Capitol Notebook: Iowa Flood Center receives $1 million in congressional funding

Eastern Iowa watersheds will have more tools to monitor flood and drought conditions through $1 million awarded by Congress to the Iowa Flood Center at the University of Iowa.

The funding will support installing stream sensors and hydrostations in the Lower Cedar River and Maquoketa River watersheds to collect data and monitor hydrologic conditions in real-time. The Iowa Flood Center plans to develop a hydrologic assessment and online visualization system for each watershed to guide water resource management, planning and conservation, according to a news release from the University of Iowa.

The Maquoketa River watershed spreads across nine Eastern Iowa counties, largely in Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties. The Lower Cedar River watershed touches six Iowa counties, including most of Cedar and Muscatine counties.

Each station measures rainfall, soil moisture and temperature conditions, as well as groundwater levels in shallow wells. The new hydrostations would add 30 stations to the Iowa Flood Center’s network, bringing the total number to 50 locations. The data produced from the stations is publicly available in an online tool that informs flood alerts and forecasts for the state.

The hydrostations also provide information for water monitoring, modeling, visualization, mapping and research activities for a new $360 million federal water hazard consortium called the Cooperative Institute for Research to Operations in Hydrology, which is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It also could lead to developing an Iowa Drought Information System, according to the UI news release.

The funding was earmarked as part of Congress’ Community Project Funding through Rep. Ashley Hinson, who represents northeast Iowa and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who represents southeast Iowa.

Public hearing Wednesday on state board overhaul

A state panel tasked with reviewing Iowa’s boards and commissions will hold a public hearing Wednesday over its recommendations to overhaul the structure and number of governing boards in the state.

Last week, the Iowa Boards and Commissions Review Committee presented its recommendations to cut or consolidate more than 100 of Iowa’s current boards. Those being consolidated would be absorbed by other boards, while other boards would see changes to their structure and rulemaking authority.

Members of the public interested in speaking at the meeting or submitting written comments can submit comments to bcrccomments@iowa.gov.

UI hospitals to pay more in settlements under new agreement

The amount of money University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics will have to pay in settlements each year before the state steps in to foot the bill will increase under a new agreement, according to the Iowa treasurer’s office.

Iowa State Treasurer Roby Smith said in a news release Tuesday an agreement was signed between the hospital, the state Board of Regents and the attorney general’s office that will require the university hospital to pay $15 million in settlements a year, up from $9 million. The amount will increase with inflation as well, he said.

Smith has voted against approving some settlements in lawsuits involving the University of Iowa hospital, and he said in a release the agreement will save state taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

“Over the last 8 months as a member of the State Appeals Board, I voted against millions of dollars of taxpayer-funded settlements involving the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC),” he said. “I voted against these settlements time and time again because I felt the taxpayer was unfairly shouldering too much of the burden of these settlements.”

Kim Reynolds commemorates Des Moines' last Holocaust survivor

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released a statement Monday after the death of Des Moines’ last known Holocaust survivor, David Wolnerman.

Wolnerman was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp from his home in Poland at 13, shortly after the start of World War II, according to the Des Moines Register. He was liberated at age 18 after surviving five years in Auschwitz and other concentration camps.

“Despite enduring the horrors of Nazi concentration camps as a young boy, I was always inspired by David’s optimism and his generosity to the Des Moines community. He led a life we can all learn from – focused on faith, family, and community,” Reynolds said in a statement. “David’s two sons, their families, and everyone mourning his death are in Kevin’s and my prayers. May David’s story live on for generations, so it is never forgotten.”

Marshalltown family wins college savings giveaway

Wayne Galema of Marshalltown won $1,000 toward his 2-year-old granddaughter’s college savings fund in a giveaway at the State Fair, Iowa Treasurer Roby Smith announced Tuesday.

The treasurer’s office operated the giveaway to highlight Iowa’s 529 college savings plan, College Savings Iowa. The plan allows people to make tax-reduced contributions to education accounts for children and grandchildren.

“I am excited to be a College Savings Iowa 529 Iowa State Fair winner,” Galema said in a statement provided by Smith’s office. “We have entered 529 contests in the past and saw the opportunity to register for the giveaway at the State Fair booth.”