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First corn harvesters are in the fields, gathering specialized grain for hybrid varieties

Ag/Outdoor

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

While the full-scale corn harvest won’t start in Iowa for a couple of weeks, farmers are now beginning to bring in the first loads of specialized grain. In central Iowa, near Ankeny, Paul Mens runs a corn picker that’s designed for harvesting ears that will be shelled at a nearby Monsanto seed corn processing plant. “On a seed corn harvester, we pick it in the ear and we do not have a yield monitor,” Mens says. “In my opinion, for what this has been through, the yield is real good. They don’t tell us what each variety or inbred is supposed to make, we don’t have a clue, but this has done real well. You can tell where the wet spots were, where it was too wet this spring, but overall, it’s doing real well.”

Monsanto is paying Mens to harvest ears from the stalks that were detasseled earlier in the season for a future hybrid seed corn variety. “This is an earlier variety,” he says. “We’re actually the only ones running. There are four picker groups that pick for our plant at Grinnell. We’re the only ones running right now. Nobody else is going. This earlier variety came on before the dry weather hit. As we get further into the season, we’ll see how bad that did hurt.”

Iowa’s market corn harvest likely won’t begin until fall arrives in just under two weeks on September 22nd. Harvesting this specialized corn is considered a preview of the drought’s impact on the crop.

(Radio Iowa)

(Podcast) Skyscan Forecast: Tue., Sept. 10th 2013

Podcasts, Weather

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The podcast weather forecast for Atlantic and the KJAN listening area from Freese-Notis, and weather information specifically for Atlantic….

Play

Glenwood woman charged in connection with tv destruction

News

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report the arrest Monday evening of a woman who allegedly destroyed a television set. 18-year old Melody Marie Bentley, of Glenwood, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th degree, for allegedly destroying a t-v belonging to Country Haven residential care facility, in Corning. Bentley was taken into custody at around 7:50-p.m. and brought to the Adams County Jail, where her bond was set at $300.

3 IWCC football players cited for possessing alcohol

Sports

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Three football players from Iowa Western Community College have been cited for being in minors in possession of alcohol. The Daily NonPareil reports the trio were cited inside a dormitory suite on the Iowa Western campus in Council Bluffs, at around 2:10-a.m., Sunday. Council Bluffs Police Officers cited 20-year old Connor Bravard, 19-year old Andrew Ulveling, and 19-year old George Sehl IV.

Bravard, a sophomore from West Des Moines, is the Reivers’ starting quarterback, while Sehl is a freshman wide receiver from Iowa City. Ulveling is a sophomore linebacker from Mason City. Bravard threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns in Iowa Western’s 61-0 win against Ellsworth Saturday, while Sehl had one catch for 17 yards.

The Reivers play at the North Dakota State College of Science this Saturday in Wahpeton, N.D. The team has not announced any disciplinary actions at this time.

Pre-trial hearing postponed for 17-year old charged with murder

News

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A teen charged with the murder of a 5-year old boy from Atlantic had his pre-trial hearing moved to another date. The hearing was to have been held on Monday for 17-year old Cody Metzker-Madsen, but the Daily NonPareil reports that’s been moved to 1:30-p.m., October 14th.  An arraignment for Metzker-Madsen will be held on Sept. 30th. He faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his foster brother, Dominic Elkins. Metzker-Madsen, will be charged as an adult,  according to Geoff Greenwood, a spokesman for the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. His trial is set to begin 9:30-a.m., Nov. 5th.

Late last month, Metzker-Madsen led his family to Elkins’ body, which was located at the bottom of a ravine in rural Harrison County.The teen remains in the Harrison County jail on $500,000 bond.

Deere to build larger tractors at its plant in Brazil

Ag/Outdoor

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Quad Cities-based Deere and Company is planning a major expansion in Brazil. The company announced Monday it will spend 40-million-dollars to add production of another line of tractors, the eight-R, at its plant in the city of Montengro. Spokesman Ken Golden says demand is growing in Brazil for higher horsepower models like the eight-R. “This is true across the world as far as high-production agriculture uses our larger tractors — the eight-R, the nine series — for the real workhorse activity that goes on in high production farming,” Golden says.

The five-year old plant in Brazil already manufactures three smaller models, the five, six and seven-thousand (5,000/6,000/7,000) series. Making the larger horsepower tractors in the country opens up a new financing option for Brazilian growers. Golden says it will allow for a public financing program that subsidizes their interest rates. “Until you manufacture the product in Brazil, the product does not qualify for that kind of financing,” Golden says. He says this expansion in Brazil will not affect production or employment at the Waterloo (Iowa) plant where several lines of tractors, including the eight-R, are now being made.

“It’s not competitive right now to build a tractor in Waterloo and move it over to Brazil. Because of the financing package, the tariff cost, we’re not cost competitive in Brazil with the eight-R tractor,” according to Golden. “By building them there we will increase our capacity for building the eight-R tractors around the world, and we will be cost competitive in Brazil.” Production of the eight-R in Brazil should begin in 2015. John Deere first came to Brazil in 1979, when it invested in a joint venture in the country. In 2008, it announced plans to build its own factory there.

