort near Palm Beach. She and Iowa’s U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, her fellow Republican, attended Trump’s victory party on election night.

Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst attended Donald Trump's victory party at... — Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst attended Donald Trump’s victory party at Mar-a-Lago on election night.(Kim Reynolds post on X/Twitter)

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Iowa

Matt Campbell on Bears’ radar. What to know about the ISU coach, his contract extension

Published

10 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Matt Campbell on Bears’ radar. What to know about the ISU coach, his contract extension

The Cyclones’ head coach football Matt Campbell is expected to take an interview with the Chicago Bears nearly a month after agreeing to a contract extension with Iowa State University.

Both The Athletic and the Chicago Tribune reported that Campbell is among various coaches in talks for the vacant position. The Bears look to interview Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, former Stanford coach David Shaw and more, according to ESPN.

Who is Matt Campbell?

Campbell has served as Iowa State’s head football coach since the 2016 season. Before coming to Ames, Campbell served as the head coach of Toledo Rockets in Ohio. He is the third-longest tenured coach in Iowa State’s history.

Iowa State saw a historic season in 2024, making it to the team’s seventh bowl game since Campbell became head coach. The Cyclones finished 11-3, the program’s first season with double-digit victories.

When did Matt Campbell sign a contract extension with Iowa State?

Campbell signed a contract extension with the Cyclones through 2032 in December.

“Coach Campbell has built a special football program at Iowa State; one that all Cyclone fans can take great pride in,” university president Wendy Wintersteen said in a statement. “His continued commitment to both academic and athletic excellence, combined with his strong character and integrity, make him the ideal individual to lead Iowa State’s football program. He is very deserving of this new contract.”

What’s Matt Campbell’s record at Iowa State?

Campbell has a 64-51 record and is the all-time coaching wins leader at Iowa State.

He is 99-66 in 14 years as a FBS head coach.

Where is Matt Campbell from?

Campbell was born in Massillon, Ohio, according to ESPN. He graduated from Mount Union in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Campbell and his wife, Erica, have four children, according to Iowa State.

Has Matt Campbell interviewed for the NFL before?

Reports from 2021 said that Campbell turned down an 8-year, $68.5 million deal to become the Detroit Lions’ head coach. That job ultimately went to Dan Campbell, who has turned the team into the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history.

Back in 2019 six NFL teams reached out to Campbell, a source told the Register. It’s not clear if he actually accepted any interviews.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

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Iowa

Big 12 basketball power rankings: Streaking Iowa State, Houston, Arizona lead the way

Published

18 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Big 12 basketball power rankings: Streaking Iowa State, Houston, Arizona lead the way

Three Big 12 Conference basketball teams have each won its first three games in the league thus far.

Not coincidentally, all three are riding lengthy winning streaks, with one of those squads drastically turning its season around after a shaky start.

Here, now, are the updated Big 12 basketball power rankings, with games through Jan. 8:

Cyclones are definitely rolling, having won 10 straight ballgames. That was punctuated by back-to-back blowout wins at Hilton Coliseum against Baylor and Utah, the latter on Tuesday.

Next Up: At Texas Tech, Saturday; Vs. Kansas, Wednesday.

The Cougars are also coming off decisive back-to-back wins at the Fertitta Center, having now won seven straight. While they left no doubt last Saturday in a 31-point win against BYU, the Cougars had to shake off a pesky TCU squad in the second half to eventually prevail by 19.

Next Up: At Kansas State, Saturday; Vs. West Virginia, Wednesday.

What a difference conference play has made for the Wildcats, whose postseason outlook appears much brighter. Especially after going on the road and disposing of two solid squads in Cincinnati and West Virginia, as Arizona currently rides a five-game win streak.

Next Up: Vs. UCF, Saturday; Vs. Baylor, Tuesday.

The Jayhawks avoided what would have been an unfathomable 0-2 start in conference play at Allen Fieldhouse, pulling away in the second half Wednesday to defeat Arizona State. Kansas trailed by six at the break before holding the Sun Devils to just 13 second-half points.

Next Up: At Cincinnati, Saturday; At Iowa State, Wednesday.

Definitely a huge win by the Red Raiders on Tuesday, following up a rout at Utah with a hard-fought 72-67 win at BYU. Elijah Hawkins, Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian combined to go 19-of-32 from the field and 10-of-19 from 3-point range.

Next Up: Vs. Iowa State, Saturday; At Kansas State, Tuesday.

A tenacious win for the Knights on Wednesday, rallying from a 74-71 deficit in the final three minutes against Colorado. UCF held the Buffaloes scoreless in that span while ending the game with a 4-0 run, all on free throws – the latter from Deebo Coleman with 35 seconds left for a 75-74 victory.

Next Up: At Arizona, Saturday; At Arizona State, Tuesday.

A nice bounce-back win by the Bears on Tuesday after being blown out over the weekend at Iowa State. Baylor manhandled Cincinnati, 68-48, holding the Bearcats to nearly identical shooting percentages from field goal (34.7 percent) and 3-point range (34.8).

Next Up: At Arizona State, Saturday; At Arizona, Tuesday.

The Mountaineers couldn’t sustain the momentum of an early fast start in the conference, falling at home on Tuesday to Arizona. They’ll try to bounce back with a weekend visit to the Rockies.

Next Up: At Colorado, Sunday; At Houston, Wednesday.

Lingering memories of a blowout loss at Houston last weekend carried over into a home game Tuesday, as the Cougars fell short to Texas Tech. It may still be too early for a must-win, but a road win this weekend at TCU can definitely help get BYU back on track.

Next Up: At TCU, Saturday; Vs. Oklahoma State, Tuesday.

A tale of two halves for the Sun Devils Wednesday night in Kansas. In the first half, Arizona State more than held its own. But after halftime, the Sun Devils made only five field goals, and were 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Next Up: Vs. Baylor, Saturday; Vs. UCF, Tuesday.

Horned Frogs overcame a slow start and hung tough with Houston early in the second half. But the Cougars’ powerful defense and their ability to make key shots proved to be too much. TCU returns home this weekend for an interesting test against BYU.

Next Up: Vs. BYU, Saturday; Vs. Utah, Wednesday.

Bearcats going through a tough stretch. The good news is they’re back at home this weekend. The bad news is they’re facing Kansas. Can Cincy rise to the occasion?

Next Up: Vs. Kansas, Saturday; At Colorado, Wednesday.

A solid win for the Cowboys on Tuesday as they rolled past Kansas State, building a 19-point lead at the break. Also a big night for Abou Ousmane, who led the way with 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field. He also went a perfect 4-of-4 from the line.

Next Up: At Utah, Saturday; At BYU, Tuesday.

The Wildcats actually shot 51 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line in Tuesday’s loss at Oklahoma State. But they turned the ball over 19 times, and the Cowboys scored 31 points off those turnovers. OSU also had 31 points from players off the bench compared to just 14 for the Wildcats.

Next Up: Vs. Houston, Saturday; Vs. Texas Tech, Tuesday.

The Buffaloes let one slip away on Wednesday, dropping a narrow one-point game on the road at UCF. They’ll be thinking about that for three straight days before finally getting a chance to get it out of their system.

Next Up: Vs. West Virginia, Sunday; Vs. Cincinnati, Wednesday.

A bright spot for the Utes in their loss to Iowa State on Tuesday was Gabe Madsen scoring 20 points. He also made four 3-pointers while recording four assists and two steals.

Next Up: Vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday; At TCU, Wednesday.

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