A huge corn expo is running this weekend in Shelby County. The 2013 3rd Bi-Annual Hybrid Corn Pioneers Historical Expo will be held out at Steve and Nadine Kenkel’s farm located in rural Earling. The expo features working corn machinery exhibits, rides and corn shelling for kids. Steve Kenkel, owner of the farm, says he has made changes to his Corn Museum,

Kenkel1: “If you have ever been out to the farm and my museum, you will see a way different look. Over a year ago, we put a loft in the museum and it gave it a new look. I was happy with that. The only problem is I filled it up fairly fast so it is full.”

The museum was built in 2002 and since that time, Kenkel has worked on restoring old farm equipment to hang in the building,

Kenkel2: “Most of the things in my museum are pre-1900. You will see a lot of wood things. I have corn planters to one row to two rows and horse drawn planters. Everything has been restored. I have planters from the 1850’s to the 1950’s and you will see walk behind plows, dryers, several hundred seed corn signs hanging in the museum. There is a little bit of everything.”

The Historical Expo is also having food concessions featuring homemade ice cream, a blacksmith in action and wire check planting demonstrations. Kenkel says another aspect of the expo is the three centuries of corn plot,

Kenkel3: “I plant corn of the 1800s called Reids Yellow Dent. It was the most popular in Iowa and grown on my farm in the 1900s-1920s. Then I jump up to the first Hybrid Corn called US-13. You can see how the technology changed. Then I’ll have the triple stack corn of today. Another thing I have that hasn’t been advertised is some of the first Indian corn, maize was grown several hundred years ago. As you look at that and other corn, you can definitely see where we have come in the technology.”

The Hybrid Corn Expo is welcoming the 2012 National Corn Husking Champions who will pick corn by hand and compete against each other. If you would like a special way to ride out to the farm, located at 2040 Ironwood Road, a tractor ride will leave from Harlan on Saturday morning. The ride is sponsored by the Nishna Valley Antique Tractor Club. For more information on the tractor ride, contact Lance Scott at 712-249-6178. The 2013 Hybrid Corn Pioneers Bi-Annual Historical Expo will take place from 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday. Admission is a free will donation with proceeds going to Ovarian Cancer Research. Signs will be posted off Highway 37 east of Earling.

(Joel McCall KNOD)

w/ Marissa Hovde

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (837.3KB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Image Builders Committee awards the Atlantic Rotary Club a Community Improvement Award for Santa’s Cabin in Atlantic City Park. This summer the Rotary Club invested nearly $14,000 in the restoration, sealing and securing of the cabin for the next generation of Atlantic children to enjoy during the holidays when Santa sets up his Atlantic headquarters. For more information about how to nominate or receive a Community Improvement Award please contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712.243.3017.

w/ Marissa Hovde

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

On Thursday August 22nd, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people. 43-year old Matthew Desher of Corning was arrested and charged with aggravated assault (with weapon) after he walked into a Hy-Vee store and threatened an employee with a knife. He is being held on $2,000 bond.

Also arrested Thursday was Tara Squibb of Corning on a warrant from Union County. She is being held on $300 bond.

On Wednesday August 21st, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed two search warrants in Villisca. The first being at 113 N 4th Avenue around 9:00-a.m. 41-year old Chad Jason Rittgers of Villisca was arrested and charged with three counts of delivery of methamphetamine. He is being held on $50,000 bond. Also arrested was 38-year old Misty Marie Herring of Villisca. She was charged with child endangerment and is being held on $2,000 bond.

As a result of the second warrant at 609 East 8th Street at approximately 3:20-p.m., 35-year old Jill Currin of Villisca was arrested and charged with criminal mischief/4th, possession of methamphetamine, and additional pending drug charges. Currin was held on $1,000.

The Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Department of Human Services Child Protection Division.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A prayer leader at the Islamic and Culture Center Bosniak in Des Moines has pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges. The Des Moines Register reports that 40-year-old Nermin Spahic waived his right to an initial appearance and entered the plea yesterday. Johnston police arrested Spahic last week after a 42-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter told police he had abused them during a religious ritual at their home.

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) – Police say they’ve received multiple reports of a person entering unlocked houses uninvited in the northern Iowa city of Osage. Police say people have reported finding a person in their house, or a person walking into the house unannounced without knocking. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the incident has happened about half a dozen times in the past few weeks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A report by the country’s five largest mortgage providers says Iowa homeowners have received nearly $40 million in relief through a national settlement. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said in a news release yesterday that the report by an independent monitor shows more than 1,100 homeowners in the state have received money under the national mortgage settlement.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding a nearly $2 million grant to the Dubuque Regional Airport. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports U.S. Representative Bruce Braley announced the grant yesterday.

