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Weather extremes like flooding & drought are becoming more common

Weather

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa and other Midwestern states are seeing more weather extremes this summer, with many areas experiencing heavy rains that cause flash flooding followed by long periods of heat with no rain. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, says in some regions, those heavy rain showers may come more often. Todey says, “That is something that has been noted more frequently and is potentially projected via computer models, is having larger events happening.”

Todey says part of the pattern of climate change includes more weather extremes — like what we’ve experienced this spring and summer. “You have maybe larger periods of dryness and then you have big events after that instead of events distributed around,” he says.  Todey says it’s very difficult to forecast the arrival of some storms that will bring very heavy rain. “This is what presents this complication when you’re trying to understand precipitation,” Todey says. “Sizes of events and timing of events and trying to understand those two spatial variabilities, that more big events at different times of the year and more isolated events really confuses the situation.”

Todey says there’s growing concern those weather extremes could also apply to rapidly spreading drought conditions.

Undercover video shows pig abuse but also common practices

Ag/Outdoor

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DENVER (AP) — A recently released undercover video showing pigs being abused at a supplier to the world’s largest meat producer also highlights practices that are still common but slowly being changed in the pork industry.

The video shows pregnant female pigs confined to metal cages barely bigger than their bodies and piglets squealing while being castrated. Los Angeles-based Mercy for Animals released it in the hopes pushing Brazilian-based JBS to prohibit the practices.
Ten states have passed laws that either ban the use of or phase out the use of gestation crates or stalls, which are used on estimated 75 percent of pig farms in the United States. Among them is California, where voters this fall will be asked to ban the sale of pork from pigs confined to the crates or their offspring. Massachusetts voters passed a similar ban in 2016 that will take effect in 2022.

Gestation stalls are intended to minimize fighting among hierarchical sows and protect workers from the pregnant animals, which can weigh between 350 and 450 pounds, according to Sarah Crawford, assistant vice president of animal welfare for the National Pork Board in Des Moines, Iowa. She said the stalls are long enough for the animals to lie in, and research has shown some will choose a stall over living in a group. “The good thing is farmers have the choice to decide what fits best for their farm,” she said.

Temple Grandin, an animal science professor at Colorado State University and consultant on livestock treatment, said confined pregnant pigs lack the space to turn around, and compared the experience to humans having to spend their lives in an airline seat.

Midwest Sports Headlines: 7/31/18

Sports

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Marcell Ozuna hit his first career game-ending homer in the 10th inning, and the St. Louis Cardinals snapped Colorado’s four-game win streak with a 5-4 victory over the Rockies. Ozuna connected against Jake McGee, sending a one-out drive deep to center for his 13th homer. The slugger also extended his homer streak to three straight games. Dakota Hudson got three outs for his first career win.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez left his start against Colorado in the fifth inning with a right shoulder strain. Martinez was activated from the disabled list prior to the game after missing one start with a strained right oblique.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — Eric Berry has twice overcome season-ending injuries, and the way the Kansas City Chiefs safety came back from a cancer diagnosis to play the following season was nothing short of inspirational. Now, Berry is back in the middle of a Chiefs defense that has been retooled after letting them down last season.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Scott Frost’s championship rings and other items reported stolen from his home have been found. Police say the new Nebraska coach located them in his garage. Frost had reported Sunday night that burglars entered an unlocked garage door over the weekend and stole memorabilia originally estimated at more than $100,000. Some of the memorabilia is still missing.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs was arrested over the weekend and charged with driving while intoxicated. Iowa City police records show that Wirfs, a tackle entering his sophomore season, was taken into custody just before 2 a.m. Sunday. The Hawkeyes have yet to announce any punishment for Wirfs, a native of Mount Vernon, Iowa. Athletic director Gray Barta says Wirfs will be subject to the school’s student-athlete code of conduct.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — North Dakota State has been unanimously picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Bison, who’ve won or shared the league crown in each of the last seven seasons, received all 39 first-place votes in a poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Speedway and the IndyCar series say next year’s race at the track in Newton will be held at night. The series says overwhelming fan feedback prompted the move. The track will host an IndyCar race for the 13th year in a row on Saturday, July 20, 2019.

2 arrested in Adair County last week

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two arrests took place last week. On Wednesday (7/25), 26-year old Dalton James Cormeny, of Creston (and formerly of Murray), was arrested at his sister’s home in Fontanelle, on warrants out of Adair and Clarke Counties, for Violation of Probation.

Authorities say while being taken into custody, Cormeny attempted to discard a small back bag by giving it to his girlfriend. She then attempted to hid it in the home’s laundry room. Inside the bag was a methamphetamine pipe. Cormeny admitted after being read his rights, that the pipe belonged to him. In addition to the warrants, Cormeny was subsequently placed under arrest for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His cash bond was set at $2,000.

And, on July 28th, 30-year old Wichang Gach Chawech, of Des Moines, was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. His cash only bond was set at $1,000.

