(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents has approved millions of dollars for the replacement of windows in the bridge between the Stead Family Children’s Hospital and the John Pappajohn Pavilion on the University of Iowa campus.

U-I senior vice president for finance and operations, Rod Lehnertz, says the windows have cracked, delaminated and developed blemishes. “The windows in that portion of the building need to be replaced at this cost $3.6 million. The cost for this project will be funded through the University Hospitals building usage funds as the university seeks reimbursement from the responsible parties,” Lehnertz says.

He says they are still trying to determine who is to blame for the faulty windows that were installed in 2017. “It’s not a simple matter. They are complex window systems and the components, the installation, the manufacture, and the design are all parties to the interests of that investigation,” he says. The work would start in September.

A drawing of the Hygienic Lab addition. (U-I drawing)

The Regents also gave the approval to hire a construction manager to deal with the windows in the Children’s Hospital. While all the windows are being replaced in the bridge, Lehnertz says they don’t know if that is the remedy yet for the hospital windows. He says they may not have to replace all the windows there and that is why they also requested to hire a construction manager at risk.

Lehnertz says that the construction manager will see them through the process and determine how to handle the windows, and that will ultimately determine how much is spent on the project. The windows of the Children’s Hospital are where patients view the waves of football fans at Kinnick Stadium after the first quarter of games — a tradition that has gotten nationwide attention.

The Regents also gave the go-ahead for the building of a two-level 7,300 square foot addition to the southeast corner of the State Hygienic Laboratory. “The budget that we are asking for approval for is ten million. all of those funds supported by and provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC,” he says.

Lehnerts says the new building is needed to handle the larger volume of testing brought on by the pandemic. “It also includes a new drop-off area for the public for dropping off samples. This would be a project that would start construction by May of 2022, this spring, and would complete construction by requirements of the grant by June of 2023,” Lehnertz says.

The Board of Regents gave approval for the projects at its meeting last week.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to prohibit the state-run pension fund from owning stock in the parent company of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream has cleared the Iowa House and is scheduled for debate in the Senate today (Monday). In July, the founders of Ben and Jerry’s announced their ice cream would no longer be sold in disputed territories in Israel. Representative Carter Nordman, a Republican from Adel, was the bill’s floor manager in the House.

“The sole purpose of the ‘Boycott Israel’ movement is to economically destroy and cripple the State of Israel,” Nordman said. Nordman says 38 other states have taken similar steps to ban state pension funds from owning stock in Unilever. The company bought Ben and Jerry’s two decades ago, but agreed to continue the ice company’s social missions.

“This bill will ensure that our public investments are not funding companies that are participate in the boycott, divestment and sanction of Israel movement,” Nordman says. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, says Ben and Jerry’s founders are respectfully disagreeing with Israeli policy. “This bill is…to bully a company, a small American company that’s owned by a British company for making a choice to refuse to participate in what they feel and what the UN has declared is an illegal occupation of Palestinian territory,” Wolfe says.

In September, New Jersey and Arizona pension funds dumped 325 million dollars worth of Unilever stock. Unilever. Unilever is based in London and owns 400 different brands, including Hellman’s Mayonnaise, Axe body spray and Q-Tips.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Members of the Audubon School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special Session beginning at 7:30-a.m. Monday (Feb. 28), in their Board Room at the High School. The only action item on their agenda is the Board’s Opening Bargaining Proposal to the Audubon Education Association.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting on Monday, of this coming week, instead of their normal, Tuesday. On their agenda for the 9-a.m. session in their boardroom at the courthouse in Atlantic, is:

• A Public Hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 Maximum Property Tax Dollars
• Action on approving a Resolution setting the Max. Prop. Tax Dollars, and the setting of a date for a Public Hearing on the FY 2023 Cass County Budget.
• Action on appointing Trustees for the Brighton and Marne Townships, if there are any applicants.
• The Board will also act on appointing a person/persons for the Condemnation in Eminent Domain Board, serving the Owner-Operators of Agricultural Property.
• The Supervisors will then act on the appointment of a Deputy in the Auditor’s Office, and,
• on 28-E agreements for: A multi-county agreement regarding Juvenile Detention Center and Emergency Service, as well as an ISAC (Iowa State Association of Counties) Group Benefits Program (effective 7/1/22).

(Winterset, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident Sunday morning northeast of Winterset has claimed the life of a teenager, and resulted in injuries to two others and an adult. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2003 GMC Sierra pickup driven by a 17-year-old, was traveling at excessive speeds northeast in the 2400 block of 195th Trail at around 2:30-a.m., Sunday, when the vehicle went out of control, entered a ditch and struck a tree. The driver, who was trapped, died at the scene.

Two passengers, 15- and 16-year-old, plus an 18-year-old, were transported by Madison County EMS to the Madison County Hospital, in Winterset. Their names were withheld pending notification of family.

Authorities said none of the crash victims were wearing seat belts, and that alcohol was suspected as a contributing factor in the accident. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office and Madison County EMS assisted the Patrol at the scene.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop just before 1-a.m., Saturday, resulted in the arrest of a man on a felony drug charge. Deputies arrested 60-year-old Jason Troy Waters, of Red Oak, for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver, a Class-B felony. Waters was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $25,000 bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Two people were injured during a collision in Atlantic Saturday night. Initial dispatch reports indicated “multiple vehicles” were involved in an accident in front of the Fireside Lounge at 504  W. 7th Street, a little before 8-p.m. Atlantic Police, Cass EMS and Atlantic Rescue responded to the scene.

Authorities say a 2018 Honda HRV was exiting the alley and attempting to turn west onto 7th, when it collided with a westbound 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. A passenger in the Jeep and the driver of the Honda suffered what were described as minor injuries. Both were transported to CCMH. No names were immediately released.

Both SUV’s were towed from the scene.

Police in Red Oak report two men were arrested Saturday, on drug charges. Authorities says 42-year old Victor William Vukonich Jr. and 42-year old Jason Michael Eppenbaugh, both from Red Oak, were arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, with Eppenbaugh facing two counts. The men were being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on bond amounting to $300 for Vukonich, Jr., and $1,000, for Eppenbaugh.

(Defiance, Iowa) – Three people were injured during  a head-on crash Friday afternoon in northern Shelby County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2015 GMC Sierra driven by 46-year-old Ryan Wheatley, of Spirit Lake, was northbound on Highway 59, at the same time a 2014 Dodge Avenger driven by 19-year-old Evan Edwards, of Council Bluffs, was traveling southbound.

The pickup entered the northbound lane and truck the car head-on. Both vehicles came to rest in the west ditch. The accident happened at around 4:40-p.m., just north of County Road F-16. Edwards and an eight-year-old child passenger were wearing seat belts. Wheatley was not.  Scanner reports at the time said one of victims was trapped in one of the vehicles and needed to be extricated.

Evan Edwards was transported by LifeNet helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha.  Ryan Wheatley and the child were transported to Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan, by Defiance Rescue. The accident remains under investigation. Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted at the scene.

(Urbandale, Iowa) – A man who entered Interstate 80 late Friday night in Urbandale was struck by a vehicle and transported to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2004 Ford Freestar van driven by 34-year-old Maria Alarcon, of Urbandale, was traveling west on I-80 near mile marker 126.5 at around 10:06-p.m., when 18-year-old Quinn Edward Melchert, of Eldridge, Iowa, entered the roadway. The man was taken to Methodist Hospital by Urbandale EMS.

A report on his condition was not available. The accident remains under investigation.