A deadly virus that’s driving up pork prices as it’s wiped out as many as one in every ten piglets in Iowa in the past year can be spread through hog feed, according to new research. Dr. Scott Dee, the study’s lead author and research director at Minnesota’s Pipestone Veterinary Services, says they were stunned to learn Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus, or P-E-D-V, can travel through livestock feed.

“That’s why I think the industry is a little reactive to that, because it’s new, it’s a surprise,” Dee says. “Again, no blame on the feed industry because we’re partners and we have to work together, but we have to realize that it is a potential risk, so we can manage that risk.” Iowa’s first P-E-D-V case was found more than a year ago. Since then, the virus has killed as many as seven-million pigs nationwide.

There have been more than 41-hundred cases reported in 26 states, including more than a thousand cases in Iowa. Dee isn’t sure where the virus originated but believes the study’s findings can help deter future outbreaks. He says the revelation that P-E-D-V travels through feed has shaken the pork industry. “The feed’s the wild card because historically feed hasn’t been a risk factor for disease transfer,” he says. “Now, all of the sudden, we have a pathogen that does. The fact that the feed could potentially be a vehicle was a big surprise.”

The study is being published in the B-M-C Veterinary Research Journal. Later this month, Dee’s team will release a paper on commercially-available feed additives which he says will help in the prevention of P-E-D-V. The Hawkeye State is the nation’s number-one hog producer in an industry worth some six-point-seven billion dollars to the Iowa economy.

(Radio Iowa)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A 37-year-old man has given life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing another man more than 11 years ago in Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil says James Harris was sentenced Wednesday. A Pottawattamie County jury convicted Harris on July 1 of first-degree murder. Prosecutors say he stabbed to death Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez during a robbery on July 31, 2003.

The case went cold until police used DNA results to tie Thomas Sanchez, of La Vista, Nebraska, to the case and arrest him in January. That led police back to Harris, who police say had long been a suspect. Harris was arrested in March. Charges against Sanchez were dropped on June 24.

w/ Mark Saylor

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A citizens group opposed to new rules approved Tuesday by the Iowa commission regulating water quality has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop implementation of the rules. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement Action Fund asks a judge to void the rules approved unanimously by the nine-member Environmental Protection Commission. The rules, supported by farm groups, establish new inspection and permit processes for livestock farms.

Iowa CCI and three of its members claiming they have been personally affected by farm pollution say in the lawsuit the commission vote was illegal because five members of the EPC have a financial stake in livestock farming. The lawsuit says they should have recused themselves from voting on the rules they claim are too weak.

Officials with ISU Extension in Guthrie County report Jim & Jo Laughery of Guthrie Center were inducted into the 2014 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, August 17th. Eighty-two counties and two state level Iowa 4-H Volunteers were inducted during the ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair.

4-H has been a large part of the Laughery family. Mary Jo Laughery grew up in Guthrie County 4-H and was a part of the Beaver Valley Girls 4-H Club. While in 4-H she was busy with sewing, home furnishings, and demonstrations. She was unable to show cattle in the girls club so she joined the Valley Boosters Boys 4-H Club. While in the boys’ club she finally got the opportunity to show her Hereford cattle. She learned many life lessons from both clubs. She then became a 4-H leader for eight years for the US Sunbeams while her children were in 4-H. She also received the Guthrie County Alumni Award in 1983 for all of her hard work and dedication to the program.

Although Jim was never in 4-H he is no stranger to the program. He has served on the county fairboard for many years. Together, they own the Guthrie Livestock Auction. They allow the 4-H’ers the use of their scale before, in-between, and during county fair. They support the 4-H program by also running the fair livestock auction in which Mary Jo clerks all of the animals by hand. They also have purchased animals from the 4-Hers when the buyers fell through so the members didn’t lose their premiums.

Counties select inductees for their exceptional work in contributing to the lives of 4-H members and the overall 4-H program. Many inductees served as club leaders, youth mentors, fair superintendents or fair board members, fair judges, financial supporters, chaperones, or ISU Extension & Outreach staff members. The inductees have demonstrated dedication, encouragement, commitment and guidance to Iowa 4-H’ers through the years.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad, Iowa Sec. of Agriculture Bill Northey and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Chuck Gipp presented 88 Iowa farm families with the Iowa Farm Environmental Leader Award during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 13th. This was the third year for the award program and to date more than 200 families have received recognition.

