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(Iowa News Service) – Farm advocates claim price gouging on meat and poultry in California is spreading across the country, including in Iowa, which is the nation’s largest hog producer.
California passed a law banning the use of gestation crates for raising hogs, and producers said it increased production costs which are rippling across the country to Iowa. Iowa has similar regulations on gestation crates. The agriculture advocacy group Farm Action has issued a report which shows in addition to blaming the California law, corporate meat producers also continue to use supply chain disruptions as an excuse to price-gouge.
Joe Maxwell, chief strategy officer for Farm Action, offered as evidence a 20% hike in California pork prices. “It’s just a part of their doing business now,” Maxwell pointed out. “They find excuses in the markets to gouge that consumer. And one thing we want to be very clear on is that the consumer knows it’s not the farmer. The farmer’s getting squeezed just as much as is the consumer.”
Iowa is the nation’s leading hog producer, but still lost $32 per hog in 2023, a number experts said could grow this year. They blamed increased demand but have also come under scrutiny for trying to meet demand by raising hogs in large confinements, which are known to cause environmental damage. Farm Action is the same group which, not long after the official end of the pandemic, asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate egg prices, which had tripled in some cases. The group researched U.S. Department of Agriculture data and said the numbers did not justify the price hike. Producers said other factors are driving up prices, including inflation and animal illness.
Maxwell added corporate food producers have positioned themselves to have outsize control over the market. “They’ve got that control over the farmer, not unlike oil companies have over oil fields,” Maxwell argued. “They now have that control because there are very few buyers of farmers’ commodities, so they have that control over the farmer, the producer.”
Iowa produces almost 50 million hogs a year. It costs nearly $4 billion a year just to feed them.
A Texas teenager is in the points race at the Knoxville Raceway this season. Two years ago as a 17-year-old Chase Randall began competing in the 360 sprints at Knoxville with the goal of getting noticed.
After winning the 360 track title last year Randall is in his first season driving for TKS Motorsports in the 410 division. He has two feature wins already and sits fourth in points as a 19-year-old.
Both of Randall’s feature wins have occured in the past month and he likes how the team has progressed.
Randall says he had to transition to dirt racing after coming to Knoxville.
Hawkeye Ten
Shenandoah 3, Essex 0
#9 Clarinda 13, St. Albert 3
Kuemper Catholic 6, Denison-Schleswig 0
#7 Audubon 12, CAM 4
Corner Conference
Bedford 7, Stanton 2
Rolling Valley Conference
Ar-We-Va 9, South Central Calhoun 7
Pride of Iowa Conference
Southwest Valley 7, Central Decatur 4
#1 Martensdale-St Marys 7, #2 Wayne 4
West Central Activities Conference
#10 Interstate-35 13, Panorama 1
#10 Interstate-35 16, Panorama 2
Woodward-Granger 11, Madrid 0
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says dairy exhibitors will be required to submit additional tests before their dairy cattle can be transported to a show to help minimize the potential spread of Avian Influenza. The Department’s order for fairs and exhibitions will go into effect on July 1st. The order will require dairy exhibitors participating in Iowa fairs or exhibitions to complete testing for Bird Flu within seven days of moving to the exhibition.
Secretary Naig says in a statement the state wants to strike a balance between allowing our 4-H, FFA, and dairy exhibitors the opportunity to show their animals, while also requiring additional testing to protect livestock and minimize the potential spread of the virus.
Western Iowa Conference
IKM-Manning 3, Exira-EHK 1
Underwood 7, Woodbury Central 0
Corner Conference
Bedford @ Stanton – Postponed, In the Bottom of 3rd, Stanton 1-0
Rolling Valley Conference
South Central Calhoun 8, Ar-We-Va 2
Alta-Aurelia 8, Coon Rapids-Bayard 1
Raccoon River Conference
Winterset 12, Nodaway Valley 2
Pride of Iowa Conference
Martensdale-St Marys 12, Wayne 0
Southwest Valley 10, Central Decatur 0
West Central Activities Conference
Pleasantville 1, Ogden 0
Pleasantville 9, Ogden 6
Interstate-35 4, Panorama 0
Woodward-Granger 9, Madrid 8
(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man was arrested Tuesday night in Red Oak, on assault and child endangerment charges. According to the Red Oak Police Department, Nathan Allen Aldrich was taken into custody at around 8:20-p.m., in the 200 block of S. 8th Street. Aldrich was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense, and four-counts of Child Endangerment. He was being held in the jail without bond, as of the latest report.
