Coralville Courier

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Campbell making best of tough situation

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Tumbling down the depth chart into a backup role, Chicago Bears reserve quarterback Jason Campbell recognizes the difficulty associated with humbling himself to accept the current situation.

It's all run through his mind: the fact he's started 70 games over the last six years, the broken collarbone suffered in 2011 in Oakland that may have led to the current situation, whether Peyton Manning's seemingly inconceivable availability in free agency affected his ability to find work as a starter.

Read on....  http://bleacherreport.com/tb/d7Dhh?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=chicago-bears

Liberals think 50% of Americans are a small radical minority!

NewsBusted:  The green light for conservative laughter!

Road Construction - Morningside Drive

Weather permitting, beginning on Monday, June 4, 2012, Morningside Drive will be closed to through traffic from Court Street to High Street. This road closure is necessary to facilitate repair work to the street pavement and to sanitary sewer in the area. It is anticipated that Morningside Drive will reopen to normal traffic by the end of the day on Friday, June 8th.

Motorists are to seek an alternate route during this time period. As always, caution should be exercised when traveling in construction areas.

For updated information on road construction in Iowa City, visit the City of Iowa City's website at http://www.iowa-city.org/works/roadconstruction.

Road Construction - Whiting Avenue

IOWA CITY, IA. -- Weather permitting, beginning on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, Whiting Avenue will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic at various locations from Forest Glen to Northwood Drive. These lane reductions are necessary to facilitate pavement replacement in the area. It is anticipated that regular traffic patterns will resume by early evening on Thursday, June 7th.

Motorists are encouraged to take note of this construction work and to allow extra travel time during this time period as delays may be possible. As always, caution should be exercised when driving through all construction areas.

For the updated information on road construction in Iowa City, visit the City of Iowa City's website at http://www.iowa-city.org/works/roadconstruction.asp

Ill. 'gays' not content with civil unions

Homosexuals have gone to the courts to obtain the right to "marriage" in Illinois -- in spite of the legislature approving same-gender civil unions last year.  

The homosexual activist group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the Cook County clerk in Chicago on behalf of 25 same-gender pairs who were refused a marriage license. Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute tells OneNewsNow the legal action was initiated despite the fact the state now allows civil unions, which grant the same rights as heterosexual marriage.

Read on....  http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=1607080

Road Construction - Benton Street

IOWA CITY, IA. -- Weather permitting, beginning on Monday, June 4, 2012, Benton Street will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic from Emerald Street to Denbigh Drive. This lane reduction is necessary to facilitate repair work to the street pavement in the area. It is anticipated that Benton Street will reopen to normal traffic by the end of the day on Tuesday, June 5th.

Motorists are to allow extra travel time as delays may be possible. As always, caution should be exercised when traveling in construction areas.

For updated information on road construction in Iowa City, visit the City of Iowa City's website at http://www.iowa-city.org/works/roadconstruction.

instead of focusing on job creation, King Obama is attending six fundraisers

By Mike Thayer

More people are filing first time unemployment claims, the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2% and just 69,000 jobs were created last month.

Is the President at his desk?  Nope.  Is he working with legislators to create a more positive job environment?  Nope.

He's campaigning.

You the taxpayer are footing the bill for Obama's fundraising by the way, which is being done under the guise of "official business."  Make no mistake, his photo op at a factory is about lining his campaign coffers, nothing else.  

From ABC News:

President Obama Hosts 6 Fundraisers Friday on Minneapolis, Chicago Visit

President Obama will jump-start what looks to be a major June fundraising push with six money events today in Minneapolis and Chicago – the most fundraisers he’s held in a single day since launching his bid for a second term.

Obama is expected to raise more than $7.2 million total for the Obama Victory Fund (OVF), according to figures provided by the campaign.

Read on....  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/president-obama-hosts-6-fundraisers-friday-on-minneapolis-chicago-visit/

Iowa City playing home builder, an improper role of government

Editor's Overview:  The following is a press release from the city of Iowa City, which taxpayers also funded....  Issuing press releases for things the government isn't supposed to do, paying a city employee to do marketing, forgiving loans......  Never mind these aren't proper roles of government, money grows on trees right?

Applications being accepted for Round 4 of City's New Homes Program

The fourth round of the City's Single Family New Home Construction Program, in which 33 new homes will be built throughout Iowa City and subsequently sold to income-qualifying individuals and families, is now ready to launch. The program, which began in 2009 as an effort to replace some of the housing stock lost in the 2008 floods, will contribute to the variety, availability, and affordability of housing in Iowa City. Prices of homes will range from $135,000 to $150,000. Construction will get underway this summer, and at least some of the homes should be available for occupancy by this fall.

People who are interested in submitting an application to purchase one of the homes must meet income guidelines set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that are based on the number of people living in the household. For a family of two, gross income cannot exceed $51,400; for a family of four, the maximum income allowed is $64,250. Applicants must also qualify for a mortgage loan and borrow the funds from a local bank that is participating in the Single Family New Home Construction Program. A pre-approval loan letter will need to be submitted with the application.

