The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 15

The Des Moines Register Metro Edition Wednesday, December 22, 2010 Page3B IOWA POLITICS INSIDER Compiled by Register political reporters Thomas Beaumont, Jennifer Jacobs and Jason Clayworth and other Register staff. Get more Insider online counsel and legislative liaison, Mary Mosiman will serve as deputy of elections and Sarah Reisetter will be retained in a new role in the Elections Division. Jason Clayworth Republican Gocke will seek Senate seat Ankeny lawyer James Gocke said Tuesday he will seek the Republican nomination to run for an open Iowa Senate seat. The seat is open because Republican Sen. Larry Noble resigned when Terry Branstad chose him to be the new commissioner of the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Gocke said in a news release that his chief concerns are taxes and spending. "I believe in spending money wisely, getting the most return on spending and taking care of core services first and then look to quality-of-life expenditures," he said. Gocke is a shareholder in the law firm of Block, Lamberti, Gocke and Ahlman in Ankeny. Jennifer Jacobs McGee will become human rights director Terry Branstad continued on Tuesday to fill out his roster of state department heads. Terry Rich, former CEO of Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, will remain the Iowa Lottery's CEO.

Rich was appointed to the Iowa Lottery in February 2009. Former Waukee City Councilman Isaiah McGee will be Iowa's next human rights director. McGee, 31, is a member of the Iowa Advisory Committee of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and has served the state in the Generation Iowa Commission and the Iowa Indigent Defense Commission. He will replace Preston Daniels, a Democrat and former mayor of Des Moines.

Jason Clay worth Culver says state has $950 million surplus Gov. Chet Culver will leave the state poised to have $948.5 million in surpluses when his term expires, his administration said Tuesday. negotiator and a hard campaigner. He has said, for instance, that he will block a resolution to begin the process of amending the Iowa Constitution to ban gay marriage, a priority of the new GOP House majority. "We're looking to get the word out.

It's going to be tough. He's entrenched," said new Pottawattamie County Republican Chairman Jeff Jorgensen. "I think the earlier start we get, the better off we'll be." Thomas Beaumont Secretary of state's office hires Gibbons Jim Gibbons, a former Iowa State University wrestling coach who ran for Congress this year, has been hired to work in the Iowa secretary of state's office. Secretary of State-elect Matt Schultz announced Tuesday he has hired Gibbons to work as the chief deputy and director of business services. Gibbons ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in the 3rd District.

Schultz previously announced that Doug Struyk will serve as legal Dateline Iowa From Register staff and news services I ATLANTIC Former car dealer avoids prison term A former car dealer won't go to prison for trying to burn down a building he owned and collect insurance payments, as long as he follows a judge's orders. Cass County District Judge James Richardson gave Jerry Wyman a suspended 12-year prison sentence Monday for conspiring to commit arson, insurance fraud and fraudulent practices. Wyman used to run Wyman's Auto in Atlantic. Richardson ordered Wyman to go to a residential rehabilitation center in Council Bluffs for treatment. I DAVENPORT More charges filed in man's crime spree Davenport police have filed more charges against a jail inmate who fled from an Iowa City hospital and set off on an 18-hour crime spree that authorities said included multiple carjackings and subsequent crashes.

Anthony Koehlhoeffer was arrested Dec. 15 in Bettendorf after crashing one of several vehicles he is believed to have stolen. Davenport police have filed robbery and theft charges against Public universities report increase in campus visits Iowa political news, follow the DesMoinesRegister.com and another $434 million in reserve accounts, according to a news release from Culver's office. Jason Clayworth GOP seeks opponent forGronstalin2012 The Pottawattamie County Republican Party is essentially putting out an open casting call for a Republican to take on state Sen. Mike Gronstal in 2012.

Gronstal, of Council Bluffs, is the leader of the thin Democratic majority in the Iowa Senate and effectively the linchpin to passing legislation, considering the House has a new GOP majority. Gronstal was elected in 1982 and has built a reputation as a tough TROOPERS FROM PAGE IB mittal Monday. "This, as with all budget issues, is under review by Governor Branstad and his team at this time," Albrecht said. The 45 jobs are threatened because Democratic Gov. Chet Culver's administration plugged a budget gap in the Iowa Department of Public Safety earlier this year with $4.2 million in federal money.

Officials made an emergency application to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to reallocate money previously designated for purchasing equipment and other purposes. Snedden estimates $3 million is needed to retain the 45 troopers for the state fiscal year starting July 1. About $1.5 million more would pay for some additional troopers to bolster the patrol's ranks. He suggests gradually rebuilding the force to about 450 troopers over a period of years. Senate President Jack Kibbie, D-Emmetsburg, said Monday he believes lawmakers will authorize the State Patrol more troopers than it has today.

"I think Iowans feel the State Patrol is part of public safety and look for us to adequately fund the troopers," Kibbie said. State Rep. David Tjepkes, R-Gowrie, a former state trooper who will be chairman of the Iowa House Transportation Committee, said he will also support For continuous updates on Iowa Politics Insider blog at politicsinsider. Culver, a Democrat, was highly criticized for his budget decisions during this year's campaign by Republican Terry Branstad, who said the state instead has a $1 billion deficit. That figure, however, refers to the projected budget gap between forecasted spending and revenues for the fiscal year that begins July 1,2011.

The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency has previously estimated the gap at around $1 billion. State lawmakers and administration officials estimate budget wants and needs more than a year in advance. The total surplus estimate is now around $514.5 million for the general fund's ending balance tions may just reflect a trend where students submit applications to more schools, Barron said. But Barron said he thinks the of I may exceed last year's record and school officials are already discussing resource issues, such as how many beds and how much classroom space will be needed. "We haven't really started running models and doing formal forecasting, but it is pretty clear from the numbers we should most certainly meet the goal of what we enrolled last year, and in all likelihood we will exceed it," Barron said.

