SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

April 26, 2023

Sullivan’s Salvos 5/2/23

In this edition:

*Foster Care and Adoption Month

*NAMI Walk

*Farmer’s Markets

*Johnson County Agricultural Data

*Statewide Agricultural Data

*Farm Roots

*Did You Know?

*Foster Care and Adoption Month

May marks National Foster Care and Adoption Month. As many of you know, Melissa and I have 3 adopted adult children, and served as foster parents for another 50 + children. We surrendered our license a few years ago after 20 years.

Unfortunately, the need did not go away. In fact, it may be greater than ever. Even if you do not feel you can serve as a foster parent, help us to recruit others. We need families!

You can learn more by visiting Four Oaks Family Connections at: https://iowafosterandadoption.org.

*NAMI Walk

The annual National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) Walk is Saturday, May 6 at Terry Trueblood Park in Iowa City. Registration begins at 8:30, entertainment begins at 9, and the walk begins at 10. This is the biggest annual fundraiser for NAMI – please join the walk, sponsor a walker, or both!

I think I have been to all the NAMI Walks save a 3-4 year-period when it was opposite the Drake Relays and my daughter was running. Typically we have had a team or two from the County. I don’t think we have that this year, but there will still be plenty of friendly faces. This is a great community event, and worthy of your support!

*Farmer’s Markets

It is almost May, and that means it is time for our local Farmer’s Markets! My mouth is watering!

People who know me know that I am a farmer’s market fanatic. I can be found at the Iowa City Farmer’s Market pretty much every Saturday. I love the food, I love the farmers, I love the customers … I love everything about it! See you at the market!

*Johnson County Agricultural Data

The Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers provided these statistics for both Johnson County and the State of Iowa:

There are 1,257 farms in Johnson County, totaling 304,239 acres. That is an average of 242 acres per farm. If I had to guess, I’d say these folks are defining a “farm” quite liberally.

And beware of averages! There are very few 242-acre farms out there. It is more like 8 twenty-acre farms, one 300-acre farm, and one 2000-acre farm. The average does not tell the story.

Johnson County is one of the only counties in Iowa where the number of farms is going up, but the acres farmed is going down. This reflects our strong local foods culture.

In 2022, the market value of Johnson County crops was $143 million. The value of livestock sold was $76 million.

Agriculture and ag-related industries accounted for 4,044 jobs, about 3% of the county total. Ag and ag-related industries accounted for $171 million in wages, and $867 million in sales.

Johnson County is a bit better than average when it comes to farmland; our average Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) is 69, while statewide it is 68. But of the land in production, the average CSR is closer to 80. We have more woodlands than most counties, which also affect things.

We think of Johnson County as an “urban” county, and rightfully so. All of these ag numbers have dropped over the past 10 years. Yet it is important that we recognize the huge role that agriculture plays in our local economy.

*Statewide Agricultural Data

Statewide, the economic impact of agriculture is truly staggering. Ag accounts for one out of every three dollars in the Iowa economy. One in 5 Iowans works in ag or ag-related industries. Iowa ranks number one in hogs, corn, soybeans, and eggs, and in the top 5 for cattle, chickens, and turkeys.

*Farm Roots

Anyone who has known me long knows that I grew up on the family farm. It is not just any family farm; both my maternal grandmother and maternal grandfather came from families that settled in Iowa prior to statehood. We have two family farms that have been in the family seven and eight generations, respectively. My family has been on the same land since 20 years before the start of the Civil War! So yes, I am proud of my family farm roots.

After growing up out on the farm, on a gravel road, miles from the nearest town, I moved to Iowa City. And while I love the things city life offers, I often miss the farm. One small connection that I maintain is my screensaver.

Both home and at work, my screensaver is a photo of my Grandpa, Ed Jack, winning the 1961 State Corn Picking Championship. I love the photo for a lot of reasons, but primarily the way in which he holds his hat in his hands. Though he had become quite wealthy through farming, he was a very humble man. The photo really captures that. And despite the fact that he had been using a mechanical combine for several years, he obviously had not lost his touch when it came to picking corn.

