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Three events planned to help with agriculture storm recovery

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – State, federal and local agencies are coming together with farm industry groups for three one-day events to help those in agriculture who have been hit by the recent severe weather. FEMA’s Jessica Pugh said the Agriculture Recovery Center events are for those impacted by the storms. “They will kind of be walked through events designed as resource fairs to provide information on addressing agricultural needs that are not covered by standard programs within FEMA or the state of Iowa,” she says. The first one is Thursday from noon until 8 pm at the Treynor Community Center in Pottawattamie County. Pugh says there are a lot of different types of agriculture that have been hit by the severe weather.

“As an example, just recently we had a conversation about honey bee damage. There was a honeybee agribusiness that was impacted by the tornadoes and their business was obviously sustained physical damage, and it would not be covered by individual assistance or public assistance under FEMA,” Pugh says. She says you need to bring identification and verification of where you live.

“So your driver’s license or an I-D would be great. If you have damage, photos of the damage is always helpful. If you have your insurance documents that say what’s covered and what’s not covered, that’s also helpful so that we can look at what’s covered and what’s not,” she says. “And we’ll also have our individual assistance and Disaster Survivor Assistance programs on the ground for anyone who hasn’t been able to get with those programs yet.” Pugh says this is a great opportunity to access all the information in one stop.

“I would encourage you to come out even if you aren’t 100 percent sure that your items may be covered,” Pugh says. “We’d love to have a conversation with you and just see if things can be worked out.” The second Agriculture Recovery Center is set for June 18th in Union County at the Southwestern Community College in Creston. The place and time for the third event is still being finalized.

High School Softball Scores from Tuesday, June 11th

Sports

June 12th, 2024 by admin

Hawkeye Ten Conference

  • St. Albert 10, Atlantic 5
  • Lewis Central 7, Kuemper Catholic 2
  • Kuemper Catholic 11, Lewis Central 4
  • Denison-Schleswig 11, Harlan 0
  • Shenandoah 12, Red Oak 2
  • Creston 8, Glenwood 2

Western Iowa Conference

  • Tri-Center 16, IKM-Manning 5
  • AHSTW 7, Riverside 4
  • Audubon 3, Treynor 1

Pride of Iowa Conference 

  • Bedford 11, Nodaway Valley 6
  • Nodaway Valley 5, Bedford 4
  • Southeast Warren 14, Southwest Valley 0
  • Wayne 21, East Union 0
  • Martensdale St. Marys 12, Central Decatur 0
  • Mount Ayr 3, Lenox 2

West Central Activities Conference

  • AC/GC 2, Madrid 1
  • Madrid 5, AC/GC 1
  • Van Meter 7, Interstate 35 3

Missour River Conference 

  • Bishop Heelan 6, Thomas Jefferson 5
  • Thomas Jefferson 12, Bishop Heelan 10
  • Sioux City East 11, Abraham Lincoln 1
  • Sioux City East 18, Abraham Lincoln 10

Non-Conference Games

  • Griswold 10, CAM 0
  • Grand View Christian 8, Coon Rapids-Bayard 1
  • Glidden-Ralston 9, Manson Northwest Webster 0
  • Storm Lake 21, Carroll 12

NASCAR champ hosts Iowa fundraiser to honor his late grandfather

News, Sports

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The champion of last year’s NASCAR Cup Series will be in Iowa for Sunday’s race at the Iowa Speedway, but also to raise money for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association on Saturday night. Ryan Blaney (BLAY-nee), who drives the number-12 Mustang, will host “Dinner with the Champions” at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame & Museum in Knoxville. Association spokeswoman Lauren Livingston says Blaney is bringing his dad and his uncle, both of whom were top drivers as well.

Established in 2018, the Ryan Blaney Family Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to supporting brain health causes, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease and concussion — so she says donations for the event are tax deductible.