In fall 2010, the of I enrolled 4,557 new freshmen, which was the largest class ever and had a 12 percent, or 494-student, jump over the previous year. At ISU, Harding said based on current information he projects 4,200 new freshman students in fall 201 1, or 350 fewer than in fall 2010. He added that at this time last year, ISU was projecting a class of 4,200 students but 4,552 enrolled. "Bottom line, ISU is on target to meet its fall 2011 enrollment goals," Harding said. Harding said recruiting is getting more competitive.

High school classes in Iowa as well as top feeder states, Illinois and Minnesota, are declining, so schools are competing for fewer students, Harding said. k8F 4- fM'" rV "4i'l Tj.Jf'1-- trol's ranks are far below what they were a decade ago when there were more than 450 troopers. In addition, the patrol closed two district offices last year in Cherokee and Ottumwa in an effort to save money, merging the work with other districts. Ed Wallace, president of the Iowa Taxpayers Association, said there is no higher priority in state government than public safety, which is why he wants to avoid the trooper layoffs. "We know as an Iowa Taxpayers Association perspective that many counties and municipalities have had to cut back dramatically on their law enforcement resources, thus putting a greater strain on the State Patrol and other agencies under the Iowa Department of Public Safety," Wallace said.

Wallace said additional State Patrol funding should come from existing state revenues. He said he would oppose any effort to increase fees paid by motorists, noting that in recent years lawmakers have raised the cost of traffic fines and motor vehicle fees. Snedden said several neighboring states, including Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota, have increased motor vehicle fees to secure revenue for state police and patrol agencies. Confections sweeter than candy. 44 TOT i Valley West ll mr Iowa troopers' ranks dwindle The number of troopers assigned to the Iowa State Patrol has fallen to levels not seen since the mid-1960s.

1935 C50 1945 ET3 163 1950 LJTIl 213 1960 "i 300 1965 TUT 350 1970 i975 1980 1985 ZZZZ'ZZ1 1995 JmiKB1i, frn" 2000 crrzzza 2005 2010 EI Source: Iowa State Troopers Association THE REGISTER sufficient state funding for troopers. But he said he also wants some troopers moved from desk jobs and returned to the road. About 250 to 275 troopers within the overall force of 371 troopers are assigned to road duties. The rest do administrative work in Des Moines and field offices or work on vehicle theft cases, executive protection, legislative security, safety education, aviation enforcement and other responsibilities. Because of repeated state budget cuts, the State Pa A 3l ft.

MON-THU 8am 10pm FRI 8am Both the of I and ISU set enrollment records this year. ByB.A. MORELLI Iowa City Press-Citizen Iowa City, la. Interest in Iowa's three public universities continues to be strong with large numbers of visits by prospective students and increased numbers of admission applications. The University of Iowa and Iowa State University both set record enrollments this year; the University of Northern Iowa saw its enrollment increase.

Officials at the three schools report campus visits by prospective students are up and applications for fall 2011 are up or on par with last year. "We make every effort to reach out to perspective students who might meet our profile, and more are applying," said Michael Barron, the University of Iowa's admission director. The of I is seeing an increase in applications from Iowans, domestic nonresidents and international students, Barron said. Diversity and the academic achieve ment level of the applicant pool are also up, he said. of I reports a 5 percent increase in incoming freshman student applications, and a 4 percent increase in on-campus visitors.

UNI reports a 20 percent increase in applications from incoming freshmen and an 1 1 percent increase for transfer students. Individual campus visits are up nearly 18 percent and group visits are up more than 1 1 percent. ISU did not immediately have data available, but admissions director Marc Harding said campus visits are up and applications are about the same as last year, which was the second most ever. Harding said he did not have application data that is comparable to last year because ISU transferred to a new online admissions system, which provides applicants a decision within 48 hours. While student interest appears strong, it's hard to predict how many students will wind up on campus, Barron and Harding said.

The increase in applica Buying Rings, BraceU Chains, Necklaces. We Buy Estates Oiin Koehlhoeffer in Scott County. He has already been charged with being a fugitive and eluding authorities. He remains in the Scott County Jail. I EDDYVILLE Untreated sewage flows into river As much as 50,000 gallons of untreated sewage has been released into a Des Moines River tributary near Eddyville, but Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials said they do not believe there is an immediate health concern.

A pump failed Monday afternoon and sewage went about two miles from a lift station to the unnamed Des Moines tributary, the DNR said. Ottumwa gets drinking water from the river, and officials were notified as a precaution, the DNR said. I CEDAR RAPIDS Teen charged in crash to be tried as adult A Cedar Rapids teenager charged with two counts of vehicular homicide in a crash that killed another teen will be tried as an adult. Ramius Hardiman, 17, is charged in a Nov. 8 crash that killed Jose Mendoza.

A revised criminal complaint filed Monday accuses Hardiman of unintentionally causing Mendoza's death by operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The other count alleges he unintentionally caused Mendoza's death by driving in a reckless manner. Firm tells Gazette it violated trademark A New York media company that serves the financial industry wants a judge to stop the company that owns an Iowa newspaper from using its new name because of alleged trademark infringement. SourceMedia which publishes American Banker and several other financial publications, filed the claim in federal court last week against the Gazette Co. The company says the Gazette, which owns the Cedar Rapids newspaper by that name and ABC television affiliate KCRG-TV, violated trademark law when it adopted the umbrella name SourceMedia Group this year.

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