God’s Misfits.
Bizarre story out of Oklahoma and Kansas about what boils down to a custody dispute. 4 members of an anti government group killed 2 women and took the kids.
Those arrested didn’t get the memo about keeping your search history clear if odd stuff like stun guns.
apnews.com
Those arrested didn’t get the memo about keeping your search history clear if odd stuff like stun guns.
Members of self-proclaimed anti-government group ‘God’s Misfits’ held in killings of Kansas women
Two Kansas women who vanished two weeks ago were killed over a custody dispute involving a group of anti-government Oklahomans, authorities said.
apnews.com
Good Story from April 11th's open practice. Lots of motion is seen. Terrell Washington Jr has moved to WR
- By Franisdaman
- Iowa Football
- 18 Replies
Behind the scenes of an Iowa football practice, as Hawkeyes try to revitalize lost offense
Tyler Tachman
Des Moines Register
April 11, 2024
IOWA CITY — It’s 8:03 a.m. on Thursday at the Hawkeye football facility, and practice is underway.
Players are transitioning to a special-teams formation on one of the turf practice fields. If someone does not totally have their senses by this point, a voice should quickly do the trick.
“Move your a--,” a voice yells.
Iowa's practices are normally closed, but reporters were allowed to watch a small portion of Thursday's session. This is the ground floor of the building blocks for what will be on display at Kinnick Stadium in a few months. And this particular offseason is especially critical for Iowa.
Iowa is trying to rebuild a broken offense behind new coordinator Tim Lester. The Hawkeyes also have a new wide receivers coach, Jon Budmayr, who was promoted internally. For Hawkeye fans, tracking the progress of this much-maligned group is the top priority.
But first, let’s discuss … punting?
Yes, because that is where players are lining up now.
Freshman Rhys Dakin is getting ready to launch the pigskin into the sky. For much of the country, punting is not necessarily a glamorous job. At Iowa, it is.
The reigning Ray Guy Award winner and Hawkeye legend Tory Taylor has moved on from the program. He will soon embark on his professional career. So Iowa is now turning the page to another golden leg from Australia.
“I know he’s a darn good punter,” Taylor said in March of Dakin, “and I think you guys will see that in the next few years to come."
Now we are seeing it. This is just practice, of course, which is different than doing it in front of 50,000+ fans. But Dakin looks good. There’s that resounding “thud” and the ball goes flying through the air. Then Dakin does it again.
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Now, let's get back to offense.
But it is noteworthy to see McNamara do it. He has suffered season-ending injuries the last two seasons. The first at Michigan. Then he tore his ACL last season as Hawkeye. At practice on Thursday, it’s not a sprint. Rather, more of a jog. But still, that’s an encouraging sign.
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Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said this of McNamara last month: “He can throw the football standing, but he can't be really moving back, moving around or dropping, that type of deal.”
For the most part, that accurately describes what McNamara did at practice on Thursday.
For a portion of Thursday's practice session, the quarterbacks are near the corner of a practice field working with Lester. McNamara can do some footwork along with fellow quarterbacks Deacon Hill and Marco Lainez. But on this particular drill, where the quarterbacks are faking a handoff and rolling right, McNamara is not participating.
“Set, go,” Lester says, triggering the quarterbacks to start their movement. “One, two, three, four, five. Good.”
“He’s pretty intense,” Hill explains later about Lester. “But it’s a good intense. He’s very positive a lot of the time … You love him, because he’s really personable, as well. It’s also three months in, so we’re also figuring each other out. But it’s been going really well.”
When he gets set, Terrell Washington Jr., who is split out wide, also comes in motion. Then the ball is snapped.
This is what we heard about just a few days ago. People want to know: What does Iowa’s offense look like? Defensive back Deshaun Lee gave a hint on Tuesday: "It's just a lot of motion. They’re trying to just trick our eyes. Just get us off balance."
And now, here is a brief preview of it on the practice field.
After Lachey and Washington Jr. each go in motion, the ball is snapped. Hill fires over the middle of the field to Lachey, who makes the catch.
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This is a good reminder: Lachey is healthy. He looked like he was on his way to a breakout campaign last season. Then he suffered a season-ending injury against Western Michigan. He could’ve gone on to pursue a professional career, but instead elected to return to Iowa. Now he's back in action.
