DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Members of a House panel have rejected a bill that would have expanded the ability of children to use a crossbow to hunt deer in Iowa. The natural resources subcommittee tabled the bill indefinitely Thursday. Bill sponsor Rep. Matt Windschitl, a Missouri Valley Republican, says he will work with interested parties to reword the bill for a future session.

The bill would have allowed children ages 16 and under with a youth deer hunting license to hunt for deer with a crossbow during other firearm seasons. The minor would have needed an unused tag. A child can currently use a crossbow during the late muzzleloader season if they’re accompanied by a licensed adult.

The Iowa Bowhunters Association, which supports archery through bow and arrow, expressed concern about expanding crossbow use.

An Iowa State University agricultural economist says the ethanol industry is facing a “good news – bad news” scenario with profit margins becoming very slim. Economist Chad Hart says lower corn and gas prices are starting to put the squeeze on ethanol producers.  “When we look at our ethanol plants, yes it’s good to have these lower corn prices, that means lower inputs costs. But as oil and gas prices drop, that means ethanol prices in order to remain competitive, have to drop,”Hart explains. “It’s squeezing those profit margins at those ethanol plants, and my guess is they are likely going to slow down here as we move into these next few months. The longer the oil price stays down, the slower they go.”

He says the current conditions show the need for the Renewable Fuel Standard to be in place to dictate how much ethanol is used.  “It is still a developing bio-fuel that at times will need some support. Now when oil prices were about say 60, 70 80 dollars a barrel, no, the market drove where the ethanol industry goes. Now that oil prices have gone down again, yeah, maybe it does need that support from the renewable fuel standard.” Hart says the problem for ethanol is not demand.

“Demand is actually really good, but the problem is that supplies are just that large,” Hart says. “And the potential for supplies are to continue to grow. As we look at the 2015 crop year coming up as we look out there we are going to see a lot of acreage in play, we’ll see a lot of corn and soybean production in ’15, and that’s likely going to hold prices down as we go through the next year.” The grain marketing specialist says if there is a possibility for hope in the grain markets, it could be overseas

“If we’re looking for that positive surprise, it would have to be exports. So far so good on that, we have seen a little bit of improvement compared to last year,” Hart says. “But, and this is a fairly large but in this case, the idea is as we look out there, with the global economy seemingly softening, as we look at crude oil prices and the value of the dollar continuing to strengthen, that’s holding back where exports can take us as well.” Hart made his comments at a seminar in Le Mars.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A coalition of environmental, animal rights and citizen action groups are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency alleging failure to address air pollution from large-scale livestock farms. Two federal lawsuits filed in the District of Columbia allege the EPA has not responded to petitions filed in 2009 and 2011 asking the agency to use its Clean Air Act authority to regulate large hog, cattle and poultry farms.

The groups include the Environmental Integrity Project, the Humane Society of the United States, and citizen groups from Wisconsin, Iowa and California. They claim ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and other manure-generated contaminants in states such as Iowa and North Carolina make people sick. The groups want the EPA to set air quality standards for large livestock farms.

An EPA spokesman had no immediate comment.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by two major farm groups that sought to block the release of data on large livestock farms in Minnesota and Iowa. The American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Pork Producers Council filed the lawsuit in in Minneapolis in 2013 after some activist groups requested the Environmental Protection Agency data under the Freedom of Information Act. The data includes physical addresses and other operational details about the farms. The farm groups said releasing the data would violate farmers’ privacy.

But U.S. District Judge Ann Montgomery dismissed the lawsuit Tuesday. She ruled that Farm Bureau and the Pork Producers lacked legal standing. And she pointed out that the data the two groups sought to keep private is easily available from other public sources anyway.

w/ Kate Olson

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Four officers were elected during the Montgomery County Extension Council organizational meeting January 19. The nine-member council annually elects officers to comply with Iowa law. Joseph Jardon of Red Oak is the newly re-elected chairperson. Jardon will preside at all meetings of the extension council, have authority to call special meetings and perform duties performed and exercised by a chairperson of a board of directors of a corporation. Mike Olson of Red Oak was elected vice chairperson.

