More than 40 area FFA students gathered at Monsanto Company’s Atlantic Research Farm last Thursday for a hands-on learning opportunity. This is the second year a handful of the company’s employees have invited students to enjoy the facility as a 50-acre classroom. “The only bad thing about the growing season is that it takes place while we’re out of school, so it’s great to be able to get together and experience this part of the year as a class,” said Kevin Blair, Griswold FFA Advisor. “A lot of what we do with FFA is based on horticulture in the present rather than in production so it’s great that the kids can still have opportunities to learn about and grasp those concepts.” Griswold is one of eight FFA chapters who took part in the 2nd annual field day. Students and advisers from the Adair-Casey, Corning, Creston, Guthrie Center, Harlan, IKM-Manning and Shenandoah FFA chapters also participated. To kick things off, students attended sessions addressing some of the main factors of crop productivity: weeds, insects, crop development and soils. They examined actual samples of common crop-stressing species, learned about their life-cycles, how to identify them and methods used for preventing or removing them. Students also focused on the attributes that contribute to plant health and productivity. Following the sessions, students toured the Atlantic facility to learn how the company develops plants to produce higher yields and tests the effects of variable cropping systems and environmental conditions. The hands-on lessons offer students a chance to actively engage with their studies and provide a real-world view as chapters prepare for agronomy and soil judging contests later this year. “This was a great hands-on experience. A volunteer who helps with the Iowa soil judging contests spoke to them about plant development and showed them how they could actually see the nodes on the corn plant itself,” Blair said. “Something like this sparks their interest. I can talk about these concepts, but if they see people who work with them every day, they see a real career opportunity for a job beyond being in the office every day.” Bill Backhaus, a Monsanto territory sales manager who helped organize the event, said this time the team tried to tighten its focus on practical and hands-on activities with the aim of developing students’ interest in agriculture and encouraging them to ultimately pursue ag careers. “These kids come from a variety of backgrounds and knowledge levels, but most of them are really focused. Their minds are like sponges, ready to be filled with information,” Backhaus said. “The experiences they have now will help them find where their passion is and what they want to do.” (Monsanto Press Release)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Business leaders say it’s time to overhaul the way teachers are paid in Iowa. They told Gov. Terry Branstad on Wednesday that teachers need to be paid like their workers – based on performance, not just on how long they’ve been on the job. Branstad says he’s open to the idea, noting he pushed the issue during his initial tenure as governor.

Business leaders joined Branstad during an education roundtable in Des Moines. The governor is holding a series of meetings to build toward an education summit later this month that includes U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The Iowa State Patrol reports a Glenwood man was seriously injured during a motorcycle crash Tuesday evening in Mills County. 51-year old Eric Harris, of Glenwood, was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, following the crash which occurred on the on-ramp to Interstate 29 northbound, off of Highway 34.

The Patrol says Harris was traveling to fast too make the curve. The 2007 Harley Davidson he was riding went out of control and entered the west ditch, where it fell onto its right side and slid into some fence posts before entering standing water in the ditch.

The accident happened at around 6:30-p.m., Tuesday.

DETROIT (AP) – Chrysler is recalling more than 242,000 Ram pickup trucks because of a problem in the steering system. The recall affects certain Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2008 to 2011 model years. The Ram is Chrysler’s best-selling vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that a part near the left wheel can fracture and cause loss of steering control, leading to crashes. The problem happens mainly at low speeds when drivers are making tight turns. Chrysler says only a few minor crashes and one minor injury have been reported.

The problem also can affect 2003 to 2008 Ram 2500 and 3500 heavy-duty models in which the same part was replaced by mechanics. Chrysler dealers will inspect the trucks and fix the defect for free if necessary.

The American Red Cross is asking you to roll-up your sleeve and give blood…the gift of life. Midwest Region Red Cross spokesperson April Oppliger, says blood donations were way down in May and June not only locally, but across the country. She says during those months, the American Red Cross saw 6 percent fewer donors than during the same period in past years.

April donations in the Midwest Region of the American Red Cross weren’t down as far as in other parts of the country, and the area is a little better off, because there is a dedicated corps of donors. She says the thing to remember is that the blood inventory is a national issue. The Midwest Region serves more than 80 hospitals in Nebraska, southwest Iowa and parts of Kansas and Colorado.

