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Accident in Creston, Sunday afternoon: No injuries

News

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – An SUV and  a pickup truck collided Sunday afternoon in Creston, but no injuries were reported. According to Creston Police, the collision occurred at around 1:05-p.m. at the intersection of Birch and Carpenter Streets. A 2024 Toyota Sequoia SUV driven by 42-year-old Jacqueline Welchans, of Creston, was struck by a 2013 Dodge pickup driven by 24-year-old Kierstin Swank, of Lenox.

Authorities said Welchans was traveling south on Birch Street in Creston. Swank was stopped on westbound Carpenter Street, at the stop sign. She told police she looked but did not see the SUV before pulling-out into the intersection. Welchans tried to stop and avoid the collision, but was unable to do so.

Both vehicles sustained significant damage, but were able to be driven from the scene. Swank was issued a citation for Failure to have insurance. She was also issued a written warning for Failure to yield the right-of-way. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,500 altogether, according to the police report.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Monday, July 15, 2024

Weather

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 106. South wind 5 to 10 mph. HEAT ADVISORY in effect from 1-until 8-p.m. today.
Tonight: Partly cloudy w/a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms this evening. Low around 65.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 84. North northeast wind around 5-10 mph.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 77.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 91. Our Low was 67. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 84 and the Low was 60. The All-Time Record High in Atlantic on July 15th, was 110 in 1936. The Record Low was 42 in 1930. Sunrise: 5:58; Sunset: 8:52.

Helping IA farmers get more cover crops into the ground

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – An Iowa nonprofit group helps ag-related businesses grow to serve more farmers and get more cover crops planted in the state. Cover crops like rye and wheat are typically planted to protect the soil in winter months – and in and between row crops like corn and soybeans to control weeds in the growing season.

Practical Farmers of Iowa is making up to $10,000 available to farmers who want to commercialize their cover crop practice through the Cover Crop Business Accelerator Program. PFI’s Senior Field Crops Viability Manager Lydia English said while cover crops are good for weed control and soil health, most farmers who use them have another goal.

“Ninety percent of the time, it’s to combat erosion, either wind or water,” said English. “So, I think seeing that soil loss is really real – and that’s a lot of value that we’re washing down the drain, literally, that we don’t need to, with a practice like cover crops.” English said PFI wants to plant 12 million of Iowa’s 30 million acres of farmland with cover crops and thinks the accelerator program will encourage farmers to help reach that goal.

Iowa corn and soybean Farmer Dan Bahe owns a business that plants cover crops for its clients on about 7,000 acres.
He and his brother were already experienced farmers who have used cover crops for more than a decade, but Bahe said they used PFI’s accelerator program to scale up their operation – especially by taking advantage of a personalized business coaching program. “Helping us put a business plan together,” said Bahe. “Ideas on creating a legal entity, marketing, branding. Because we were already established, but we really didn’t have a game plan. We were just taking orders, going out and seeding cover crops.”

The 2022 Census of Agriculture reported nearly 1.3 million acres of cover crops in Iowa. That’s a 32% increase since 2017.
PFI’s accelerator program is in its fifth year.

Naig expects USDA ‘strike team’ report on bird flu to yield recommendations

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says U-S-D-A scientists have collected data from Iowa and are working to understand how bird flu has moved to infect dairy cows as well as other animals. “I ordered in an epidemiological strike team from USDA, appreciate they sent that team,” Naig says. “…(They) went farm-by-farm…really trying to understand how high path moves through a herd or possible ways it’s moving off the farm or onto the farm.”

No other state is doing testing of dairy operations within a 12 mile radius of any poultry flock that has to be euthanized after avian influenza is confirmed in the birds — and Naig says wildlife in those zones are being screened for bird flu as well. “I think what we’re going to get when we get to the end of this maybe in weeks or even months is that we’re going to actually have specific strategies farmers can use to protect their operations,” Naig says, “but if you’re not testing, you can’t do that kind of work.”

It’s been a couple of weeks since bird flu has been confirmed in cattle or poultry in an Iowa operation. Since March, six farm workers in Texas, Michigan and Colorado have tested positive for bird flu. Employees at Iowa facilities where the virus has been confirmed among birds or cattle have been tested, but Naig says there have been no human cases of bird flu in Iowa.

“By the way, there’s no evidence of human-to-human spread, which is very good news for all of us,” Naig said, “and why is important that we manage these things as animal health issues, try to deal with them on the farm so they don’t become human health or food safety issues.”

Naig made his comments this weekend during an appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

Miller-Meeks says congress will examine Secret Service after assassination attempt on Trump

News

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport says congress will have valid questions about how the Secret Service performed at Trump’s rally in Pennsylvania.  “Having been in the military, there is always an after-action report,” Miller-Meeks says. “You want to know, you know, how was a shooter on the building? How did that occur? Why and how were they close to the perimeter?”

Miller-Meeks says she has additional perspective because her oldest brother was a Secret Service agent who guarded and traveled with Presidents Carter, Ford, Reagan and Bush before ending his career working at the Reagan Ranch in California. Miller-Meeks says she’s heard directly from Iowans — and from people from both political parties — who have expressed shock and horror after Saturday’s tragic events. “It is not acceptable. It is not how we solve differences or how we promote and advocate for issues that we think are important,” Miller-Meeks says. “We do that at the ballot box and elections.”

