(Radio Iowa) – Fifty years ago this week, the groundbreaking work of a northeast Iowa farmer was recognized on the global stage as Norman Borlaug was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Barbara Stinson, president of World Food Prize Foundation — which Borlaug founded, says his research in plant genetics mobilized agricultural innovations in Mexico, India and Pakistan over several decades, saving vast populations from starvation.  “He’s actually credited with having saved over a billion lives, more than anyone else in human history,” Stinson says. “They didn’t have an agricultural prize so they awarded him the Peace Prize for his work in agriculture and reducing hunger, which brought much greater peace to the world, particularly in those areas.”

Dr. Norman Borlaug was presented the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his accomplishments in India and Pakistan and for his role as “Father of the Green Revolution.” (photo via worldfoodprize.org)

Borlaug developed a variety of wheat that was high-yield and disease-resistant, while devoting himself to agricultural development projects and the mobilization of food around the world. It earned him the nickname, the father of the Green Revolution. Stinson says, “The elements of this included bringing technology and improving water availability and getting technologies to farmers and advocating farming practices that really created what’s called the Green Revolution.”

Once facing widespread starvation, Mexico became a net exporter of wheat by 1963 thanks to Borlaug’s work. Also, between 1965 and 1970, wheat yields nearly doubled in Pakistan and India, greatly improving the food security of those countries. In the mid-1980s, Borlaug pushed forward with an effort to establish a major prize for agriculture. “Dr. Borlaug founded the World Food Prize Foundation to honor those that are improving the world’s food supply,” Stinson says, “but he was particularly interested in elevating these innovations to inspire other professionals and the younger generation.”

The Des Moines-based foundation awards an annual prize which emphasizes the importance of a nutritious, sustainable food supply for everyone. The award ceremony coincides each year with an international symposium addressing issues related to hunger and food security. Borlaug received degrees in forestry, plant pathology and genetics from the University of Minnesota, where an event is being held Thursday to mark the 50th anniversary of his winning the Nobel Prize. The event is called, “Nobel and Beyond: Building on the Legacy of a Hunger Fighter.” “They are convening a very special gathering of alums and students and professors and many dignitaries to talk about the accomplishments of Dr. Norman Borlaug, his inspiration to the rest of the world and in particular, his dedication to education and working with youth.”

In addition to winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Borlaug was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. He died in 2009 at age 95. Borlaug’s farm near Cresco is now a protected preserve that’s open for tours.

(Radio Iowa) – A Webster County man faces a federal prison sentence on a drug charge. Seventy-two-year-old Thomas Hendrickson of Lehigh has been sentenced to seven years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Court documents say he was involved in a meth distribution operation most of 2019. In October of last year, Hendrickson was found with nearly a pound of meth during a traffic stop.

This will be Hendrickson’s second stint in federal prison as he previously served 14 years on a federal weapons charge.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says it’s clear there’s a need for additional relief to individuals and businesses struggling financially during the pandemic, but Ernst is not yet signaling which plan that’s emerged she might support. “We’ve heard a lot about the Covid relief package and the discussions that are ongoing,” Ernst says, “and I do continue to hear from Iowans as well on the importance of getting something done.”

The latest twist in negotiations came from the White House yesterday (Tuesday). President Trump’s treasury secretary unveiled a package that would provide a six-hundred dollar direct payment to most Americans, but would not extend unemployment benefits. A bipartisan group of senators has developed a plan that would provide an extra three-hundred dollars a week to unemployed Americans, plus send more federal aid to states, cities and counties. Ernst is part of the G-O-P leadership team in the Senate, but she is not among the bipartisan group of senators working on that package. “Regardless of how we end up getting this done, I do think it is important that we get this done,” Ernst says.

The Senate’s Republican leader has said the senate will not adjourn until a pandemic relief package has been enacted.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man, 24-year old Jason Charles Brandt, of Omaha, was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Brandt was taken into custody on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was booked into the Pott. County Jail. Sheriff’s officials say seven inmates being held in other jails, were transported to the Pott. County Jail, Tuesday, and held.

Among them was:

• 31-year old Phillip Durrell Gonzales, who was wanted on an Iowa warrant for Felony, Domestic Assault Abuse – strangulation w/bodily injury.
• 57-year old Raye Shale Mimms, who was wanted on an Iowa warrant for False Information and Interference w/official acts – obstruction of prosecution.
• 22-year old Lee Tyler Star, wanted on an Iowa Felony warrant for Burglary/3rd Degree-vehicle – 1st offense, and Theft in the 2nd Degree.
• 46-year old Ann Michelle Sulsberger was transported to the Pott. County Jail on Iowa Felony warrants for Violation of Probation.
• 43-year old Enrique Torres, who was wanted on an Iowa Felony warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree.
• 32-year old Ashley Mercedes Wilson, was picked up from the Douglas County, NE. Jail on an Iowa Felony warrant for Violation of Probation. And,
• 32-year old Derek Massey Moore was up from the Platte County, NE, Jail on an Iowa Felony warrant for Violation of Probation.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Red Oak Elks Lodge # 1304 has put out a call for all deer hunters to donate the hides and tails of any deer you have harvested to the Lodge, to help them assist veterans. Deer hides and tails are used to make leather gloves and other items that are designed in-part for Veteran wheel chair users.

The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks organization nationwide has: donated 3,336 pairs of wheel chair gloves; distributed 4,854 square feet of crafting leather to Veterans Hospitals and Clinics; Donated 104,160 square feet of crafting leather to heal Veterans, and have manufactured and distributed more than 48,000 crafting kits to Veterans.

