Stockton soldier mourned
A sign standing east of the Stockton High School athletic fields seemed to sum up the village's sentiments.
"Gone too soon. Pvt. 1st Class Devin Michel, Hometown Hero."
U. S. Army Pfc. Devin J. Michel, nicknamed "Fuzzy" in third grade, died on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Afghanistan's Zhari Province of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an improvised explosive device. He was 19, and married a little more than a year.
On Friday afternoon, Devin's parents, Terry and Rebecca Michel, and his widow, Anika, discussed their loss at a press conference at their home.
Rebecca described her son as a "normal, typical, fun-loving kid," with many friends. He lived life to the fullest.
Devin enlisted in the Army after graduation from Stockton High School in 2008. He did basic training at Fort Benning, Ga., before being assigned to the 4th Infantry Division based in Fort Carson, Colo.
Anika, 22, was living in Fort Carson when she learned of her husband's death.
Anika and Devin married on Oct. 3, 2008 (she proposed to him, he picked out the rings). He was deployed to Afghanistan on May 30, and that was the last time she -- and Terry and Rebecca -- saw him.
Rebecca's last words to her son were, "'I love you. Please be safe.'"
$10 million credit line for DRA
The Dubuque Racing Association board unanimously approved a $10 million loan Tuesday, an arrangement designed to provide credit following a major renovation at Mystique Casino & Dubuque Greyhound Park this year.
Meanwhile, a board member whose bank will serve as a lender on the financial package described his vote on the deal as an "oversight."
The racing association's loan is an amendment to an existing loan the racetrack casino has with American Trust & Savings Bank. The DRA is the nonprofit license holder of the racetrack casino.
Racetrack casino leaders said the additional funding might be needed for future expenses following the depletion of funds from a nearly $13 million renovation project, originally slated for about $10 million. They said the money would serve as a line of credit that ideally would not be drawn upon.
Jesús Aviles, president and chief executive officer of Mystique Casino and Dubuque Greyhound Park, said the construction and renovation project was paid for out of the operating budget, so the depleted funds won't leave room for general purchases.
Board member John Schmidt cast a vote in favor of the loan amendment despite the involvement of Dubuque Bank & Trust as a lender. Schmidt is the executive vice president and chief executive officer of Heartland Financial USA Inc., the parent company of DB&T.
Following the meeting, Schmidt said the vote was a mistake.
"Normally in a situation like that, I would abstain," he said. "It was certainly an oversight on my part."
Also at Tuesday's meeting ... Mystique Casino leaders discussed plans for the future of Chaplain Schmitt Island, plans that might include buying the neighboring hotel. Acquiring the Hilton Garden Inn is one of the ideas under consideration.
Cuts could gash local hospitals
Proposed state budget cuts could add to the shortfall at Dubuque's hospitals.
An analysis by the Iowa Hospital Association indicates the state's hospitals will lose more than $18 million should the state's plan to reduce Medicaid payments take effect.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver called for a 5 percent payment reduction for Medicaid providers, including hospitals, beginning Dec. 1.
"We don't know the details of how a 5 percent payment cut would be implemented, but for us it would be $289,000 a year," said Russell Knight, president and chief executive officer of Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.
The total amount of Medicaid cuts to all provider groups affected by the 5 percent reduction, including hospitals and physicians, will be $55.4 million.
"Our best estimate is that a 5 percent Medicaid cut will impact The Finley Hospital by anywhere from $282,000 to $285,000," said John Knox, Finley's president and CEO.
Clarke receives $10 million gift
Clarke College President Joanne Burrows calmly stepped toward the podium in the conference room.
"Today is indeed an exciting day for Clarke College," she told the small crowd. "In fact, it is a historic day."
At a news conference Friday, Burrows announced the largest donation in the college's 166-year history with a $10 million gift from the estate of Marie Moles Miske, a 1942 graduate.
She died March 23, 2007, at the age of 86.
"With Clarke in her heart, she quietly planned and recognized an opportunity to provide lasting support to the college," Burrows said.
Miske named Clarke the primary beneficiary of her estate and chose to direct the bulk of her life savings to the college's endowment.
City draws same-sex pairs for wedding bells
At least 70 percent of the same- sex marriage licenses in Dubuque County have been granted to couples who live outside Iowa, according to a TH review. Wisconsin and Illinois each have sent 37 couples to marry since same-sex marriage became legal in Iowa in April. From Dubuque, 22 same-sex couples applied for marriage licenses.
In total, 127 same-sex couples filed paperwork. Couples of all ages wed, from two 20-year-old women to a pair of men who were 73 and 75 years old. Some newlyweds shared more than gender. Michelle married Michelle, James wed James, Jennifer tied the knot with Jennifer, and Kenneth and Kenneth got hitched.
There are no concrete numbers for how many same-sex couples have been married in Iowa. The Des Moines Register reported that between April 27 and July 27, 676 same-sex couples applied for the 5,214 marriage certificates issued statewide. Gender was concealed on 339 marriage certificates.