Due to strong demand from Iowa farmers, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey announced today that an additional $1 million in cost share funds have been made available to help farmers implement nutrient reduction practices. Farmers have already submitted applications for the initial $1.8 million in funding that was made available on Aug. 8 for water quality practices.

“We are extremely pleased by the overwhelming response we have received from farmers and believe this shows their commitment to water quality,” Northey said. “Farmers are matching all these funds, so they are putting up at least $1.8 million of their own money to implement these voluntary, science-based practices to protect water quality.”

The practices that are eligible for this funding are cover crops, no-till or strip-till, or using a nitrification inhibitor when applying fertilizer. Any farmer not already utilizing these practices can apply for assistance. Farmers are only eligible for cost share on up to 160 acres.

The cost share rate for farmers planting cover crops is $25 per acre and for farmers trying no-till or strip till is $10 per acre. Farmers using a nitrapyrin nitrification inhibitor when applying fall fertilizer can receive $3 per acre.

Farmers can contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District office to apply.

To date, more than 700 farmers in 85 of the 100 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Iowa have applied to participate in the program. Farmers have submitted applications for 71,023 acres of cover crops, to use nitrification inhibitor on 4,019 acres, 770 acres of no-till and 466 acres of strip-till.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship received $3 million in one-time funding to support statewide science-based water quality practices over the next five years. After today’s announcement the Department will have made $2.8 million available to support these practices this fall.

The 2013 Meals from the Heartland Annual Hunger Fight, the nation’s largest volunteer food packaging effort, is scheduled to begin Wednesday, August 28 at 9 a.m. at Hy-Vee Hall, downtown Des Moines. Packaging will take place daily through Saturday, August 31.

Meals from the Heartland has the goal of packaging at least 5 million meals during this four-day event. Meals packaged during 2013 are provided to children and families in need internationally as well as locally. Prior shipments have been distributed to Iowa, New Mexico, Haiti, South Africa, Honduras, El Salvador, Philippines, and many other countries.

Meals from the Heartland’s soy-based meals are made of U.S.-grown rice, soy protein from Midwest soybeans, dried vegetables and vitamins. Each package assembled at the event feeds a family of 6.

Over 15,000 Iowans starting as young as 5 years old, and ranging through all ages, will volunteer to package meals at Hy-Vee Hall throughout the four-day event. Training is provided to each volunteer. Time slots are still available, and registration can be completed online at www.mealsfromtheheartland.org.

Hy-Vee Hall is full of fun, energy, teamwork and excitement during this four-day event. On Wednesday evening, August 28th, over 1,100 high school students will package meals exclusively during the DuPont Pioneer Student Challenge.

Financial contributions to Meals from the Heartland are greatly appreciated to help purchase the raw materials for the packaging. Contributions may be made online or at the event, and are tax-deductible.

Free parking will be available to event volunteers on the north side of Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center (formerly Vets Auditorium). Volunteers are also encouraged to bring canned goods and fresh produce to support Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) food pantries.

Meals from the Heartland is a Des Moines based 501c3 organization. Online registration, donations and information on Meals from the Heartland can be found at www.MealsfromtheHeartland.org.

A new survey ranks Iowa among the top states in the nation for organ and tissue donors. Tony Hakes, at the Iowa Donor Registry, says Iowans are known for helping each other in times of need, so the ranking is a big complement.

A heart or a set of lungs need to be transplanted within four to six hours, so Hakes says they’ll try to find what’s called a “critical needs match” locally first.

“So if someone passes away here in Iowa City and they’re a heart donor, we try to allocate that heart to someone in the area who is most in need,” Hakes says. “If they can’t find someone that is a critical need match in this area, they’ll offer it up statewide. Can’t find a critical need match statewide? They’ll offer it up to Zone 8 which is basically the border states.”

Some organs, like kidneys, can be kept viable for up to 48 hours. Hakes, the donor network’s community development supervisor, says it’s easy for Iowans to make it known they’d like to be donors.

“It just came out that Iowa is #4 in the nation as far as number of people that are registered as organ and tissue donors, percentagewise,” Hakes says. “We have about 1.8-million registered organ and tissue donors which is terrific. That’s great for a state of roughly 3-million people.”

There are about 600 Iowans on the waiting list for various organs, with kidneys being in the most demand. Nationwide, there are 125,000 people waiting. Hakes says it’s an important decision to make.

“We always encourage people to register as organ and tissue donors,” Hakes says. “Mark ‘yes’ on your driver’s license and make sure your family knows and understands your wishes and you know and understand their wishes. If you have ‘no’ on your license, you can certainly change that when you go to renew or log on to iowadonorregistry.org and change your status there.”

(Radio Iowa)