(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s deputy secretary of agriculture says there are frustrating and confusing inequities in federal programs meant to support farmers trying to recover from natural disasters. Grant Menke testified yesterday (Wednesday) before the U-S Senate Small Business Committee.

“In addition to the overall complexity of these programs, one of the most significant issues Iowans have faced is the disparity in accessibility and eligibility between USDA and SBA disaster programs,” Menke says. Farming operations are not eligible for Small Business Administration loans and Menke says the historic flooding and a record number of tornadoes have created significant challenges for Iowa farmers.

“In many cases, these folks lost nearly everything,” Menke said, “not just farm buildings and equipment, but also their homes.” Menke says S-B-A disaster loans offer lower interest rates and a longer repayment period than the disaster loans farmers have access to through the U-S-D-A. “SBA disaster loans also offer deferral of the first payment and no interest accrual for the first 12 months – features that are not available with USDA disaster loans. These discrepancies place an undue burden on farmers and farm businesses who already operate on thin margins, especially during the softening ag economy.”

Menke says another frustration is the U-S-D-A’s disaster loans have an upper limit that’s less than the maximum loan amount available through the S-B-A.

(Iowa News Service) – Researchers at Iowa State University are taking aim at the huge amount of energy used by data centers, now and in the future. They have developed a material as thin as an atom to reduce power consumption.
A national study showed by 2030, 9% of the country’s energy will be consumed by data centers, keeping the internet, AI applications and other technology humming.

Matthew Panthani, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at Iowa State University, and his team are focused on using light rather than heat to generate power for the data centers sprouting up close to home. “Iowa seems to be a popular place to build data centers,” Panthani observed. “Meta and other companies have built data centers, even in the Des Moines area. They’re taking advantage of the relatively low electricity prices afforded by wind energy.”

Panthani’s lab is focused on developing atom-thin sheets of a silicon-germanium alloy which are stacked in layers and used to create highly energy efficient semiconductors, which can be used in power-hungry data centers. Using light to transmit data is not new. Companies have used fiber optic technology to transmit light across oceans, for example. But Panthani pointed out doing it on a much smaller scale, such as between components on the computer chips in data centers, is something quite different.

“That’s really because there isn’t a material that can enable scalable, on-chip light sources,” Panthani explained. “The materials that we’re developing are intended to have properties, both the manufacturability and properties, that could enable that.”

According to the Electric Power Research Institute, the internet’s 5.3 billion users can demand as much power as 800,000 households. It will sharply increase this decade, sending the demand even higher and making new technology like this even more important.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa banker says there’s too much red tape in federal disaster recovery programs. Gus Barker is president and C-E-O of First Community Bank in Newell. “Disaster victims are in no position to complete that excessive paperwork,” Barker says. Barker testified this (Wednesday) afternoon at a hearing of the U-S Senate Small Business Committee. He told senators about helping a customer, who was a victim of the historic floods of 1993, complete a Small Business Administration loan application.

“We could not have completed that application without the support of the local SBA office,” Barker said. “Regretably since that time, SBA scaled back its presence in Iowa and applications are now approved in San Francisco, a distance which makes coordination much more challenging.” Barker says direct lending from the Small Business Administration and other federal programs have played a key role in the survival of disaster stricken businesses and he’s urging the agency to make changes.

Gus Barker, president and CEO of First Community Bank in Newell, testifies at Washington, D.C. hearing.

“SBA is known to file liens far in excess of the loan amount to secure their mortgages. These liens tie up their collateral and prevent a community bank from helping the borrower in any way in the future,” Barker says. “SBA should be willing to subordinate their loans in the way that USDA has, for example.” Barker says disaster victims should also be able to package federal benefits offered by different agencies — like a S-B-A loan and a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“Neither of which is adequate in itself in the rebuilding,” Barker says. “Today, a victim must choose one or the other. It’s too much to ask for disaster victims to learn the details of those programs and make an informed judgment of what to do.”

