The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 13

The Des Moines Register ST AROUND IOWA Friday, November 15, 2002 Page 3B DHS self -evaluation nears completion has shown areas needs to improve improvement." Part of a yearlong federal evaluation, the department's self-critique has already exposed areas where the department must improve or risk losing federal money. While workers exceed federal standards for reuniting families and quickly completing adoptions, they have been less successful in preventing repeated abuse and keeping children out of the system. More than 80 percent of youths who are removed from troubled homes in Iowa are returned to their parents within a year, preliminary results show. Of those who cannot be returned because of abuse, almost half are adopted the agency fared. "Then, they'll have to approve a performance-improvement plan," Munns said.

"There's a formula for a loss of federal funds if you don't comply, but they won't get to that determination for a couple years." Scott said that while the American Humane Association and others have written reports critiquing the department's high caseloads and lack of resources, the federal review carries the hammer of potential federal cuts and could force state lawmakers to address budget shortages. Reporter Lee Rood can be reached at (51 5) 284-8549 or lrooddmreg.com within a year. At the same time, almost 26 percent of foster children who return home are sent back to foster care within a year, more than three times the national standard of 8.6 percent. Almost 12 percent of abused children are abused again within six months, nearly twice the standard of 6.1 percent. Steve Scott, executive director of Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, said the findings do not necessarily mean the DHA does a poor job.

"We always look at DHS as responsible for everything, and they're really not," he said. "So many other factors come into play done in all 50 states to meet stringent federal standards that push for improved child safety and permanent homes for at-risk youth. Rasmussen said the agency is embracing the new standards "without reservation." "This new approach comes at a good time for us," she said. "It allows us to brag a little about areas where we excel, and it underscores the efforts we have been making in areas where we need Tuition and mandatory fees Tuition will rise for in-state and out-of-state students in every program at Iowa's three universities. The following is a sampling of the major programs at each school and proposed tuition and fees 2003-04.

TUITION I PERCENT I DOLLAR AND FEES! INCREASE I INCREASE Court: College not in out-of-wedlock Undergraduate resident 4.993 19.1 $802 Undergraduate nonresident $15,285 10.5 $1,452 Undergraduate resident Business $5,225 1B.4 $812 Undergraduate nonresident Business $15,517 10.4 $1,462 Graduate resident $5,689 16.4 $802 Graduate nonresident $15,723 10.2 $1,452 MBA resident MBA nonresident MBA resident (enrolled MBA nonresident enrolled Dentistry resident (enrolled Dentistry nonresident (enrolled Dentistry resident (enrolled Dentistry nonresident (enrolled Medicine resident (enrolled Medicine nonresident (enrolled (enrolled fall 2001 enrolled fall 2001 $9,637 9.1 $802 $17,949 4.7 $802 fall 2002 2003 fall 2002 2003' $10,701 8.0 $796 $19,013 4.4 $802 fall 2000 2001 fall 2000 2001 $13,585 6.3 $802 $28,551 2.9 $802 fall 2002 2003 fall 2002 2003' $16,585 $31,550 5.1 2.6 $802 $802 Law resident Law nonresident $11,603 10.4 $25,361 4.5 $1,094 $1,094 prior to fall 2001) prior to fall 2001) $14,341 5.9 $802 $32,809 2.5 $802 $18,489 4.5 $802 $36,957 2.2 $802 Medicine resident (enrolled fall 2001-2003 Medicine nonresident enrolled fall 2001-2003' Undergraduate resident Undergraduate nonresident $5,028 22.3 $918 $14,370 12.2 $1,568 $5,244 21.5 $928 $14,586 12.1 $1,578 Graduate resident $5,686 19.2 $916 Graduate nonresident $14,862 11.8 $1,566 Undergraduate resident Engineering Undergraduate nonresident Engineering Veterinary medicine resident (enrolled prior to fall 2002) $9,762 10.4 $918 Veterinary medicine nonresident (enrolled prior to fall 2002) $24,948 6.7 $1 ,568 Veterinary medicine resident (enrolled 2002 2003) $10,536 9.5 $918 Veterinary medicine nonresident (enrolled 2002 2003) $27,048 6.2 $1 ,568 as to whether children are re-abused." Other departments nationally are struggling to meet the high benchmarks. Iowa DHS spokesman Roger Munns said none of the 17 states that have completed federal checkups has met all 14 standards being reviewed. Once Iowa's self-assessment is complete, workers from the federal Health and Human Services Department will visit three Iowa cities in May to review child-welfare records and to interview social workers, providers and families. The visit will be followed by a report next summer on how Equal Protection clause of the Constitution. "There cannot be any rational basis to allow a legitimate child to recover support through college and not allow an illegitimate child to recover the same," the Appeals Court said.

But the Supreme Court said there was no discrimination by the law against out-of-wedlock children, and that the father wasn't required to pay the college costs. In a separate Polk County case, the court said that a mother had no claim against a Des Moines bar when her teenage son was killed in a traffic accident after drinking at the bar. Colleen Dorrian, in her lawsuit against Hazel's Blue Diner, claimed the business had violated the state's dram shop law, which prevents lawsuits against drinking How bail bonds work The defendant's bail is designed to ensure he or she will appear in court. After bail is set by a judge, the defendant can pay in cash or post a surety bond. A friend or relative of the defendant can pay the bondsman 1 0 percent of the court's bail amount.

A contract is signed, using collateral such as the person's property, to cover bail. 0 The defendant is released from jail. Once released, the defendant must appear at his or her trial, at which time the bond is returned. If the defendant skips his or her trial, the cash bond is not returned. If the defendant posted a surety bond with a bondsman, and he or she skips trial, the money put up by the acquaintance is not returned, and if property was used as collateral, it becomes the property of the bondsman.

Art Hasbro, Inc. Source: Iowa State Bar Association, Iowa Code KATIE VANDALSEMTHE REGISTER luck. They said Nulph took advantage of someone in poor health who requires a full-time caretaker and a part-time nurse. The house has been in Valadez's family for 34 years. She has lived there the past nine years, paying to have it remodeled to fit her disability.

Her daughter, Angela Sandoval, lives with her. So does her 19-year-old granddaughter, Adalia Alvarez-Johnson, and a 2-year-old great-granddaughter, Alexis. "We're all going to be out of a home," Valadez said. Nulph said that's how it works. He doesn't go searching for clients.

They come to him. He said Valadez wasn't alone the day she signed the contract, and "she wasn't on her deathbed." Valadez acknowledges that she previously put up the house for her son, Angel, and her granddaughter, Adalia, when they were in jail at various times. Sandoval, Valadez's daughter and full-time caretaker, said she called Nulph, at her mother's request, after Acosta's arrest on Nov. 20, 2001, in the sexual assault of a family friend. Acosta, 32, lived at 4210 E.

14th St. He had been working at a concrete company north of Des Moines. Valadez's relatives said The study already where the agency By LEE ROOD REGISTER STAFF WRITER Workers in Iowa's largest and most critiqued state agency will soon complete their own assessment of how well they protect vulnerable children. A monthslong child-welfare review by the Iowa Department of Human Services should be complete by January, Director Jessie Rasmussen said Wednesday. Similar self-assessments are being Iowa tough on drivers using drugs DRUGGED, from Page 1 detected, prosecuted or referred to treatment compared with drunken drivers, said Walsh.

One major problem is the variation in state laws and how they deal with drug use while driving, he said. Iowa is one of just eight states with "zero tolerance" laws for drugged driving. That means the laws, in general, bar the presence of a prohibited substance or drug in the driver while in control of a motor vehicle. In other states, said Walsh, the interpretations of driving "under the influence" vary and make it difficult for prosecutors trying to prove that impairment is directly related to drug use. That means the laws are not often enforced, he said.

Pete Grady, an assistant Iowa attorney general, said the state's drugged-driving law was suggested by Attorney General Tom Miller in 1995 and became law on July 1, 1998. It came about because prosecutors would have evidence of drug use through blood or urine samples, but had difficulty making a case because of the lack of a scientific standard for impairment due to use of illegal drugs, unlike the standards set for alcohol use, said Grady. Alcohol is uniformly made under set standards, while illegal drugs have less predictable effects, depending on how they are prepared and who is ingesting them. There aren't scientific studies conducted using illegal drugs, said Grady. The new law made it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while any amount of a controlled substance is present in the person, as measured in blood or urine.