Miller-Meeks will be in Milwaukee at some point this week to meet with Iowa delegates at the Republican National Convention.

30,000+ private school students each qualify for $7800 in state fundi

News

July 15th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says over 30-thousand students have been approved for state funding to cover private school expenses for the next school year. Reynolds made the announcement at an event hosted by The Family Leader, an evangelical Christian group. “Just another indication that parents want options,” she said, to applause.

In early 2023 Reynolds signed a law creating state-funded Education Savings Accounts. Last school year nearly 19-thousand students qualified for the program based on limited family income. This year, students from households with an annual income that’s 400 percent of the poverty level are eligible. The state will spend about 78-hundred dollars on each private school student who qualifies. Reynolds says the program injects competition in the state’s K-through-12 education system.

“As lieutenant governor with Governor Branstad we did a comprehensive education reform package and I can remember standing at a town hall saying: ‘You know, I think we should embrace competition. It makes us all stronger,'” Reynolds said. “…I was booed and heckled and nearly chased out of the room by just saying that simple statement.”

Reynolds describes the pandemic as a game changer in the push to dramatically increase state funding for private schools. “It really gave parents a front row seat to see what was happening in their classrooms,” Reynolds said, “and just the lack of the teachers union for really getting those kids back in the classroom.”

Beyond state funding for private school expenses, Reynolds says she’s trying to lift Iowa’s education system as a whole. She points to the raises she approved for beginning and veteran teachers in public schools and a new reading initiative. “Iowa used to lead the country when it came to education and I think a lot of people still believe that. We are not now, but we will be,” Reynolds says. “…Hang in there with me. We are on our way.”

Democrats say education is a major issue in legislative races this year. The Democratic leaders in the Iowa House and Senate say spending hundreds of millions of state tax dollars on private schools and the changes Reynolds pushed for in Iowa’s Area Education Agencies are unpopular with voters.

Brecht Selected by Colorado in CB-A Round of MLB Draft

Sports

July 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa junior Brody Brecht was selected by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in the Competitive Balance-A round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. Brecht was the 38th pick overall.
Brecht is the 30th player drafted under head coach Rick Heller. He is the highest draft pick under Heller at Iowa.
The Ankeny, Iowa, native went 4-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 15 starts in 2024. The right-hander posted five quality starts and fanned 128 batters over 78.1 innings. Brecht ranked fourth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings (14.71) and seventh in total strikeouts.
Brecht, a former dual-sport athlete with the Iowa football team, is Iowa’s single season and career strikeout leader. He totaled 281 strikeouts in 178 career innings and had a 10-9 record with a 3.49 ERA while making 32 starts.
The Hawkeyes finished the 2024 season with a 31-23 overall record. Iowa finished fourth in the Big Ten regular season standings and made its ninth straight Big Ten Tournament appearance.

High School Softball Regional Scores from Saturday

Sports

July 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Class 3A

Region 2

PCM 1, Clarke 0
Clarinda 10, Atlantic 7

Class 4A

Region 2

North Polk 8, Mason City 0
Gilbert 11, Webster City 6

Region 3

Dallas-Center Grimes 15, Carroll 0
Perry 4, Storm Lake 3

Region 4

ADM 9, Indianola 2
Winterset 10, Glenwood 0

Region 6

Norwalk 7, Ballard 0
Pella 3, Bondurant-Farrar 2

High School Baseball Substate Scores from Saturday

Sports

July 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Class 1A

Substate 2 – District 3

Remsen St. Marys 3, Woodbine 2

Substate 2 – District 4

Coon Rapids-Bayard 11, CAM 0

Substate 7 – District 13

Lynnville-Sully 3, North Mahaska 0

Substate 7 – District 14

Ankeny Christian 5, Earlham 3

Substate 8 – District 15

Tri-Center 4, Lenox 3

Substate 8 – District 16

Bedford 2, Southwest Valley 0

Class 2A

Substate 6 – District 11 

Des Moines Christian 2, Pella Christian 0

Substate 6 – District 12

Pleasantville 8, Interstate-35  1

Substate 7 – District 13

Chariton 6, Van Meter 5

Substate 7 – District 14

OABCIG 8, Kuemper Catholic 4

Substate 8 – District 15

Underwood 11, Ridge View 0

Substate 8 – District 16

Clarinda 5, Shenandoah 2

Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger and Curtis Jones on Big-12 scheduling

Sports

July 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State men’s basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger is glad the Big-12 focused on regional rivalries in next season’s schedule. Of the five teams the Cyclones play twice next season in the league race two of them are Kansas State and Kansas.

Otzelberger says they tried to balance the schedule from a competitive standpoint as much as possible.

Otzelberger says the new 20-game conference schedule will be demanding.

Last season the Cyclones did not play at Kansas and senior guard Curtis Jones is looking forward to playing in Phog Allen Field House.

Jones says the Big-12 schedule will be even more demanding next season with the addition of Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado.