DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several upper Midwestern states are dealing with higher propane prices because of supply problems in recent weeks. Farmers used more propane than usual to dry the late harvest of grain that came out of the fields too wet. Rural households not served by natural gas lines dipped into propane supplies early due to colder than normal temperatures. And the Cochin pipeline that carries propane to the Midwest from Canada closed for several weeks, stalling supply to the region.

The supply problem has driven prices 14 percent higher since mid-November in Iowa, where customers pay $1.88 a gallon. That’s 34 percent higher than last year. Propane’s up 15 percent in Illinois in the last month, 13 percent in Wisconsin and Minnesota and 12 percent in Nebraska.

Two Iowa deer hunters sustained non-life threatening injuries during the final weekend of the shotgun deer season. Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources officials say 50-year old Michael Otto, of Madrid, was treated after sustaining an injury to his elbow while deer hunting southwest of Madrid in Dallas County on Saturday. Otto was hit in the elbow by another hunter who was shooting at a running deer at approximately 11 a.m. Saturday. He was treated at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

21-year old Holden Hillegas, of Charles City, suffered a flesh wound to his upper back when he was struck by a deer slug fired from approximately 200 yards away by another hunter in his party shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday while hunting near Floyd. He was treated at Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted six men from China on charges of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. The indictment, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines, was unsealed on Thursday. It alleges the men conspired to steal patented seed developed by DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto and ship it to China. The indictment follows last week’s announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas Klinefeldt that the FBI had uncovered seed thefts.

Indicted is Mo Hailong, international business director of the Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group. He is in federal custody. Also indicted is Li Shaoming, CEO of Beijing Kings Nower Seed, three of his employees, and Wang Hongwei, who is believed to live in Canada.

No attorneys had yet appeared on their behalf in court documents.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources report the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been positively identified in a residential tree in the city of Creston, in Union County. It’s the fifth location where the invasive beetle has been found in Iowa. EAB kills all ash tree species and is considered to be one of the most destructive tree pests ever seen in North America.

The current EAB infestation was found as a result of an arborist contacting state officials about a suspect ash tree. Investigation by the Iowa EAB Team members revealed characteristic galleries and D-shaped exit holes in dead branches, and a partial adult beetle was positively identified by federal identifiers.

EAB infestations had previously been discovered in Allamakee County in May 2010, Des Moines County in July 2013, Jefferson County in August 2013 and Cedar County in October 2013. A quarantine covering 25 counties in Eastern Iowa was issued on Nov. 1, 2013 intended to slow the accidental movement of EAB by humans.  An additional quarantine in response to this new confirmed infestation is being developed. A quarantine restricts movement of hardwood firewood, ash logs, wood chips and ash tree nursery stock out of the quarantined counties.

The Iowa EAB Team strongly cautions Iowans not to transport firewood across county or state lines, since the movement of firewood throughout Iowa or to other states poses the greatest threat to quickly spread EAB even further. Most EAB infestations in the United States have been started by people unknowingly moving infested firewood, nursery plants or sawmill logs. The adult beetle also can fly short distances, approximately 2 to 5 miles.

Ash is one of the most abundant native tree species in North America, and has been heavily planted as a landscape tree in yards and other urban areas. According to the USDA Forest Service, Iowa has an estimated 52 million rural ash trees and approximately 3.1 million more ash trees in urban areas. It is unknown how many public and residential ash trees are located in Creston.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources plans to release trout in seven spots around the state this winter. The program, which is financed by trout fishing fees, places the fish in areas where they couldn’t survive in warmer months. The trout will be released Jan. 10 in Fort Dodge’s Moorland Park and Big Lake West in Council Bluffs.

On Jan. 18, the fish will be released at Blue Pit in Mason City and Bacon Creek in Sioux City. Trout will be released Jan. 25 at Lake Petoka in Bondurant and at Spencer’s Scharnberg Pond. On Feb. 8, fish will be released at Ada Hayden Pond in Ames.

Anglers must have a fishing license and to have paid a trout fee.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has suspended rules limiting the work hour of truck drivers who haul propane. Branstad announce his action Wednesday evening. It’s effective Thursday and will continue through January 2nd.

Branstad signed a proclamation saying the suspension of work rules is necessary because of a shortage of propane. That’s due in part due to a late harvest that caused demand in the fall for the fuel, which is used by farmers to dry crops. Demand for propane is strong throughout the state, leading to some shortages.

Drivers must still abide by standard rules and can’t drive if they’re ill or overly sleepy.