The study observed that Iowa has laws designed to punish drugged drivers and keep them off the streets. "The criminal penalties are stiff," the study said, including up to a year in prison for a first offense. Reporter Jane Norman can be reached at (202) 906-8137 or at lnormandmreg.com Other states Iowa is one of just eight states with "zero tolerance" laws for drugged driving. Here are the others: STATES: The others are Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Utah. MEANING: In general, all eight states bar the presence of a prohibited substance or drug in a driver while in control of a motor vehicle.

Michigan professor wins award from of I THE REGISTER'S IOWA NEWS SERVICE Iowa City, la. The University of Iowa College of Public Health has selected Kenneth E. Warner a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, to receive the 2002 Richard and Barbara Hansen Leadership Award and Distinguished Lectureship. He will give a lecture at 1:30 p.m. today in the Dean Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel.

Warner is a leading researcher on the economic and policy aspects of disease prevention and health promotion, with a special emphasis on tobacco and health. The Hansen Award is given annually by the University of Iowa's College of Public Health. Undergraduate resident $4,916 19.4 $798 Undergraduate nonresident $11,874 13.9 $1,448 Graduate resident Graduate nonresident Source: Iowa Board of Regents included support establishment for damages. "We continue to adhere to the view that the Legislature can limit recovery for alcohol-related claims against liquor licensees to a specific list of claimants," the court said the in 4-3 ruling. The dissenter said the logic was "ludicrous" and there was mounting pressure to get tough on drinking.

In another Polk County case, the court upheld the second-degree murder conviction of baby sitter Tifany Myers. She was charged with the January 2000 killing of 21-month-old Joel Vasquez. Prosecutors said the baby had been shaken and slammed to the floor. Reporter Frank Santiago can be reached at (515) 284-8528 or fsantlagodmreg.com Examples of bail: JOHN MUHAMMAD The 41 -year-old Washington, D.C.-area sniper suspect, is being held without bail. MATTHEW TRAYN0R, 23, of Cedar Rapids, was charged with drunken driving after a fatal accident in Cedar Rapids in September.

He was released on $50,000 bail. MADELYNE GORMAN T00G00D The 25-year-old woman caught striking her 4-year-old daughter in an Indiana parking lot in September, was released on $5,000 bail. JERAMY ESSARY The 27-year-old of Davenport was charged with first-degree murder in July for allegedly smothering his 16-month-old son. His bail was set at $1 million. WINONA RYDER The actress was charged with grand theft, burglary and vandalism for allegedly stealing $5,570 worth of I merchandise.

She was freed on $20,000 bail. someone unknown to them put Acosta in contact with her. Valadez said she has known Acosta for about 10 years. He insisted the charges against him were false, she said, and that the alleged victim wasn't credible. "He said I had nothing to worry about," Valadez said.

"I told him that this house is all I have left." Sandoval said her husband, who doesn't speak English, was the only person with Valadez when the bail bondsman arrived with the contract. "I really don't believe she was competent enough to make that decision," Sandoval said. The home is up for sale now. A lot of people have looked, but no one has made an offer. Valadez's son and daughter-in-law might be able to take her in, but they have three children, one is disabled, and their house is small.

"I've always said, I'll live here until the day I die," Valadez said, sitting in a wheelchair at her kitchen table. "I never thought there'd be another stop along the way." Reporter Tim Paluch can be reached at (515) 284-8065 or tpaluchdmreg.com Register Start Writer Megan Hawkins contributed to this article. CIS 2 ij 4 i 9 Regents say legislators to blame for increase By FRANK SANTIAGO REGISTER STAFF WRITER The Iowa Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a Story County father didn't have to pay the college expenses for a grown son who was born out-of-wedlock. "We conclude that the discrimination against illegitimate children that was perceived by the Court of Appeals is not well-founded," Justice James Carter wrote. Debbie Johnson, the mother of Jared Johnson, had gone to court to have support paid by his father, Michael Louis, include a college educatioa She maintained that the law discriminated against children born out-of-wedlock because only children whose parents are married have the support obligations handled in the courts.