Among the award recipients this year was: Dan Buman, of Harlan; Randy, Janalee & Merritt Caviness,  of Greenfield; Audrey Charter, of Adair; Dennis & Jacque Hoover, in Guthrie Center; Stanley & Barbara Johnson, of Villisca; Charles and Ruth Owen, of Guthrie Center; and Bill and Margaret Thomas, of Emerson.

The award is a joint effort between the Governor, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources to recognize the efforts of Iowa’s farmers as environmental leaders committed to healthy soils and improved water quality. It seeks to recognize the exemplary voluntary actions of farmers that improve or protect the environment and natural resources of our state while also encouraging other farmers to follow in their footsteps by building success upon
success.

Winners were presented a certificate as well as a yard sign donated by Monsanto and a  commemorative program provided by The Nature Conservancy. Hagie Manufacturing sponsored a recognition luncheon following the ceremony. All winners were chosen by a selection group representing both conservation and agricultural groups.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Wednesday morning, at the courthouse in Atlantic. During their session, the Board passed a motion by Supervisor Duance McFadden to approve an “Application for Industrial Property Tax Exemption (per Iowa Code( of A. M. Cohron & Son, Inc for reconstruction of an existing building due to economic obsolescence. The board also approved the portion of the project that is “new construction” with the understanding that this project is eligible for the five year sliding scale tax abatement.

Jeremy Middents, Housing Director with SWIPCO met with the county, the local government CDBG disaster recovery recipient for the flow through of grant funds. He reported that some funding was still available from the 2008 disaster recovery efforts after the 5th round. SWIPCO is the lead agency for the western Iowa ‘super region’. Six projects to construct housing in six cities have been presented and board approval is needed before applications may be submitted for consideration.

Supervisor Gaylord Schelling made the motion for the Board to certify that it has reviewed all six applications for Multi-family Construction Program-Round 6 CDBG funding and gives its approval for submission of the six applications. The Projects include: in Atlantic, a 24 unit apartment building; in Dunlap, 7 upper story apartments; in Avoca, a 20 unit apartment complex; in Woodbine, reconstruction of 3 apartments; in Perry, 20 townhomes; and in Guthrie Center, 10 upper story
apartments.

The Board also approved an  application for the Renewal of a Class C Beer Permit and Sunday Sales Privilege (effective 10/18/2014) for 21st Century Cooperative, in Massena. Their next meeting is Friday, August 29th.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Internal emails show Iowa’s workforce agency provided unemployment benefits earlier this year to people who didn’t seek them and that staff was urged to stay quiet about what had happened.

Iowa Workforce Development spokeswoman Kerry Koonce confirmed Wednesday that 85 people received excess unemployment payments in early March. Officials issued benefits to everyone who got them the previous week after a system malfunction meant they couldn’t process updated information from recipients. Koonce stressed that about 30,000 received accurate payments.

Agency emails provided to the Iowa Senate Government Oversight Committee show that after the malfunction, a manager emailed some staffers instructing them to provide no information about what happened and to blame “technical difficulties.”

The Oversight Committee is set to review what happened at hearings next week.

The Montgomery County Sheriffs Department has arrested a Corning woman. Storm Armstrong was arrested on a Montgomery County Warrant for narcotic violations. Armstrong was transported to the Montgomery County Jail from Adams County and was being held on a 10-thousand dollar bond.

Several Area farm families were recognized at the just concluded Iowa State Fair. Ag Secretary Bill Northey awarded families who have owned at least 40 acres for one hundred years in the case of Century farms and one hundred fifty years or more for a Heritage farm. Those awarded century farms in Cass County included; Bartlett and Janis Blake along Cecil Boos and Ronald Boos; In Adams County DeLong Orchard and Cady Farms; In Adair County Jo Beaman; in Montgomery County Mark Focht was recognized, in Pottawattamie County Jeff Bisbee, Lyle Cain Junior, the Bette M Fulton Revocable Trust, Lawrence and Sudan Koerhrsen, Ross Valley Farms, and in Shelby County Melvin and Janis Dinesen and Rodney Knudsen were part of the 344 Century Farms honored. In the heritage program 86 farms were recognized included the Dinesen’s and Knudsen from Shelby County and from Montgomery County the hunt Family Trust was honored. The Heritage Farm Program was started in 2006 on the 30th anniversary of the century farm program. In total more than 18-thousand Iowa farms have been designated Century Farms and over 7-hundred farms have received the Heritage Century Farms.