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THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 The Daily Iowan TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2006 WWW.DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Where hot air is wonderful Smoking Two good friends enjoy the world of uncertainty above the ground UP, UP, AND AWAY — CHECK OUT DAILYIOWAN.COM FOR DI area near VIDEOGRAPHER CASEY SWOYER’S UPLIFTING VIDEO DOCUMENTING THE LAUNCH OF A HOT-AIR BALLOON NEAR CEDAR RAPIDS. UIHC draws BY ASHTON SHURSON THE DAILY IOWAN The sky sometimes displays an array of dull clouds and bland colors — but every once in awhile, on a summer night or complaints early morning, a colorful bulb fills the sky, floating aimlessly. And if such a scene is taken in from around eastern Iowa, there’s a good chance a hot-air balloon piloted by Bill Hosford or son-in-law Kevin Kamp has something to do with the beautiful disrup- tion of an otherwise uninteresting sky. In July 2004, Hosford and Kamp started the Marion-based Balloon Trav- els Unlimited — and the journey has been, well, uplifting. “It’s just a really magical experience,” said Kamp, who added that he and Hos- ford made 75 flights last year during their typical mid-May to mid-October season. “Every flight is different.” Although their business is relatively new, the two said they began their love affair with aeronautics long before they left the ground. “I’ve always, always liked airplanes and things that fly,” Hosford said. “[Bal- looning] is a whole different component of aviation that fascinated me.” The 60-year-old gained his private pilot’s license for a fixed-wing aircraft in 1971 and his hot-air balloon private pilot license in May 2005. Kamp said he and Hosford started talk- ing and began looking for balloons during BY DANNY VALENTINE the fall of 2001, and in August 2002, they THE DAILY IOWAN began taking classes. But Kamp’s infatua- tion with balloons started long ago, as a Only feet from hospital grounds and a sign high-school student in Cedar Rapids. reading “proud to be a smoke-free campus,” 18 “My best friend’s aunt and uncle were hospital and construction workers lined the pilots, and I thought it sounded fun,” the Field House’s western wall Monday afternoon, UI alum said. “I liked it, and I started my puffing away on their cigarettes during a break. long association with their crew.” Almost a month after the July 1 UI Hospi- As a commercial pilot, Kamp trains tals and Clinics’ smoking ban went into other pilots and chauffeurs passengers, place, scores of hospital workers and visitors while Hosford, a crew chief, oversees the now gather on the sidewalks and against the ground-base process. walls bordering the athletics center to get Hosford said many people use the service their tobacco fix, conforming to the hospital- for anniversaries, birthdays, and engage- grounds-only ban, yet allegedly worsening ments, among other notable occasions. He the air quality around one of the campus’ added that because of the variable flights, main athletics venues. pleasant experiences usually ensue. But they may soon be told to relocate again, “The fun part of ballooning is that if some Field House patrons have it their way. there is a lot of uncertainty,” Hosford Discontent with the hundreds of cigarette said. Weather can cause much of that butts surrounding the building and concerns of uncertainty by postponing flights or by alleged secondhand-smoke exposure have Lindsey Walters/The Daily Iowan randomly determining where the balloon amounted to “10 complaints a day” to Recre- will land, he said. Kevin Kamp, a hot-air balloon pilot, and mother-in-law Winnie Hosford go up for a ride from Van ational Services Director Harry Ostrander Vechten Park in Cedar Rapids on July 23. After some complications with the fan that inflates the SEE BALLOON, PAGE 3 balloon, the ride was cut short so the balloon could land by sundown. SEE SMOKING, PAGE 3 Iowa senators hear from farmers HOSPITALS BY BRYCE BAUER STILL SEEING THE DAILY IOWAN THE VALUE OF As their crops slowly matured in MEDICATION the stifling July heat, farmers from AGRICULTURE IN 2002: across the state met with national • Iowa: $12.2 billion, which is 6.1 politicians Monday to discuss a dif- percent of the national total MISTAKES ferent kind of green growing: Jack- • Government payments to Iowa BY ASHTON SHURSON sons and Benjamins. farmers: $538.8 million, which is THE DAILY IOWAN The Ankeny talks were part of a 8.2 percent of the national total lawmakers’ tour through various A new report from the Institute of Medicine farm states to garner producers’ Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2002 of the National Academies found that mis- input as they begin work on the Census of Agriculture 2007 farm bill — the legislation takes made by