The situation, she said, was a denial of the D.M. woman tried to help, may lose out BAIL, from Page 1 the dotted line. Bail bondsman Kenny Nulph said it wasn't the first time Valadez had used her house as collateral to get friends and relatives out of jail, "only this time, the guy took off." "It's not like I lifted her hand and signed for her," Nulph said. "She knew what she was doing." Acosta skipped a court date in January and hasn't been seen since. There's a warrant for his arrest, but Nulph doesn't hold out much hope that authorities will catch him.

Defendants fail to appear in court about 20 percent of the time, said Josh Lederman, co-owner of AAA Lederman Bail Bonds in Des Moines. Most forget the time, cant get a ride, or show up on the wrong day. "I would say that 2 (percent) to 3 percent of the time a person who is bonded out willfully avoids court," Lederman said. Only one in 10, he said, disappear. "It's a very small number because usually if someone is putting a home up for collateral, they have a real interest in making sure that person appears in court," Lederman said.

When someone vanishes before the court date, a judge issues a forfeiture notice and the bond company must pay the bail amount. Under Iowa law, the company then has 60 days to find the defendant and prove that its money should be refunded. Iowa's laws are strict in comparison to other states, which allow up to one year for companies to prove their cases, Lederman said. Bottom line: Alvarez is bound to the signed agreement. Since his company was founded in 1965, Lederman said it has never taken a piece of property.

Instead, it works with homeowners on payment plans. "Maybe a couple percent is all I've had to deal with," said Steve Collis, owner of A-l Bail Bonds in Des Moines. "You run into problems now and again, but that's the nature of this business." The state regulates companies that offer surety bonds and contracts such as Valadez's in which a home is used as collateral, and a legal affairs bureau handles complaints. Valadez has not filed a complaint against Iowa Bail Bonds Inc. But her relatives said the situation is more than one woman's bad $5,612 16.6 $798 $12,686 12.9 $1,448 THE REGISTER university sets aside for financial aid by $800,000.

All three universities will seek more donations for scholarships. "As we've been privatized by the state, we've had to operate like the private sector," said UNI President Robert Koob. The board members also criticized legislators for cutting money this year from the Iowa Work Study program, which provides money for students through campus jobs. Gov. Tom Vilsack said Thursday that he opposed the tuition increase.

He said he hoped to work with the Legislature in January to make higher education more affordable by restoring the work-study program and offering interest-free loans to students who stay in Iowa after graduation. "As we look to the next budget year, we need to make every effort to hold down these tuition increases that threaten to price working families out of higher education opportunities," he said. Despite the added financial burden, Regent David Fisher of West Des Moines said Iowa universities still are competitive with neighboring states and peer institutions. "The opportunity is an investment," he said. "A college education has a big return." win award a $3,000 cash prize.

The award-winning team includes Geb Thomas, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering; Gregory J. Gerling, a graduate student in mechanical and industrial engineering; Alicia Weissman, assistant professor of family medicine; and Edwin Dove, professor of biomedical engineering. REGENTS, from Page 1B Students, already hit by a 19.4 percent increase in tuition and fees this fall, will face larger bills despite a decline in some educational services. Budget cuts have resulted in larger class sizes and reductions in faculty and class sections at all three universities. "Students would like to see something in return" for their money, said Joe Darr, student body vice president at Iowa State University.

Student leaders told the Board of Regents on Thursday that students already are working too many hours and relying heavily on loans to pay for their education. At the University of Northern Iowa, Nick Schultz, a fourth-year student, has had to borrow more money this year than the last three years combined. He has spent the semester encouraging students to vote, in hope of avoiding future tuition increases. "We need to show legislators that students do care," he said. The three university leaders said they would explore new ways to lessen the financial blow to students.

University of Iowa Interim President Willard "Sandy" Boyd announced a plan Thursday to increase the amount of money the of I professors, student THE REGISTER'S IOWA NEWS SERVICE Iowa City, la. Three University of Iowa professors and a graduate student have been awarded the 2002 of I President's Award for Technology Innovation for their work on the Dynamic Simulator for Clinical Breast Examination Training. The award recognizes the most creative use of technology in teaching and carries I.