DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has reached a record number of pigs on farms as the pork industry continues to expand production amid questionable export demand due to tariff battles with China.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Thursday Iowa has 23.6 million pigs on farms as of Sept. 1, an increase of 4 percent from the previous year and the highest number recorded.

That makes Iowa the leading pork producer by far. North Carolina is second with 9.4 million pigs and Minnesota third with 8.6 million.

The total for the United States has reached 75.5 million pigs, a 3 percent increase from a year ago.

Overproduction and fewer export markets could result in cheaper pork chops and ham, but low prices make profitability a challenge for farmers.

The USDA predicts increased U.S. demand for pork and industry groups say they’re working to find other markets to sell product.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two men from Elliott were cited on alcohol charges late Thursday night. At 11:27pm Deputies cited 20-year-old Shane Dalton Dunkerson and another 16-year-old male juvenile both for Minor in Possession of Alcohol. The juvenile was cited into court and released to a parent. Dunkerson was cited and released on scene.

After meeting on Wednesday the Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold a special session on Friday morning at 10:30am for a vote on the second reading of an ordinance amendment in regards to the Wind Energy Conversion Property. The board will take action on moving the proposed ordinance to a third reading.

The amendment will place a cap on wind turbines within the county at 530. Two current large wind turbine projects are being constructed in the county that will bring the total up to near 500 turbines. A number of other restrictions on setback distances from other properties were drafted earlier this month by the board.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to meet on Friday morning at 8:30am in the board room at the Cass County Courthouse.

On their agenda is a public hearing on changing the zoning classification of a parcel in Pleasant Township from Agricultural to Business. This change was requested by Dollar General Retail Store in order to construct a new store on the site. After the public hearing the board plans to take action on approving the change.

The board is also set to take action on approving appointment to fill a vacancy for the Treasurer’s Deputy. That position is a title change from Treasurer’s Assistant.

The board will also hear a number of regular reports as well as review and act on applications for a part-time Mental Health Advocate.

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — A dispute over whether to sell the Iowa birthplace of former first lady Mamie Doud Eisenhower has led to a lawsuit and mismanagement allegations.

Former members of the Boone County Historical Society filed a lawsuit last week against the nonprofit, The Des Moines Register reported . The lawsuit seeks an injunction to block the sale of the home, which has since been turned into a museum.

The nonprofit historical society announced last year that it planned to close the home to focus efforts on other projects, according to the lawsuit. The home was listed for $184,000 on Sept. 7, the lawsuit said.
The filing alleges that society officials retaliated against members who opposed the plan and terminated their memberships, which would violate state law and the organization’s bylaws.

Mara MacKay is the historical society’s former executive director and a defendant in the lawsuit. She now volunteers at the organization after being terminated due to lack of funds. MacKay said she’s “confident that the board members did what they needed to do and upheld their responsibilities.”

MacKay said the home is no longer for sale and the organization will need to find other ways to raise revenue. The group had considered turning the home into a vacation rental or bed and breakfast.

“We’re going to back away from that for right now because we’re aware that there’s differing opinions,” she said.

The former first lady was born in the Boone home in 1896, according to the Boone History Museum. She later married President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as the 34th president from 1953 to 1961.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawyers for two abortion providers have asked an Iowa judge to forgo a trial and rule that the state’s fetal heartbeat law is unconstitutional.

The Des Moines Register reports that lawyers for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and the Emma Goldman Clinic in Iowa City filed a motion Monday that cites the Iowa Supreme Court’s June decision to strike down a 72-hour waiting period to obtain an abortion. The high court said the state’s women have a fundamental right to abortion protected by the state constitution.

The fetal heartbeat law would ban nearly all abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, which can occur about six weeks into a pregnancy and often before a woman realizes she’s pregnant. The law hasn’t taken effect, pending the litigation’s outcome.

Lawyers representing the state have not yet responded to the motion filed Monday. Nor has the judge indicated when he will rule on it.

Coca-Cola Days will be held tomorrow, September 28th and Saturday, September 29th in Downtown Atlantic. The event is the second biggest collector’s show in the United States and includes a tailgate barbecue open to the public, a Show, Swap & Sell, “On the Road with Coca-Cola Raffle” and many more activities for all ages.

The tailgate barbecue will be held tomorrow night at the Rock Island Depot, located at 102 Chestnut St. and is open to the entire public. For $6.50 you will receive a burger, potato salad, beans, desert and a drink.

This year’s raffle follows the 2018 theme, “On the Road with Coca-Cola”. Items include: a Coca-Cola Mini Fridge; $100 gift card to HyVee; gift card to Fareway; one-night stay at Boulder’s Inn & Suites; one-night stay at Atlantic Inn & Suites; red travel cooler and a Coca-Cola table runner, donated by Something For You. Raffle tickets are $5 for a chance and available at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or at the Show, Swap & Sell meet this Saturday, September 29th. The raffle will take place at 2:00 PM on Saturday at the close of the Show, Swap and Sell at the Herring Building, located at 2nd and Poplar Street. You do not have to be present to win.

T-Shirts for the 2018 Coca-Cola Days Celebration are also available for purchase. The shirts are gray and feature the theme, “On the Road with Coca-Cola”. T-Shirts can be purchased for $16 at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or at the Show, Swap & Sell this Saturday.

For more information on Coca-Cola Days or a full list of activities, please visit www.cocacoladays.com, call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

Image credit: M.H. Shour, ISU Extension & Outreach

Red Oak, Iowa – Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office will host an Aquatic, Forest and Right-of-Way Continuing Instruction Course (CIC) for commercial pesticide applicators on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018. The program provided by the ISU Extension and Outreach Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) can be seen at office locations across Iowa.

The local attendance site for the Oct. 17 CIC is the Montgomery County Extension office located at 400 Bridge Street Suite #2 in Red Oak. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before Oct. 10 and $45 after Oct. 10. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact Katie Hart at the ISU Extension and Outreach Montgomery County office at (712) 623-2592.

In Shelby County the local attendance site for the Oct. 17 CIC is 906 6^th Street. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before Oct. 10 and $45 after Oct. 10. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact Shelby County Extension & Outreach at 712-755-3104.

The course will provide continuing instruction credits for commercial and public pesticide applicators certified in categories 2 (Forest Pest Control), 5 (Aquatic Pest Control), 6 (Right-of-Way Pest Control), and 10 (Research and Demonstration). Topics to be covered are: equipment calibration; phytotoxicity; pesticide drift reduction; principles of limited area application; aquatic invasive species update; control of tree of heaven and red cedar; white oak mortality; and Phragmites control. Additional information and registration forms for this and other courses offered through the PSEP Program can be accessed at www.extension.iastate.edu/PSEP.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports one arrest and one accident on Wednesday.

At 2:03pm Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 45-year-old William Joseph Weis of Glenwood on a valid warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held on $10,000 bond.

The accident occurred at 11:30pm at the intersection of Marion Avenue and East 7th Street.  It was determined that 44-year-old Cherry Parker of Malvern was driving a 2006 Nissan east on 7th Street and made a right hand turn onto Marion Avenue but left the roadway and collided with a street sign, knocking it over. The vehicle left the scene but a mudflap was left at the scene. The vehicle was later located two blocks away in a driveway in the alley. The damage matched the damage that would of been likely at the scene at it was missing a mud flap. No arrest or charges were immediately made.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest Wednesday evening of 19-year-old Max Kilgore of Creston. Kilgore was arrested at 5:48pm at the Law Enforcement Center on 2 counts of 5th Degree Theft. He was then released from custody on a Promise to Appear in court at a later date.