The Daily Iowan
WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2022
THE INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868
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Looking to the future New restaurants, bars, playgrounds, and art pieces will arrive at the Ped Mall space later this year.
Ayrton Breckenridge//The Daily Iowan
Signs and Designs installers Tanner Lamphier (left) and Clint Wrage (right) work on installing a sign for Tap Tap in the Ped Mall on April 26.
Kate Perez News Reporter This is the third and final part of a project series on the Pedestrian Mall. The first part appeared in The Daily Iowan on March 20 and the second part appeared on April 12.. A new tapas and martini restaurant, a bar that doubles as an arcade, and a multicolored playground are just a few of the planned additions coming to the Iowa City Pe-
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destrian Mall in the coming months. This fall, the playground that currently stands outside of the Iowa City Public Library will be replaced with a $227,000 project by Woodruff Construction. Juli Seydell Johnson, Iowa City director of Parks and Recreation, said playgrounds typically last about 20 years. The current playground was installed in 2001, so it’s normal for it to be near its end, she said. “The playground is very quickly nearing the end of its life,” Johnson said. “We’ve been unable to actually get
several of its replacement parts. Many people haven’t noticed but there are pieces of it that are missing right now, and we have concerns about structural integrity.” Johnson said she thinks the replacement playground will be popular with the public because it will be constructed in the same location, just south of the library and surrounded by multiple restaurants. The plans for the playground have been in the works PED MALL | Page 2A
UI, IC team up for nature Tornados increase in challenge The University of Iowa Office of Sustainability is partnering with Iowa City to promote the city’s nature challenge.
Grassley holds steady
After 42 years in the Senate, Iowa’s senior senator has become a mainstay in state politics and says he is approaching this election the same way he always has. Page 6A
Iowa ahead of peak months On average, the state is hit by about 50 tornadoes annually. Sam Knupp News Reporter
tainability into academics and research and education on campus,” she said. To participate, community members must use the iNaturalist app to photograph any plant, animal, or insect. Scientists around the world can then use the photos to collect data for ecological research, according to the iNaturalist website. The department has many opportunities for students to learn more about sustainability and what it means, said Blake Rupe, the Office of Sustainability program manager.
The recent La Niña in the Pacific Ocean is bringing tornadoes to Iowa. There have been 35 tornadoes in Iowa as of April 20, about 25 more than the average number for this time of year, said Iowa State University meteorology professor William Gallus. The typical peak tornado months of May and June have yet to arrive. “Fifty-one would be the average for the year and normally by now, we would have only had nine or 10,” Gallus said. Gallus said the La Niña occurring in the Pacific Ocean has led to strong storm systems across the country and may continue into the summer. A La Niña event occurs when Pacific trade winds push warm water to the west, bringing cold water to the ocean’s surface. With this, the jet stream gets stronger and creates an environment for more storms to occur in certain parts of the U.S. Gallus said during La Niña years, the jet stream typically points to the southeast, causing strong storms to occur in the region. In April, however, the jet stream was aimed directly at Iowa, causing several strong storm systems that have also kept warm air out of
NATURE | Page 3A
TORNADOES | Page 3A
Opinion Project | Evaluating Iowa’s racial disparities in infant mortality The disparity in Iowa’s infant mortality rate are clear, and Opinions columnist Yassie Buchanan writes that addressing it must happen at every level. Page 4A
Watch for campus and city news, weather, and Hawkeye sports coverage at dailyiowan.com
Isabella Cervantes/The Daily Iowan
Photo illustration.
Samantha Bielema News Reporter The University of Iowa Office of Sustainability and the Environment has partnered with Iowa City to encourage residents to photograph nature. The partnership is for the City Nature Challenge, an event that Beth MacKenzie, one of the Office of Sustainability Program managers, said she hopes encourages students and community members to be more sustainably minded. “We’re really working hard to embed sus-
A keepsake edition to be published on Wednesday, May 11, 2022
After a memorable year, it’s time to recognize the graduates of 2022. Celebrate your family member or friend's momentous achievement in The Daily Iowan's Graduation Edition. This special keepsake issue will feature graduate profiles and stories, along with congratulatory advertisements placed by parents, family members and friends of University of Iowa graduates.
For more info and to place an ad online, go to:
EDITION
dailyiowan.com/grad
DEADLINE MAY 4 - n : oon
For those unable to place their ad online, contact Juli Krause at daily-iowan-classified@uiowa.edu to make other arrangements.