“I love Iowa,” Lachey is saying later about his decision to return. “I don’t think I could really leave this place. The people are great. I knew a lot of guys were thinking of their decision and a lot of guys were kinda leaning on coming back … I just felt like there was more I could do here. And more I could learn to help myself be better prepared for the NFL.”
Back at practice, the quarterbacks are throwing again. McNamara is participating. So are Hill and Lainez. It’s worth noting that Washington Jr., who played running back last season and is still listed there on the roster, is catching passes at wide receiver on Thursday.
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That might actually be a good idea, because Iowa already has a stable of running backs. At another corner of the field, there’s a handful of them getting in work with position coach Ladell Betts — Kaleb Johnson, Leshon Williams and Jaziun Patterson, among others.
Budmayr is out here watching the wide receivers. His promotion by Ferentz this offseason was far from universally praised, in part because Iowa’s receiving corps has a long way to go and, though Budmayr has experience on the offensive side of the ball, he hadn't extensively coached wide receivers at the college level before now.
On Thursday, Budmayr is watching as Lainez tosses a pass to wide receiver Judah Mallette.
“Make sure we’re not drifting,” Budmayr calls out to Mallette. “Don’t drift off of that.”
“I think the weirdest thing is hearing him yell, but it’s not at me,” Hill says later of Budmayr, who was a reason he came to Iowa after entering the transfer portal.
On a more serious note, Hill says, “It’s also nice having a quarterback brain in the wide receiver room. He understands what we’re trying to do and he can help the receivers understand what we’re all trying to do. So there’s benefits to all of it.”
Would it be wise to make sweeping conclusions solely based on the observations from Thursday’s practice? Absolutely not. Media were allowed to watch for approximately 20 minutes. So take it all with a grain of salt.
But this is where Iowa is right now, on ground zero of trying to improve an offense that ranked last in FBS last season.
"I would say: I like the way Lester thinks," wide receiver Kaleb Brown said. "That's for sure. I like the way that he thinks and game plans."
But there is something eventful after practice.
Parker, as you probably know, won the 2023 Broyles Award, given annually to college football's top assistant coach. He is in for a surprise on Thursday.
Ferentz is addressing the team when he says: “Just kinda wanted to break the routine here a little bit. We have special guests with us.”
One of them is David Bazzel, founder of the Broyles Award.
“By the way, where is coach Parker at?” Bazzel asks.
Parker, somewhat hidden, makes his way toward Bazzel.
“Coach didn’t know this was going to happen today,” Bazzel says.
Parker shakes Bazzel’s hand.
“Let me tell you this,” Bazzel says, addressing the team, “for years we have heard from Iowa fans that were not happy that coach Parker had not won this award. So we’re very grateful that that has finally changed.”
He goes on: “There’s a narrative about Caitlin Clark — for those of us outside the state of Iowa — that when you watch Caitlin Clark play basketball, it makes it fun to watch. Well, when you watch a Phil Parker defense here at Iowa, it makes it fun to watch.”
Later, Parker takes the floor to talk. But he takes a pause. More than 10 seconds pass, and Parker is clearly emotional. Ferentz is looking on behind him.
After a few more words, Parker takes hold of his own, personal Broyles Award trophy.
Iowa opens the 2024 season by hosting Illinois State on Aug. 31. That’s still a ways away. But it will be here sooner than you think, and the Hawkeyes are making preparations to be ready.
April 11 video from Iowa football Spring practice, including look at early stages of Tim Lester's offense:
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Phil Parker gets emotional after surprise Broyles Award tribute:
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Marco Lainez (11) throws a pass during practice Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Tyler TachmanDes Moines Register
April 11, 2024
IOWA CITY — It’s 8:03 a.m. on Thursday at the Hawkeye football facility, and practice is underway.
Players are transitioning to a special-teams formation on one of the turf practice fields. If someone does not totally have their senses by this point, a voice should quickly do the trick.
“Move your a--,” a voice yells.
Iowa's practices are normally closed, but reporters were allowed to watch a small portion of Thursday's session. This is the ground floor of the building blocks for what will be on display at Kinnick Stadium in a few months. And this particular offseason is especially critical for Iowa.
Iowa is trying to rebuild a broken offense behind new coordinator Tim Lester. The Hawkeyes also have a new wide receivers coach, Jon Budmayr, who was promoted internally. For Hawkeye fans, tracking the progress of this much-maligned group is the top priority.
But first, let’s discuss … punting?
Yes, because that is where players are lining up now.
Freshman Rhys Dakin is getting ready to launch the pigskin into the sky. For much of the country, punting is not necessarily a glamorous job. At Iowa, it is.
The reigning Ray Guy Award winner and Hawkeye legend Tory Taylor has moved on from the program. He will soon embark on his professional career. So Iowa is now turning the page to another golden leg from Australia.
“I know he’s a darn good punter,” Taylor said in March of Dakin, “and I think you guys will see that in the next few years to come."
Now we are seeing it. This is just practice, of course, which is different than doing it in front of 50,000+ fans. But Dakin looks good. There’s that resounding “thud” and the ball goes flying through the air. Then Dakin does it again.
Login to view embedded media
Now, let's get back to offense.
Cade McNamara is running
Iowa is ready to do a dynamic warmup near the beginning of practice. McNamara, the quarterback, is running to get into line, which in the grand scheme of things wouldn’t be an impressive accomplishment.But it is noteworthy to see McNamara do it. He has suffered season-ending injuries the last two seasons. The first at Michigan. Then he tore his ACL last season as Hawkeye. At practice on Thursday, it’s not a sprint. Rather, more of a jog. But still, that’s an encouraging sign.
Login to view embedded media
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said this of McNamara last month: “He can throw the football standing, but he can't be really moving back, moving around or dropping, that type of deal.”
For the most part, that accurately describes what McNamara did at practice on Thursday.
For a portion of Thursday's practice session, the quarterbacks are near the corner of a practice field working with Lester. McNamara can do some footwork along with fellow quarterbacks Deacon Hill and Marco Lainez. But on this particular drill, where the quarterbacks are faking a handoff and rolling right, McNamara is not participating.
“Set, go,” Lester says, triggering the quarterbacks to start their movement. “One, two, three, four, five. Good.”
“He’s pretty intense,” Hill explains later about Lester. “But it’s a good intense. He’s very positive a lot of the time … You love him, because he’s really personable, as well. It’s also three months in, so we’re also figuring each other out. But it’s been going really well.”
Movement on the offensive side
Luke Lachey is in motion. He starts on the left side of the offensive line. Then moves to the right.When he gets set, Terrell Washington Jr., who is split out wide, also comes in motion. Then the ball is snapped.
This is what we heard about just a few days ago. People want to know: What does Iowa’s offense look like? Defensive back Deshaun Lee gave a hint on Tuesday: "It's just a lot of motion. They’re trying to just trick our eyes. Just get us off balance."
And now, here is a brief preview of it on the practice field.
After Lachey and Washington Jr. each go in motion, the ball is snapped. Hill fires over the middle of the field to Lachey, who makes the catch.
Login to view embedded media
This is a good reminder: Lachey is healthy. He looked like he was on his way to a breakout campaign last season. Then he suffered a season-ending injury against Western Michigan. He could’ve gone on to pursue a professional career, but instead elected to return to Iowa. Now he's back in action.
“I love Iowa,” Lachey is saying later about his decision to return. “I don’t think I could really leave this place. The people are great. I knew a lot of guys were thinking of their decision and a lot of guys were kinda leaning on coming back … I just felt like there was more I could do here. And more I could learn to help myself be better prepared for the NFL.”
Back at practice, the quarterbacks are throwing again. McNamara is participating. So are Hill and Lainez. It’s worth noting that Washington Jr., who played running back last season and is still listed there on the roster, is catching passes at wide receiver on Thursday.
Login to view embedded media
That might actually be a good idea, because Iowa already has a stable of running backs. At another corner of the field, there’s a handful of them getting in work with position coach Ladell Betts — Kaleb Johnson, Leshon Williams and Jaziun Patterson, among others.
Budmayr is out here watching the wide receivers. His promotion by Ferentz this offseason was far from universally praised, in part because Iowa’s receiving corps has a long way to go and, though Budmayr has experience on the offensive side of the ball, he hadn't extensively coached wide receivers at the college level before now.
On Thursday, Budmayr is watching as Lainez tosses a pass to wide receiver Judah Mallette.
