MidAmerican Energy's second year of studying if a nuclear power plant is feasible for construction in Iowa included spending nearly $450,000 to analyze whether building a natural gas-fired generating station would be a better idea.

The utility, in the second of a three-year feasibility study of nuclear power, filed its spending report with the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) November 15 and the bills included the payment of $447,543 to NERA Economic Consulting, headquartered in New York City. NERA energy consultants have a lengthy record of testifying against U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality regulations and for Republican-backed energy policies.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. today (11/29) reported a $6.65 million loss for its second quarter, and company officials primarily blamed the decline on the poor performance of its gambling operations in Mississippi.

For the quarter ended Oct. 28, the Isle reported a loss of 17 cents per share, compared with a loss of 4 cents per share for the same period a year ago.

Orascom Hotels and Development – a sister company to the Egyptian firm that recently received $110 million in state tax incentives to build a fertilizer plant in southeast Iowa – was featured in Sunday's New York Times for its construction of a $1.92 billion exclusive Swiss resort for the world's wealthiest jet set.

Orascom Hotels and Development, part of Orascom Group, is building the five-star resort at Andermatt, Switzerland, and the first of five hotels will have a 4,500-square-foot penthouse that will rent for $43,000 a night, according to the Times article. Prices for villas in the development start at $1 million for a studio or one-bedroom of about 732 square feet, the Times reported.

Lee Enterprises - owner of the Quad City Times - reported Monday it lost $7.7 million in its fourth quarter ended Sept. 30, an improvement over the same period a year ago when the Davenport-based firm had an $8.8 million loss, or 20 cents per share.

For the company's fiscal year ended Sept. 30, Lee posted a $21.3 million loss (43 cents per share) compared with a loss of $147 million ($3.27 per share) for fiscal 2011.

The Iowa League of Cities will get its day in court next week to argue the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) revised municipal sewage treatment regulations without proper rule-making and has sought to avoid judicial review of "illegally revised regulatory requirements."

Attorneys for the league and the EPA will make their oral arguments before the three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit in St. Louis Tuesday, November 13, more than a year after filing suit to challenge the EPA's regulation of so-call "bypass" sewage.

Get full detailed results of today's election direct from the source.

• For the latest local (Scott County) election results, click here for the Scott County Auditor's web site.
• For the latest Iowa election results, click here for the Iowa Secretary of State's web site.

The status of the planned Interstate 74 Bridge project through downtown Bettendorf will held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday (Nov. 7) at Bettendorf City Hall, 1609 State Street. Specific items on the meeting agenda are the status of the right-of-way acquisition for the project, timing of construction and the status of the realignment of State and Grant Streets.

New housing starts in Bettendorf were up 8 percent in the third quarter compared with 2011, while new construction home sales for the Iowa Quad Cities jumped 20 percent compared with the third quarter last year.

That's according to statistics compiled by Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors of Bettendorf in its quarterly market update.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Virginia McDowell could receive up to 857,143 shares of the company's stock if she's able to boost shareholder returns and the gambling firm's stock price over the next three years.

The restricted stock options would be worth more than $5 million at today's stock price of $6.08.

McDowell was awarded 545,455 in restricted stock options Oct. 24, according to the filing with the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission.

The Rising Knights youth football program was told to look at reducing the number of teams using Bettendorf's Meier Park next season and to obtain a special event permit for any park use at least a month before the start of practice next year.

The directive by the Bettendorf Park Board at its September meeting came in response to neighborhood complaints about the three Rising Knights football teams using the park three and four times each week during the fall.