The Blaney Family has many ties to not only dirt racing, but to Knoxville and Iowa. Ryan Blaney’s mother, Lisa, is a Chariton native, and Ryan’s father, Dave, won the Knoxville Nationals in 1997. Ryan’s uncle, Dale, competed in the Knoxville Nationals several times, and his grandfather, Lou, finished 4th in the Knoxville Nationals in 1974. Speaking of Lou, Livingston says the Blaney family has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s.

Those resources include the Alzheimer’s Association’s free 24/7 Helpline at 800-272-3900. Some seven-million Americans have Alzheimer’s dementia, including more than 62-thousand Iowans, while nearly 100-thousand Iowans provide unpaid care to loved ones living with the disease.

On the web:

Tickets: iowa.cbo.io
Alzheimer’s Association: alz.org

Oklahoma man arrested in Stanton Tue. night

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reports a man from Oklahoma was arrested Tuesday night, in Stanton. Authorities say after a brief investigation, 54-year-old Michael A. McKay, of Sand Springs, OK, was taken into custody at around 9:20-p.m. in the 600 block of Halland Street, in Stanton. McKay was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his Breath Alcohol Content (BAC) registered .148 %.

McKay was booked into the jail on a charge of Public Intoxication/1st offense. His bond was set at $300.

Former SE IA animal breeder pleads guilty to animal neglect charges

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

RIVERSIDE, Iowa (KCRG) – A former southeast Iowa commercial dog breeding facility owner has pled guilty in connection to an animal neglect case from last year. In August 2023, Iowa City Animal Services assisted law enforcement with taking in 131 dogs as they investigated animal welfare concerns in the 3000 block of 540th Street SW in Riverside. Experts say physical exams showed that the dogs had developed conditions caused by failure of adequate care.

Owner Loren Yoder surrendered his commercial breeding license shortly after the animal welfare inspection. As part of the plea agreement, Yoder pled guilty to 5 counts of Animal Neglect with Injury. He was sentenced 1 year of self-supervised probation. If Yoder violates that probation, he will then be sent to prison for 1 year.

Yoder will also be unable to obtain a canine breeding license as part of the agreement.

[UPDATED] Orient-Macksburg residents uncertain of future after school district decides to fold

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

For the first time in nearly a decade, a school district in Iowa is closing its doors for good. The Orient-Macksburg School Board voted Monday night to dissolve the district. During the school board meeting, officials said low enrollment, staffing issues and financial shortfalls all led up to the decision.

It’s still not clear where the 160 Orient-Macksburg students will attend in the fall of 2025. Moving forward the school board will have to form a committee to figure out how the school district will be divvied up and consumed by the surrounding districts.

The next step for students will be up to voters. Once officials come up with a proposal, people in each impacted school district will vote on the plan in a special election. If the proposal is voted down, the director at the Iowa Department of Education will make the decision.

The O-M District issued this statement late Wednesday morning on social media:

“While this was a difficult and emotional decision to make, during the regular school board meeting on June 10, the Orient-Macksburg Board of Education unanimously approved a motion to begin the process for dissolution. A dissolution committee consisting of seven members has been established as required by the dissolution process. Two election options are available for district patrons to vote on the dissolution question: September, 2024 and March, 2025. It is likely the vote would occur in March, 2025 because of the amount of decisions that need to be made prior to an election. If approved by voters, dissolution would become effective on June 30, 2025. In addition, the board is considering the creation of committees for memorabilia and the district facilities. As more information is available, additional communication will be provided. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 15, beginning at 5:30 p.m.”

Greenfield will still host large bike event despite May tornado

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The Adair County community of Greenfield will host still RAGBRAI® riders in July as planned despite last month’s deadly tornado, according to event organizers. The 2024 route announced earlier this spring starts in Glenwood and ends in Burlington. Day three included Greenfield as the meeting town between Atlantic and Winterset.