We used to pick a lot of sweet corn when I was a kid. If you have ever seen anyone pick corn by hand, you know that it is not easy. And my Grandpa was a perfectionist – you had to do it right! I knew intuitively why he won that contest – he had the cleanest row and fewest deductions. Sure enough, that was true.

My Grandpa loved to enter contests. He liked to experiment, and he had a competitive spirit. So his house was full of trophies and plaques. Only one, however, was first place. That was the State Corn Picking Championship.

Also on a shelf were about a dozen trophies earned in various statewide competitions. There were 5^th, 4^th, 3^rd, and 2^nd place trophies – in some cases, multiples. Most of the awards were in yield competitions.

He got second in a highest yield contest in the late ‘50s, and once averaged 200 bushels per acre, which was the farming equivalent of breaking the 4-minute mile. The statewide average now is 189 bushels per acre, so technology has certainly caught up.

I remember the importance he placed on watching the markets. The guys who were working on the farm came into the house every day at EXACTLY 11:55. They washed their hands with Lava soap, filled their plates, and started to eat dinner. There was no “lunch” – dinner at noon, supper for the evening meal!

Then they put on the WMT noon news, with the volume cranked, because years on the tractor (no cab) had ruined my Grandpa’s hearing. (KCRG showed a soap opera at noon and had no noon news. That was an unforgiveable heresy in the eyes of my Grandfather!)

They would intently watch the markets, then decide what to do that afternoon. Maybe you got things ready to go to town and sell. Maybe not. The whole plan for the next 24 hours depended upon the market and the weather.

Nowadays, the commodities are presold on contract. There is no need to closely monitor prices and react. It is probably a lot less stressful. But at the time, it certainly seemed exciting to a kid watching it all unfold!

My Granny played a different role, and we kids were her helpers. Each family had HUGE gardens – between the 5 families, the garden space (not counting sweet corn and fruit trees) was probably over 2 acres. We spent all summer picking strawberries, asparagus, beans, peas, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, pears, lettuce, cabbage, radishes… then Granny showed us how to clean them, cut them, and store them.

Farming has changed a lot since I was a kid. I was recently asking my Mom who was renting the family’s various plots of land. She reported that there are only 3-4 people farming in the whole area, and that these operations have become so large that what used to be considered a sizeable farm (say, 250 acres) is barely worth their time to rent!

I never wanted to go into farming – I realized right away that I was a people person, and agriculture could get lonely. But I miss those days, and remember them fondly.

*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa has 49,065 women active in farm operations, 34% of the total number of farmers.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

April 19, 2023

Kenn Bowen of Iowa City was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident. I had many great conversations with Kenn, and I truly appreciated our friendship. It was always abundantly clear how much he loved his kids and grandkids.

Kenn volunteered his time to several organizations, including Table2Table, Riverside Theatre, United Way, Iowa City Senior Center, Veterans for Peace, and KFMG and KICI radio stations. A life too short, but well-lived. RIP, Kenn.

Most of us don’t think much about what happens when someone dies. What does happen is actually a function of County government. In Iowa, every county must have a Doctor of Medicine (MD) who is designated as the Medical Examiner (ME) for that county.

In Johnson County, we are *extremely* blessed. There are only about 400 board certified forensic pathologists in the whole US. We have three of them here in Johnson County. Our Medical Examiner is Dr. Dennis Firchau, who is also a Clinical Professor of Pathology and Director of Autopsy Services and the Decedent Care Center at the University of Iowa. In other words, they simply do not get better than Doctor Firchau and his two Deputy Medical Examiners.

In addition to the three forensic pathologists, Johnson County maintains a Medical Examiner Administrative Director, a Medical Examiner Supervisor, and a few Medical Examiner Investigators.

In 2022 Johnson County accepted 591 cases. That is about half of the deaths they review; in other cases it is deemed that no further investigation is needed. Why does the ME Office get involved in what appear to be natural deaths? The Medical Examiner may take jurisdiction over an apparent natural death if (1) the death was unexpected, (2) the cause of death was uncertain, (3) the decedent was unattended by a physician, (4) the death might be due to a virulent or contagious disease, and/or (5) the manner of death is not clear.

