Is The Half-Staffing Of The US Flag Losing Its Meaning?
From the Iowa State Capitol to your neighborhood bank to private homes, the U-S flag is being displayed at half-staff more often now than at any other time in history. Bill Gartner is in charge of the crew that raises and lowers the flags atop the state capitol. Gartner, a Vietnam veteran, wonders whether seeing a flag at half-staff is losing its impact, as it’s become so common.
The national symbol has become a reflection of a troubled world; fallen soldiers and police officers, terrorism and mass shootings. A USA Today review found President Obama has signed a record number of proclamations to mourn tragedies at home and abroad. An Iowa native from Glidden is known as the “Flag Guru.” Mike Buss is at the American Legion headquarters in Indianapolis.
When the U-S Flag Code was adopted in World War 2, casualties did not lower the flag, as Memorial Day is already set aside for those who died in military service. If a proclamation was issued for the funeral of every Iowan killed in Vietnam, the flag would have stayed at half-staff for more than two years, according to Colonel Greg Hapgood, spokesman for the Iowa National Guard.
Just when to re-set the flag is also confusing. In Iowa, and even the nation’s capital, the colors sometime are at half-staff when they shouldn’t be. For guidance on presidential proclamations, you can sign up for email alerts on the American Legion website: www.legion.org.
(Story and photo by Rick Fredericksen, Iowa Public Radio)
FOUR HONORED FOR EFFORTS IN JAMAL DEAN CRIMINAL CASE
Four local law enforcement officials were honored in Washington D.C. Thursday.
Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild, Sioux City Police Officer Kevin McCormick and Detective Troy Hansen received the Honor Award from the 20th annual Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ceremony.
ATF Special Agent Todd Monney received a Distinguished Service Medal.
They were honored for the investigation, arrest and prosecution of Jamal Dean and several co-defendants for numerous crimes committed in Siouxland.
Dean shot Officer McCormick in the head in April of 2013 during a traffic stop.
In March of 2012, Jamal Dean shot two other individuals in gang related activities and later in 2013 he and his brother and another fellow gang member, beat and robbed at gun point a pair of drug dealers.
Jamal Dean was arrested by Texas officers just 70 miles from Mexico in May of 2013.
The combined cases resulted in 13 convictions including a life sentence for Jamal Dean.
Expensive Wind Turbine Project Approved
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Utilities Board has approved a wind turbine operation it says will be the nation’s largest wind energy project.
Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy is behind the planned $3.6 billion wind turbine operation that will generate up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity. MidAmerican Energy said that is enough for 800,000 homes and the project will see 85 percent of the company’s Iowa customer needs met through wind energy by 2020.
Bill Fehrman, the utility’s CEO and president, announced the project in April.
The company said Friday in a news release that the location of the 1,000 turbines for the project is still being determined. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.