(Radio Iowa)

Survey indicates hiring in Iowa likely to slow down through end of the year

News

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A new survey shows fewer Iowa businesses are planning to boost employment levels compared to three months ago. Karen Miller, a spokesperson for Manpower, says their latest Employment Outlook Survey indicates hiring should slow down between October and December. “We’re still looking at solid numbers though,” Miller says. “We’ve got 67-percent of employers looking to maintain their staffing levels and 21-percent looking to increase their staffing levels.”

Another 10-percent of the Iowa companies surveyed plan to trim their workforces over the next three months. That places the fourth-quarter Manpower Net Employment Outlook for Iowa at 11-percent. That compares to a 10-percent net outlook one year ago. “What’s unusual is the fourth quarter hiring outlook is really (down) compared to the third quarter, when we had a net outlook of 21-percent,” Miller says. Employer confidence has clearly taken a hit in recent months, according to Miller.

“At this point right now, I think it’s just kind of indicator as to what’s happening in the economy and understanding what might be happening with health care. We see a lot of employers being a bit more conservative in their approach and in their staffing plans,” Miller says. Nationally, 18-percent of the companies surveyed plan to add more workers in the fourth quarter, 8-percent expect to let staff go, and 72-percent plan to maintain current staffing levels.

The Manpower report claims the “best states for jobs” include Nebraska, Maryland, Idaho, Florida, Texas, North Carolina and South Carolina.

(Radio Iowa)

NWS forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: Sept. 10th, 2013

Weather

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

343 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLEAR. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 90S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY WITH A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. LOW IN THE MID 60S. WEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY…PARTLY SUNNY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. HIGH IN THE MID 80S. NORTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. NORTH WIND AROUND 5 MPH.

 THURSDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 80S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

 THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S. HIGH IN THE MID 70S.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., Sept. 10th 2013

News

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowans statewide can get some help understanding the state’s new health insurance exchange. The Iowa Insurance Division says the federal government has approved an awareness campaign aimed at helping residents better understand the health insurance marketplace that is part of the federal overhaul. The division will help lead town hall presentations about the marketplace beginning this month. Open enrollment for the federal marketplace begins Oct. 1.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids’ science museum has a new, permanent home after several years of a temporary setup following the 2008 flood. The Science Center that has for years been inside Lindale Mall will be closed for several days this week so staff can move equipment into a building on Council Street. The space once housed a grocery store and later office space for military contractor Rockwell Collins. Museum organizers hope to reopen sometime next week.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack says the U.S. Department of Transportation has approved nearly $420,000 to pay for a fence around the Ottumwa Regional Airport. Loebsack says the money will pay for a 26,000-foot wildlife perimeter fence that will prevent unauthorized entry onto the airport grounds in southeast Iowa. Ensuring wildlife are kept out of the airport should improve safety for planes landing and taking off.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A mobile home fire in Waterloo has killed two people. Capt. Ryan Mahood of the Waterloo Fire Rescue says the fire on the city’s south side was reported Monday afternoon. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that at least one neighbor tried to rescue one of the victims, but the flames and heat were too intense.

Hot and dry conditions continue today (Tue., 9/10/13)

News, Weather

September 10th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

404 AM CDT TUE SEP 10 2013

AREA COUNTIES: CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR & RINGGOLD….

…HOT CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA TODAY…

A WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL ENTER NORTHERN IOWA TODAY. THE BOUNDARY WILL BRING RELIEF FROM THE HEAT IN THAT REGION…HOWEVER SOUTH OF THE SYSTEM THE HOT CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA TODAY. EXPECT TEMPERATURES WELL INTO THE 90S ONCE AGAIN BY THIS AFTERNOON.

THE CUMULATIVE AFFECTS DUE TO THE PROLONGED PERIOD OF HEAT CAN IMPACT INDIVIDUALS…ESPECIALLY THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING. THEREFORE…CHECKUP ON RELATIVES…NEIGHBORS AND PETS. THE HEAT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY LOW HUMIDITY WHICH WILL ACCELERATE THE DEHYDRATION PROCESS. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ANYONE WHO MUST BE OUTDOORS DRINK PLENTY OF WATER…TAKE FREQUENT BREAKS AND WEAR LIGHT COLORED AND LOOSE CLOTHING. OUTSIDE EXERCISE SHOULD TAKE PLACE DURING THE EARLY MORNING OR EVENING HOURS WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE COOLER.

WEDNESDAY WILL BE COOLER WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES GENERALLY IN THE 80S WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NEAR THE MISSOURI BORDER WHERE LOWER 90S ARE STILL FORECAST.

IN ADDITION…AN ELEVATED FIRE DANGER REMAINS TODAY. THE COMBINATION OF ABNORMALLY DRY CONDITIONS…LOW HUMIDITY AND SOUTHWEST WINDS AT 15 TO 25 MPH COULD LEAD TO RAPID FIRE GROWTH SHOULD A FIRE BE IGNITED.