Only about half the cases are actually Johnson County residents. About half come from other Iowa counties, about 50 are from out of state, and about 20 are in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Why are the statistics as they are? As it turns out, Johnson County is a great place to die! I say this tongue in cheek, but it is true! You see, in Iowa, ME jurisdiction depends upon where the death occurs. So think about it for a moment - scores of Eastern Iowans draw their last breath at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Even more people die at the Iowa City Veteran’s Affairs Hospital. And hundreds and hundreds of people pass away at UIHC. The Johnson County ME gets all those cases. Add in a prison, two busy interstate highways, 35,000 students, and a county of 160,000 people, and we have a very busy Department!

Johnson County maintains a fully operational morgue facility, though most bodies run through the Decedent Care Center at the UI. Bodies are bagged, placed on power cots, and transported to the site where the examination will be conducted. Scenes are protected in case further investigation is required.

Staff are on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. When a death is reported, they show up. And when you think about the numbers, it would be rare for a day to pass without a death. Most days have several.

In 2022, we had 213 natural deaths, 247 accidental deaths, 37 suicides, 10 homicides, and 10 undetermined deaths. What is “undetermined”? Think about some drug overdose deaths. Often, there are clues that point toward suicide, while other evidence points to an accident. While investigators can usually figure it out, sometimes these cases end up undetermined.

Suicides in 2022 were about half firearms and half hangings; no other method was close. Most suicides were male, and between 20 and 39 years of age.

Six out of ten homicides were by gun, while 4 were a result of beating, choking, or shaking. 9/10 victims were males.

Drug deaths were overwhelmingly methamphetamine. On the positive side, the ME office helped to facilitate 57 organ transplants in 2022!

The ME Office must also issue permits for every cremation. A dead body may be evidence of a crime. So no cremations can happen until the ME Office signs off. Johnson County had over 1000 of these permits in 2022.

I am incredibly proud of our ME Office. They maintain accreditation from the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME); only 80 ME departments in the whole US have this accreditation! (To put that in perspective, there are almost 4,000 ME offices in the US. In other words, we are one of only about 2% nationally!)

Most importantly, they are incredibly empathetic and understanding. Our staff work every day with people who just might be having the worst day of their lives. They are incredibly kind and patient, while still managing to handle all the legal aspects of the job. They are truly amazing, and I am very proud of the service they provide to the people of Johnson County.

“The same legislators who refused asset tests for wealthy students to receive private school subsidies insist on such tests for struggling families to receive food assistance. Iowa’s shame.”

Income inequality is the highest it has ever been. 60 people now have wealth equal to the poorest half of the people on earth. If the United States had the same income distribution it had in 1979, the bottom 80 percent of the population would have $1 trillion – or $12,000 per family – more. The top 1 percent would have $1 trillion less.

Remember when I mentioned perspective? I find the following comparison helpful in terms of understanding the difference between a million and a billion:

Imagine I give you a one dollar bill every second. All day, every day, one per second. At that rate, it would take me 11 days to give you a million dollars.

Now imagine we do the same thing, but I am giving you a billion dollars. I give you a one dollar bill every second. All day, every day, one per second. At that rate, it would take me 32 years to give you a billion dollars!

That last statistic has always been very helpful. People have a very difficult time wrapping their heads around the concept of a billion. Comparing a billion seconds to a billion dollars really helps.

So, if you are reading this? You are likely pretty well off. And there is a small group of people hoarding the world’s resources!

Save the date! The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding our Annual Hall of Fame Awards event on Saturday, May 13 at 7pm at Courtyard by Marriott in University Heights.

Please join us for coffee, desserts, and plenty of old war stories! A cash bar will be available. Parking is free.

The Hall of Fame inductees for 2023 are: Sally Murray, Joe Bolkcom, and Mary Mascher. We hope you can join us in recognizing this remarkable group!

Tickets are available for a $25 suggested donation. People who cannot afford that amount should still feel welcome, but please call 354-7199 so we can get a count.

