(Iowa City, Iowa), 2006-07-06
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SAMPLING FOLK-RAP When Matt Bar goes on his genre-bending journey, his audiences are in for a wild, beat-driven ride. You could say he’s raising the bar. 1B THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 The Daily Iowan THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2006 WWW.DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Local Nelson paroled after 3 years officials back eminent domain BY MASON KERNS THE DAILY IOWAN When the time came for Iowa legisla- tors to vote on a bill limiting the govern- ment’s right to condemn or seize private property, only 11 lawmakers took a stand against the latest attempt to limit the span of eminent domain. Standing against the bill’s 132 sup- porters, all four Iowa City-area legisla- tors on May 3 counted themselves among those reluctant to place the measure on Gov. Tom Vilsack’s desk. To their approval, Vilsack vetoed the bill June 2. Judging by the local Democratic law- makers’ negative votes and many John- son County officials’ opinions, finding locals who favor the bill could prove the equivalent of finding a parking spot on Ben Roberts/The Daily Iowan Clinton Street. Or finding — as state Phyllis Nelson pleads her case for early release to a three-member parole board at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, Iowa, Rep. Mary Mascher, D-Iowa City, would on Wednesday afternoon. Nelson was granted parole, to be served in Illinois, within the next four to six weeks. put it — a case where current eminent domain laws have proven ineffective. Phyllis Nelson wins her freedom after an emotional hearing before “Very simply: The eminent-domain bill wasn’t needed,” said Mascher, who the Iowa Board of Parole. Nelson, incarcerated at the Iowa Correctional opposed the bill, along with Rep. Dave Jacoby and Sen. Robert Dvorsky, both of Coralville, and Sen. Joe Bolkcom of Iowa Institution for Women since 2003, told board members she had been active in the SEE EMINENT DOMAIN, PAGE 6A prison’s choir, newspaper, education system, and hospice program. BY GRANT SCHULTE The 59-year-old will remain on Nelson was granted early out- Her interview with three THE DAILY IOWAN supervised probation with required of-state parole Wednesday, three members of the Iowa Board of WHAT IS EMINENT mental-health counseling, working years after her voluntary Parole was Nelson’s first public MITCHELLVILLE — Phyllis for a friend — a geologist — while manslaughter conviction in a case appearance since her sentenc- DOMAIN? Nelson will leave prison next living with cousins outside Chicago. that captivated the UI and ing in April 2003. Her attorney, • Compulsory expropriation of private land month with the legacy of her dis- She will remain on parole until exposed a well-known couple’s William Kutmus, flashed her for use by the government. tinguished husband’s death and a Sept. 20, 2007, ending a six-year crumbling marriage. Officials at an “OK” hand sign after the • Proponents of governments condemning chance to start anew as a secre- drama that began with the stab- the Iowa Correctional Institution vote. land or otherwise exercising eminent tary in Illinois, her friends and bing death of her husband, a lead- for Women said she will be domain (and thus opponents of the Iowa daughters a short drive away. ing UI medical-school dean. released within four to six weeks. SEE NELSON, PAGE 6A legislation trying to limit such practices) argue that forcing private citizens to sell their land at market value allows the gov- ernment to most-efficiently utilize land to promote economic development and gen- eral well-being. • Opponents of eminent domain (propo- UIHC faces nents of the legislation) argue that forcing citizens to cede private property violates the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which stipulates the land seized must be utilized for public use. ER flood • On May 3, the Iowa House and Senate passed a bill, 89-5 and 43-6, respectively, BY JOHN HAMAN David Walz, the physician’s assis- that would significantly limit the govern- SPECIAL TO THE DAILY IOWAN tant supervisor at the UIHC Emer- ment’s ability to condemn private land, gency Treatment Center, said the especially in the name of economic devel- UI Hospitals and Clinics officials are department’s struggles have spurred opment. taking steps to combat a growing trend the creation of a task-force of industrial • All four Iowa City/Coralville area state of patients who need emergency treat- engineers to boost the efficiency of the legislators were among just 11 lawmakers ment but often wait hours to see a emergency room’s intake process. Max- to vote against the measure. physician. imizing triage — the process of priori- • After Tom Vilsack vetoed the bill