Karen Klocke of Nodaway was -re-elected secretary; and has the responsibility of keeping the minutes of all extension council meetings and signing required papers for the council. The council re-elected Lori DeKay of Stanton to the treasurer position. The treasurer receives, deposits, has charge of all of the funds of the extension council, and pays and disburses funds. The treasurer insures an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and submits reports to the extension council.

The council is the county governing body of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The council hires county staff, manages the county extension budget of approximately $454,000, and helps determine programming. In partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the council provides educational opportunities that bring university resources to the needs of
the county and region. Local extension programs include 4-H, Master Gardeners, youth summer camps, child care provider trainings and ServSafe for food service professionals.

An investigation into the theft of cattle from a farm near Lewis has resulted in the arrest of a Nebraska man, and arrest warrants for two other Nebraskans. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 57-year old Ervin John Jacob, of Omaha, was arrested Jan. 22nd following the execution of a search warrant in Omaha.

Ervin John Jacob (Cass Co. Sheriff’s Dept. photo)

Jacob was arrested on three Class D felony counts of Theft in the 2nd degree, and a Class-D felony charge of ongoing Criminal Conduct, for his involvement in three incidents of cattle theft.

The Cass County District Court has also issued warrants for 49-year old James Michael Brunzo, of Omaha, for two counts of Theft 2nd for his complicity in the thefts that took place May 28th, 2014, and June 9th, 2014,  and for 42-year old Amy Louise Springer,  of Omaha, NE, who faces  one count of Theft 2nd Degree for her complicity in a theft that took place January 6th, 2015.

The investigation into the trio’s activities began on May 28th, 2014, when the Cass County Sheriff’s Office took a report of the overnight theft of two cattle from Freund Brothers Farms in Lewis. On June 9, 2014, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office took another report of the theft of four cattle from JW Freund Farms in Lewis, IA. Again, on January 6, 2015, Freund Brothers Farms reported the theft of two more cattle overnight. On January 16, 2015, Cass County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search warrant in Omaha, Nebraska, with the assistance of the Omaha Police Department and the Cuming County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office.

Cass County authorities were assisted in their investigation by the Cuming County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office, the Omaha Police Department, and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office thanks the Massena Sale Barn, Rolling Hills Bank & Trust, and citizens, whose tips assisted in the outcome of the investigation.

Deere is laying off about 910 workers indefinitely from factories mostly in Iowa and will sideline another 500 employees in Illinois until late summer, as the agricultural equipment maker adjusts to demand for its products.  The Moline, Illinois, company also says it is adding 220 jobs at construction and forestry factories in Iowa. It plans to fill nearly all those positions with workers were laid off at agricultural equipment factories last year. The latest indefinite layoffs will be at sites that build agricultural equipment.

Employees laid off until summer work at the company’s seeding and cylinder factory in Moline. That location is going on an extended inventory adjustment shutdown. Deere & Co. is the world’s biggest farm equipment supplier. It employs about 29,000 in the United States and Canada.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says numerous items, including a tractor, were stolen from the rural Thayer, area. The owner, who lives in Lorimor, reported on Jan. 17th, that  someone took a gate, a 1950’s Ford pull-type combine, Allis Chalmers WC Commander Tractor with side hay loader, one steel wheel, and a 3 point bucket from his property on Warbler Avenue near Thayer. The property was valued at $2,600. Officials say the theft happened sometime within the past day.

Sheriff’s officials said also, 26-year old Clay Allen Brammer, of Arispe, was arrested Wednesday (1/21/15) at 9:00 PM at the Law Enforcement Center on a Union County Warrant for 1st offense domestic abuse assault. Brammer is being held in the Union County Jail awaiting an appearance before the Magistrate.

Cass County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.34
Adair County: Corn $3.47, Beans $9.37
Adams County: Corn $3.47 Beans $9.33
Audubon County: Corn $3.49 Beans $9.36
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.37
Guthrie County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.38
Montgomery County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.36
Shelby County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.34
Oats $2.58 (always the same in all counties)