If you have any questions, please contact Rod Sullivan at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. We hope you will join us for a fun evening, and lend your voice to those who are honoring these very deserving people. We look forward to seeing you!

*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has about 3 births for every death – very unusual amongst Iowa counties. About 2/3 of Iowa counties have more deaths than births.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

April 13, 2023

Evil. What does it really mean? The dictionary definition is, “Profoundly immoral and malevolent.” There are three parts there:

Profound: It has to be intense. This cannot be something small. It has to have serious consequences.

Immoral: Not conforming to standards of decency. This has to be something no reasonable, decent person would do.

Malevolent: Desiring to do evil to others. This means you have to intend to do evil. You need to know that what you are doing is wrong.

I happen to believe that “profoundly immoral and malevolent” is a very fitting description of Iowa’s failed Medicaid privatization scheme. It touches all the bases!

Is it profound? Medicaid serves the most vulnerable members of our society. First, you must be incredibly poor. Then you need to fit a second category of need. For example, most Medicaid recipients are children. The next biggest group is people living in nursing homes. The third largest group is people with significant disabilities. These are people whose health can easily be negatively affected.

I would argue that the impact has been profound. In addition to targeting the most vulnerable Iowans, Medicaid serves 1 in 6 Iowans. So the scale is profound, too. It is a very big deal!

Is it immoral? Who amongst us would take medicine from a child? Who amongst us would throw a senior citizen out of a nursing home? Who amongst us would throw a person with disabilities out of her group home? Aren’t those acts immoral?

This is EXACTLY what the privatization of Medicaid has done! So, it follows that the privatization of Medicaid has been immoral.

Is it malevolent? This is the toughest piece. That it is profoundly immoral is not in question. Now we must determine if a person KNOWS it is profoundly immoral.

There are two options here in the case of Governor Reynolds. If she understands that her decisions have been profoundly immoral, she has committed a truly evil act. If she does not understand, then she is too ignorant to serve as Governor.

It is really quite simple. Medicaid privatization was an evil act. Evil is in our midst. There is no point calling it anything else. Disagree? Please explain your reasoning. I would like to be convinced there is more to this; I really would.

Given the piece above… it is pretty hard to say that the GOP efforts in Des Moines to limit the rights of trans kids, cut SNAP benefits, etc. is anything else.

Look, it doesn’t make me happy to have this conversation. It sucks. But I don’t see any other way to view it. Kim Reynolds and the GOP Legislators have intentionally, seriously, hurt vulnerable people. That is evil, plain and simple. Reynolds is quoted as saying, “I don’t like it, but I had to.” No, you didn’t.

The Board of Supervisors reviewed our Five-Year Roads Plan recently, as it is due to the state by April 15^th. This is an annual endeavor, but it brought to light some statistics I thought you might find interesting.

*Johnson County has approximately 920 miles of roadway. That consists of 41 miles of dirt, 585 miles of gravel, 122 miles of chip seal, 138 miles of asphalt, and 32 miles of Portland Concrete Cement (PCC).

*That means there are 1840 miles of ditches that require maintenance. This includes several thousand culverts.

*Roads are designed to last about 30 years between major reconstructions. Maintenance and rehab projects hold things together between reconstructions.

*Johnson County has over 220 bridges of over 20 feet in length. All bridges over 20’ in length are required to be inspected every two years by federal law.

*Iowa has an inordinate number of bridges, and unfortunately, ranks low nationally in terms of the quality of bridges. Of Iowa’s 24,215 bridges, 5,067, or about 21 percent, are classified as structurally deficient. Six are located on Interstate highways. Bridges are regularly rated for safety on a scale of 0 to 9, with 9 meaning “excellent.” To be considered structurally deficient, one of its major components must measure 4 or below. This does not necessarily mean they are unsafe, but they need to be fixed.

*Johnson County is in very good shape compared to most of the state. Despite this fact, we have 23 bridges that are structurally deficient (aka load limited) and 1 that is functionally obsolete (too narrow).

I found these statistics quite interesting. I hope you did, too! If you want to view the Five-Year Roads Plan, just visit the Secondary Roads page of the Johnson County website.

