Gazette Daily News Podcast: Saturday-Sunday Feb. 17-18, 2024

–Iowa DOT faces ‘massive workload’ to repair median barriers

–Iowa House Republicans advance new AEA, teacher pay plan.

–Orchestra Iowa announces concertmaster

–Former intern to become Alliant’s Iowa President

Episode Transcript

Welcome to the Weekend Edition of The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.

Up first, the Iowa DOT says they have a ‘massive workload’ to repair median barriers that were damaged in January’s storms. More than 200 vehicles struck cable barriers on Interstate 80 medians during back-to-back snowstorms in January — which is a lot considering the state usually has about 900 strikes for the whole winter on all interstates in Iowa.

If you’ve driven on I-80 since the storms, you’ve seen many barriers are a mangled mess and in some cases steel posts have been flattened or pulled from the ground. Colorful markers indicate sections that need to be repaired.

Those repairs are happening right now.

The director of the Iowa DOT’s Maintenance Bureau John Hart says, “We want to get that done because that's a key safety feature on the roadway.” But because the damage happened over two weeks and is heavier in some areas, “they have a massive workload all at once.”

Next up, Iowa House Republicans advanced a new Area Education Agency plan on Thursday.

Democrats, parents and education officials applauded, but still expressed reservations in how services are delivered by the state’s education agencies.

Advocates and lobbyists for education groups, including the AEAs, told lawmakers in a House subcommittee that the new plan represented significant progress compared with initial proposals by Gov. Kim Reynolds and a bill advancing in the Iowa Senate.

The new House bill removes a key piece of Reynolds’ proposal that would allow school districts to contract with other parties, like a private company, to provide special education support services to students with disabilities.

Iowa’s area education agencies would continue to be the sole provider of special education support to school districts — but the funding structure and provision of other services would change under the House proposal.

Chair of the committee, Rep. Skyler Wheeler said the bill remains a work a progress and pledged it would see more changes as it moves forward.

He said, “We have the opportunity to improve the system. And we have the opportunity to get wins, not just for students, but for our schools in general.”

He noted he has a daughter with autism, and that the issue is “very near and dear to me personally.”

The Senate late Wednesday advanced Reynolds’ original proposal, out of a committee but with an amendment.

Increases in baseline pay for teachers and staff would be increased and phased in over two years under a plan that also advanced Thursday in the Iowa House.

The bill would increase the minimum salary for first-year teachers to $47,500 in the 2024-2025 school year and $50,000 in the 2025-2026 school year.

Education advocates who spoke at a legislative hearing praised the phased-in approach, saying it would give districts time to plan and adjust their budgets.

The Alliant Energy board has appointed (muh-yoo-ree) Mayuri “May” Farlinger as president of the utility’s Iowa energy company starting May 1.

Farlinger, who started her Alliant career as an intern in 2004, also will be vice president of operations. She succeeds Terry Kouba, who’s retiring.

President and CEO of Alliant Energy Lisa Barton said, "May is an outstanding leader, and I am confident she and her team will continue to meet and exceed the expectations of our customers and communities across Iowa.

Most recently, Farlinger has been the utility’s vice president of customer and community engagement in Iowa.

Finally, Orchestra Iowa has hired a concertmaster with Iowa ties. Julia (Sa-ha-rov-a) Sakharova fills that post which has been empty since before the pandemic. Orchestra Iowa Maestro Timothy Hankewich announced her appointment late Friday, saying “Julia brings tremendous talent to the Orchestra Iowa stage, and we’re thrilled to have her.”

(Sa-ha-rov-a) Sakharova is a native of Russia and has many achievements nationally and internationally. She has also conducted master classes at the University of Iowa School of Music. As a child in Russia, she performed for several visiting Cedar Rapids Rotary members. They arranged for her to come to the United States to receive needed medical care and have stayed close through the years.

Our weekend weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: You can expect sunny skies Saturday with a high near 32. Saturday night will be clear with a low around 26. Sunday will be sunny with a high near 45. Sunday evening will be mostly clear with a low around 24. Monday will be partly sunny with a high near 50.

You can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast Weekend Edition. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.