(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Grinnell College has made a “decisive step” forward in the direction of operating without emissions with the completion of a 9,000-panel solar array. College President Anne Harris says one-third of Grinnell College’s campus is now running on renewable energy with the array, the largest private solar installation in the state. As Grinnell College reaches this milestone in its goal of hitting net-zero emissions by 2040, a community-wide solar project could have more than half of the university’s power come from renewable sources.

A third-party developer, Sunlight General Capital LLC, owns the array, and Grinnell College has purchased all of the energy generated from it for the next 20 years, with the possibility of a 10-year extension. The array, which Grinnell College environmental and safety manager Chris Bair said has been in operation for around one month, provides four megawatts of power that flows to almost every building on campus. There are six other smaller solar power stations utilized by the university, he said, which provide energy to buildings off of the main meter like the facilities building and environmental education center.

Each of the panels is double-sided, Bair said, allowing them to gather energy from reflected light like that off snow, and are able to follow the path of the sun from east to west to more efficiently absorb power. Beyond the daily power the solar array provides, a battery connected to the system can store a certain amount of energy for when it’s needed. Bair said this will be most useful when the university’s energy usage is at its highest, like on a hot day in August with all of the air conditioning units on campus running constantly. The battery will help curb the peak, at least a little bit, helping save some money on the energy bill.

The Grinnell College Solar farm, the largest privately owed solar farm in the state of Iowa May 19, 2022.
(Photo by Justin Hayworth/Grinnell College)

Another solar array project spearheaded by Alliant Energy and community partners will provide the university with an additional two megawatts of solar energy, Bair said, ensuring more than half of campus power will come from solar once it is up and running.

Grinnell College is one of many institutions with sustainability plans and practices, Harris said, and all universities should be thinking about solutions like these because they can make a tangible impact on more than just the campus itself, but the community that houses it.

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (KCRG) – A 101-year-old Mount Vernon man who gained a following on social media by telling jokes during the pandemic died over Memorial Day weekend, his daughter confirmed. Fred Lehman posted jokes to Facebook every day for several years to spread joy. It started as a way to make people smile when they were isolated in their homes because of the pandemic.

Lehman was known for his sense of humor. He was considered a community icon in Mount Vernon. When he turned 100-years-old, a special birthday celebration was held, in which Mayor Thomas Wieseler declared January 26, Fred Lehman Day, in 2023.

Lehman served as a marine in 1945 and was a member of the Mount Vernon American Legion for 75 years, and the Lion’s Club for 70 years.

PERRY, Iowa (KCCI) – The Perry Community School District honored its late high school principal during graduation over the weekend. Dan Marburger died while protecting students during a shooting at the high school in January. The district left an empty chair near the podium for Sunday’s ceremony. A coat was draped over the back of it, with red roses on the seat.

Seniors then dropped white flowers into buckets on either side as they crossed the stage to receive their diplomas. During the ceremony, Clark Wicks, the district’s superintendent, thanked Marburger for his efforts in coordinating graduation every year.

The shooting in January also killed sixth grade student, 11-year-old Ahmir Joliff. Six others were also hurt.

AMES, Iowa — [KCCI] – The first concert at Jack Trice Stadium in more than two decades drew a large crowd to Ames, and according to police, the event went over fairly smoothly for law enforcement. The Iowa State University Police Department released arrest data Sunday, one day after the May 25th show featuring George Strait and Chris Stapleton. It was the first concert at Iowa State’s football stadium since April 1999.

ISUPD said one person was cited for possession of alcohol under the legal age, and seven people were arrested (five of whom were arrested for public intoxication). No Iowa State students were arrested or cited. One person was ejected from the arena.

Although authorities issued few citations or arrests, they responded to 91 calls for first aid. The data from Saturday’s concert could help officials know what to expect from future events, which are expected to be more frequent with the completion of CyTown, a massive entertainment district currently in the works between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.

(Radio Iowa) – There is no statewide race in next Tuesday’s Primary Elections, but there are primaries in three of Iowa’s four congressional districts. In the first district, Davenport businessman David Pautsch is challenging Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks in the Republican Primary. Pautsch has never run for office before.

“I’m not a politician. I’m a statesman. I don’t need to be doing this. I’m 70 years old,” Pautsch says. “…We have to restore God to government. You can’t have good government without God. You can have government without God, but it won’t be good because you need God in the government to give people a sense of right and wrong.” Pautsch says he decided to run because of Miller-Meeks’ voting record.

“Voting for everything from the FISA bill, so the government can spy on us, to certifying the presidential election of 2020,” Pautsch says. “…It’s just intolerable.” Miller-Meeks and the rest of Iowa’s congressional delegation voted for the FISA bill that extended national security surveillance programs. And Miller-Meeks says while she had concerns about the 2020 election, she voted to certify the Electoral College result because the Constitution says states, not congress, choose the slates of electors presented to congress.

Miller-Meeks, who is 68 years old, is an eye doctor who’s seeking a third term in the U-S House. Miller-Meeks says she voted to impeach Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary and she’ll vote to impeach Biden if she gets the chance. “You’re living them every single day whether it’s crime, whether it’s the border, whether it’s inflation (and) high prices, whether it’s the chaos overseas,” Miller-Meeks says. “All of that is laid at Biden’s feet.”

Miller-Meeks, who has established a residence in Davenport, says she has the best chance of keeping Iowa’s first district seat in Republican hands. “Our Democrat opponent raised $820,000 last quarter,” Miller-Meeks says. “I have raised the money to defend this seat and I will do everything in my power to keep it.”

Christian Bohannan, a Democrat from Iowa City, ran against Miller-Meeks in 2022 and is the only Democrat running in this year’s first congressional district primary.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Scattered sections of the eastern side of Atlantic were without power for about an hour this (Monday) afternoon. KJAN News Director Ric Hanson heard a loud boom in the Mulberry Street area, followed by the sounds of a transformer shorting out. The Cass County Communications Center reported traffic lights were out in areas mainly east of Chestnut Street, including 7th and Plum,

Various locations, including the Dollar General Store, Hy-Vee, Atlantic High School and Middle School, Murphy USA and the AmericInn were in the dark for a while, while other sites, including WalMart, were up and running as usual. Others commented their lights only flickered, but stayed-on.

A cause for the disruption was not immediately known.