June 2, A series of new reports released by the tizing patients, shortening the regis- legislators agreed to convene July 14, for Institute of Medicine reveals that emer- tration process, and optimizing the a special session. There, the lawmakers gency facilities across the country are staff have all helped to alleviate the will vote to either override Vilsack’s veto flooded with patients they do not have problem, he said. by a two-thirds majority vote of both time nor space to treat. As a result, some “Our goal is to have patients be Ben Roberts/The Daily Iowan houses, draft a similar piece of legislation, people seeking care are forced to wait up seen by a doctor in 30 minutes,” Construction continues on a new emergency-treatment facility at the UIHC or let the original bill succumb to the veto. to 48 hours in emergency departments Walz said. “Sometimes they are on Tuesday afternoon. The $30 million center is scheduled to be finished because beds are not available. SEE ER, PAGE 6A in 2009. TALL TALES FATAL FOURTH LOOKING ABROAD INDEX 84 29 C Seth Gorney and Kurt Looby are both A Kalona man who nearly drowned in The U.S. Senate could aid the UI’s Arts 1B © © looking to replace Erek Hansen, and the Reservoir on July 4 has died from international-exchange efforts. Classifieds 4B Crossword 6B 59 15 C they had an interesting face-off in injuries he sustained. 2A 5A Mostly sunny, Opinions 4A light winds North Liberty. 8A Sports 8A 2A - The Daily Iowan - Iowa City, Iowa - Thursday, July 6, 2006 NEWS RESERVOIR ACCIDENT The Daily Iowan Volume 138 Issue 23 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6063 Publisher: Victim of near-drowning dies E-mail: [email protected] William Casey. 335-5788 Fax: 335-6184 Editor: CORRECTIONS Meghan Sims. .335-6030 Managing Editor: Call: 335-6030 A Kalona man, who had planned to get married on July 14, died from injuries Margaret Poe. 335-5855 Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for Metro Editors: sustained at the Reservoir on July 4 accuracy and fairness in the reporting Lee Hermiston. 335-6063 of news. If a report is wrong or mis- Mason Kerns. .335-6063 leading, a request for a correction or a Opinions Editor: BY DANNY VALENTINE referring to her goddaughter’s ‘The only thing that clarification may be made. Laura Michaels. .335-5863 THE DAILY IOWAN loss. “It’s kinda tearing her RECENT PUBLISHING INFO Sports Editor: apart.” hurts me is that James The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360)is Dan Parr. 335-5848 Ryan Ream and fiancée Around 4 p.m. on Indepen- CORALVILLE published by Student Publications Inc., Tyson Wirth. 335-5848 Brandy Fulton planned to dence Day, Ream was swim- won’t understand E131 Adler Journalism Building, Iowa Arts Editor: marry July 14. Ream was still ming within the roped-off RESERVOIR City, Iowa 52242-2004, daily except Charlie Moran . 335-5851 in the process of teaching his area near West Overlook where daddy is.’ Saturdays, Sundays, legal and universi- Copy Chief: Beau Elliot. .335-6030 stepson James how to be cool. Beach when he became ty holidays, and university vacations. ACCIDENTS Design Editor: trapped under water, said — Audray Hicks, Periodicals postage paid at the Iowa Mimicking Ream, the young- Brittany Volk. 335-6030 Fulton’s godmother City Post Office under the Act of ster would walk around the Johnson County Sheriff • Allan Leon Butler drowned Photo Editor: Lonny Pulkrabek. Several Congress of March 2, 1879. house giggling, “Me cool.” June 17, 2003 Laura Schmitt. .335-5852 witnesses, after diving in the clan.” SUBSCRIPTIONS But in the late evening on • Hannah Meeks drowned July Web Editor: July 4, the wedding was can- search of the man, pulled him He had an outgoing person- Call: Pete Recker at 335-5783 Tony Phan. .335-5829 6, 2003 E-mail: [email protected] celed and the lessons cut short from the lake bed approxi- ality, he worshipped kids, and Business Manager: mately 10 feet below the sur- • Aaron Hill, died July 10, 2004 Debra Plath. .335-5786 when the confident 20-year-old he attended church every Subscription rates: face. Ream had been underwa- after being hit by a boat Iowa City and Coralville: $20 for one Advertising Manager: Kalona native died from week, Hicks said. ter five to 15 minutes, accord- • Kenneth Edward Fowler semester, $40 for two semesters, $10 Cathy Witt. .335-5794 injuries To Rev. Gene Carpenter of for summer session, $50 for full year. Classified Ads Manager: ing to a statement Pulkrabek First Baptist Church in Well- drowned June 18, 2006 sustained that day in a near- issued Tuesday. Out of town: $40 for one semester, Cristine Perry. .335-5784 drowning in the Coralville man, Ream was a very sincere $80 for two semesters, $15 for summer Circulation Manager: “The undercurrent must of and respectful man.