Barker, who has worked in his family-owned bank for 47 years, is on the Independent Community Bankers of America board of directors.

(Radio Iowa) – A proposal from Iowa State University to create bachelors degree in Game Design received approval from a Board of Regents committee today (Wednesday) I-S-U Associate Provost Ann Marie VanDerZanden says demand for the program has been growing. “Interest for the degree on campus is strong. Currently, Iowa State courses focus on games and game design frequently reach their enrollment capacities, and the university’s game development club engages over 650 students,” she says.

VanDerZanden says there are a couple of businesses where graduates could work in Iowa, and the degree could bring more. “Becasue we know many businesses prefer to locate where there is available talent, having this degree could actually bring some of these companies to our state. The proposed degree in game design would be the first among the regents institutions,” VanDerZanden says. VanDerZanden says there is an opportunity to attract transfer students from some community colleges.

“For example, western Iowa Technical Community College and Iowa Lakes Community College offer associate’s degree in game design. Marshalltown Community College offers an E- Sports Program Management degree,” she says. “And we feel that both of these would be opportunities if students choose to pursue a four-year degree, that our degree would be attractive to them.” The projections show the major would grow rapidly.

“We expect an initial enrollment of 30 students majoring in game design, growing quickly to 240 students in four years,” VanDerZanden says. VanDerZanden says there would be no additional cost I-S-U as the instructors in the current courses would handle the courses in the major.

The full Board of Regents is expected to approve the major Thursday in the second day of their meeting.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Federal health officials say a Utah company is recalling thousands of boxes of waffles as they may contain foreign objects. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified the recall as “Class II” on Sept. 13 of a voluntary recall from Kodiak Cakes LLC, based out of Park City UT, for 7,300 boxes of its 40-count “Kodiak Protein-Packed Power Waffles, Buttermilk & Vanilla.”

The recall, which was initially issued in August, was initiated “due to the potential presence of soft plastic film,” Kodiak said in a letter sent to consumers who may have been impacted. The recall is designated at a “Class II” status, meaning the waffles may cause adverse health reactions if consumed.

According to the letter, impacted packages have UPC code ‘7 05599 01920 3’ on their boxes, expire on Jan. 1, 2026, and a time stamp of 12:00-23:00. The recalled waffles were sold at Costco warehouses in the Midwest between July 15 and August 25, Kodiak said in its letter.

The FDA notice shows the waffles were distributed to Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. No other Kodiak products are impacted, and only boxes with this UPC code and expiration date are included in the recall.

If you still have any unused boxes of the recalled waffles in your freezer, Kodiak said to take them to your local Costco for a full refund. You can also contact Kodiak via email at flapjacks@kodiakcakes.com or phone at 801-328-4067.

CENTERVILLE, Iowa — A teen was taken into custody Wednesday morning in connection to a violent threat toward a southern Iowa school. KCC-TV reports police in Centerville were called to investigate a tip about a threat of violence toward Centerville High School that was found written on a table Tuesday. Officers found evidence and received tips from the public that led to a suspect. A 17-year-old was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with threat of terrorism, a Class D felony.

Centerville police thanked the public for providing aid and noted the use of Safe + Sound Iowa, a website that collects anonymous tips about school threats and relays them to local law enforcement.

Police have not publicly identified the teen who was arrested.

Here is the letter Centerville Schools posted on social media with regard to the incident:

DES MOINES – Fall is a great time for one in four Iowans to take a few simple steps to protect their pocket books, their septic systems and Iowa’s waters.  The Iowa DNR is encouraging Iowans with septic systems to celebrate SepticSmart Week, Sept.16 to 24, a nationwide campaign sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Septic failures are most likely to occur when they’re neglected, and failures are costly. Routine inspections and maintenance may reduce those future costs. In addition to routine maintenance, Iowans can help by examining their own septic habits. Identifying harmful products before they go down the drain will lead to improved water quality, better health, and save homeowners money and a lot of heartache.