“Make sure we’re not drifting,” Budmayr calls out to Mallette. “Don’t drift off of that.”
“I think the weirdest thing is hearing him yell, but it’s not at me,” Hill says later of Budmayr, who was a reason he came to Iowa after entering the transfer portal.
On a more serious note, Hill says, “It’s also nice having a quarterback brain in the wide receiver room. He understands what we’re trying to do and he can help the receivers understand what we’re all trying to do. So there’s benefits to all of it.”
Would it be wise to make sweeping conclusions solely based on the observations from Thursday’s practice? Absolutely not. Media were allowed to watch for approximately 20 minutes. So take it all with a grain of salt.
But this is where Iowa is right now, on ground zero of trying to improve an offense that ranked last in FBS last season.
"I would say: I like the way Lester thinks," wide receiver Kaleb Brown said. "That's for sure. I like the way that he thinks and game plans."
A surprise for Phil Parker
The defense is here on Thursday, but you've probably noticed that we haven't mentioned it a single time up to this point in the story. But that is for good reason. Defensive coordinator Phil Parker has built a beast. Watching Quinn Schulte and Sebastian Castro and Deshaun Lee do drill work wasn't the highest priority for reporters during Thursday’s brief view into the Iowa practice.But there is something eventful after practice.
Parker, as you probably know, won the 2023 Broyles Award, given annually to college football's top assistant coach. He is in for a surprise on Thursday.
Ferentz is addressing the team when he says: “Just kinda wanted to break the routine here a little bit. We have special guests with us.”
One of them is David Bazzel, founder of the Broyles Award.
“By the way, where is coach Parker at?” Bazzel asks.
Parker, somewhat hidden, makes his way toward Bazzel.
“Coach didn’t know this was going to happen today,” Bazzel says.
Parker shakes Bazzel’s hand.
“Let me tell you this,” Bazzel says, addressing the team, “for years we have heard from Iowa fans that were not happy that coach Parker had not won this award. So we’re very grateful that that has finally changed.”
He goes on: “There’s a narrative about Caitlin Clark — for those of us outside the state of Iowa — that when you watch Caitlin Clark play basketball, it makes it fun to watch. Well, when you watch a Phil Parker defense here at Iowa, it makes it fun to watch.”
Later, Parker takes the floor to talk. But he takes a pause. More than 10 seconds pass, and Parker is clearly emotional. Ferentz is looking on behind him.
After a few more words, Parker takes hold of his own, personal Broyles Award trophy.
Iowa opens the 2024 season by hosting Illinois State on Aug. 31. That’s still a ways away. But it will be here sooner than you think, and the Hawkeyes are making preparations to be ready.
April 11 video from Iowa football Spring practice, including look at early stages of Tim Lester's offense:
Login to view embedded media
Phil Parker gets emotional after surprise Broyles Award tribute:
Login to view embedded media
Marco Lainez (11) throws a pass during practice Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Behind the scenes of an Iowa football practice, as Hawkeyes try to revitalize lost offense
What goes on during an Iowa football spring practice? Reporters got a brief look on Thursday.
www.hawkcentral.com
Drew Thelwell to visit next week
- By Eliot Clough
- The Press Box
- 6 Replies
Just confirmed with Drew Thelwell that he has set up a visit to Iowa next week. He'll be on campus on Monday.
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Some info on him here:
iowa.rivals.com
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Some info on him here:
Iowa Men's Basketball Portal Target List
The list of players Iowa has targeted in the portal, plus their potential fit with the Hawkeyes.
Eldora teen found dead, 12-year-old taken into custody
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 8 Replies
A 13-year-old girl was found dead Sunday in Eldora after police responded to a report that a person had been shot, according to the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
Police placed a 12-year-old boy in custody after arriving at the scene.
The Eldora Police Department and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office responded at 5:27 p.m. Sunday to the 800 block of 12th Street in Eldora for a report of a shooting.
The 13-year-old girl was found dead, according to a news release from the department. The release didn’t explain the boy’s role in the death or what charges he faces. The identities of the two minors have not been released.
The public safety department’s Division of Criminal Investigation was called to assist with the investigation, which is ongoing.
www.thegazette.com
Police placed a 12-year-old boy in custody after arriving at the scene.
