The owner of a tractor museum in Avoca received a surprise in the mail, recently. According to the Daily NonPareil, Jerry Mez, who owns the Farmall-Land U.S.A. Museum with his wife, Joyce, received word from Rep. David Young congratulating the business on 10 years in Avoca. Additionally, the Republican – who represents Iowa’s third district, which includes Pottawattamie County – commended the Mez family on the Congressional floor. He received the letter and Congressional record notice, which he now proudly displays at the museum located just off Interstate 80.

A vehicle pulled over on Interstate 29 in Fremont County for driving erratically and with a flat tire, was later found to have been carrying a loaded handgun and loaded short-barreled shotgun, along with about 20-grams of marijuana. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says the vehicle, driven by 43-year old Justin J. Patrick, of Grand Island, NE., was pulled over Thursday in the area of I-29 and Highway 2.

When deputies made contact with Patrick, and were speaking with him, he allegedly attempted to grab a handgun concealed in the vehicle. He was placed under arrest without further incident, and charged with Assault on a Police Officer by using or displaying a weapon. Patrick faces additional charges that include OWI, two-counts of carrying a concealed weapon, Possession of an Unauthorized offensive weapon, Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was also cited for numerous traffic offenses.

Justin Patrick remained in the Fremont County Jail this (Friday) morning, on $16,300 bond.

More predictions point toward gloomy financial times ahead for Iowa farmers as commodity prices trend lower for corn and soybeans. Rod Johansson, an economist with the U-S Department of Agriculture, says those commodity prices have continued to drop and have now reached a crucial point. “They may be coming down so far that in some cases, farmers aren’t meeting the cost of production,” Johansson says. Despite predictions for record or near-record yields, the abysmal prices mean many farmers may have to make some difficult decisions as they plan for the months ahead.

“Producers start digging into their capital reserves and they also see a reflection in the negotiated land rent values,” he says. “We would expect to see an increase in loan activity occurring in the banking sector.” As they head into spring planting season in a few months, some Iowa farmers may chose to leave select plots of land unplanted, as it may cost more to grow a crop than the crop is worth.

Johansson says, “Marginal production acres, low-yield acres, high-cost production acres would likely exit from production if prices remain too low to cover production costs on those acres.” Some farmers may have to dip into their rainy day funds to make ends meet. He says the good news is there are back-up plans in place as many farmers have insurance and there are safety net programs built into the Farm Bill.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa State Patrol says no injuries were reported following a collision Thursday evening on Interstate 29, in Pottawattamie County. Officials said southbound traffic was being divided by temporary, reflective lane posts. A 2007 Chrysler Town and Country van, driven by 27-year old Rumana Ibrahim, of Kansas City, MO., had entered a curve at about the 47.2-mile marker, and went out of control.

The van veered into the opposite lane and collided with a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup driven by 41-year old Lawrence Currin, of Treynor, as he was also rounding the curve, traveling southbound. The pickup ran off the road and entered the northbound ditch, while the van was pushed back into the northbound lane and became disabled.

The accident happened at around 5:45-p.m.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — Months of tension over the potential construction of an oil pipeline across Iowa has come to a head at a public hearing in Boone, where people who both oppose and support the project testified about their opinions. Dozens of people crammed into a building Thursday at the Boone County Fairgrounds to speak to the Iowa Utilities Board. Some expressed reservations about the project’s environmental impact, while others spoke of the financial boost.

SHELL ROCK, Iowa (AP) — A farm equipment manufacturer has confirmed layoffs at its Shell Rock plant in northeastern Iowa. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a spokesman for Kalida, Ohio-based Unverferth Manufacturing Co. says the layoffs will begin November 30th. Jerry Ecklund would not say Wednesday how many people are being laid off nor how many people work at the plant, which makes grain wagons and crop sprayers.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — Carly Fiorina says she bears no “ill will” to Hillary Rodham Clinton for not saying more to a man who told her he wants to strangle the Republican presidential candidate. During an event for the Democratic presidential front runner Tuesday, Clinton laughed along with the audience and said, “I wouldn’t mess with you.”

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says Democrats aren’t the enemy, and he’s focused on fixing a broken Washington. The former Florida governor campaigned in Michigan on Thursday, telling Republican activists in Grand Rapids that he’s a conservative with a “servant’s heart.”

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle said Thursday night, Tim Ennis, of Corning, was unanimously nominated to challenge Republican Tom Moore, of Griswold, during a Special Election set for Dec. 8th, to determine who will replace Representative Jack Drake, in House District 21.

Tim Ennis (Dem.) candidate for House District 21.

A special convention was held in Massena Thursday to determine the Democratic nominee. Ennis was the only candidate to announce his intentions to run for the seat. Republicans held their nominating convention Tuesday night.

The special election for House District 21 was called after Drake, a Republican from Griswold, died in October. Drake had served in the Iowa House for 22-years.
The District includes all of Adams and Union Counties as well as parts of Cass and Pottawattamie Counties.

The Cass County Health System invites the public to attend “Healthy U” on Thursday, November 19th at noon, to learn about “Diabetes & Your Holiday Plate.” November is American Diabetes Month, a time to call attention to this serious health condition that affects so many people. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes and approximately 86 million Americans over the age of 20 had pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

“Diabetes & Your Holiday Plate” will be presented by Barb Petersen, RN, CDE and Emily Krengel, RD, LD. A variety of material will be covered to help prepare people to make healthy choices during the holidays. Krengel says “Diabetic or not – these suggestions are good for all of us. Two of the things we’ll talk about in particular are carbohydrates and over-eating.”

The session will be on Thursday, November 19th at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass County Memorial Hospital. Healthy U is a free educational series offered by Cass County Health System that focuses on a different health topic each month. Attendees receive a healthy sack lunch in addition to an educational program presented by medical professionals.

For more information, or to make a reservation for Healthy U, call 712-243-7479.

Officials with the National Weather Service said Thursday, and tornado with peak winds of 84 miles per hour struck in Guthrie County, at around 3-p.m., Wednesday. In their preliminary damage survey report, the Weather Service said the EF-0 tornado cut a path about 3.2-miles long, and 50 yards wide. It started over Lake Panorama, or 3.9-miles northwest of Panora, and ended 1.8-miles southwest of Yale. The weak twister caused minimal damage, mainly to trees. Little or no damage was reported to structures along the path.

U-S District Court Judge John Jarvey, Tuesday, sentenced an Audubon County man to nearly six-years in prison on a drug charge. 50-year old Randy Mark Heinrichs, of Exira, was required to serve 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Heinrichs also will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from imprisonment.

On August 6th, 2015, Heinrichs pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa beginning as early as June 2004 and continuing through August 2004. The charge was the result of an investigation by law enforcement of drug trafficking that occurred in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Exira, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.