Week in Iowa

Site visitors passes underneath the blue and purple streetlights on Interstate 380 simply north of downtown Cedar Rapids. The blue hue outcomes from deterioration of the LED streetlight’s inside coating, and the lights are being changed. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Within the information

GRASSLEY VS. FRANKEN: Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral from Sioux Metropolis, will face Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley within the Nov. 8 common election.

Franken, 64, gained the Democratic main on Tuesday, gathering 86,372 votes, in accordance with unofficial outcomes. Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids and Dr. Glenn Hurst of Minden, his opponents, garnered 62,498 and seven,562 votes, respectively.

Grassley, 88, had 143,289 votes to challenger Jim Carlin’s 51,755 within the Republican main.

CONVERSION THERAPY: Linn County supervisors on Monday are anticipated to offer remaining approval to banning “conversion remedy” for minors.

The remedy is a broadly debunked apply of attempting to alter the sexual orientation or gender identification of an LGBTQ individual right into a straight man or lady.

The ban would apply solely to rural Linn County, however supervisors are hoping the county’s cities will move their very own bans. In Iowa, solely Davenport has a conversion remedy ban.

The supervisors have cut up 2-1 on the ban, with Democrats Stacey Walker and Ben Rogers in assist and Republican Louie Zumbach opposed. Zumbach, a former state lawmaker, mentioned he considers the matter to be a state challenge and out of doors a county supervisor’s purview.

Odds and ends

BUD & MARY’S CANNABIS: Iowa’s first medical marijuana producer and distributor is altering its identify, planning a $10 million growth in Iowa and increasing into Colorado and Michigan.

MedPharm Iowa will develop into Bud & Mary’s Hashish Co., displaying a shift within the firm’s focus from simply the medical marijuana allowed in Iowa to leisure marijuana merchandise allowed in another states.

“We really feel like this higher displays our total firm, however it isn’t meant to recommend that medical isn’t essential,” Lucas Nelson, group president, mentioned in an interview Thursday.

The identify comes from Nelson’s grandparents, Mary Nelson and R.W. “Bud” Nelson. The Nelsons based Kemin Industries, a world dietary ingredient firm in Des Moines, in 1961.

GLENWOOD DEATH: A 30-year-old resident of the state-run Glenwood Useful resource Middle died of acute dehydration after facility employees failed to observe his fluid consumption, state inspectors mentioned.

The middle, which has a protracted historical past of care points and is scheduled to shut in 2024, was fined $10,000 by the Iowa Division of Inspections and Appeals.

In line with state information, the resident who died had a profound mental incapacity and cerebral palsy. He was hospitalized for eight days in November 2021 on account of dehydration and kidney damage. Upon discharge, the resident’s physician ordered the person obtain a minimal of 68 ounces of water per day at Glenwood.

They mentioned …

“Grassley has given us essentially the most partisan Supreme Court docket in all of our lives. He has voted down a collection of measures that might have saved folks’s lives from a accountable possession of firearms perspective. He has not been a accountable particular person in supporting antitrust laws.”

— Mike Franken, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, on Republican incumbent Chuck Grassley

“In regard to all this stuff that I hear folks (at occasions in Iowa) being mad at — the Biden administration, inflation, fuel costs, border — I’ve heard Franken say that he’s with the president on.”

— Sen. Chuck Grassley on Mike Franken, his opponent in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race

Water cooler

BLUE LIGHTS: The streetlights glowing purple and blue alongside the S-curve of downtown Cedar Rapids’ Interstate 380 — and elsewhere in Iowa — are being changed.

So far, Iowa Division of Transportation crews have modified 22 streetlight heads within the final three weeks in Iowa and anticipate to interchange no less than 100 extra.

The blue hue outcomes from deterioration of the within coating of the LED streetlights, a DOT spokesman mentioned. It’s not dangerous, however the DOT needs constant white gentle for motorists.

The energy-efficient LED lights, put in in 2018, have a five-year guarantee, and the producer mentioned it will honor that guarantee.

UI ALCOHOL SALES: College of Iowa athletics made $3 million from alcohol gross sales in 2021-22 — the primary yr of absolutely promoting alcohol at video games — in accordance with paperwork obtained by The Gazette through a public information request.

Many of the income after gross sales tax — $2.4 million of the $3 million — got here from alcohol gross sales at UI soccer video games and the spring open apply at Kinnick Stadium.

The most important days for gross sales got here throughout three dwelling soccer video games — Sept. 4 towards Indiana, Oct. 9 towards Penn State and Oct. 16 towards Purdue.

Extra within the information …

IOWA CITY TOURISM: Iowa Metropolis is directing $250,000 in pandemic reduction funds to spur tourism and financial exercise.

The cash will go to Assume Iowa Metropolis, previously the Iowa Metropolis/Coralville Space Conference and Guests Bureau.

Half the funds will change the lodge/motel tax income that Assume Iowa Metropolis misplaced through the pandemic. The opposite half can be used for tourism and customer restoration grants, to be launched later this yr.

The grants will assist fund conferences, tournaments and particular occasions.

MARION WATER: The Marion Water Division is shopping for land for extra wells that can improve water provide and water strain and open further areas within the fast-growing metropolis to improvement.

The division is also constructing a fourth water tower close to Hunter’s Ridge on Marion’s north aspect and constructing a $2.8 million facility to take away iron from the ingesting water. The iron removing facility, to be working by August, can be at 2351 thirty first St.

The work is funded by water gross sales, not tax {dollars}.

ST. LUKE’S EXPANSION: UnityPoint Well being-St. Luke’s Hospital has introduced a $25 million growth of its coronary heart and vascular middle.

Development is predicted to start someday this summer season on the Cedar Rapids hospital’s Nassif Coronary heart Middle.

The undertaking, which can happen over the subsequent two years, will consolidate cardiac and vascular care into the middle and broaden present companies.

The transfer will alleviate area constraints and assist suppliers meet the rising demand for companies regionally, in accordance with St. Luke’s officers.