w/ Kate Olsen

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A businessman who built one of the nation’s largest egg production operations is getting out of the industry after its farms were found responsible for a nationwide salmonella outbreak. Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son, Peter, said in a statement they have given up control of egg operations in Iowa, Maine and Ohio, including the farms with filthy conditions that produced salmonella-tainted eggs that sickened about 1,900 people last year. Centrum Valley Farms chief operating officer Steve Boomsma said Monday his firm has signed a lease with an option to purchase DeCoster operations in Iowa. A division of Minnesota-based Land O’ Lakes announced this month it is taking over DeCoster’s Maine egg farms. And Boomsma said there is a deal in the works involving DeCoster’s egg operations in Ohio.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will meet Monday evening at City Hall. During their 5:15-p.m. session, the board will welcome newly elected board member Jolene Smith and congratulate Mary Strong on her election to a second term. They’ll also take action on electing officers for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 (2-year) terms.

Other business includes discussion and possible action on: Park restroom closures and Sunnyside Park gate closures for streets; use of recently announced the Cass County Community Foundation grant for equipment at the Sunnyside Pool; results of the Rotary Auction/Raffle and use of funds for the Phase 1 campground project at the Schildberg Recreation Area; and, consider a usage fee for shelters at Sunnyside Park.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – Federal regulators have fined an Iowa grain processor more than $96,000 for its failure to develop a facility response plan as required by the federal Clean Water Act. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that Omaha-Neb.-based Ag Processing Inc. agreed to pay the fine for its failure to develop and implement a response plan for its soybean processing facility in Mason City.

The EPA says the Mason City facility is near a stream which flows into two small lakes and eventually into the Winnebago River and that without a response plan the facility was not prepared for a worst-case discharge into nearby waters and the potential impact to wetland and wildlife habitats.

w/ Denny Heflin

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Iowa will join dozens of other states in recognizing tomorrow (Thursday) as the first-ever National Rural Health Day. Dr. Deb Romberger is a pulmonologist in Omaha/Council Bluffs who works with rural health issues. “National Rural Health Day is an important day for us to think about health issues in communities, including safety,” Dr. Romberger says. “Rural communities have special challenges, especially around safety related to motor vehicle accidents and to accidents on the farm.” 

Romberger says the day reminds all Iowans, especially those in rural areas and the ag community, about the dangers being faced every day.  She says, “We want to remind people of the kinds of disorders that they might face, things that we can do in terms of protecting ourselves, using protection for our ears and sunscreen for our skin and a mask when we’re going into dusty work environments.” 

Romberger works at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. She says the hospital is taking part in National Rural Health Day because it has a close connection with people in the ag sector. “It’s important that we’re partnering with rural communities,” she says. “We are an institution that helps train providers going back to the communities and we need to make sure they’re being trained to address special concerns in rural communities.” 

About 60-million people, or nearly one in five Americans, live in rural or frontier communities. The goal of National Rural Health Day is to increase awareness of health care issues in those areas.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Dozens of people sickened after eating salmonella-tainted eggs will receive compensation in the first wave of legal settlements with the Iowa egg producer blamed for last year’s outbreak. Wright County Egg reached financial settlements with roughly 40 salmonella victims represented by Seattle attorney Bill Marler during a September mediation conference in Minneapolis. While the settlements are confidential, details of three became public last week when a federal judge in Iowa approved deals totaling $366,000 for children from Texas, California and Iowa who were hospitalized after becoming sick. The largest payment of $250,000 went to the family of a 3-year-old boy who collapsed and had to spend a week in the hospital. Federal officials say at least 1,900 people were sickened during the outbreak that started in July 2010.

w/ Kate Olsen

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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says Green Valley State Park (near Creston) will be closed Nov. 19th and 20th, for its annual special deer hunt.  Green Valley will re-open to the public on Nov. 21st. The Green Valley State Park deer hunt is limited to 30 hunters using only muzzleloaders to harvest up to 60 antlerless deer.  Hunters have already registered and will receive two antlerless tags each, redeemable only during the special hunt at the designated areas and specified dates. Additional DNR staff will be on hand to patrol the park boundaries during the event. 

Alan Carr, Park Ranger at Green Valley says “This hunt helps to manage the deer population in the park.  We have had seven successful hunts and expect this hunt will go as well as previous hunts.  Hunters are required to attend a special safety meeting before the hunt where we explain the reason for the hunt, discuss the rules and identify the park boundaries.” Carr said the park hunt has shown to be a successful management tool for state parks. 

“We are attempting to maintain a balance in the deer herd for the people who want to see deer when they come to park and for our neighbors who may want a smaller deer herd.” He says “The hunt will probably remain an annual event with the number of deer targeted for removal changing based on the population estimates.”

Hunters have been allowed to harvest up to 60 antlerless deer, the average harvest for the past seven years has been just over 40 deer. For questions, contact the park office at (641) 782-5131.

Brownfield Ag News reporters recognized at NAFB Awards program

Three Brownfield Ag News Broadcast Council members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) were recognized during the awards ceremony at the organization’s annual convention held last week in Kansas City, Mo.  Ken Anderson and Julie Harker received awards for news reporting and Tom Steever received tenure recognition.

Ken Anderson, headquartered in Lincoln, Neb. received Editor’s Choice Award for Exceptional Merit from the NAFB News Service for providing accurate and timely information on a variety of issues.  The NAFB News Service is a source of news and information to farm broadcasters representing more than 1,800 radio stations nationwide.

Julie Harker, based in Jefferson City, Mo. received third Place in the NAFB Newscast Awards.  Each year more than 140 NAFB Broadcast Council members throughout the United States are asked to participate in the award process.  Broadcasters are required to send a produced newscast that aired on a specific day chosen by the NAFB and a CD is compiled from all the entries.  The Awards Committee assembles a panel of farmers to select the winning newscasts.

Tom Steever received a tenure award for 35 years as a Broadcast Council member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.  Tom will serve as President of NAFB in 2012.

Brownfield, founded in 1972, includes Brownfield Ag News radio network and Brownfieldagnews.com.  Brownfield provides news, markets, weather, event coverage and feature and commentary programming relevant to those who live and work on farms and in rural communities in the United States, and to those with an interest in U.S. food and fiber production.

Brownfield’s team of ten award-winning agricultural journalists, all Broadcast Council members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting, along with an ag meteorologist, Washington D.C. policy analyst and two market analysts can be heard daily on AM 1220 KJAN.