United Group Insurance

Iowa crops set back in dryer than normal week

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The condition of the corn crop in Iowa and nationally has declined slightly as a late summer dry hot spell settles in over Iowa and other Midwest states renewing fears of a crop damaging drought. The Department of Agriculture says in Monday’s weekly report that corn is about two weeks behind schedule in Iowa as 21 percent is now rated poor or very poor up from 18 percent the previous week and 44 percent is good or excellent, down from 48 percent previously. The remaining portion is fair.

Nationally a larger portion of the crop similarly slipped into poor or very poor category. Iowa soybeans are now 20 percent poor or very poor, up from 18 percent the week before. A similar decline is reported nationally.

2013 Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Pre-Season Volleyball Rankings

Sports

August 26th, 2013 by Jim Field

Class 1-A
No.
School
2012 Record
1
Holy Trinity Catholic
44-5
2
Janesville
32-9
3
Tripoli
38-5
4
LeMars Gehlen Catholic
21-11
5
Grandview Park Baptist
29-7
6
New London
30-11
7
Lisbon
24-12
8
Belle Plaine
22-9
9
Winfield-Mount Union
28-8
10
Stanton
34-3
11
East Union
30-6
12
Harris-Lake Park
25-15
13
Murray
14-10
14
Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton
16-12
15
Don Bosco
16-12
Class 2-A
No.
School
2012 Record
1
Dike-New Hartford
45-0
2
Western Christian
43-4
3
Council Bluffs St. Albert
29-11
4
Hinton
28-5
5
South Central Calhoun
31-11
6
Sumner-Fredericksburg
24-7
7
Eddyville-Blakesburg
30-9
8
Treynor
31-7
9
Edgewood-Colesburg
31-6
10
Grundy Center
35-7
11
Boyden-Hull
21-7
12
Lake Mills
43-1
13
Ridge View
30-8
14
West Branch
36-5
15
North Butler
26-10
Class 3-A
No.
School
2012 Record
1
MOC-Floyd Valley
33-8
2
Union
25-8
3
Kuemper Catholic
33-6
4
Red Oak
27-7
5
Mount Vernon
28-11
6
Nevada
33-11
7
Sheldon
25-10
8
Bondurant-Farrar
26-14
9
Algona
23-15
10
Davis County
20-15
11
East Sac County
31-6
12
Sioux Center
31-7
13
Unity Christian
27-8
14
Mediapolis
41-1
15
Center Point-Urbana
24-18
 Class 4-A
No.
School
2012 Record
1
Harlan
32-6
2
Solon
33-5
3
Sioux City Bishop Heelan
36-11
4
West Delaware
31-12
5
Charles City
45-1
6
Davenport Assumption
28-8
7
Waverly-Shell Rock
45-8
8
Indianola
24-15
9
Cedar Rapids Xavier
26-12
10
ADM
25-11
11
Dubuque Wahlert
17-19
12
Newton
25-11
13
Webster City
21-13
14
Marion
27-14
15
Fairfield
27-8
Class 5-A
No.
School
2012 Record
1
Bettendorf
23-11
2
Johnston
26-9
3
Dubuque Hempstead
29-7
4
Urbandale
31-9
5
Pleasant Valley
38-2
6
Dowling Catholic
33-11
7
West Des Moines Valley
24-15
8
Ankeny
30-7
9
Cedar Falls
28-11
10
Iowa City West
20-17

Heat Advisory continues until 10-p.m. Tuesday (8/27/13)

Weather

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

350 PM CDT MON AUG 26 2013/ Nat’l. Weather Service – Des Moines

…HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT TUESDAY…

HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL VARY FROM THE MIDDLE 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES TUESDAY WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES FROM 105 TO 110 DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF SEVERAL DAYS OF HEAT WILL TAKE ITS TOLL…PARTICULARLY ON THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING OR THOSE SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE.

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE DELAYED TO A LATER DATE IF POSSIBLE…OR HELD IN THE MORNING TO MINIMIZE HEAT STRESS. THE IMPACTS MAY CONTINUE TO SOME EXTENT THROUGH THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND TOO AS THE HEAT WAVE PERSISTS WITH ONLY MARGINALLY COOLER TEMPERATURES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS…STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM…STAY OUT OF THE SUN…AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9-1-1.

