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Millions of dollars coming to Iowa to help make it greener

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Millions of dollars coming to Iowa to help make it greener


CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – The former governor of Iowa and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack came to Cedar Rapids on Thursday with a message about green. That green, which is $1 billion in funding, will go toward green projects across the U.S. That green involves planting and maintaining trees.

“Iowa, as a state, and communities within Iowa, in addition to the resources provided to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, benefits and resources and grants will be awarded today (Thursday) in addition to Cedar Rapids which is receiving 6 million dollars which is the largest Iowa grant,” said Vilsack.

In total, Iowa cities and towns will split about $15 million in grants to grown green spaces.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service awarded the competitive grants. It comes from the Justice40 Initiative, which is part of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The goal is to not only improve access to nature across the country, but also combat climate change and heat.

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“But for far too long, we know that many communities have lacked access to trees and to nature,” said Brenda Mallory, the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “And that many of those communities are also suffering disproportionately from extreme heat, pollution, and other forms of under-investment.”

Of the $15 million to Iowa, about $3 million will go directly to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which will act as a starting point for the efforts to rebuild and expand Iowa’s tree canopy.

“Historically, our state’s struggled with low canopy cover, averaging about 18% in most of our communities,” said Jeff Goerndt, the State Forester and Director. “And we think that’s been reduced to somewhere around 12% or even lower, making it one of the lowest in the nation. “

Cities chosen for the grants are working to increase their access to nature, as well as looking for the benefits they can provide like keeping areas cool, making air quality better. Grant organizers also say they can help promote food security and public health and safety.

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Iowa

Iowa men’s basketball: Junior guard Josh Dix unavailable for Hawkeyes’ game vs. Rider

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Iowa men’s basketball: Junior guard Josh Dix unavailable for Hawkeyes’ game vs. Rider


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IOWA CITY — Iowa guard Josh Dix is out for the Hawkeyes’ matchup with Rider on Tuesday.

Dix injured his wrist during Iowa’s win over Washington State on Friday in Moline, Ill. He tried playing through it but was largely ineffective and finished the game with just two points.

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“Hopefully Josh’s injury will be taken care of relatively quickly,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said after the game. “We’ll have to see.”

The junior has started four games for the Hawkeyes this season, averaging 12.3 points and four assists per contest while shooting 44.4% from deep.

The Hawkeyes have already been hit with injuries fairly often this season. Seydou Traore missed the first two games. Owen Freeman was unavailable for the game against South Dakota due to illness. Freshman Chris Tadjo, who is also out Tuesday, has also missed time.

Iowa plays Utah State on Friday in Kansas City, Missouri, in what is expected to be the Hawkeyes’ biggest challenge to date this season. The Aggies will enter that matchup with a 4-0 overall record and haven’t scored less than 95 points each game this season.

Dix’s status for that matchup will be an important storyline to track.

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Follow Tyler Tachman on X @Tyler_T15, contact via email at ttachman@gannett.com





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Iowa State football: See which former Cyclones players stood out in Week 11 of NFL season

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Iowa State football: See which former Cyclones players stood out in Week 11 of NFL season


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Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season is in the books, and several former Iowa State players had huge hands in their teams’ performances.

The collection of ex-Cyclones in the NFL continues to grow, with several more added to rosters this season after having around a dozen consistently active last season. While the star-studded names like Brock Purdy, Breece Hall and David Montgomery continue to shine week after week, several others Iowa State fans will recognize are making significant impacts at the pro level too.

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With that, here are a few ex-Cyclones who stood out in Week 11 of the NFL season.

David Montgomery, Detroit Lions RB

Everyone on the Detroit Lions got a piece of the action in Sunday’s 52-6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Montgomery was right in the middle of the dominance.

The former Iowa State running back finished with 15 carries for a game-high 75 yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery also added three catches for 20 yards.

He’s now found the end zone 10 times this season, but Sunday was Montgomery’s first game with multiple touchdowns since a 47-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 13. Montgomery and the Lions are rolling right along this season.

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Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers QB

Just when Purdy and the 49ers seem like they’ve turned a corner, disaster strikes on the field. That’s what happened in Sunday’s 20-17 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The former Iowa State quarterback still managed a decent day, finishing 21-for-28 for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Purdy also added five carries for 40 yards and a score. He’ll look for a rebound winning performance Sunday at Green Bay.

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Breece Hall, New York Jets RB

It’s a broken record at this point. Hall goes for a decent day, even as his New York Jets continue to sputter significantly.

In Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, the former Iowa State running back finished with 16 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Hall also added seven catches for 43 yards and a score. It’s impressive the stats keep coming even as the wins aren’t.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.



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University of Iowa fraternity suspended after 56 pledges found in basement during alleged hazing

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University of Iowa fraternity suspended after 56 pledges found in basement during alleged hazing


The University of Iowa has placed one of its fraternities on interim suspension after an alleged hazing incident last week.

Alpha Delta Phi has been accused of having 56 blindfolded pledges “with food thrown on them” in the fraternity house’s basement, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Iowa City Press-Citizen.

The pledges were discovered by Iowa City police and university police when the agencies responded to a fire alarm at the fraternity house at around 12:45 a.m. on Nov. 15.

The fraternity was ordered by the university’s Office of Student Accountability to “suspend all operations” pending the outcome of the investigation into the hazing allegations. The fraternity’s national organization also placed the UI chapter under suspension.

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SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SUSPENDS FRATERNITY AFTER ‘REPUGNANT’ HAZING VIDEO SURFACES ONLINE

A fraternity at the University of Iowa is suspended by the school and its national organization following hazing reports. (Reuters)

One person, who is not a student and does not live at the fraternity house, was arrested and charged with interference with official acts, the university said.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen identified that person as 21-year-old Joseph Gaya. His charge stems from standing “in front of the officers in the doorway of the room full of pledges” and refusing to move out of the way, the outlet reported.

He allegedly stepped between two witnesses and an officer during a conversation, and told the witnesses “not to talk to the police.” The officer told Gaya to step away, but he allegedly refused and eventually told the officer, “You can (expletive) leave, how about that?” 

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The two witnesses told Gaya they were “fine,” according to the Press-Citizen, but he still did not leave.

Alpha Delta Phi house at University of Iowa

The Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at the University of Iowa is under an interim suspension following an investigation into alleged hazing in the house’s basement. (Google Earth)

FLORIDA FRATERNITY BROTHER WITH BRAIN DAMAGE FROM HAZING SENDS LIFESAVING WARNING TO FUTURE GREEKS

The university said its Office of Student Accountability will follow its discipline procedure for student organizations, which includes issuing sanctions for prohibited behaviors, such as hazing.

“As registered student organizations, fraternities are expected to uphold the values of the university, and their members are expected to comply with the Code of Student Life,” the university said in a news release.

The affected students have been offered “counseling and resources,” according to UI.

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University of Iowa police car in front of campus building

Campus police at the University of Iowa are investigating the hazing incident, along with the university’s Office of Student Accountability. (University of Iowa Campus Safety / Facebook)

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“The university is committed to protecting the health and safety of its students and will address any behavior that puts student safety at risk,” the university said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Alpha Delta Phi’s national organization and the University of Iowa police.



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