(Radio Iowa) – Emmet County — the 99th and final county in Iowa to have a confirmed case of Emerald Ash Borer — will be the site of a mid-November meeting about what’s next for ash trees in the county. Sue Boettcher of the Iowa State University Extension Office in Emmet County says residents will learn how to diagnose an affected tree. “Some ash trees will survive and some will not and this will give you an idea of what to look for, ” Boettcher says. “…What is Emerald Ash Borer? How to identify it, signs of infestation, if the tree is safe or if it’s a candidate for treatment and then we’ll give some different treatment options.”

Boettcher says they’ll also provide a list of different tree species that would be good replacements if an ash tree is failing and must be cut down. The urban forestry specialist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and entomologists from Iowa State University and the Iowa Department of Agriculture will be in Emmetsburg for the event. “We’ll have some great people speaking and really be able to answer some questions,” Boettcher says. The meeting is scheduled for the evening of Wednesday, November 13th at the Estherville Public Library.

Emerald Ash Borer (Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources photo)

State officials recently announced an emerald ash borer infestation had been confirmed in an ash tree about 20 miles east of Estherville — in the small town of Armstrong. According to the U-S-D-A, the insect has killed about 15 million trees in the United States.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by United Group Insurance on Thursday, October 31st. The Ambassadors were on hand to welcome the newest agent, Tyler Comes, to their Downtown Atlantic office.

Tyler was born and raised in Atlantic and graduated from Atlantic High School in 2019. After graduating college, Tyler returned to help operate the family farm, until he was approached by a family friend asking if he ever thought about going to insurance. Tyler jumped into the industry with both feet and feels that it all has come very naturally. “I’ve been a farm kid all my life, and being passionate about the people and the ag industry has made insurance a natural fit.”

Ambassador’s Pictured Left to Right: Tresa Comes, Kathie Hockenberry, Lori Johnson, Kaylee Doty, Jim Kickland, Lana Westphalen, Ann Johnk, Colt Doherty, Elaine Otte, Dolly Bergmann, Sue Liston, Randy Spangenberg Chris Parks, Carol Beebe, Megan Sramek, Tyler Comes, Dr. Keith Leonard, DeeDee Kalny, Alissa McGinnis, Bill Saluk, Anne Quist, Nick Bosley, Jeff Christensen, Krysta Hanson, Alden Harriman, Kelsey Beschorner

United Group Insurance has been in Southwest Iowa for over 60 years. With Carol Beebe and Tyler Comes serving the Atlantic office, the company also has offices in Griswold, Shenandoah and Red Oak. United Group Insurance takes pride in offering all forms of insurance including auto, home, farm, business, personal, commercial, life, health and crop insurance.

United Group Insurance is located at 303 Chestnut Street, Atlantic. For a quote, contact 712-243-6557 or visit http://www.unitedgroupins.com.

BOONE, Iowa — A central Iowa woman will avoid prison after admitting to shooting her husband in Madrid last year. Court records show Miranda Schaumburg shot her husband in the back in September of 2023. Schaumburg claimed self-defense at the time, but investigators rejected that claim. Schaumburg was also accused of deleting security camera video that would have shown the shooting.

She faced several charges, including attempted murder. KCCI reports last month, Schaumburg took an Alford Plea to domestic abuse with a firearm. The plea means she maintains her innocence, but agreed there would be enough evidence for a conviction.

She also pleaded guilty to being a convicted domestic abuser in possession of a firearm.

Schaumburg received a suspended sentence and credit for time served. She will spend two days in jail and two years on probation.

MARENGO, Iowa [KCCI] — The Environmental Protection Agency says the owner of C-6 Zero could face criminal charges. C-6 Zero is the company that owned the plant in Marengo that exploded in December 2022. Around a dozen people were injured in the explosion.

Last week, the EPA sent a letter to the company’s lawyers. It lists multiple incidents where the company failed to comply with environmental and safety regulations, before and after the explosion. Some of the infractions include failure to have electrical up to code, improper labeling of hazardous chemicals and inadequate operating procedures.

The documents allege C-6 Zero may be trying to open a similar plant in Idaho.

The company has been fined over $1.6 million by multiple agencies. They also face lawsuits filed by former employees and investors for damages.

(Radio Iowa) – As we head into the final two months of 2024, typically the busiest months of the year for many retailers, a survey of business leaders in Iowa and eight other Midwestern states points to a looming economic downturn. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the Business Conditions Index grades the region’s economy on a zero-to-100 scale, with 50 being growth neutral. It’s risen slightly from around 48 in September to 51 in October, just barely into growth territory.

“The overall reading, and that’s true for the national number and that’s true for our regional number, vacillating up and down, below and above growth neutral,” Goss says. “That’s the fifth time this year, and of course, that’s 10 months, the fifth time this year the index has been above growth neutral. Of course, that means five times -below- growth neutral as well.” Goss says supply managers remain pessimistic about the economic outlook, with many expecting a recession, or a sharp dropoff in the next six months. He says the region’s employment index slumped below growth neutral for the 10th straight month in October.

“The U.S. manufacturing sector has lost 43,000 jobs this year alone, that’s three-tenths of one-percent, five out of the last nine months we’ve lost jobs, the U.S. has lost jobs,” Goss says. “The region is down 3,700 jobs, which is also identically three-tenths of one-percent. We lost jobs for four of the last five months.”  The Creighton survey found four in ten Midwestern supply managers named supply chain disruptions as the top challenge to their firm over the next year, and Goss says interest rates are a key factor.

Ernie Goss (Creighton University photo)

“Long-term interest rates are rising, even though the Federal Reserve is cutting rates, they’re cutting short-term rates at the same time long-term rates are going up,” Goss says. “I expect those long-term rates to continue to move higher, and we’re going to see mortgage rates approach 7% and of course, that’s going to put a little dent in housing and we’ll see that in housing sales, home sales.”

Iowa’s overall number fell from around 43 in September to 48 in October, still below growth neutral and still “weak,” according to Goss.

The latest U.S. International Trade Administration data finds Iowa’s manufacturing sector saw a drop in 2024 year-to-date exports of 954-million dollars from the same period in 2023, a drop of more than eight-percent.