Farmers’ Almanac predicts “piercing cold” winter for Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Iowans who don’t enjoy the extreme heat that’s in the forecast this week may find relief in a prediction from the Farmers’ Almanac. The publication’s managing editor, Sandi Duncan, says they’re predicting a winter with below normal temperatures for about two-thirds of the country.FarmersAlmanac2014-Winter-Map “We are saying it’s going to be a very cold winter, in fact, we’re using the words ‘piercing cold’ in your neck of the woods, with normal snowfall,” Duncan says. “So, it’s going to be one of those rough, old-fashioned, very chilly, very cold, snowy winters.”

The Farmer’s Almanac for 2014 hit newsstands today (Monday). Scientists don’t put much stock in the almanac’s weather forecasts, which Duncan says are based on a secret, mathematical and astronomical formula. “It takes things like sun spot activity, tidal action of the moon, the position of the planets, and a variety of factors into play,” Duncan says. “We’ve been predicting the weather for 197 years and people who follow our forecasts say we’re about 80 to 85 percent accurate.”

The Farmers’ Almanac, which was founded in 1818, is predicting a heavy winter storm will hit the Northeast U.S. right around the time Super Bowl is played February 2 in New Jersey.

On the web at http://www.farmersalmanac.com/

(Radio Iowa)

Burglary/theft of tools reported in Page County

News

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of tools valued at $4,720, from a building in Blanchard. The incident happened on or about August 18th. A list of the tools was provided to the Sheriff’s Office last Friday by Joseph Nelson, owner of the tools. Anyone with information about the burglary and theft is asked to call the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-246-5193.

GARY BURG, 57, of Bridgewater (Svcs. 8/29/13)

Obituaries

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

GARY BURG, 57, of Bridgewater, died Mon., Aug. 26th, at the Adair County Memorial Hospital in Greenfield. Scripture services for GARY BURG will be held 2-p.m. Thu., Aug. 29th, at the Steen Funeral Home in Massena.

Visitation with the family will be held one-hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Memorials may be directed to the Gary Burg Memorial Fund to be established by the family at a later date.

Burial will be in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery in Massena.

GARY BURG is survived by:

His mother – Ruth Burg, of Bridgewater.

His sisters – Georgia Yearington of Osceola; Diana Daugherty and husband Terry of Massena; and Deb Nichols and husband Wayne of Atlantic

His brothers – Charles Burg and wife Connie of Atlantic; Michael Burg and wife Lydia of Pella; and Joseph Burg of Bridgewater.

Brian Burg who took care of him during his illness, other relatives and friends.

Shelby County Fire Danger “Moderate”

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says the local Fire danger signs have been in the “Low” category since spring, and while they are not implementing the bi-weekly fire danger assessments, given the general lack of rainfall…and expected very hot and windy condition expected to prevail through the next week…Seivert advises businesses and area fire departments to move the fire danger signs into the “Moderate” category.Moderate Fire Danger rating

Seivert asks residents of Shelby County to “Please report a planned or controlled burn prior to ignition,” by calling 712-755-2124. If you need help in determining if the burn can be conducted safely, you’re asked to contact the Emergency Mgt Agency, or your Fire Chief.

Seivert says his office will continue to monitor conditions and keep residents and the media updated as necessary.

Iowa State high on Sam Richardson

Sports

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State believes Sam Richardson can be the next unknown Big 12 quarterback to emerge as a star, even though he’s only thrown 79 career passes. The Cyclones think they’ve finally found a dual-threat playmaker in Richardson, a sophomore who will get his third career start on Saturday against Northern Iowa.

No one is ready to declare Richardson a program-changing talent along the lines of Robert Griffin III or even Kansas State’s Collin Klein just yet. But the Cyclones can’t stop raving about him.

Page County arrest report

News

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports the arrest of man who turned himself in on a warrant for unauthorized use of a credit card. 22-year old Keith James Land, of Clarinda, was unable to post a $2,000 bond, and was being held in the Page County Jail.

Chiefs tight end Moeaki fractures shoulder

Sports

August 26th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs have lost injury-prone tight end Tony Moeaki, who fractured one of his shoulders in Saturday night’s preseason victory over Pittsburgh.  Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that Moeaki was undergoing further exams on the shoulder and did not say when the tight end would return. The Chiefs play their last preseason game Thursday night against Green Bay before making final roster cuts by Saturday.

It was unclear exactly when Moeaki got hurt, but Reid said it occurred late in the Steelers game. Moeaki was hit near the shoulder and then tackled to the ground on it. The Chiefs were already banged up at tight end with rookie Travis Kelce dealing with a bruised knee. Reid said Kelce could be back in practice this week.