Those who qualify for the program will be eligible for down payment assistance totaling 25% of the sale price of the home. The assistance will be set up as a five-year forgivable loan, which means that homebuyers who stay in the home for five years or more will not have to repay the down payment loan.

Because there are likely to be more applications than available homes, the City will repeat the selection process it has used in the past two rounds. First priority will be first-time homebuyers, with second priority being Johnson County residents. Within these two groups, a random drawing of names will be held to determine the order in which applicants will make their housing selections.

Applications must be submitted to the Planning and Community Development Department in City Hall by 5 p.m. on June 29, 2012 in order to be included in the drawing, which is scheduled July 6 at noon in Emma Harvat Hall in City Hall, 410 E. Washington Street. Applications will continue to be accepted after the deadline has passed, to ensure that there will be enough qualifying applicants to purchase all of the homes. Post-deadline applications will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis for the homes that remain available, until all homes are sold.

For an application or for more information on the program, design plans, addresses, builders, or income level requirements, visit www.icgov.org/newhomes, or contact Community Development Planners at 319.356.5230 or e-mail doug-ongie@iowa-city.org or david-purdy@iowa-city.org.

In the first three rounds of the program, a total of 108 homes were built or are under construction, and all but six have been sold. The program is funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and is being administered by the City's Community Development division.

Iowa City Landfill Fire Update - June 1, 2012

Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek officially declares landfill fire a disaster to qualify for state and federal assistance

The fire at the Iowa City Landfill continues to burn over an approximately 7.5 acre section of the City's newest landfill cell. Beginning this evening and throughout the weekend, weather forecasts are showing shifting winds which are expected to direct the smoke plume towards populated areas of Iowa City. The City continues to reiterate the health precautions previously issued by the Johnson County Health Department:

Persons in the path of the smoke plume should avoid exposure to the smoke as much as possible. Persons who have respiratory, heart or other conditions which may be aggravated by smoke, pregnant women, and the young and elderly should shelter in places with outside sources of air shut off. Most home air conditioning units recirculate air from the interior and should be sufficient. Businesses and other structures which draw in outside air should close outside air sources if the smoke plume is present. Avoid outdoor activities such as exercising if the smoke plume is present. Nursing homes, day cares and other businesses which care for the elderly, very young, and persons with respiratory diseases should take special care to monitor the health of clients and to minimize exposure to the smoke plume. Concentration (increase and decrease) of particulate matter and other irritants in the smoke are greatly affected by weather conditions. Individuals are the best judges of their own health and should take appropriate protective measures based on their health status.

The Johnson County Health Department continues to partner with the State Hygienic Laboratory, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and subject matter experts with the University of Iowa to monitor air quality throughout the region. Officials with the United States Environmental Protection Agency have also been involved and are actively partnering with local and state officials on issues related to air quality. Any future changes in the precautions and recommendations will be immediately communicated to the public.

Earlier today, Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek signed a Local Disaster Declaration document. The declaration of a disaster by the top elected official of a community is standard procedure that facilitates access to state and federal resources. This action will preserve the City's ability to seek state and federal financial resources. The declaration will also facilitate access to non-financial resources which could aid during the extinguishment phase of the fire. Examples of such assistance may include advanced air quality monitoring technologies, thermal imaging equipment and other resources that could assist in an extinguishment strategy. The Local Disaster Declaration document is included with this media release.

The Fire Department, in consultation with State and Federal officials, continues to evaluate various fire suppression strategies. The Fire Department is currently working with these officials on a more aggressive active burning strategy that would accelerate burning of the materials on the 7.5 acre site. This effort would involve actively stirring the remaining fuel through the use of heavy machinery. Such movement would accelerate the burning process and thus reduce the time needed to burn off the remaining tire shreds. This strategy would likely create larger smoke plumes, and thus the timing will be largely dependent on weather and wind conditions. Given current weather forecasts, it is unlikely that this effort will be pursued through the weekend. Due to the noticeable differences that will be created in the smoke plumes, the public will be notified in advance if this strategy is pursued.

More information on the status of the fire is available on the City's website at www.icgov.org. On that website there is a continually updated Frequently Asked Questions section and copies of media releases. The public can also track the event through Facebook by linking through the City's website or searching for Iowa City Landfill Fire. Updates are also available on City Channels 4 and 5.

Local Disaster Declaration

Romney Calls May Jobs Report 'Devastating News'

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney called a disappointing U.S. jobs report for May "devastating news" on Friday and a sign that President Barack Obama's economic policies have failed.

Romney moved quickly to take political advantage of the Labor Department's report that U.S. unemployment had moved up slightly to 8.2 percent in May from 8.1 percent, with the economy adding only 69,000 jobs for the month, far fewer than anticipated.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Romney Calls May Jobs Report 'Devastating News'
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