(Des Moines, IA & Omaha, NE) – The National Weather Service offices in Des Moines and Omaha have compiled reports on the storms that whipped through Nebraska and Iowa late Tuesday. The reports ranged from cold air-type funnel clouds that never reached the ground, to tornadoes on the ground, and hail ranging in size from ping-pong balls to tennis balls. Winds in excess of 65 miles per hour caused damage to trees, power lines and structures.
Here are some of the reports from the Des Moines NWS Office:
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 0354 PM Funnel Cloud 1 SW Granger 41.75N 93.84W 06/25/2024 Dallas IA Public 0409 PM Funnel Cloud 2 E Perry 41.83N 94.06W 06/25/2024 Dallas IA Public 0631 PM Tornado 3 W Cumming 41.48N 93.81W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Emergency Mngr Location estimated. 0641 PM Funnel Cloud 3 WNW Cumming 41.50N 93.84W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Public 0643 PM Tornado 4 ESE Van Meter 41.50N 93.88W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Law Enforcement Brief tornado, dropping up and down near 105th Ave and Timberview. 0644 PM Funnel Cloud 5 WSW Cumming 41.45N 93.84W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Trained Spotter 0646 PM Funnel Cloud 6 N Patterson 41.44N 93.87W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Public Funnel cloud reported by General Public. 0650 PM Tornado 2 N Patterson 41.38N 93.88W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Trained Spotter Spotter reported brief touchdown north of Patterson. 0710 PM Funnel Cloud 2 NW Winterset 41.36N 94.05W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Trained Spotter Spotter reported funnel cloud about 25% down from the cloud base. 0728 PM Hail 4 NE Winterset 41.39N 93.96W 06/25/2024 E0.75 Inch Madison IA Public Submitted photo of penny sized hail northeast of Winterset along Cumming Road. 0730 PM Funnel Cloud 4 NNE Lorimor 41.19N 94.04W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Trained Spotter Funnel cloud along outflow boundary. Location estimated by radar. 0754 PM Hail Winterset 41.34N 94.02W 06/25/2024 M2.75 Inch Madison IA Broadcast Media 0755 PM Funnel Cloud 5 W Winterset 41.35N 94.11W 06/25/2024 Madison IA Trained Spotter 0756 PM Hail 5 S Earlham 41.42N 94.13W 06/25/2024 M2.50 Inch Madison IA Trained Spotter 0757 PM Hail Winterset 41.34N 94.02W 06/25/2024 M1.50 Inch Madison IA Emergency Mngr Ping pong hail in winterset. 0758 PM Hail 1 NE Winterset 41.34N 94.01W 06/25/2024 E1.75 Inch Madison IA Public Public reported golf ball sized hail on the northern edge of Winterset. 0800 PM Hail Winterset 41.34N 94.02W 06/25/2024 M1.50 Inch Madison IA Broadcast Media 0849 PM Funnel Cloud Charter Oak 42.07N 95.59W 06/25/2024 Crawford IA Emergency Mngr Funnel cloud near town. 0850 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NNW Audubon 41.73N 94.94W 06/25/2024 M65 MPH Audubon IA Mesonet Measured by personal weather station. 0903 PM Hail Audubon 41.72N 94.93W 06/25/2024 M1.00 Inch Audubon IA Emergency Mngr 1000 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Stuart 41.50N 94.32W 06/25/2024 Adair IA Emergency Mngr Storm siren pole knocked down and tree limb damage. 1017 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 1 NE Adel 41.62N 94.02W 06/25/2024 Dallas IA Public Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken; Shingles blown off. 1020 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Lorimor 41.13N 94.05W 06/25/2024 M62 MPH Union IA Trained Spotter 62 mph recorded wind gust on handheld anemometer. Blinding rain sheets. 1044 PM Hail Kellerton 40.71N 94.05W 06/25/2024 E2.00 Inch Ringgold IA Trained Spotter Quarter to 2.25 inch diameter hail. Six minutes of hail. Small twigs broken off.
From the Omaha NWS Office:
1005 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Oakland 41.31N 95.40W 06/25/2024 Pottawattamie IA Public 3 very large tree limbs blown down.Numerous other trees blown down. 1054 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg Clarinda 40.73N 95.03W 06/25/2024 Page IA Public Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken.
1004 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 WNW Macedonia 41.21N 95.48W 06/25/2024 M63 MPH Pottawattamie IA Public From a personal weather station. 1002 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 3 S Council Bluffs 41.20N 95.86W 06/25/2024 Pottawattamie IA Public Report from mPING: 3-inch tree limbs broken; Power poles broken.
