The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.
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A report from the Natural Resources Defense Council says hog farmers aren’t doing enough to cut the use of antibiotics in pigs. Report author David Wallinga says 37-percent of the antibiotics that are given to livestock go to pigs, drugs that are also critical to human health. Willinga says new restrictions, in effect since January of 2017, prohibit antibiotic use for growth promotion. “Regardless, they’re using these antibiotics now the same way they were before,” Wallinga says. “They’re using them at low doses, routinely, added to feed or drinking water and oftentimes when there’s no sick animals present.”
The report says antibiotic use in pork production continues to threaten the critical drugs’ effectiveness in people. That’s because low-dose, routine use allows bacteria to develop resistance. Tom Marsteller, with Des Moines-based Kemin Industries, says consumer demand as well as changes to government rules about using antibiotics in livestock are driving producers to other treatments. “The end result is better stewardship of our antibiotic use, use when necessary, when the animals are sick and need the antibiotics,” Marsteller says, “but that means then we’ll use less antibiotics in total, which then should be good for animal health and human health long-term.”
The report cited Denmark and the Netherlands as examples of places that have drastically reduced reliance on antibiotics in pork production by setting and meeting goals. The report urges consumers to continue pressuring restaurants and grocery stores to offer meat raised without antibiotics.
(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)
Iowa farmers, based on their location, are having much different experiences during the early part of this growing season. Bruce Rohwer is growing corn and soybeans in northwest Iowa’s O’Brien County, where snow delayed planting. Once he could get in his fields, rain interrupted his progress. “We are completed on planting of corn and beans. It’s just a little bit later than usual, but the weather is doing its best to make up for the calendar,” Rohwer says. While there’s flooding in some areas of northern Iowa from recent torrential downpours, Rohwer is thankful his crops are getting “adequate” rain. “As a farmer, you always hope it will continue that way throughout the year,” Rohwer said. “But, you’re also a farmer, and you know that Mother Nature can change the hand at any time. We’re looking good at this point.”
Areas of southern Iowa could use some of that rain. Kyle Phillips, who has a 4,000 acre corn and soybean operation near Knoxville, says the dry conditions helped with planting. “We were done planting the earliest in history, we were done the 9th of May,” Phillips said. According to Phillips, the little bit of rain Marion County got over the weekend won’t be enough to keep his crops moving in the right direction. “We need a lot more rain,” Phillips said. “We have an excellent stand, both corn and soybeans, but we’ve got to have substantial rain to bring this crop home.”
The USDA crop report released Monday shows 81-percent of Iowa’s corn crop in good to excellent condition. Ninety-seven-percent of the corn has emerged. Eighty-nine percent of soybeans have emerged, with 78-percent of the soybean crop rated in good to excellent condition.
(Radio Iowa)
Jim Field visits with cancer survivor Mary Ottmar about the Cass County Relay for Life.
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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City man accused of neglecting more than 200 birds on his rural Solon property has been given a year of probation and fined $315. Johnson County Court records say 71-year-old Francis Prohaska pleaded guilty last week to livestock neglect. The judge granted him a deferred judgment. That means the conviction can be cleared from Prohaska’s record if he abides by the terms of his probation.
The charge stemmed from a Dec. 9 search of the Solon area farmstead. Deputies found a number of dead birds and counted about 200 others, including ducks, geese, chickens and pigeons.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson
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Gas prices are around 50 cents higher this June than they were last year and that is having an impact on demand. Triple-A Iowa’s Rose White says it is unusual to see the amount of gas burned by motorists dropping. “The Energy Information Office is reporting that demand is dropping — and that is occurring for the first time since mid-January,”White says. “It’s just under nine million barrels per day. Now, this is surprising as levels have consistently measured about the nine million barrel mark every week in June since 2015.”
The drop in demand is only one of the factors that has led to a slight decrease in gas prices this week. “Contributing to the downturn in prices is crude oil costs, which have dropped nearly six dollars a barrel just in the last few weeks,” according to White. She says gas prices will usually drop from two to four cents a gallon with each one dollar drop in the price of oil. But gas prices here haven’t dropped down to their levels seen last year. White says gas is averaging two-79 a gallon or about 13 cents below the national average. That price is a drop of three cents from last week — but the cost is still 53 cents higher then one year ago when a gallon of gas cost two dollars, 26 cents.
Summer driving often leads to an increase in driving and an increase in demand for gasoline. But White says drivers are making adjustments with the high fuel costs. “It seems that when prices do rise people shop around. And the also may even change their driving habits,” White explains. “When we start to see big spikes in prices, those with flex-fuel vehicles may favor the E-85 blend.” The E-85 blend is cheaper than the other blends of gas. South Carolina is the state with the cheapest gas — coming in at two dollars, 58 cents a gallon. California has the highest average price at three dollars, 17 cents a gallon.
(Radio Iowa)
The Montgomery County Fair Queen, sponsored by the Montgomery County Fair Board, will be crowned on Tuesday, July 17, at 7:30 PM at the Fairgrounds Auditorium. To qualify, contestants must be at least 16 years of age and not more than 21 years of age on August 9, 2018 (the first day of the State Fair), have not been married, be enrolled in school (or be a high school graduate), and be an active member of at least one worthwhile organization in her community.
The Montgomery County Fair Queen Contest Judging will be held on July 1 at 4 PM in the Conference Center on the Lower Level of the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak. The judging will begin with the introduction of the sponsors and candidates with light refreshments being served, followed by individual interviews.
If you are interested in running for this honor, stop by the Extension Office at 400 Bridge Street for the application form, or you can also download the information at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery . Please be sure to access all information if you do so online, including the information letter, rules, and entry form. Applications are due at the Extension Office by noon on Friday, June 27.
(NCAA.com) OMAHA– The pairings and game times for the first two days of the 2018 NCAA Men’s College World Series (MCWS) have been announced. The 72nd MCWS will take place at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska, June 16-26/27.
The first game this Saturday, June 16 is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. ET, and will feature No. 3 national seed Oregon State (49-10-1) against No. 6 national seed North Carolina (43-18) on ESPN. Saturday’s second game features Washington (35-24) against Mississippi State (37-27) and is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The Sunday, June 17 doubleheader features No. 5 national seed Arkansas (44-19) vs. No. 13 national seed Texas (42-21) at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN. In the evening game starting at 7 p.m. ET, No. 1 national seed Florida (47-19) will be squaring off against No. 9 national seed Texas Tech (44-18) on ESPN2.
The losers of Saturday’s two games will play at 2 p.m. ET Monday, June 18 on ESPN. While Saturday’s winners face off at 7 p.m. ET Monday, June 18 on ESPN. The losers of Sunday’s games will play each other at 2 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 19 on ESPN. Sunday’s winners will meet Tuesday, June 19 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The winners of the two brackets will play a best-of-three Men’s College World Series Finals, with the first game set for 7 p.m. ET Monday, June 25. The second game is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 26 with the game three (if necessary) scheduled for 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 27. All three of the finals games will air on ESPN.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced that they will begin using TrackWrestling to seed the traditional state wrestling tournament, beginning with the upcoming 2018-19 season.
A computerized system using the TrackWrestling criteria will seed each weight class. The top eight wrestlers will be seeded with the remaining eight spots filled by drawing at random.
View the full release from the Iowa High School Athletic Association here.