The Eldora Police Department and the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office responded at 5:27 p.m. Sunday to the 800 block of 12th Street in Eldora for a report of a shooting.
The 13-year-old girl was found dead, according to a news release from the department. The release didn’t explain the boy’s role in the death or what charges he faces. The identities of the two minors have not been released.
The public safety department’s Division of Criminal Investigation was called to assist with the investigation, which is ongoing.
Eldora teen found dead, 12-year-old taken into custody
A 13-year-old girl was found dead in Eldora Sunday after police responded to a report that a person had been shot, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Public Safety.
www.thegazette.com
Its Tax Day Trump
- Off Topic
- 21 Replies
Well we know what he paid (or didn’t pay) in the past. Wonder what the aspiring “president” of the United States of America will pay today while most of us are writing checks to the government
www.cnbc.com
Read how much Trump paid — or didn't pay — in taxes each year
Donald Trump has guarded his income tax returns from public disclosure. A House committee has voted to release them in redacted form.
Will anything ever be done
- Off Topic
- 5 Replies
13-year-old girl dead in Eldora shooting, 12-year-old in custody
A 13-year-old girl was shot and killed in Eldora on Sunday.
Do kids this age even realize that the person they shoot doesn’t come back to life?
US to end 'gun show loophole' that allows sales without background checks
US to end 'gun show loophole' that allows sales without background checks
White House says it will require all gun show and internet dealers to conduct background checks.
www.bbc.com
It will classify around 23,000 vendors as licensed firearms dealers, making their gun sales subject to the checks.
Attorney General Merrick Garland said: "If you sell guns predominantly to earn a profit, you must be licensed.”
The left's homeless plans wrecked our cities.
- Off Topic
- 9 Replies
The left's homeless plans wrecked our cities. Now help may come from an unexpected source.
The once-idyllic streets of our nation's most beautiful cities have been transformed into scenes straight out of a dystopian novel, where tents crowd sidewalks and the stench of decay (and human waste) hangs thick in the air. You can blame this grim reality on radical left politicians and activists, who seized the chaos and uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic to push through their disastrous policies on homelessness.
Thankfully, there's a glimmer of hope on the horizon, sparked by former President Donald Trump and an Oregon town that most of you have never heard of.
The catastrophic failures fueling a drug-addicted homeless crisis stem from progressives’ blind allegiance to two deceptively named and profoundly damaging strategies: "harm reduction" and "housing first."
In San Francisco, these policies have created conditions so dire that even its criminally liberal citizens revolted, voting to impose drug testing for welfare recipients — a clear repudiation of the city's "progressive" label, which earned a scolding by the left-wing San Francisco Chronicle declaring the city probably can’t use the label any longer. But that’s a good thing: progressive policies should be synonymous with failure.
What did "progressivism" really bring to San Francisco? A staggering and tragic record of fatal drug overdoses — 752 in 2023 alone, an all-time record. The streets became a permanent gallery of human misery and waste (unless Chinese diplomats are visiting, of course). The city's commercial heart, Union Square, began 2024 with the highest rate of office vacancies in the nation. In just the last month, two more large retailers announced closures -- North Face and Zara.
The situation is no better in downtown Seattle, another supposedly progressive "utopia" (where I live) that’s still reeling under the grip of homeless drug addicts who have claimed the streets as their own. The exodus of major retailers, most recently Lululemon, fleeing what was once a bustling, high-end mall, speaks volumes.
A 2023 poll by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce found that 68% of voters now avoid downtown more than before the explosion of homelessness and crime. If there are no visitors, there are no customers. The crisis even scared away Amazon, announcing last week it’s resuming construction in nearby business-friendly Bellevue -- all while the Seattle tech giant’s footprint shrinks.
Recently, a man was randomly stabbed in the head while walking his dog in a notoriously dangerous downtown Seattle corner — a place where the air is so saturated with the smell of urine that it clings to the back of your throat. Yet, progressive leaders and the radical activists they enable pretend the city is thriving, shaming anyone who says otherwise.
The radical left disguises harm reduction as an "evidence-based" solution to substance abuse. Yet, in practice, it does little more than enable addicts, providing them with clean drug paraphernalia like fentanyl pipes, clean needles and "booty-bumping" kits for taking drugs under the guise of "reducing harm."