“Everything we put down the drain has an impact on our septic system’s health,” says Cory Frank, the Iowa DNR On-site Wastewater Coordinator. “Dishwasher pods, liquid drain cleaners, even the type of toilet paper you use can cause significant damage to your system and the environment, and potentially cost you thousands of dollars.”

Performing routine septic system maintenance and identifying harmful products before they go down the drain will lead to improved water quality, better health, and save homeowners money.

The EPA offers six simple tips to keep your system performing optimally:

• Don’t Strain your Drain—use water efficiently and stagger washing, dishwashing and other high water uses.
• Think at the Sink—avoid pouring fats, solids and harsh chemicals down the drain.
• Don’t Overload the Commode—flush only toilet paper, not tissues, wipes, paper towels, pet litter or any other trash.
• Shield your Field—no parking and no tree planting keeps septic fields functioning.
• Pump your Tank—follow your professional’s recommendations.
• Protect it and Inspect it—service the system every one to three years.

You can find additional information on septic system operations, maintenance, and water quality resources at iowadnr.gov/septic, and also on the SepticSmart website.

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesman for the D-N-R says more than 12-hundred fish died after a water main break Monday that allowed chlorinated water into Iowa’s only urban trout stream in Cedar Rapids. D-N-R fisheries technician Chris Mack talked with K-C-R-G T-V about the fish kill at McLoud Run.

“It is a big deal. I mean, our hatchery spent money and time raising these fish, and we spend time hauling them and stocking them,” Mack says. D-N-R records show there have been seven other kill at McLoud Run since 2012. Mack says the last fish kill happened earlier this year, and the cause was also chlorinated water.

‘It’s fairly frequent occurrence being an urban situation,” Mack says. He says the D-N-R assess the value of the dead fish, then the city of Cedar Rapids has to pay the fine. In spring 2023 that was around 22-thousand dollars, and another fish kill in 2017 cost around 20-thousand dollars.

Mack was asked by K-C-R-G T-V, if mass fish kills have become the norm for this area, when do they get to the point where they don’t restock McCloud Run. He says it provides a unique opportunity for anglers. “It’s just these urban settings are closer to people and the majority of our anglers don’t want to travel that far,” he says.

Iowa’s other trout streams are in Northern Iowa. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports in the wake of these kills, the city of Cedar Rapids has purchased seven sensors that would alert city staff when a water main break occurs so that it can be stopped sooner.

(Radio Iowa) -Heart disease is the #1 killer in Iowa, claiming more than 7,000 lives a year, and without some lifestyle changes, health officials say those numbers will only rise.

McKenna Schmidt, wellness education specialist at Gundersen Health System, says many Iowans face critical risks from heart disease based on factors they -can’t- control, like their age, race, gender or family history.

“There are some risk factors that we can control, and those include living a sedentary lifestyle, so lack of physical activity and exercise can contribute to cardiovascular disease,” Schmidt says. “Poor diet can also be a risk factor, and tobacco use can increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease as well.”

McKenna Schmidt (Gundersen photo)

Seek out avenues that will help to reduce stress, and she says if you smoke, quit, that’s in addition to getting moving with exercise and eating right.

“The recommendation is to get about 150 minutes of moderate physical activity weekly,” Schmidt says. “Getting enough sleep, about seven to nine hours is the recommended amount of sleep that we should be getting each night. Eating a well-balanced diet, that includes a lot of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating or reducing processed foods is important.”

Some Iowans, even those with good health insurance, don’t bother to get annual physicals or they might not even have a doctor they see on a regular basis.

“It’s important to establish care with a primary care provider if you don’t have one, because if something does come up, you have easier access to be able to reach out to them with questions,” she says. “So it’s really important to establish care with a provider, and then, they can always refer you on to specialty areas if needed.”

A recent study predicted more than 60-percent of adults will have heart disease by 2050, and that over the next three decades, Americans are -unlikely- to make any lifestyle changes to prevent it.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.