I find that there are often disconnects between reality and the political narratives we choose to embrace. The issue of rural bridges is a good example of this disconnect.

First, a bit of background: every Iowa county has hundreds of miles of gravel roads. In addition, many of these roads have multiple bridges. Some are concrete, some are steel, and some are timber, but they all serve the same purpose. We replace a few of these bridges every year, and I can tell you the cost is pretty much always between $300-$800,000, depending upon the length.

These bridges are lifelines for the people who live in the area. This is how farmers get to their fields. This is how farmers get to town. The rural economy functions best when these bridges are well maintained.

In addition, there is a public safety factor. Fire trucks, ambulances, and Sheriff’s vehicles need to be able to access the residents of the area via a quick and direct route.

On the other hand, the cost of these bridges adds up. Say we set aside $2 million for these bridges each year. That is the same cost as one brand new mile of paved road, or the rehabilitation of 3 miles of paved road.

Some of our paved roads see thousands of cars every day. Often these gravel roads have traffic counts as low as 20 cars per day. Needless to say, many people feel it is foolish to invest so much money in these bridges when the total traffic counts are so low.

I understand both sides of the argument. But time after time, I have come down on the side of the farmer. I have served as a Supervisor for 18 years. In that time, Johnson County has never permanently closed a bridge. I am extremely proud of that fact!

But you won’t find a bunch of farmers singing my praises. In fact, you’ll find the exact opposite; farmers talking about how much they hate my work as a Supervisor.

Here is where the disconnect comes in. Washington County – with more farms than Johnson County – has closed bridges. The Washington County Board is made up 100% of conservative Republicans. But they have closed bridges.

Cedar County is the same way. The Cedar County Board is made up of 100% conservative Republicans, including the Chair of the Iowa Republican Party. But they have closed bridges.

Like many areas of our politics today, the realities of bridge building do not match the political narrative.

*DID YOU KNOW? More than one-fifth − 21 percent − of Iowa's rural bridges are structurally deficient, according to a report released by TRIP, a research nonprofit that studies national transportation issues. The share of rural bridges in poor condition in Iowa is over 2.5 times the national average and ranks Iowa highest in the nation.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

April 5, 2023

I wanted to note the passing of Chris Kemp, who along with her late husband Bob was an inaugural member of the Johnson County Democratic Party Hall of Fame. Chris ran the local blood donor program for over 15 years, and was a reliable community volunteer. RIP Chris.

As we all celebrate women’s basketball, please don’t forget that tornadoes/winds did significant damage in Johnson County last Friday. There were only two people who report being injured, but there is significant property damage throughout the County.

Coralville had many homes and businesses damaged near the mall. About 50 people were made homeless as a result of the storm. Hills suffered significant damage, and several folks were made homeless there. Solon had significant damage to a few homes and businesses. (Johnson County lost its sand/salt storage facility just north of Solon.) And rural residents near Joetown, Frytown, and Cosgrove all suffered damage. Power was out for a long time.

If you or someone you know suffered any damages, please contact Johnson County Emergency Management to start the FEMA disaster paperwork.

Thanks to all the public safety, city and county crews, and utility workers who responded to these disasters. Your work is appreciated!

A Kosher and happy Passover to all my Jewish friends. I am still brushing up on my Hebrew calendar; please know that I wish you all the best!

Happy Birthday to local activist, Labor Leader, journalist, Scrabble Club President, and general man-about-town Gary Sanders, who turns 76 on April 14. If you know Gary, please drop him a line and wish him a Happy Birthday!

I had the opportunity last Tuesday to join members of Veterans for Peace at the Iowa City Public Library and read a passage from MLK’s speech, “Beyond Viet Nam – A Time to Break Silence.”

It was a moving tribute to MLK on the anniversary of his death, and an important message across the ages.

I have mentioned before in Salvos that despite my love of sports, I try not to write about it much here. But the Iowa Women’s Basketball Team has pretty much forced me to write about them!

What a season! Second in the nation, and captured the hearts of fans everywhere! I know some people are upset with the officiating, but LSU made 65% of their 3-point attempts. They scored 102 points. Sometimes you just need to tip your hat.

My experience with the Iowa Women’s Basketball program is long and deep. I attended my first game in either ’78 or ’79. Iowa was coached by Lark Birdsong, the program’s inaugural coach. They were led by the great Cindy Haugejorde, a Minnesota prep who became a first team All-American and ended her career as Iowa’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder.

The game was played in the North Gym of the Field House. I’m not joking; there were about 5 small sets of portable metal bleachers on the home side, and two on the visitors. Had every seat been taken (and they were not) the place might have held 200 people. It cost exactly zero to get in, and there were no concessions.

Haugejorde had something like 28 points and 13 rebounds, which was a typical game for her, and led Iowa to victory over Mount Mercy. That is correct; Iowa was playing Mount Mercy. But, Mount Mercy was quite good then! And you have to understand, the NCAA did not even recognize women’s sports at this time!

I know it sounds like I’m talking about a game from 1928, but it was 1978. And the NCAA was still 4 years away from overseeing women’s sports. This game was played under the auspices of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). The AIAW was a very forward-thinking organization that simply got overwhelmed by the NCAA and their money. But in ’78, they were in charge.

A few years later, I arrived at the UI the same year as C. Vivian Stringer. Stringer immediately put Iowa Women’s Basketball on the map. And I had a great seat! You see, I did sports, news, and a little DJing at KRUI 89.7 FM, the student radio station. When Stringer and I started, KRUI had the broadcast rights to women’s basketball. So I did color and/or play by play for some of the best teams Iowa ever fielded.

In doing so, we got to know many of the players. Lisa Becker had been a local legend at CR Jefferson. The next year she was joined by Michelle “Ice” Edwards, who until Megan Gustafson and Caitlyn Clark came along, was without a doubt Iowa’s greatest player. Another group of stars were added the next year with Iowan Shanda Berry, Jolette Law, and Franthea Price.

Price was interesting to me. She was an incredible player – two-time First Team All American. Price could do it all, and much like Caitlyn Clark, did not lack confidence. She came to Iowa from Detroit, and was identified by some as having an “attitude.” In reality, Price was a social justice advocate before we used that phrase. She did not suffer fools, and she was the African American player most likely to call out the many aggressions a black female would face in Iowa City at that time. Even now, the UI is about 77% white. When I got here in the early 80s? Try 94% white. There were additional issues of gender and sexuality at play. It had to be difficult.

I got to know Price just a bit – she made it clear that she did not need me as a friend. She was tough, and pretty closed off to an immature white farm boy like me. It was not her job to educate me, and she didn’t try. As announcers, we had sometimes referred to her as “Fran” or “Frannie.” She made it clear that neither was acceptable. We played pick-up games together and against each other – yes, she was much better than me! But she did take note that I knew something about the game. When I graduated from high school, my whole school – kindergarten through 12 – had ZERO minorities. ZERO. I feel as though getting to know Franthea Price just a bit really opened my eyes to a larger world.

I never quit loving Iowa Women’s Basketball, always following closely over the years. Each of my daughters had a teammate at City High who went on to play for the Hawkeyes. Ever since my radio days, I have pretty much either A) been at Carver; B) watched on TV; or C) listened on the radio. I am always quick to go to the box score after every game. I have been hooked for a long, long time. And it has been a fun team to follow.

Then you have 2023. What can I say? Caitlyn Clark has had the single greatest year and career of any player in any team sport in University of Iowa history. Better than Nile Kinnick – the best, period. Only a few wrestlers might be able to claim a better career.

And the team? Not only the most successful, but the most fun to watch team in UI history! What else is there to say but Congratulations and Thanks! I have loved this team for a long, long time, and this is the cherry on top of a 45-year fandom for me!

*DID YOU KNOW? Iowa has won 24 NCAA championships in wrestling, five in rifle (all between 1911 and 1946), one in field hockey (1986), one in men’s gymnastics (1969), and one in women’s track and field (1924). Iowa claims a part of 5 NCAA football championships, but each of those were determined by sportswriters.

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

"Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents.

These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned.

If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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