IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa plans to cut staff, sell property in Des Moines and make other moves in response to state funding reductions. The university announced the move Tuesday in a news release, saying it will close seven centers and permanently furlough 33 full-time staffers whose positions are not directly tied to student instruction.

The centers closing are: the University of Iowa Center on Aging; Confucius Institute; Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research; Iowa Center for Higher Education; Labor Center; Office of Iowa Practice Opportunities; and UI Mobile Museum.

Since the 2016 fiscal year, the Iowa Legislature has cut UI’s budget by $16 million. A midyear cut in April of nearly $5.5 million also forced the university to adopt a five-month moratorium on construction projects.

The university says it will continue to offer classes in Des Moines but will close the former AIB College of Business campus and will seek a buyer for the property.

Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency report 1200^th St between Linden Road and Highway 59, between Lincoln Township sections 1 and 12, has re-opened. The road was closed late last month for culvert repair.

The Iowa D-O-T has gotten a lot of feedback on the proposal to close down some state rest stops. The leader of the D-O-T Highway Division, Mitch Dillavou, updated the Transportation Commission this (Tuesday) morning. “We are getting a lot of comments — and that’s good,” Dillavou says. The D-O-T released a draft plan last month that ranked the 38 full-service rest areas and listed 11 that could possibly be closed in the next 20 years. The D-O-T asked for public input on the idea and Dillavou says so far most people don’t like the idea of closing any rest areas.

“I would say that there’s a lot of support to keep ’em. Both from the trucking industry to people driving — even my own personal side of it. People like the convenience of the rest areas,” according to Dillavou. The proposal has gotten a lot of attention since it was first revealed by Radio Iowa and other media. Dillavou made his comments after being asked about the issue during a workshop with the Transportation Commission prior to their regular meeting in Ames.

“I thought we had a pretty laid out plan, it’s not that we are just going to go in and shut down all of these rest areas. We have the truck parking component to put in there too,” Dillavou says. “I would say there is a lot of support to keep the rest areas open.” Commission chair John Putney of Gladbrook says he’s heard from a lot of people about the plan.

“I think this is a very sensitive issue — not only from a public relations standpoint, but from a political standpoint,” Putney says. “I think this is something we have to have a very hard look at.” Putney says he’s also heard a lot of support for the rest stops.

“Some of the rationale I think has been that now we have all these truck stops and so on. People have told me, ‘you know when we travel we don’t stop at truck stops. We look forward to stopping at bonafide rest stops that we’ve created,'” according to Putney. “Like I said, I think it’s just something that needs a lot of hard study.”

The D-O-T plans to continue taking public input through September of 2019. A study on the availability and need for truck parking will be done by that time and be used along with the public comments to determine how the D-O-T will proceed with the rest stop proposal.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Creston this (Tuesday) afternoon issued a report on an injury accident that occurred at around 9:25-a.m. July 4th. Officials said the accident happened at the intersection of Pine and Summitt Streets, when a 2011 Chevy Equinox SUV driven by 40-year old Bobbie Jo Wilson, of Creston, failed to yield the right-of-way, and struck a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutless Ciera driven by 59-year old Steven Robert Loomis, of Creston. Loomis suffered minor/non-incapacitating injuries and refused medical transport. A passenger in his car, 64-year old Sally Jo Loomis, of Creston, was injured and transported by Steven Loomis to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston.

(UPDATE) OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man died after riding a horse into a southeast Iowa farm pond. The Ottumwa Courier reports that medics and Wapello County sheriff’s deputies were called Sunday evening to the farm, which sits a few miles west of Ottumwa. Wapello County Sheriff Mark Miller said Tuesday that witnesses reported 40-year-old Jose Perez-Ochoa, of Blakesburg, had ridden the horse into the pond more than once over the objection of friends also riding.

The witnesses told officials it was clear the horse didn’t want to go into the pond. Miller says the horse rolled backward the last time it was led into the pond, knocking Perez-Ochoa into the water. Miller says the horse walked unharmed out of the water, but Perez-Ochoa went under.