The Loess Hills Alliance will be holding a series of public meetings to discuss the opportunity for a national reserve designation for the Loess Hills landform in western Iowa. If the land is designated as a national reserve, the region would be led by the locally-run Loess Hills Alliance, a 28-member board, and considered an affiliate of the National Park Service (NPS). The designation would provide landowners with access to additional financial assistance resources.

For the past fifteen years, the Loess Hills Alliance, which includes 21 members appointed by the County Boards of Supervisors from each of the 7 Loess Hills counties.has been protecting land in the Loess Hills and offering programs to help landowners with conservation of their land. The organization encourages tourism and residency in the Loess Hills, which supports small local businesses and agribusinesses in the region. The national reserve designation will allow the Loess Hills Alliance to provide increased technical, financial and program assistance to landowners, communities and local businesses.

The designation will also increase tourism and recreational opportunities that offer significant economic benefits. An estimated 1 million visitors travel the Loess Hills National Scenic Byway each year, stopping in the small towns and communities along the way. The Byway winds through prairie, woodland and farmland, offering scenic vistas and linking conservation areas. In partnership with the NPS, the Loess Hills Alliance can ensure that this natural treasure will be preserved for future generations of Iowans.

Meetings will be held in January to provide more information and to gather input from the public. All are invited to attend and join the discussion. More information about the Loess Hills Alliance can be found at www.loesshillsalliance.com.

The meetings will be held from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the following dates and locations:

Fremont County: January 8th at the “Gathering Place”, 609 Cass Street, in Sidney.

Harrison County: January 20th at the Community Center, 200 Maple Street, in Mondamin.

Mills County: January 16th at the Senior Center, 20 North Vine Street, in Glenwood.

Monona County: January 14th at the Onawa Community Center, 300 10th Street,  in Onawa.

Pottawattamie County: January 9th at the Iowa School for the Deaf, LMC Community Room, 3501 Harry Langdon Boulevard, in Council Bluffs.

(For other sites, see the link above)

w/ Kate Olson

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AMES, Iowa (AP) — A livestock specialist at Iowa State University says falling corn prices are generating some optimism that cattle farmers can again make money. Historically high corn prices during the last several years drove up the cost of feed and many producers cut herd numbers as drought intensified.

Lee Schulz, a livestock specialist and assistant professor of economics, says producers have been in survival mode but are beginning to talk about expansion. There’s interest in building new facilities and growing herds. Feedlots made money on cattle sold in October, breaking a long streak of monthly losses.

He says it will take several years to build the herd with increased calf crops and increasing cattle supplies because of the time it takes for calves to mature.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department may purchase or borrow a Trail cam to try and catch persons who are using 4-wheel off-road machines on the grassy areas at Sunnyside Park and tearing-up those surfaces. Speaking at Monday night’s meeting of the Parks and Rec Board, Director Roger Herring said that while the roads to the park are closed, the park itself is still open to various activities, but there are limitations.

He said there is no 4-wheeling on the grassy areas, but someone is doing that. It’s happening in the same spot but Herring says they don’t know right now what time of day the damage is occurring. By installing a trail cam in an undisclosed location nearby, it’s hoped they can catch those persons in the act and take legal action against them.

Herring says a “decent quality” trail camera would cost about $150 and be used anywhere there is a problem in the park system with vandalism, since it is portable. Some of the units have a “Black flash,” which is useful at night and doesn’t alert the perpetrator to the fact their picture is being taken. Those types of cameras usually cost about $200 more. Herring said also the Cass County Sheriff’s Office has offered the temporary use of its high tech trail cam, if necessary.

The Parks and Rec Board Monday tabled a decision on finalizing a Tobacco Free Ordinance for Sunnyside Park that they can forward to the City Council for its review and approval, because there was still some language that needed to be cleaned-up, and appeared to have been contradictory. The Board will reconvene prior to the January 22nd meeting of the City Council, when the Ordinance is set to be on the agenda, to make sure the final draft has gone through the legal approval process with the City Attorney.

And, Parks Director Roger Herring reported a successful Gizzard Shad kill occurred at the Schildberg Recreation Area’s Lake number One on Dec. 3rd. The DNR applied Rotenone to try and control the invasive fish species and help the more desirable species survive. Herring said the timing of the chemical application was “perfect,” because the weather was cooperating. He said within 24-hours there was a good fish kill of the gizzard shad and a few days later the lake iced-over, which means the dead fish will sink to the bottom and become food for other species and help keep the lake alive throughout the winter.

There was some “collateral” damage to other species of fish (Including the killing of game fish such as some of the small bluegill, one crappie, and one catfish), but Herring said that was to be expected. None of the bass in the lake were killed, though. He said because the fish kill was successful, it will be exciting to see how the desirable game fish population explodes over the next two- to-three years at Lake number One.