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Free course in Beekeeping 101 for Iowa teens to start in January

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A veteran central Iowa beekeeper will offer a free, online course in beekeeping starting next month for Iowa youth between the ages of 13 and 16. Julia McGuire heads the Des Moines Backyard Beekeepers and she has ten hives in Madison County. McGuire says the live course in Beekeeping 1-0-1 will start January 30th, teaching all about these important pollinators and how to care for them.

“We’ll cover basic bee biology, and it goes through site location for your beehive, the confluence of the beehive,” McGuire says, “and then we spend a lot of time learning how to work the bees once they arrive in April.” McGuire has kept bees since 2011 and has taught beekeeping for 11 years. The course will run every Tuesday for six weeks.

“There’s also a couple opportunities where we will go and meet in person, so we can work with bees all together,” McGuire says, “so I think a lot of the success in beekeeping is that hands-on work that you might get with a mentor.” For many, beekeeping is a hobby, but McGuire says it can also become a profitable business. She sells honey from her hives, but says there’s another important component to beekeeping — saving swarms.

“I get a lot of swarm calls every April and May from people who have a swarm of bees, or bees actually living and have been in the side of their house or whatever for years,” McGuire says. “I get a lot of phone calls like that. There’s just more demand than there is supply of people who can go get those.” She estimates it may cost around 500-dollars to start a basic hive. In addition to the free Beekeeping 101 course, there’s a youth bee camp planned for May of 2024.

The deadline to sign up for the course is December 31st at: https://forms.gle/h3Lh2zvkwRgwNZnY7

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023

Weather

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Today: Increasing clouds, with a high near 37. North wind 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight: Cloudy w/a 20% chance of snow before 3am. Low around 23. E/SE wind around 5 mph.

Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 45. East wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon.

Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24. South southeast wind around 5 mph.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 48.

Thu. Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Friday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.

Monday’s High in Atlantic was 50. The Low was 17. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 38 and the Low was 30. The Record High on Dec. 12th was 62 in 1921 & 1968. The Record Low was -20 in 1932. Sunrise 7:36. Sunset 4:50.

Tax cutting on 2024 legislative agenda

News

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds has said her goal is to get rid of the state income tax by the end of her current term — which would be December of 2026. A bill that cleared an Iowa Senate committee last spring suggested elimination of the state income tax could be accomplished in the next decade. Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs is chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

“The Senate Republican goal has always been to eliminate the income tax in a responsible and thoughtful manner,” Dawson says. “and that is the pathway that we are going down this next session.” Dawson says he’s looking forward to seeing the tax plan Governor Reynolds is set to unveil in January. Under current law, the state’s personal income tax will become a flat three-point-nine percent by 2026 — but Republican leaders say the state is still taking in far more tax dollars than needed to run the government.

Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum says the focus of tax cutting should be on helping working families and elderly Iowans.  “Not on the wealthy and the big corporations who have quite frankly benefited from this series of tax cuts we’ve seen in recent years,” Jochum says.

Jochum and Dawson made their comments at a forum sponsored by the Iowa Taxpayers Association. The 2024 Iowa legislative session begins Monday, January 8th.

Senate Democrats to propose targeted tax cuts

News

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Democratic Leader Pam Jochum says Democrats are developing a plan of targeted income tax cuts, like raising the Earned Income Tax Credit for low and moderate income workers, as an alternative to the G-O-P goal of getting rid of the state’s income tax.

“If there’s going to be any changes in the tax system, number one you don’t eliminate the income tax system because it is a more fair system,” Jochum says, “based on the ability to pay.” Governor Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers say their ultimate goal is complete elimination of the state income tax. Reynolds approved income tax rate reductions in 2018 and, in 2022, the governor signed a bill that is making deeper cuts in tax rates for individuals and corporations. It will eventually shrink the individual income tax rate to just under four percent by 2026.

“We have been waiting almost six years as working class or middle class Iowans to see any result of even the tax cuts that happened six years ago,” Jochum says. Jochum points to a Department of Revenue analysis which found that if the state income tax is eliminated, the state sales tax would have to be raised to 14 percent to maintain critical state services.

“The sales tax is a regressive tax,” Jochum says. “Regardless of how much money you earn, you’re going to pay 14% on the dollar for everything you purchase and so it’s going to be the working poor, the middle class who are really going to take it in the shorts on this one if that’s the path they follow.”

Republicans in the Senate say eliminating the state income tax will make Iowa more competitive with states like South Dakota, Florida, Texas and Tennessee that do not have a state income tax. A Des Moines Register Iowa Poll conducted last March found 56 percent of Iowans favor gradually reducing the state income tax rate until it is eliminated.

1 dead, another injured when two pickups collide in Boone County

News

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Boone, Iowa) – Two pickups collided northwest of Boone, Monday evening, resulting in the death of a man from Boone. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash happened at around 7:05-p.m. at the intersection of Kale Road and 170th Street. The report said a 1996 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 74-year-old Larry Young, of Boone, was southbound on Kale Road, and failed to stop at the intersection with 170th. A 2021 Chevy pickup driven by 62-year-old Kenneth Lendt, of Ogden, was westbound on 170th when Young’s vehicle entered the westbound lanes and the vehicles collided.

Lendt’s vehicle then crashed into a power pole and some trees before entering the southbound ditch and coming to rest between two trees. The Patrol says Larry Young died at the scene. Lendt was transported by Boone County EMS to the Boone County Hospital. Both men were wearing their seat belts.

The crash remains under investigation.