medical professionals in admin- istering prescription medications — and by the responsible for myriad farm pro- ington, D.C., partly because of patients consuming the drugs — remains a grams, from conservation to price recent allegations that 72 percent of supports. farm subsidies are going to 10 per- concern, even as new technologies have begun “I think our biggest challenge for cent of U.S. farmers — a situation to streamline how drugs are doled out. the next farm bill is a bold and cre- he wants to stop. Medication errors injure 1.5 million people ative vision for U.S. agriculture,” “The next farm bill will obviously per year, while killing thousands and costing Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin look at all of these abuses and look the country $3.5 billion, the study shows. The said at the event. “One that protects Rachel Mummey/The Daily Iowan to make sure the farm programs are report cited confusing drug names, illegible diversity, enhances profitably, pro- Tim Meade looks at the progress of his corn at his farm on Monday. The directed to those that need the handwritten prescriptions, and the booming tects the environment, and encour- farm, which primarily produces soy beans, corn, and hogs, has been in the help,” he said. number of different medications as some of the ages rural economic development.” Meade family since 1952. Grassley added that he wanted to reasons for the errors. Every day that a hospi- The event was attended by both of see farming become more competi- tal patient stays in a medical institution, a “Iowa’s congressional delegation Republican Iowa Sen. Charles Iowa’s senators and agriculture tive at the international level, citing medication error should be anticipated, the will usually work together to serve Grassley warned those in atten- leaders. Despite their different party the United States’ relatively low study concluded. affiliations, the pair often agree on the state’s interest,” UI political-sci- dance that the agriculture program legislation regarding farm issues. ence Professor Peverill Squire said. had come under scrutiny in Wash- SEE FARM BILL, PAGE 3 SEE MEDICATION MISTAKES, PAGE 3 PRIME NUMBER DINING GLOBALLY TECH SUPPORT INDEX 88 31 C The Prime Time playoffs are At Venuto’s, when An Iowa City couple spend their time Arts 5 © © Partly sunny, down to two teams after some they say the world of food, fixing up old computers and giving Classifieds 8 breezy, 20% early, Crossword 7 70 21 C surprises Monday evening. 10 they mean the world. 5 them to needy kids. 8 60% late chance Opinions 4 of t-storms Sports 10 2 - The Daily Iowan - Iowa City, Iowa - Tuesday, July 25, 2006 NEWS The Daily Iowan Volume 138 Issue 36 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6063 Publisher: E-mail: [email protected] William Casey. 335-5788 Fax: 335-6184 Editor: Alford plea in sex-abuse case Meghan Sims. .335-6030 CORRECTIONS Managing Editor: Call: 335-6030 Margaret Poe. 335-5855 A man charged with two counts of child sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for Metro Editors: accuracy and fairness in the reporting Lee Hermiston. 335-6063 child, and indecent contact with a child may face up to seven years in prison of news. If a report is wrong or mis- Mason Kerns. .335-6063 leading, a request for a correction or a Opinions Editor: BY LEAH DORZWEILER cient evidence exists to be found girl told Stannard to stop, the degree sexual abuse with a 12- clarification may be made. Laura Michaels. .335-5863 THE DAILY IOWAN guilty by the prosecution. documents state, but he contin- year-old boy. As of Monday PUBLISHING INFO Sports Editor: While the 5- and 11-year-old ued to touch the same areas. evening, Stannard had not yet The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360)is Dan Parr. 335-5848 An Iowa City man charged girls stayed overnight at his res- The 5-year-old girl said Stan- been listed on the online Iowa published by Student Publications Inc., Tyson Wirth. 335-5848 with two counts of sexual abuse idence, Stannard touched their nard would wait for the older Sex Offender Registry. E131 Adler Journalism Building, Iowa Arts Editor: Charlie Moran . 335-5851 entered a guilty plea Monday in genital areas inappropriately on girl to fall asleep before touch- Indecent conduct with a child City, Iowa 52242-2004, daily except 6th District Court in Johnson at least two occasions, according ing her and then started to rub Saturdays, Sundays, legal and universi- Copy Chief: is an aggravated misdemeanor, Beau Elliot. .335-6030 County, withdrawing his previ- to police documents. her back, according to the docu- ty holidays, and university vacations. punishable by up to two years Design Editor: Periodicals postage paid at the Iowa ous plea of not guilty.

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