Searchers recovered his body later.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources today (Tuesday) released the names of the juveniles involved in Friday’s crash on Clear Lake involving two personal watercrafts. Authorities say 15-year old Kyle Olberding, of Glidden, was operating the personal watercraft that struck a second personal watercraft with 17-year old’s McKenna Holahan, Wynee Bond, and Ellie Shimp, all of Cedar Falls, onboard. Shimp was transported to a hospital in Rochester, Minn. Olberding’s passenger was 16-year old Grant Borkowski, of Carroll.

Olberding was charged with Reckless Use of a Watercraft and Operation of a Watercraft by an Underage Person Without Boating Education. DNR conservation officers remind those operating personal watercraft to stay at a safe distance from other personal watercraft and avoid what they commonly see on Iowa waters of one personal watercraft trying to splash nearby personal watercrafts.

Regardless of age, the DNR encourages everyone who will operate or ride as a passenger on a motorboat or personal watercraft to take an online boater education course, which can be found here: http://www.iowadnr.gov/Things-to-Do/Boating/Boater-Education.

A woman walking southbound on Interstate 380 at around 5-a.m. today (Tuesday), walked into the path of traffic and was struck by a 2007 Saturn Ion. The Iowa State Patrol reports 21-year old Angelica Soto, of Cedar Rapids, died at the scene of the eastern Iowa incident. The driver of the car, 31-year old Ashley Call, of Spencer, was not injured. The accident remains under investigation.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports there were four arrests over the past week. On July 2nd, 26-year old Francisco Javier Bermudez, of Des Moines, was arrested on an Adair County warrant, by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper. Bermudez was wanted for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. He plead guilty to the charge and served two days in jail before being released. On July 3rd, 31-year old Michael Anthony Hull, of Winterset, was arrested a little after 2-a.m. in a vehicle outside the Kum and Go store in Adair. Hull, who was not wearing a shirt, was passed out in his vehicle with the door open. When a Deputy approached, Hull jumped up and got out of his car.

The Deputy then noticed a glass meth pipe in plain view on the driver’s seat. During a search of the vehicle, a green leafy substance and white crystalline substance were found, along with a liquid-filled syringe. The first two substances tested positive for marijuana and meth. The syringe also contained meth. Other drug paraphernalia were located inside the vehicle, as well. Hull was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and on two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, 3rd or subsequent offense. He was brought to the Adair County Jail and later released after posting $10,300 bond or the allowable 10-percent bond.

Also arrested July 3rd, was 46-year old Kimberly Ann McCormick, of Des Moines. Adair Police took her into custody on a Polk County warrant for Possession of a controlled substance/1st offense. McCormick was turned over to Polk County Deputies. And, 35-year old Joseph Lee Reynolds, of Stuart, was arrested last Saturday for Driving While License denied or revoked for OWI, after being pulled over for an expired license registration tag.  Reyolds was released at the scene with a citation to appear in court.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors have a lot on their agenda for their meeting 9-a.m. Wednesday, in Greenfield. During their regular session in the Courthouse Courtroom, the Board will hear from County Attorney Clint Hight, with regard to a Special Prosecutor Appointment Resolution. Other scheduled speakers include: Josh and Lisa Rardin, with regard to Wind Farm/County Health and Safety; John Schildberg, who will discuss paving the Greenfield Airport road; Sheriff Jeff Vandewater will talk about a New Deputy Hire, and Dave Homan, Supervisor – will provide an update/discussion with regard to the MATURA Board.

Adair County Auditor Mindy Schaefer will discuss $300,000 General Obligation Bonds Series 2018, and the Board will act on appointing a Pay Agent, along with related matters. County Engineer Nick Kauffman will also present his regular weekly report, among other business.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Four of 14 attorneys who were paid by Iowa to represent low-income defendants have been convicted of overbilling the state following an audit that found excessive billings of nearly $500,000. The Des Moines Register reports that the 10 other attorneys have repaid the government, but weren’t criminally charged.

Kurt Swaim is a former state representative and first assistant public defender for the state. He says most of the cases that weren’t prosecuted involved unintentional bookkeeping errors. Auditors say the attorneys made excessive billings or mileage reimbursement claims during a nearly five-year period that ended in August 2013. Swaim says attorneys so far have been ordered to or voluntarily agreed to repay more than $250,000. He says Iowa is seeking restitution of more than $100,000 in one case and repayment in multiple cases not involving criminal charges.