Carroll man killed in a Crawford County crash Monday afternoon

News

December 12th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Manilla, Iowa) – A collision between two semi tractor-trailers Monday afternoon west of Manilla, claimed the life of a Carroll County man. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2018 Peterbilt semi driven by 65-year-old Douglas L. Hook, of Carroll, was traveling west on Highway 141 and crossing the intersection with Highway 59. A 2015 Freightliner driven by 23-year-old Hayden H. Leonard, of Millville, MN, was traveling north on Highway 59.

Leonard’s semi struck Hook’s semi in the northbound lane of Highway 59. The crash happened at around 4:43-p.m. Following the collision, the Peterbilt came to rest in the northwest ditch. The Freightliner came to rest west of the intersection on V Avenue. The accident caused the intersection to be blocked for several hours.

The Patrol says Douglas Hook died from his injuries after being transported by Manilla Ambulance to the Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison.

Monday’s Area High School Girl’s and Boy’s Basketball Scores

Sports

December 12th, 2023 by admin

Girl’s Basketball

Hawkeye Ten Conference:
#7 St. Albert 49, Underwood 23
Clarinda @ Shenandoah

Rolling Valley Conference:
Paton-Churdan @ West Central Valley

Pride of Iowa Conference:
Wayne 51, Moulton-Udell 17

West Central Conference:
ACGC 78, AHSTW 5

Boy’s Basketball

Hawkeye Ten Conference:
Underwood 65, St. Albert 46
Clarinda @ Shenandoah

Corner Conference:
Murray 62, Essex 31

Rolling Valley Conference:
West Central Valley 74, Paton-Churdan 38

Pride of Iowa Conference:
Wayne 81, Moulton-Udell 48

West Central Conference: 
Panorama 64, Woodward Academy 28
Des Moines Christian 75, Pella Christian 55

West Central Conference:
ACGC 65, AHSTW 46

 

Chargers Use Fast Start To Defeat Vikings

Sports

December 11th, 2023 by admin

The ACGC Chargers had a very similar start to the girls on the night as they would jump to a fast start fueled by a 2-1-2 full court press that allowed the Chargers to race out to a 10-2 lead just a minute into the game. The Chargers would have a 27-9 lead going into the second quarter where senior leader for the Chargers Lance Bunde exploded offensively. Bunde got it going from all three levels on the floor by taking it strong to the basket, using a couple nice shot fakes into his one dribble pull up, and of course hitting two long balls in the quarter. Bunde closed the first half by hitting two free throws, forcing a steal with less than five seconds remaining, and racing into the front court where he hit a 26-foot three pointer to take a 42-20 lead into the halftime break.

But the Vikings would not just quit as the came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter as Luke Strenberg put the whole offense on his back to start and scored 16 of his 22 points in the third quarter and the Vikings even cut the Chargers lead all the way down to 11. But Noah Kading would stop any momentum the Vikings had when he converted on a four-point play and pushed the lead right back to 15 and allowed the Chargers to breathe a little easier. Head Coach of the ACGC Chargers Nick Kading said he knew that AHSTW was a very scrappy team.

The Chargers would go on to a hard fought 65-46 win on the road over the Vikings. Head Coach Nick Kading said the Chargers like to play fast but some of their early shots in the shot clock helped lead into the Vikings making a little come back in the third and fourth quarters.

The Chargers now improve to 4-1 on the season as the Vikings fall to 2-3.

ACGC Chargers Cruise To Big Win Over The Lady Vikes

Sports

December 11th, 2023 by admin

The ACGC Chargers jumped all over the Lady Vikes from the opening tip and never let up. Not even two minutes the Chargers led quickly 10-0 by their defense forcing three straight steals for layups. The Chargers would have their best quarter of the season so far as they put 30 points and held a 20-point advantage. The turnover bug caught the Lady Vikes in the first half as they had 15 in the first 16 minutes of action and could just never recover. Head Coach of the Chargers Brad Baudler said getting off to quick starts has been an emphasis on this team early in the season.

The Lady Vikes would pick up the scoring in the second to keep the game competitive as seniors Ella Langer and Delaney Goshhorn both went over their season average with both girls scoring 15+ as Langer posted a season high 18 points and Goshhorn was able to find her jump shot as she tallied four triples on the night, but the Lady Vikes could not keep up with the outstanding post work by Chargers sophomore Camdyn Richter. Richter owned the paint on both ends of the floor posting a double-double and scoring a game 19 points most of which came with the left hand off great footwork in the low post. The Lady Vikes would have their best quarter of the night in the fourth and final quarter when they outscored the Chargers 5 points. Coach Baulder said he had been waiting for Richter to have a big night offensively.

With the loss the Lady Vikes three game win streak comes to an end as the Lady Vikes fall to 3-3 on the season. The Chargers improve to 4-1 and winners of back-to-back games.

LOYD RUSSELL ANDREW, 82, of Dubuque [ formerly of Atlantic & Council Bluffs] (Svcs. 12/16/23)

Obituaries

December 11th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

LOYD RUSSELL ANDREW, 82, of Dubuque [ formerly of Atlantic & Council Bluffs], died Monday, December 11, 2023, at Harmony Dubuque. Funeral services for LOYD ANDREW will be held 10-a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, at the Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Visitation with the family is on Friday, at the funeral home, from 5-until 7-p.m.

Burial, with Military Honors by the Atlantic Color Guard, will be held in the Atlantic Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation to various Christian charities that Loyd and Glenda Support.

Loyd Andrew is survived by:

His wife – Glenda Andrew.

His daughters – Joy Marie (Glendon) Thompson, of Valley Center, KS., & Julie Ann (Michael) Eells, of Ankeny.

and 10 grandchildren.

Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.