The collection point for hides and tails in Red Oak, is Goranson Seed, at 1965 Avenue G.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The State of Iowa’s coronavirus dashboard today (10-a.m., Wednesday), indicates there have been 123 additional, total deaths since Tuesday, for a pandemic total of 3,021.  The IDPH says 2,768 deaths are from underlying causes; 253 are contributing factor deaths. In this area: Cass County has one additional death (for a total of 35); Harrison County has one more death (47 total); Mills County also has one more death (for a total of 8).

The sharp increase in reported deaths may be due to the state’s change in reporting methods. The health department announced Monday that a change to how the state reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll. Prior to the announcement, the health department only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result.

Positive cases increased 2,545, to 248,782. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks  are 141. LTC deaths amount to 1,127. In our area, Cass County has 164 positive cases of COVID-19 among two facilities, with 96 recovered. Pottawattamie County has 267 cases among three facilities, and 151 recovered. Montgomery County has 44 positive cases among three facilities, and 10 recovered.

Hospitalizations are at 894 (6 less than Tuesday), with 196 COVID patients in an ICU (compared to 191 Tues.); 141 were admitted to a hospital with COVID symptoms (Compared to 111 previously), and 120 patients are on a ventilator (compared to 111 Tuesday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report 53 COVID patients (4 less than Tues.), 16 are in an ICU (compared to 20 yesterday), five people were admitted (Compared to 8 Tuesday), and nine are on a ventilator (1 less than yesterday).

State data shows 1,261,909 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus, with a total of 173,439 recovered. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 15.8% and a 7-day rate of 11.7%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; The # of new cases since yesterday {+}; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):

• Cass, 894 cases; {+18}; 34 deaths
• Adair, 491; {+6}; 15
• Adams, 198; {+2}; 2
• Audubon, 318; {+3}; 6
• Guthrie, 822; {+11}; 22
• Harrison County, 1,179; {+8}; 46
• Madison County, 791; {+12}; 6
• Mills County, 1,140; {+6}; 7
• Montgomery, 567; {+11}; 12
• Pottawattamie County, 7,121; {+62}; 69
• Shelby County, 837; {+11}; 16
• Union County,  917; {+18}; 9

(Radio Iowa) – A group that represents 16 of the largest chambers of commerce in Iowa is urging state lawmakers to clarify when the state’s cash reserves may be used. Iowa Chamber Alliance executive director Dustin Miller says when large scale disasters hit, like the derecho, the state’s economic emergency fund might be used to help businesses recover.  “We think Iowa can be a leader for the next crisis,” Miller says.

The state surplus at the end of the last fiscal year in June was at least 300 million, with another 700 MILLION dollars in reserve. Miller says having the state budget in a stable place is good for the business climate, but the Chamber Alliance is suggesting when the state’s cash reserves are full, those resources could be deployed to help businesses recover from future disasters. “The budget needs to be in a certain place, with ‘Rainy Day’ funds full, but…being able to deploy those resources immediately and being a selling point for the state to be prepared for the next disaster,” Miller says.

The Iowa Chamber Alliance released priorities it would like the state legislature to pursue in 2021. Expanded broadband is at the top of the list, along with taking more steps to ensure there’s a talent pool for businesses.  “Iowa, since 1900, has grown less than 1% annually,” he says. “Tackling population growth is a very challenging endeavor, but it’s certainly something we think needs to happen to ensure the long term economic sustainability of existing businesses and if we want to attract businesses.”

Miller says it will take a complicated approach to expand the state’s workforce, including what he calls “place making” that emphasizes the quality of life in Iowa communities, as well as efforts to expand child care options, enhance job training and apprenticeship programs and attract new Americans to the state.

(Radio Iowa) – A spokesman for the Iowa Department of Transportation is seeing some good trends in rail and other transportation areas for the state’s economy. The D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson gave a report on the issue to the Transportation Commission. “It’s flattened out a bit — but if you diver deeper into the trend of commodities moving by rail there’s some real bright spots — particularly on the grain side,” Anderson says.  He says the movement of grain has picked up. “The grain movements by rail in November were the highest since October of 2007. So, obviously that’s a good indicator for Iowa’s agricultural economy and the export market,” he says.

Anderson says there’s also been an increase in intermodal shipments by trains and trucks. “Those are generally the retail products in intermodal containers. November was the six highest ever recorded in terms of carloads,” according to Anderson. “Buy for one week, it was trending toward being the best month ever.” There were reports of many people taking trips during Thanksgiving despite COVID warnings. Anderson says the airline numbers still remain down. “We’re still seeing passenger counts at about 35 to 40 percent of the pre-pandemic levels,” he says. “And despite what you saw in some of the Thanksgiving television coverage — the airport counts during Thanksgiving were again well below what they had been pre-pandemic,”

Anderson says traffic on the roadways was running about ten percent below the 2019 levels until just recently when it dipped to 15 percent below 2019. “What we have seen since mid-November though is a bit of a shift. Mid-November reflected the latest surge in COVID-19 in the state — and also the governor’s statewide mask mandate and the encouragement of more teleworking. So, we’ve seen a direct correlation with those activities and actions with statewide travel,” Anderson says.

Anderson expects the travel levels to remain lower for some time. “Certainly through the winter and maybe even beyond that as we are seeing longer term changes in teleworking as a result of going through this,” Anderson explains.  He says the continued drop in travel is projected to lead to around a three percent decrease in fuel taxes coming in.