Housing first, meanwhile, offers "permanent supportive housing" to the homeless, followed by a claim to address their underlying issues through on-site, wraparound services. In reality, these places often turn into drug dens with virtually no conditions on use. If you're homeless because of drug addiction, you continue to use — and likely die — in what inevitably become taxpayer-funded drug havens.
I dissect these flawed approaches in my book, "What’s Killing America: Inside the Radical Left’s Tragic Destruction of Our Cities," a critique the left-wing media won't give you. Their refusal to challenge these feelgood yet destructive policies only serves to push a partisan agenda under the radar. My book can help you save your community from the progressive policy creep.
With these strategies in mind, the radical left opposes sweeping homeless encampments, calling that cruel and inhumane, while cruelly using the homeless as pawns in their demands for free housing. They even fight to keep squatters and delinquent renters in properties they have no right to, driven by an ideology that rejects private property rights and repeats a lazy bumper sticker talking point: "housing is a human right."
In the Seattle area, homelessness has worsened following drug decriminalization, yet instead of admitting failures, activist-politicians have poured tens of millions into converting hotels into permanent supportive housing.
In one recent move, the city council in nearby Redmond colluded with county officials to secretly transfer property without public notice. Their message to residents fed up with the encampments? Shut up and let officials spend millions more for subsidized housing and only then will tents be cleared.
While the homeless remain outdoors waiting for "free" housing, diseases spread. Recently in downtown Portland, a Shigella outbreak — a highly contagious bacteria spread through fecal matter — was traced to the homeless. Seattle faced a Hepatitis A scare from homeless in January. And last August, in Los Angeles, homeless encampments contributed to a significant rise in flea-borne typhus.
But the progressive reign of despair may soon come to an end if conservative United States Supreme Court justices come to the rescue after hearing arguments for The City of Grants Pass Oregon v. Johnson on April 22. It might return a tool that can be part of a broader strategy to address homelessness more effectively.
This legal battle about whether cities can enforce public camping bans may be a defining moment for homelessness policy. A decision in favor of Grants Pass could empower cities across the nation to reclaim their public spaces, reducing crime and disease spread, while providing a truly meaningful pathway out of homelessness.
More importantly, it could signal the beginning of the end for the unchecked spread of radical left policies that have been long shielded behind claims of good intentions.
If the Supreme Court, fortified by Trump-appointed conservatives, sides with pragmatic policies, we might just see cities finally be released from the grip of progressive overreach, returning to an approach where compassion and regulation can actually coexist and assist the homeless. This isn’t just about cleaning up the streets — it's about wrestling control back from the radical left.
The left's homeless plans wrecked our cities. Now help may come from an unexpected source
Disease, crime and urban decay are all part of the left's insane homeless policies. Help could be on the horizon as the Supreme Court hears a case that might let cities fight back.
About 100 trees removed for new UI road, some employees angry
- By cigaretteman
- Off Topic
- 7 Replies
Some University of Iowa employees are angry campus planners decided to cut down about 100 trees to make way for a new road without warning faculty, staff and students.
The first new road on campus in at least a decade, the 1,500-foot artery and a connected roundabout will link Newton Road and the fountain entrance of the UI Hospitals and Clinics. This project will make way for construction of a new inpatient tower, the UI told The Gazette last fall.
But putting in new pavement means the UI had to remove or relocate 126 trees in March. As chain saws buzzed, many UI employees watched with surprise and dismay.
“We’re saddened by the College of Medicine’s decision to cut a grove of 70+ healthy, diverse new- and old-growth trees over spring break for temporary earthmover access and new roadways,” according to a letter employees plan to send the UI this week. “This decision was made without transparent communication with stakeholders …”
The group of medical and public health students, staff, faculty and emeritus faculty want to be involved in future decisions about removal of trees — which provide shade, reduce stress for humans who walk nearby and provide habitat for animals.
“We will collaborate with the UI Office of Sustainability and UI administration to work towards creating a stronger process for stakeholder involvement and transparency, with the initial goal of at least two stakeholder meetings regarding ongoing and future development plans,” the letter states.