Oppliger says blood-donation numbers typically dip everywhere in the summer, because schools are out, and people are on vacation or enjoying other activities. This summer’s Missouri River flooding also has caused some complications for the Red Cross, because their blood mobiles couldn’t get to some of the places where they would normally would hold blood drives.

She says the need for blood knows no end. Every two seconds, someone in America needs a blood transfusion. That adds up to 5 million patients every year. The Red Cross must recruit enough donors each day to meet the needs of accident victims, cancer patients, people undergoing surgery, children with blood disorders and others. That amounts to more than 22,000 blood donations each weekday and about 15,000 each weekend. Yet less than 38 percent of Americans are eligible to donate blood.

Oppliger said that if the downward trend in donor numbers continues, they‘re going to be in a bad situation.” Eligible blood donors are asked to call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit www.redcrossblood.org to find a blood drive and make an appointment.

The Red Cross Blood Mobile will be: in Atlantic Thursday, July 21^st, from Noon until 6-p.m., at the Catholic Parish Center; in Avoca on July 30^th, from 8:30-a.m. to 1:30-p.m. at the American Legion Building; On August 10th, at Mahle components in Atlantic, from Noon to 4-p.m.; and in Harlan on August 11^th, from 8am-2pm, at Myrtue Medical Center.

A Council Bluffs man is expected to appear in court later this month for sentencing, in connection with the alcohol-related death of a Harlan teen. 27-year old Dustin Thomas pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of supplying alcohol to an underage person.

Thomas had been accused of supplying booze to minors at a party in Harlan last October, that lead to the death of 17-year old Julio Caceres. Caceres died at an Omaha hospital on October 11^th, after he was found unconscious at a home in Harlan. Thomas admitted to investigators he brought a bottle of whiskey Caceres consumed, to the party.

He was arrested in February, following an investigation conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and faces up to 5 years in prison. He remains free on $5000 bond until he‘s sentenced in Shelby County District Court, on July 29^th.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Iowa State Patrol reports a Lake City woman died and two passengers in her vehicle were injured, during a rollover accident early Monday morning in Carroll County. 19-year old Janelle Marie Woods died when she was ejected from the 1999 Ford Expedition she was driving, as it rolled several times in a high speed crash. The Patrol says she was wearing her seatbelt.

Officials say the SUV was westbound on 170^th Street at around 12:34-a.m. Monday, and traveling at a high rate of speed, when the vehicle went off onto the right shoulder of the road. When Woods steered hard to the left, the Expedition went out of control and rolled over. Woods died from her injuries.

The passengers in her vehicle, 28-year old Roger Hickerson, and 27-year old Ashley Hahn, were injured. The Patrol’s report didn’t indicate where they were from. Hickerson was also ejected, and suffered serious, incapacitating injuries. He was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. A report on his condition was not available. Hickerson was not wearing a seatbelt. Hahn was also not wearing a seatbelt. She suffered serious, non-incapacitating injuries, and was transported by ambulance to the Carroll Hospital.

Officials at the hospital administered a blood test on Woods to test for alcohol or drugs, but the results of those tests are not yet available. The SUV sustained $8,000 damage during the crash.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic School Board Tuesday, adopted a resolution directing the sale of 7.66-million dollars in school infrastructure, sales, services and use tax bonds, series 2012.

Hutchinson-Shockey-Erley & Company of Chicago, IL, was the winning bidder for the marketing of the bonds.

HSE had the lowest interest rate of 3.74%, which was about one-half percent lower than what was expected when the district began to look at financing earlier this Spring. Piper Jaffrey’s Travis Squires said that will save the district about $500,000 in interest. The bonds will be used to finance construction and renovation at the Atlantic Middle School.

Squires said there were four bidders for the bonds. In addition to the Illinois firm, the other three were located in Minnesota, Wisconsin and New York. All of the bids were received electronically, through a parity on-line bidding system, which is common practice these days.

Squires had some good news for the board Tuesday night. He said during past month, the company finalized the rating cull for the Standard and Poor’s rating agency. He says the Atlantic Community School District received an “A-plus” bond rating, which, he says, is “very good.”

He says that’s based essentially on the fact the district’s enrollment is fairly stable, and because it has sufficient bond coverage on the existing debt. Squires says the district has almost double the amount of revenues needed to make the bond payments.