That plan came into question after multiple tornadoes swept through Iowa this spring, including a May 21 tornado that destroyed more than 100 homes and killed four people in Greenfield. On Tuesday, organizers in a press release clarified the community’s status ahead of the ride, saying in-part:

“After careful consideration and many conversations with local officials and partners, we have decided to welcome the RAGBRAI community on this year’s ride,” RAGBRAI Greenfield committee co-chair Gina School said in a news release. “We have changed our theme for the day to Greenfield Strong, Rising After the Storm.” (read the full statement below)

RAGBRAI LI is scheduled to begin Sunday, July 21 and end Saturday, July 27. It’s among the shortest routes in ride history, but with 18,737 feet of climb, it’s the hilliest ride ever.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., June 12, 2024

Weather

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny & breezy. High near 92. S/SW winds 10-20 mph gusting to around 30 this afternoon
Tonight: Mostly clear & breezy. Just a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms through midnight. Low around 69.
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, w/a slight chance of afternoon showers & thunderstorms. High near 90. SW winds @  5-10 mph becoming N/NE by afternoon, & gusting to near 20 mph.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 84.
Saturday: Partly sunny & breezy w/a 40% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 89.
Sunday: Mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 94.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 90. The Low was 61. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 77 and the Low was 47. The record High for June 12th was 95 in 1892. The record Low was 38 in 1903. Sunrise: 5:45. Sunset: 8:54.

Briar Cliff University trustees introduce school’s next president

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A former biology professor who’s been a college administrator for over two decades will become president of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City in July. Matthew Draud has been the vice president of academic affairs at McMurray University in Abilene, Texas, since 2020.

“With the advent and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence…what our students are going to be doing in the very near future is really transforming, at a pace that’s actually kind of spectacular,” Draud said. “And what that’s going to call all of us to do (at) every institution is sort of re-imagine what we’re doing to prepare our students for that future.”

Draud, one of four finalists for the job, says his interview was capped off by a dinner with students — and that’s what convinced him to take the job. “And then, they said: ‘Hey, this has been nice, but we have some questions,'” Draud said, laughing. “I didn’t expect that, but let me tell you, I got the best questions that I had gotten all day – absolutely no doubt about it — the most probing, honest questions I had gotten the whole day.”

Briar Cliff’s website shows 941 students were enrolled at the school last fall. Draud says Briar Cliff, like every college and university in the country, is heading into the next academic year behind the eight ball due to the revamped and delayed federal financial aid application process. “Financial value transparency coming up is something every institution is going to have to deal with,” Draud says. Federal rules that go into effect later this year require colleges to show students and parents how much they’ll be paying for college and the financial outcomes they can expect to achieve after graduation.

Briar Cliff was founded by the Sisters of Saint Francis and started as a women’s college in 1934. Men were admitted in 1965. Draud will be Briar Cliff’s 13th president when he takes over July 1st. The university’s 12th president resigned in January to become the chief financial officer at a small Catholic college in Kansas City, Kansas.

Iowa Hunger Coalition pushes back on SNAP cuts in Farm Bill

News

June 12th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – One version of the Farm Bill being debated in Congress would cut billions of dollars in SNAP benefits from agriculture-dependent states, including Iowa. Groups fighting hunger in the state are pushing back. The version of the Farm Bill released by House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn Thompson would cut nearly 30-billion dollars in SNAP benefits over the next decade – 170-million in Iowa, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Iowa Hunger Coalition Board Chair Luke Elzinga says based on those projections, the cuts would have a big impact on the most vulnerable people in the state.

The so-called Thrifty Food Plan, which creates funding formulas for SNAP and other food assistance programs, would also freeze future benefits. Thompson (R-Penn.) and others have argued this version of the Farm Bill amounts to responsible budgeting and future planning.

Elzinga’s coalition has provided numbers showing SNAP benefits are already not enough to keep up with providing the lowest-cost meals in the state, and come in about 20-percent below what it takes to make ends meet at the dinner table.

This isn’t the final version of the Farm Bill to be debated, but Elzinga argues releasing a measure with such major cuts to SNAP benefits isn’t a good starting point for negotiations. In his view, it creates the perception that for Congress, low-income people are not high on the priority list.