0959 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 7 WNW Oakland 41.35N 95.53W 06/25/2024 M64 MPH Pottawattamie IA Public
0940 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 5 E Council Bluffs 41.24N 95.76W 06/25/2024 E62 MPH Pottawattamie IA Public From a personal weather station.
0946 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Mcclelland 41.33N 95.68W 06/25/2024 M59 MPH Pottawattamie IA Public From a personal weather station.
0805 PM Hail Harlan 41.65N 95.33W 06/25/2024 M1.75 Inch Shelby IA Public
0718 PM Hail Neola 41.45N 95.61W 06/25/2024 E2.50 Inch Pottawattamie IA Emergency Mngr Time estimated from radar.
0800 PM Hail Missouri Valley 41.56N 95.89W 06/25/2024 E1.50 Inch Harrison IA Law Enforcement 0814 PM Hail Harlan 41.65N 95.33W 06/25/2024 E1.50 Inch Shelby IA Public Report from mPING: Ping Pong Ball (1.50 in.).
0806 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 E Harlan 41.65N 95.28W 06/25/2024 M72 MPH Shelby IA Public A 72 mph wind gust was measured on a personal weather station 2 miles east of Harlan.
0803 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 NW Harlan 41.66N 95.34W 06/25/2024 M62 MPH Shelby IA Public A 62 mph wind gust was recorded on a personal weather station on the northwest side of Harlan.
(Creston, Iowa) – A collision between a UTV and a car Tuesday evening in Union County resulted in one person being transported to the Creston hospital. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 6:42-p.m. on the High and Dry Road, south of Creston.
According to the Sheriff’s report, a 2012 VW Passat driven by 17-year-old Rebecca Janae Hoffman, of Diagonal, was traveling south on the High and Dry Road, and had attempted to pass a 2024 Polaris UTV operated by 24-year-old Alexis Elizabeth Baker, of Creston. Hoffman didn’t realize Baker was slowing down to turn left into a driveway, because the UTV had no functioning turn signals.
Hoffman swerved to avoid colliding with the UTV, but her car clipped the left front tire of the UTV. Following the collision, the car entered the east ditch and came to rest. Baker was thrown from the UTV and suffered head injuries. She was transported by Medic 1 to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston. Damage from the collision amounted to an estimated $3,400.
No citations were issued, but the Sheriff’s report noted Alexis Baker failed to signal her intentions as a contributing factor in the accident.
(Radio Iowa) – The top Republican in the Iowa House says the legislature must update the state’s eminent domain laws in response to the Iowa Utilities Board decision to approve the route for the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline. The board’s decision gives the company authority to force unwilling property owners to let the pipeline on their land. House Speaker Pat Grassley says landowner rights are one of the highest priorities for House Republicans and that’s why they passed two different bills on the topic — bills that died in the Republican-led Iowa Senate.
Grassley says House Republicans will seek feedback from Iowans on changes in the use of eminent domain in projects like the carbon pipeline. Two dozen other House Republicans — and seven Republicans who are state senators — have signed a joint statement, calling the Iowa Utilities Board decision a dark day for anyone who owns property in Iowa. The group says the board has crossed a line and the state’s proud tradition of clean government is being sullied.
Supporters of the pipeline say it will help Iowa-produced ethanol compete in low carbon fuel markets around the globe. In a written statement, Monte Shaw of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said despite the overheated rhetoric of a few, the overwhelming majority of impacted landowners support this project. According to Summit’s C-E-O, 75 percent of Iowa landowners along the pipeline route have signed contracts to let the pipeline pass through their property.
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Here is the list of lawmakers who signed on to the statement: Senator Kevin Alons, Senator Jeff Taylor, Senator Dennis Guth, Senator David Rowley, Senator Sandy Salmon, Senator Cherielynn Westrich, Senator Lynn Evans, Representative Steven Bradley, Representative Ken Carlson, Representative Mark Cisneros, Representative Zach Dieken, Representative Dean Fisher, Representative Thomas Gerhold, Representative Cindy Golding, Representative Helena Hayes, Representative Steven Holt, Representative Thomas Jeneary, Representative Bradley Sherman, Representative Jeff Shipley, Representative Luana Stoltenberg, Representative Mark Thompson, Representative Anne Osmundson, Representative Brooke Boden, Representative Henry Stone, Representative Heather Hora, Representative Skyler Wheeler, Representative Eddie Andrews, Representative Dan Gehlbach, Representative Bob Henderson, Representative Bobby Kaufman, and Representative Charles Thomson.