(Radio Iowa) — The latest U-S-D-A crop report out Monday showed there were less than two days suitable for fieldwork last week — which didn’t help farmers catch up on the harvest. The report says three percent of corn has been harvested — which is two weeks behind average. Five percent of soybeans have been harvested, and that’s 12 days behind average.
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Crops Specialist for northwest Iowa, Joel DeJong, says those farmers that were able to plant early have seen some good things. “Some of the early reports from the soybean harvest actually were fairly decent yields– so I have hope that maybe that will continue moving forward,” DeJong says. “But, we are starting about three weeks later than normal. It would be nice to get rain out of our forecast for a little while and get some sunshine and maybe a little breeze so we can get them dry so we can get that work done.”

He says not everything is negative. “The crop itself is actually hanging in there pretty well. They soybeans are pretty mature, so we are just waiting for them to dry. A lot of the corn that’s planted before the first of June has actually reached maturity or is close to maturity now,” De Jong says. He says getting the crop to maturity is only part of the issue. “The problem we still have is that when the corn crop just hits maturity it is still 32 to 32 plus percent moisture. We need some dry down time and we don’t that get much dry down time once we get past the month of October,” he says. “We would like to see the month of October be above normal if we get any chance for that to occur.”

De Jong says there have been some diseases that have hit too. He says there has been a lot of white mold that has shown up late and that could make the yield zero in parts of fields.. DeJong says there’s been appraisals of 40 to 70 bushels and acre. The corn has also had some issue and he says there have been appraisals of 108 bushels per acre and then there’s been appraisals up into 200. De Jong says the conditions vary widely across the nine counties he covers. He says a late frost would help with a lot of the issues. DeJong says the normal frost date for this region is October 10th. He says much of the area’s corn still needs additional time to mature and a light frost may not hurt the crop, but for late planted corn, an early frost could negatively affect crop yields.

DeJong says it is very likely many farmers will need to resort to using artificial drying methods in order to store their corn, which only adds to the cost of the crop.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department have arrested 50-year old Robert Joe Coddington, of Red Oak, on drug charges. Coddington was taken into custody near N. 3rd and Nuckols Streets at around 3-a.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Red Oak Police report two separate arrests Monday. At around 10:20-p.m., 30-year old Sara Ann Billie, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Page County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. The woman was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, booked in, and then transported to Page County. Bond was set at $300.

And, at around 6:35-p.m., Monday, 45-year old James Reed Mitroff, II, of Red Oak, was arrested by Red Oak Police, on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree. His bond was set at $1,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel that approves payment for lawsuits and settlements for the state of Iowa has approved payment of $315,000 to the parents of an Iowa State University student who died by suicide in November 2015. A jury in August found the state partially liable for the death of Dane Schussler. The lawsuit alleged the state failed to provide adequate mental health services. Schussler sought counseling at the university for anxiety and depression before he was found dead on railroad tracks in Ames.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The union representing workers at pork processing plants sued the federal government on Monday to challenge a new rule that allows companies to set line speeds and turn over more food safety tasks to company employees. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and local unions in Minnesota, Iowa and Kansas joined with nonprofit consumer advocacy group Public Citizen to file the lawsuit in Minneapolis federal court.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by two women once held at a state-run juvenile home for nearly $700,000. The Iowa State Appeal Board has agreed to the settlement which pays Laera Reed and Paige Ray-Cluney more than $170,000 each and their lawyers more than $340,000. The women were held at the Iowa Juvenile Home at Toledo until it closed then sent by Iowa to a Wisconsin juvenile facility where they claim isolation and mistreatment led to suicide attempts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa House Republicans have chosen state Rep. Pat Grassley to head their leadership team as Speaker-Select. The grandson of U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley was chosen by the GOP House caucus on Monday. The 36-year old farmer from New Hartford was first elected to the House in 2006. He operates a family farm with his father and grandfather, who also served in the Iowa House from 1959 to 1975. He takes over as speaker after a vote of the full House in January.

On Saturday, October 19th, staff from the Atlantic Medical Center along with the McCarthy family will host “Ayzlee’s Family Flu Clinic” from 8 to 11 am. Families and individuals are encouraged to come in to get their annual flu shot during this time. Members of the McCarthy family will be on hand with additional information about the flu, and a few children’s activities will be available.

This special flu vaccine clinic is held in memory of Ayzlee McCarthy. After Christmas in 2014, Ayzlee was diagnosed with Influenza A & B. A day later, her mother knew something wasn’t right and brought her to the CCHS Emergency Department. Ayzlee was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Blank Children’s Hospital, where she died on December 29, 2014.

Her mother, Amber McCarthy says “We are honoring Ayzlee with family flu clinics in our area and encourage all ages to come in and get their annual flu shot. The flu can strike healthy children and we hope to not have more families go through the heartache of losing a child to the flu.” In addition to this special clinic, a full list of all CCHS walk-in clinics can be found at casshealth.org.