Iowa early News Headlines: Tue., July 31st 2018

News

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — A prominent Iowa brewery is pseudo-suing its former head brewer. A legal action filed by Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. seeks to stop Chris Flenker from helping run a new brewery in Cedar Rapids, alleging he is violating a non-compete agreement. Toppling Goliath is known for its popular Pseudo Sue pale ale and other beers that have made it one of the nation’s top ranked breweries

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — The state medical examiner’s office says a 5-year-old southeast Iowa girl found unresponsive in her home was strangled. The office also said in a news release Monday that Cloe Chandler’s death was a homicide. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has said that 22-year-old Kelsie Thomas told investigators that she killed her daughter. Thomas has been charged with first-degree murder.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Board of Medicine has abruptly retired following a personnel investigation in which he says he was treated unfairly by state administrators. Mark Bowden announced his retirement Monday, following the board’s decision to reinstate him to his position on Friday. He had been on leave during an investigation into unspecified allegations.

DENVER (AP) — A recently released undercover video showing pigs being abused at a supplier to meat giant JBS highlights practices that are still common but slowly being changed in the pork industry, like keeping pregnant pigs in cages barely bigger than their bodies. Ten states have passed laws that either ban the use of or phase out the use of gestation crates or stalls. Among them is California, where voters this fall will be asked to ban the sale of pork from confined pigs or their offspring.

DOUG EBLEN, 72, of rural Bridgewater (Svcs. 8/2/18)

Obituaries

July 31st, 2018 by Ric Hanson

DOUG EBLEN, 72, of rural Bridgewater, died Monday, July 30th, 2018, at his home.  Funeral services for DOUG EBLEN will be held 10:30-a.m. Thursday, August 2nd, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Massena. Steen Funeral Home in Massena has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Wed., Aug. 1st, from 2-until  8-p.m., with the family greeting friends from 5-until 8-p.m. ; Online condolences may be left to the family at www.steenfunerals.com.

Burial will be in the St. Mary’s Cemetery in rural Bridgewater, with a luncheon to follow at the church.

DOUG EBLEN is survived by:

His wife – Karen Eblen, of Bridgewater.

His daughters – Michelle (Todd) Crill, of Creston, and Lisa Funke, of Bridgewater.

His sons – Scott Eblen, of Bridgewater; Dan (Mindy) Eblen, of Greenfield, and Justin (Angie) Eblen, of Cumberland.

His sister – Kathy (Al) Olson, of Kearney, MO.

His brothers – Paul (Tami) Eblen, of Massena, and Joe (Jennifer) Eblen, of Linn Creek, Mo.

12 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, other relatives and friends.

(Update) Man arrested in connection with Sunday attack in Council Bluffs

News

July 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Update) – In an update to our earlier reports, Police in Council Bluffs have made an arrest in connection with an incident that took place Sunday afternoon. 26-year old Casey Dean Mazanares, of Council Bluffs, was arrested without incident and booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a charge of Willful Injury/Serious Injury.

Earlier, Police in Council Bluffs said that on Sunday that a transient man was attacked by another transient Sunday afternoon, who fled the scene. Officers were called at around 3-p.m. to assist the medics at the Joshua House (1435 N 15th St). When officers arrived with medics they located a victim, 57-year old Douglas E. McCall, of Council Bluffs, who was bleeding from his head and hands.
McCall was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital and treated for his injuries. The man told police he was sitting in a chair in the 1700 block of N. 15th Street in a wooded area when the suspect attacked him with a sharp object. The suspect fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival.

None of McCall’s injuries appeared to have been life threatening.

IndyCar moves ’19 race at Iowa to night

Sports

July 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Speedway and the IndyCar series announced today (Monday), that next year’s race in Newton will be at night. The series says that the race will move back to a nighttime start “in response to overwhelming fan feedback.” The track will host an IndyCar race for the 13th year in a row on Saturday, July 20, 2019. Iowa will pair the IndyCar race with an ARCA stock car event the night before. The speedway will also host NASCAR Xfinity races on June 16 and July 27.

The NASCAR Truck Series will be Iowa’s season opener on June 15 of next year. The track concluded its 2018 season on Saturday, when Christopher Bell beat Justin Allgaier for his third straight Xfinity series win.

Unity Point sending out letters about information release

News

July 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) Unity Point Health is sending out letters to patients about an email “phishing” attack that may have compromised their personal information. Unity Point says the fraudulent emails were disguised to appear to have come from a trusted executive within the organization.

The phishing emails tricked some employees into providing their confidential sign-in information which gave attackers access to their internal email accounts between March 14th and April 3rd of this year. Those email accounts contained various information on patients that included their Social Security numbers and may have included credit card and bank information as well.

Unity Point says it has had not reports of misuse of the information, but they are offering free credit monitoring to those impacted by the information breech.

Serious injury accident in Mills County, Sunday night

News

July 30th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

A passenger in an SUV was transported by helicopter to a hospital in Omaha following a crash late Sunday night, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Isidro Topete-Topete, of Orange City, was flown by LifeNet to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) after the 2016 Jeep, driven by 24-year old Daniel Cortes Curiel, of Hawarden, left the road and flipped end-over-end into a ditch at around 11:15-p.m.

The accident happened near 190th Street and Highway 34. Cortes-Curiel was arrested for suspicion of operating while intoxicated, and driving while barred.