Category: DU in the News

Politics professor Dennis Goldford comments in this widely distributed article about Iowa's expected loss of one U.S. House seat. ""Whatever heft Iowa has in Congress is based on seniority," Goldford says. He questions how the state's five districts will be divided into four.

Mark Lawson, a 1979 Drake Law School grad, is one of two attorneys nominated to be a judge in the Seventh Judicial District of Iowa. He's been in private practice in Maquoketa, Ia., since 1989 and has served as city attorney for Bellevue, Maquoketa and Sabula. He's been a Jackson County Magistrate since January.

Retired McDonald's CEO Fred Turner, a Drake alumnus and member of the Drake Board of Trustees, reflects on McDonald's franchise pioneer Robert Rhea. Rhea, who died Dec. 14 at the age of 78, helped introduce McDonald's to the UK.

Drake alumna Anna Horvath, owner and choreographer of Grace Ballet and Gymnastics Studio in Saylor Township, Ia., pushed through a fire that destroyed the studio on Dec. 2 to debut her rendition of "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice" on Dec. 18.

An attempt to impeach Iowa Supreme Court Justices, without evidence of malfeasance or corruption, would be "an egregious abuse of power," said Mark Kende of the Drake University Constitutional Law Center. "If one disagrees with a court decision, it is absolutely not a justification for impeachment," he said.

Chris Snider, a multimedia journalism instructor at Drake, tracks the top newspapers on Facebook. He says college newspapers don't have "tens of tens of thousands of followers on Facebook... But they are getting there."

Despite growing populations, Iowa will lose a seat in the U.S. House when districts are redrawn next year. "It's not like Iowa swings a lot of weight in the house," says Drake politics professor Dennis Goldford. "So whatever weight Iowa swings is through seniority."

Blogger Ronald Wesley Maly writes of his appreciation for Iowa collegiate basketball games, especially during the month of December.

Cynthia Gray, director of the Center for Judicial Ethics at the American Judicature Society at Drake University, adds her expertise to a story about a former Minnesota Supreme Court judge who is now pursuing private practice. Gray said former judges can't use their "former title in practice" and must recuse themselves from conflicts of interest.

Chrystal Stanley, professional and career development and academic achievement coordinator at Drake University, says past college credits may count toward adult continuing education. Students should meet with an academic adviser to discuss official transcripts from prior universities.