The first new road on campus in at least a decade, a 1,500-foot artery and a roundabout will connect Newton Road and the fountain entrance of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This project will make way for construction of a new inpatient tower. (University of Iowa)
Of the 126 trees located on the site of the new roadway, 23 were moved to other locations across the main campus and Oakdale campus, Stratis Giannakouros, director of the UI Office of Sustainability and the Environment, said in a prepared statement.
Planners also altered the road design to preserve three large oak trees UI arborists said would be difficult to replace. About 100 trees were removed, but will be replaced with new trees in this area or elsewhere on campus.
“The University of Iowa prioritizes the preservation and care of trees on our campus, and plants about 300 new trees every year,” Giannakouros said. “Whenever a tree needs to be removed due to health concerns, natural disasters, or campus development, we ensure that two to three trees are planted elsewhere on campus. The campus is home to more than 8,000 trees and has been officially recognized as a level II accredited arboretum through ArbNet.”
Crews will plant 86 trees on the site of the road construction project, which is expected to be substantially complete by this fall. The location of the remaining tree plantings will be determined once the design work for the new inpatient tower is completed in 2026.
A UI website providing details about the road project says construction would be started this spring and would include relocation of utilities. It does not mention tree removal. The projected cost of the road project, expected to be mostly complete by next fall, is $17.5 million.
Employees critical of the way tree removal was handled said they strongly support development of a new inpatient tower.
The $1 billion inpatient tower will be built just west of UIHC, where Parking Ramp 1 and the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center are located. The tower will include multiple floors of inpatient beds for adult care, as well as an inpatient surgery area, space for pathology, radiology and pharmacy and a public space at the top with views of Kinnick Stadium.
www.thegazette.com
The first new road on campus in at least a decade, the 1,500-foot artery and a connected roundabout will link Newton Road and the fountain entrance of the UI Hospitals and Clinics. This project will make way for construction of a new inpatient tower, the UI told The Gazette last fall.
But putting in new pavement means the UI had to remove or relocate 126 trees in March. As chain saws buzzed, many UI employees watched with surprise and dismay.
“We’re saddened by the College of Medicine’s decision to cut a grove of 70+ healthy, diverse new- and old-growth trees over spring break for temporary earthmover access and new roadways,” according to a letter employees plan to send the UI this week. “This decision was made without transparent communication with stakeholders …”
The group of medical and public health students, staff, faculty and emeritus faculty want to be involved in future decisions about removal of trees — which provide shade, reduce stress for humans who walk nearby and provide habitat for animals.
“We will collaborate with the UI Office of Sustainability and UI administration to work towards creating a stronger process for stakeholder involvement and transparency, with the initial goal of at least two stakeholder meetings regarding ongoing and future development plans,” the letter states.
Of the 126 trees located on the site of the new roadway, 23 were moved to other locations across the main campus and Oakdale campus, Stratis Giannakouros, director of the UI Office of Sustainability and the Environment, said in a prepared statement.
Planners also altered the road design to preserve three large oak trees UI arborists said would be difficult to replace. About 100 trees were removed, but will be replaced with new trees in this area or elsewhere on campus.
“The University of Iowa prioritizes the preservation and care of trees on our campus, and plants about 300 new trees every year,” Giannakouros said. “Whenever a tree needs to be removed due to health concerns, natural disasters, or campus development, we ensure that two to three trees are planted elsewhere on campus. The campus is home to more than 8,000 trees and has been officially recognized as a level II accredited arboretum through ArbNet.”
Crews will plant 86 trees on the site of the road construction project, which is expected to be substantially complete by this fall. The location of the remaining tree plantings will be determined once the design work for the new inpatient tower is completed in 2026.
A UI website providing details about the road project says construction would be started this spring and would include relocation of utilities. It does not mention tree removal. The projected cost of the road project, expected to be mostly complete by next fall, is $17.5 million.
Employees critical of the way tree removal was handled said they strongly support development of a new inpatient tower.
The $1 billion inpatient tower will be built just west of UIHC, where Parking Ramp 1 and the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center are located. The tower will include multiple floors of inpatient beds for adult care, as well as an inpatient surgery area, space for pathology, radiology and pharmacy and a public space at the top with views of Kinnick Stadium.
About 100 trees removed for new UI road, some employees angry
Putting in a new road to make way for an inpatient tower meant the UI had to remove or relocate 126 trees in March. As chainsaws buzzed, many employees watched with surprise and dismay.
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