Aging state owned buildings face 63 million repair bill
Iowa faces a 62.8 million backlog in repairs for aging state offices and institutions. Jack Walters of the Department of General Services notes decades of tight budgets left buildings with crumbling roofs, asbestos, tuckpointing needs and fire code issues across 18 state facilities housing inmates, youths, the mentally ill and the elderly veterans.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Jack Walters
Nancy Norman
Iowa Department of Human Services
Judy Daubenmier
Des Moines
Iowa Department of General Services
State facilities and schools listed by Iowa system
A catalog of state institutions includes Cherokee Clarinda prisons Independence Mount Pleasant prisons Specialty schools in Council Bluffs for the deaf and Vinton for the blind and a roster of hospital schools Glenwood Woodward Anamosa Clarinda Fort Madison Luster Heights Mitchellville Mount Pleasant Newton Oakdale Rockwell City Veterans Home Marshalltown Juvenile Facilities.
Branstad to Form Panel on Iowa Facility Needs
Gov. Branstad plans to name a task force of private citizens and state officials within two months to study whether Iowa should keep all current state facilities amid a $62.8 million repair backlog. Patrick Cavanaugh calls the review badly needed as many facilities are over a century old and serve vulnerable citizens. The panel will assess essential services and maintenance investments.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa
Judy Daubenmier
Des Moines
Terry Branstad
Patrick Cavanaugh
Iowa Department of Management
Cavanaugh
Iowa faces 62.8 million needed to repair state facilities
State officials warn facilities rapidly deteriorate and a task force will study future use of institutions. Key sites include Independence Cherokee Mount Pleasant Clarinda and more. Replacements loom for transformers at the Capitol Complex to avoid fines, as reform trends push toward community care.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Iowa Capitol
Des Moines
Cavanaugh
Dr B Helps Kids With Success AtMHI
Dr Richard Bealka medical director of Cromwell Children's Unit at Independence Mental Health Institute leads a high rated inpatient program for mentally ill children. DHS honored his work citing outstanding contributions to human services. The unit emphasizes celebrating child successes with slips and team praise while teaching social skills and self esteem through education group living and psychiatric help. Bealka says success breeds success and stresses helping kids overcome fear of trying and learning to play share and follow rules. He is a 57 year old St Paul native who came to MHI 25 years ago to lead the unit.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cindy Kranz
Iowa
Independence Mental’ Health Institute
Richard Bealka
Bealka
Cromwell Children’s Unit
MHI
St. Paul, Minn
Grace Cottrell Faith Endures at 110 in Washington Iowa
Grace Cottrell, nearly blind and almost deaf, will turn 110 in Washington Iowa making her the third oldest person in Iowa. She prays boldly at United Presbyterian Home reciting psalms and prayers with a voice that returns when she asks for divine help. Her daughter Elizabeth Armstrong notes the words come to Grace as a part of her being not memorized. Grace Blasy married Edward Cottrell at 27 and served as a Bible teacher with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church while raising two children James and Elizabeth.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Donna Lee Olson
Iowa
Washington, Iowa
Grace Cottrell
Grace Blasy Cottrell
Grace
United Presbyterian Home
Father
Jesus
Pennsylvania
Elizabeth Armstrong
Anaheim
Calif
Elizabeth
Grace Blasy
Edward Cottrell
Pittsburgh
Christian and Missionary Alliance Church
James
Also Mentioned on This Page
Gazette
Capitol
Gazette Photo
Cherokee Clarinda
Independence Mount Pleasant
Council Bluffs
Vinton
Glenwood Woodward
Mount Pleasant
Newton
Oakdale
Rockwell City
Veterans Home
Marshalltown
Eldora Toledo
Tim Jones
Iowa Departments of Human Services, Corrections and General Services
Independence
Cherokee
Clarinda
Woodward and Glenwood Hospital
Iowa School For the
Iowa Braille and Sight-Saving
Eldora
Toledo
Dr. B
Cromwell Children’s
Independence Mental Health Institute
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