Health officials say the two best ways to protect yourself, and those around you, from influenza are to get vaccinated and to practice good hand washing. Getting vaccinated not only protects you, but also those around you who may be too young (under 6 months) or have a medical condition that prevents them from being vaccinated. The seasonal flu (influenza) is a serious disease caused by the influenza virus.

Some common symptoms of the flu are fever, cough, chills, body aches, and extreme weakness. For more information, please contact the Immunization Room at 712-250-8122.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Saturday, arrested in Coin, 36-year old Amberlee Wilmot, of New Market. The woman was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Failure to Appear. She was transported to the Page County Jail for processing on $300 bond, and held on warrants from Taylor and Mills Counties in Iowa, and Nodaway County, Missouri. Wilmot also has warrants out of Kansas and Nebraska.

A traffic stop on a motorcycle last Friday in Page County, resulted in a pursuit across state lines. Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer says a deputy tried to stop a 2006 Yamaha motorcycle traveling south on Highway 71, near Shambaugh. When the Deputy turned around on the motorcycle, the motorcycle increased speed and a pursuit began to the Missouri state line at Braddyville, on HWY 71.

The Deputy saw the motorcycle smoking and noticed that once into Missouri, the motorcycle slowed considerably, and the smoke was increasing. The Deputy discontinued pursuit into Missouri, but PAGECOMM dispatch had notified Nodaway County Missouri Sheriff’s Office of the pursuit when it began.

The motorcycle continued to smoke more and the Deputy noticed that a bag on the side of the motorcycle behind the driver was now on fire with flames coming from it. About this time, the motorcycle pulled to the side of the road. The Deputy then pulled over to see if he could be of assistance to the driver and only occupant of the motorcycle. Once the fire was out, personnel from the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri Highway Patrol arrived. A check of the driver showed a Revoked driver’s license.

The driver, 26-year old Jeffery Dean Robinson, JR., of El Dorado Springs, MO., was arrested by the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office for driving under suspension. The Page County Sheriff’s Office issued citations to Robinson for No driver’s license, speeding 116-miles per hour in a 55 zone, Failure to display registration plate, Failure to carry registration card, and Reckless driving.

A warrant was then issued in Page County for the arrest of Robinson. When his proceedings are concluded in Missouri, for Eluding or attempting to elude pursuing law enforcement vehicles, Robinson will be extradited to Page County on the separate Eluding charge.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer, Monday (Today), released information about a pursuit and the arrest of two people that took place late last week. On Friday, October 4th, the Page County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a Pursuit within the city limits of Clarinda, involving the Clarinda Police Department. Deputies from the Page County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the pursuit. The pursuit was for a traffic infraction.

The pursuit continued north from Clarinda, on Redwood Avenue and through the town of Hepburn. The  chase then went east to Highway 71, where Deputies took over the pursuit from Clarinda Police. The pursuit went north on HWY 71 into Villisca, where the vehicle was stopped at the Casey’s parking lot. 40-year old Justin Allen Williams, of Clarinda, was the driver of the vehicle. His passenger was 38-year old Elisha Marie Mischke, of Jefferson.

Williams was charged with Possession of a controlled substance 2nd Offense (methamphetamine) (aggravated misdemeanor), Possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor), Criminal mischief 5th degree (simple misdemeanor), Eluding Law Enforcement (Felony), and Driving while Barred (aggravated misdemeanor). He was transported to the Page County Jail, and held on an $8,000 cash only bond.

Mischke was charged with Possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) (serious misdemeanor), Possession of drug paraphernalia (simple misdemeanor), and Providing false identification to Law Enforcement (simple misdemeanor). She was being held in the Page County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Mischke also has Serious misdemeanor, Aggravated misdemeanor, and Felony warrants from Polk County Iowa and Guthrie County that she will answer for, once done with Page County Charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state of Iowa has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by two women once held at a state-run juvenile home for nearly $700,000. The Iowa State Appeal Board has agreed to the settlement which pays Laera Reed and Paige Ray-Cluney more than $170,000 each and their lawyers more than $340,000. The women were held at the Iowa Juvenile Home at Toledo until former Gov. Terry Branstad ordered it closed in 2014 after allegation surfaced that some girls were held in seclusion cells.

Iowa then sent Reed and Ray-Cluney to the Copper Lake School for Girls in Wisconsin where they claim in court documents they were held in isolation cells and subjected to other treatment that led to suicide attempts.

Iowa taxpayers will pay the settlement from the state’s general fund. Wisconsin officials in June agreed to pay $1.95 million apiece to Reed and Ray-Cluney to settle a lawsuit filed against the state for their treatment at the Copper Lake facility.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state panel that approves payment for lawsuits and legal settlements for the state of Iowa has approved payment of $315,000 to the parents of an Iowa State University student who died by suicide in November 2015. A jury in August found the state partially liable for the death of Dane Schussler. The lawsuit alleged the state failed to provide adequate mental health services.

Schussler had received counseling at the university for anxiety and depression before he was found dead on railroad tracks in Ames. The Iowa attorney general’s office recommended no appeal and payment of the jury verdict. It was approved by the Iowa State Appeal Board on Monday.