For the first time ever, the Republican Party of Iowa will be participating in the Iowa Black and Brown Presidential Forum festivities this year. The party’s Jeff Kaufmann says having forums that showcase candidates from both parties will further justify Iowa’s first-in-the-nation status. Republicans will host a forum at Drake University on December 3rd…while the Democrats will hold their presidential forum on January 11th at a location yet to be announced.
Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Marco Rubio are in central Iowa today. Clinton will talk to supporters at a house party in Ottumwa, and Rubio will be at Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines.
Iowa Democrats are calling for a special legislative session to override Governor Branstad’s last-minute vetoes of one-time education funding and funding for mental health institutes. Party members in both houses say they’ll join in the effort. Two-thirds of each chamber would have to sign a petition to convene a special session.
A statewide summit on general safety and sexual assault concerns on college campuses is lined up for this fall at Ankeny’s DMACC campus. The October 28th summit will be the first time the Board of Regents, the Iowa Association of Community Colleges and the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and Universities have partnered on security issues.
The city council in Altoona is considering a site plan for a third server farm for Facebook. It would be the largest facility in the social media company’s billion dollar complex in the city. The new server farm would be built just north of I-80 and west of northeast 56th Street.
A refund payment plan may be worked out in court this Friday when lawyers for the city of Des Moines meet with a Beaverdale homeowner. The homeowner sued the city for collecting an illegal franchise fee for utilities…which led to the court ordering Des Moines to refund 40 million dollars to customers.
Yesterday’s downpours wreaked havoc in Dallas Center. Residents are blaming a blockage in their sewer lines for their basements flooding. A community meeting is set for next month to try to find a fix for the aging sewer system.
Warmer – and drier – weather last week helped out the state’s crop production. USDA says 82 percent of the corn crop and 78 percent of the soybean crop appear to be in good to excellent condition. Some of the crop had been lost due to previous heavy rains.
Waukee is gearing up for its first arts festival this month. The Waukee Arts Festival will part of the Jazz in July celebration on July 19th. 
