Winners

Gun owners and gun lobbyists celebrated the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling that struck down the District of Columbia’s ban on handguns. The decision leaves most federal firearms restrictions intact, but the court upheld the meaning of gun rights under the Second Amendment. The basic issue for the justices was whether the amendment protects an individual’s right to own guns no matter what, or whether that right is somehow tied to service in a state militia. We are still trying to figure out how machine guns are used to hunt birds.

Fond childhood memories for many Baby Boomers and Generation Xers who grew up watching “The Floppy Show,” which ran from 1957 to 1987, came rushing back when Iowa State Fair officials announced they would pay tribute to the late Duane Ellett and his faithful puppet friend Floppy at a memorial dedication on Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. at the fair’s Grandstand. Loyal readers of this newspaper might remember the call to memorialize them started last August when Des Moines resident Patty Mills wrote a guest column for Cityview asking fair officials to consider recognizing the immortal local TV icons. Good work, Patty.

Football fans looking for a new twist on an old game might enjoy this piece of news. The National Women’s Football Association granted a license to the City of Des Moines to operate a women’s football team named the Iowa Thunder. The team will be operated by William Grimes, who has more than 26 years of experience coaching and playing football at various levels of play, and is also a member of the Iowa Lightning, a men’s semi-professional football team. Play for the Iowa Thunder begins in 2009.

You may find it difficult to understand how we could name someone who pleads guilty to eight charges of fraud, conspiracy and obstruction a winner, but things could have been much worse for former job-training executive Ramona Cunningham. She was able to avoid going to trial on 30 charges for her involvement in the CIETC scandal, but could still get 50 years in prison and some massive fines. Unfortunately, the public has been denied the opportunity to watch her squirm in the courtroom. 

Despite the efforts of politicians, lawyers and big businesses to screw with the Constitution, we’re still convinced there is no better country than the United States, and that Americans are pretty lucky to live in a democracy such as ours. Think about that for a moment when you celebrate the Fourth of July this weekend.

Losers

More gloomy news for U.S. consumers and businesses: Inflation, sinking home values and soaring gas prices have pushed consumers’ confidence to the lowest level since 1992. Economists say consumers’ view fell to 50.4 in June, the lowest since February 1992, and half what it was a year ago. The lack of confidence, analysts say, raises concerns that already weak consumer spending could deteriorate further.

City leaders announced that a sink hole caused by recent flooding forced the closing of Robert D. Ray Drive in downtown Des Moines earlier this week. This act confused many overburdened taxpayers who have been aware of a sink hole that has been located there for years: city hall.

President Bush lifted some trade sanctions against North Korea — a country he once called a part of an “axis of evil” — and promised to remove it from the U.S. terrorism blacklist after North Korea handed over a list of its nuclear work to Chinese officials. Bush hopes it’s the first of many steps to denuclearize Korea — albeit a token one — but no guarantees it will work. Let’s face it, unarming U.S. enemies through diplomacy has not proved to be one of Bush’s strengths.

Creston’s top two cops have been fired regarding allegations they raped a bartender. Chief James Christensen and Assistant Chief John Sickels were charged June 6 with second-degree sexual abuse in the alleged rape of a Creston Crestmoor Country Club bartender on April 17. Both men had been on paid leave before being dismissed. According to a sworn statement, both men asked the bartender to perform oral sex on them. When she refused, Sickels allegedly raped the woman while Christensen held her hand, stroked her hair and shushed her. The Iowa attorney general will prosecute the case.

A Pennsylvania man was charged after police said he threatened to have a bomb in his rectum while inside a Pennsylvania hospital. Jose Jason Cruz, 31, was charged with terroristic threats, risking a catastrophe, weapons of mass destruction and false reports to law enforcement and jailed after police discovered he made a 911 call from the First Hospital waiting room. Rectum? Damn near killed him. CV

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