Four-hundred jobs at the Tyson beef slaughtering plant in Denison are in jeopardy. Tyson spokesman, Gary Mikelson, says the company is expanding its Dakota City, Nebraska meat processing plant, and that means Tyson may no longer need the smaller plant in Dension. He says they have not made a final decision yet, but he says if the Denison facility did close, the employees would be encouraged to seek jobs at the Dakota City plant. Dakota City, Nebraska is across the Iowa border near Sioux City, about 80-miles west of the Denison’s Tyson Foods beef processing plant. Mikelson says the decision is based on the availability of cattle to slaughter in the Denison area.

“This is a very difficult scenario to consider, given the impact it would have on our people and the long history that that plant has had in the meat industry. However, unless area cattle supplies increase significantly, it may make sense to discontinue operations there next year,” Mikelson says. Mikelson says they are making millions of dollars in upgrades at the Dakota City plant, and will add 200 job there. He says the work should be done by the middle of 2013.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Cass County Conservation Board reports it is partnering with West Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Iowa Western Community College (IWCC), to present Rainscaping Loess Soils. The free Intro to Rainscaping classes will be held at the IWCC Campus Centers in Council Bluffs Harlan, Atlantic, Clarinda and Shenandoah. The workshop in Atlantic will be held 5:30-p.m. March 27th. For other class dates and times and to register for the free classes go to http://www.iwcc.edu/ce/classes/GoGreen.asp

Rainscaping Loess Soils is a series of workshops to educate the public in what rainscaping is and how landowners can plan and install conservation best management practices in their sites landscape. Workshops will cover topics such as rain gardens, rain barrels, composting and soil quality restoration. The program is made possible thanks to a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources – REAP Conservation Education Project.

Authorities in Harlan said Thursday a man and woman from Omaha were arrested Wednesday (2/29) on theft charges following an incident at the “Do it Best” Hardware Store, in Harlan. According to the Harlan Police Department, 40-year-old Terry Cottonwood and 34-year-old Peggy Robitaille were taken into custody during a traffic stop as they attempted to leave town. Video security footage showed the pair allegedly taking items which had not been paid for, from the hardware store.  Cottonwood and Robitaille were charged with 4th degree theft, possession of stolen property, and ongoing criminal conduct.  Cottonwood was also charged with failure to have a valid drivers license and failure to have proof of insurance. That same day, 64-year-old Dennis Peters, of Harlan, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.  Peters was taken to the Shelby County Jail.

Officials said also, 18-year old Brett Wilke, of Harlan, was arrested February 24th, on three counts of Ongoing Criminal Conducts,  three counts of Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and Prohibited Acts. The arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation. And, on Feb. 22nd, a complaint was filed in Shelby County District Court against 52-year old Kenny Carl, of Omaha, following a reported theft at the NAPA Store in Harlan. Carl faces a charge  of 5th Degree Theft. That same day, 18-year old Johana Torres, of Harlan, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, and, a complaint was filed in court against 23-year old Theodore Behrens, of Harlan, who faces a similar charge.

Harlan Police report also, 43-year old Mark Boardman, of Portsmouth, was charged Feb. 19th, with 5 counts of identity theft, following an investigation into the theft from a residence in Harlan, and use of, a stolen credit card.

Women in Southwest Iowa are invited to a day of fun, learning and friendship during the sixth annual Boots to Heels Conference on Saturday, March 24th. The conference runs from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The lineup of speakers scheduled for the one-day conference will focus on the interests of women living and working in rural Iowa.

The conference will start off with a keynote address on “Finding Happiness in the Craziness of Life” by Kathy Petersen. Kathy and her husband run a 5th generation farming operation near Storm Lake, Iowa. Kathy speaks and conducts training sessions all over the U-S through her company, Peopleworks, Inc. Throughout the day, conference participants will be able to select from twelve unique topics during four workshop sessions. Break-out topics include Home Organization, Farm Succession Planning, Wind Energy, Food Preservation, Interior Decorating and more.

Each presenter has a wealth of knowledge in their respective field and will provide practical tips based on first-hand experience. Conference attendees will be treated to snacks, a breakfast, lunch and  special dessert, served by locally-owned businesses. Lunchtime entertainment is being provided by the Patchwork Pals. In addition, there will be door prizes, time for conversation and networking.

Registration for the entire day, which includes a continental breakfast, lunch, dessert and materials, is just $30 if postmarked by March 16th. Registrations postmarked after that date are $35. A special “bring a friend” rate of $55 for two registrations is also available if postmarked by the 16th. Registration forms are available at local ISU Extension offices or may be printed off at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

See the schedule of events here: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/NR/rdonlyres/D1EEFECF-F465-45BD-8DC5-C852E153FA99/165430/WebFliertopost1.pdf

News that U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack plans to approve the closing of 131 Farm Service Agency (FSA) Offices around the country within 90-days, including three in Iowa, does not sit well with western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King. King said today (Thursday) that while he believes all government agencies should strive to become more efficient, the USDA and Secretary Vilsack have not taken into account the actual FSA workload in the affected counties, which includes Appanoose, Decatur and Union.

The criteria for office closures were based on the number of employees the offices had on the payroll in mid-December of 2011. Any office that had two or less employees and was 20 miles or less from another office has been slated for closure. Last year, when the proposal was developed, the Iowa FSA system was under a hiring freeze due to budget issues and therefore offices that had retiring employees experienced lower than normal staffing numbers.

King says “Historically we have had a tool to determine the workload in each county office based on the programs offered and the number of participants in those programs. I suspect an analysis of the workloads of these offices would justify keeping them open. It’s also important to note that the FSA offices in Iowa that are slated for closure by Secretary Vilsack are located in counties that have a large number of acres in CRP. Over several decades, this has led to a loss of population, a loss of farmers and shrinkage of our small towns. This proposal will only make things worse for small town and rural Iowa. Soon these counties will begin to see more and more acres come out of CRP. There’s no question they’ll be hurt by the lack of local FSA offices to help support revitalization of their land and communities.”

King called upon Secretary Vilsack to reconsider his decision.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports a water main break in Adel has resulted in a water boil advisory being issued for the northern half of the city. The boil advisory is for the portion of the city north of Green Street, also known as old Highway 6. The repair on the water main was expected to be complete by early Thursday evening, but since water pressure was lost during the break and repair, the boil advisory is being issued. The southern half of the city is not affected.

Due to the potential for bacterial contamination, it is being recommended that the water be boiled before using for drinking or cooking or that an alternative source such as bottled water be used. Two sets of samples need to be taken to determine the water is safe so it is likely that Saturday will be the earliest that the boil advisory can be lifted. It is recommended not to drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. The water may be used for bathing and other similar purposes.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest of two people on Wednesday.

Twenty-year-old Alex Garside of Atlantic was arrested for domestic abuse simple assault.  He was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked.

Twenty-one-year-old Joshua Peters of Atlantic was also arrested Wednesday for driving under suspension.  He was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked.

Atlantic City Councilman Chris Jimerson is using the power of social media to poll residents of the community about a proposed speed reduction ordinance on 22nd Street. Jimerson posted a Facebook question asking for residents’ opinion on whether the speed limit on two different sections of 22nd Street should be reduced from 45-to 35-miles per hour. If the ordinance is approved, the speed limit would be reduced on East 22nd, from Highway 71 to Olive Street, and on West 22nd, from Chestnut to Highway 6.

As of 6:30-p.m. Thursday, 87 people said they were opposed to reducing the speed limit, 18 were in favor of it. Jimerson, who was elected to the Council last Fall, is the first known local government official to post such a poll on a social media website.