Looking in at Iowa

From San Diego Union-Tribune:

… New Mexico (14-2, 1-0 Mountain West), which hosts San Diego State (12-3, 1-0) tonight, has won seven straight and is one win shy of equaling its total for the entire 2006-07 season.

The Lobos’ early run of success has served as a sorely needed salve for Alford, who resigned at Iowa in March after posting a record of 152-106 in eight seasons. In 13 years under his predecessor, Tom Davis, the Hawkeyes advanced to the NCAA Tournament nine times, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1999. Iowa qualified for the tournament three times under Alford but was twice eliminated in the first round.

Yet it wasn’t merely Alford’s inability to induce prolonged March Madness in Iowa City that triggered his departure. In 2002, he came under scrutiny for publicly supporting Hawkeyes player Pierre Pierce …

Reuters and AP photos here. Elijah Wood and others pose during the presentation of the movie “The Oxford Murders” in Madrid January 14, 2008.

From Dallas Business Journal:

McLeodUSA, a large phone company that competes with incumbents such as AT&T for business customers, is expanding its service area in the Metroplex.

The company, which is based in Iowa but has its CEO and other key execs in North Texas, has broadened its local territory to include Plano, Garland, Irving, Carrollton, Lewisville and parts of Rowlett and Wylie. …

From Rochester, Minnesota, Post-Bulletin:

City officials will begin interviewing four finalists for Rochester fire chief this week.

The finalists are: Mark English, a battalion chief in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Greg Martin, the fire chief in Sioux City, Iowa; James Sideras, the assistant fire chief for Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Gary Trulson, the fire chief in Joplin, Mo. …