No injuries were reported after a semi tractor-trailer hauling a load of cardboard boxes caught fire on Interstate 80 during the mid-afternoon hours, Thursday. Officials closed both westbound lanes of I-80 between Neola and Underwood for a couple of hours while the fully engulfed semi was being extinguished and the mess cleaned-up. There’s been no word on how the blaze started.
Photo from the KNOD Facebook page.
(Radio Iowa) — Iowa State University researchers say the largest population of monarch butterflies in more than a decade could be headed to Iowa and the Midwest later this spring, prompting a good news-bad news scenario. Steve Bradbury, an I-S-U professor of natural resource ecology, says some 225-million adult monarchs may arrive in the next month or so and they’ll need more milkweeds on which to breed. “If these numbers coming up are as high as we think they might be, we could be overwhelming the amount of milkweed we have in the upper Midwest and Iowa,” Bradbury says. “What we want to do is build our habitat bank, if you will, in Iowa, up to the point that we can maintain those high numbers of monarchs.”
Iowans in rural and urban areas are encouraged to create milkweed habitats, as that’s the only place the important crop pollinators will lay their eggs. “It’s very helpful if folks in Des Moines and Sioux City in their gardens are getting habitat patches started and county parks and city parks, Iowa renewable fuel facilities, getting their patches in,” Bradbury says. “It all combines and is important.”
If the state wants to maintain higher numbers of monarchs, it will need to add a half-million to a million acres of habitat over the next ten to 20 years. Habitat loss and pesticide use have caused monarch populations to drop over the past decade. In recent years, Iowa’s cities, farmers and individual Iowans have joined to create or preserve habitat that’s vital to monarchs, including the cultivation of nectar plant gardens. “Getting new habitat in the ground is picking up the pace,” he says, “and people being really careful about the habitat that’s already on the landscape and protecting it.”
Bradbury says expanding monarch habitat in Iowa will play a major role in the recovery of the species.
(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)
(Radio Iowa) — A. J. Lee’s two run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning lifted Maryland to an 8-6 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes to open a three game series. Game two of the series is tonight (Friday night). The Hawkeyes need a win or a loss by Northwestern in its series against Minnesota to clinch a spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
(Update 5-a.m.)
Today: Variably cloudy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. High 83. S/SE @ 15-25.
Tonight: Partly cloudy to cloudy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms. Low 67. S @ 5-10.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy to Cldy w/scattered shwrs & tstrms. High 83. SW @ 10-20.
Sunday: Mo. Cldy w/showers & thunderstorms mainly in the morning. High 64.
Monday: P/Cldy to Cldy. High 70.
Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 92 (one degree shy of tying the record). Rainfall overnight amounted to .34″ (as of 5-a.m.) Our Low (as of 5-a.m. Today) was 64. Last year on this date our High was 84 and the Low was 55. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 92 in 1908 & 1939. The Record Low was 32 in 1912 & 1973.
(Radio Iowa) — A bill that has cleared the U.S. House would make it easier for generic drugs to be sold in America, a move meant to limit the rising cost of prescription drugs. Third district Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines says prescription medications cost more in America than in any other country.
“A teacher in Farragut who’s had diabetes for 20 years is spending over $750 a month for insulin,” Axne says. “That’s a third of her take-home pay and she needs a second job just to cover her costs.” Axne accuses brand-name drug manufacturers of using delay tactics to prevent cheaper generics from being sold.
The House bill would forbid brand-name drug makers from paying a generic manufacturer NOT to sell the cheaper generic alternative. In addition, the bill would make it easier for generic drug manufacturers to get important data about brand name medications.
“I ran for congress to protect Iowans, not Big Pharma,” Axne said. “And this bill will help bring generics to market quicker, lower the cost for consumers and save billions in taxpayer dollars.”
Axne — a Democrat who’s in her first term in congress — made her comments during a brief speech on the House floor Thursday. She did not mention other components of the bill, some of which are designed to help Americans navigate the insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. Republicans in the SENATE and President Trump oppose those parts of the package House Democrats put together.
Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves got another big night from rookie Austin Riley and five-plus scoreless innings from starting pitcher Julio Teheran to win for the fifth time in six games with a 10-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Nick Markakis and Freddie Freeman each added a pair of RBIs. Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright gave up five runs, five hits and five walks with two strikeouts in four innings.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Rougned Odor homered twice, Willie Calhoun went deep for the second straight day, and the Texas Rangers routed the Kansas City Royals 16-1 in the rubber game of their three-game series. Calhoun also had a two-run single and finished with four hits for the Rangers. Lance Lynn earned the win and Homer Bailey took the loss for Kansas City.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Carli Lloyd scored twice and Alyssa Naeher got the shutout, helping the U.S. women’s national team beat New Zealand 5-0 in a World Cup series send-off match. Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis also scored for the United States.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha, Nebraska, has pledged $750,000 in taxpayer money to cover some of USA Swimming’s more than $3 million in costs to host the 2020 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. The Omaha World-Herald says the City Council approved a plan Tuesday to make the second of three annual $250,000 payments to the Omaha Sports Commission for USA Swimming. City officials say the money was needed to ensure the event will still be held in Omaha after one of the organization’s largest corporate sponsors scaled back support.
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors say two Iowa men face charges in separate child pornography cases. Officials say 35-year-old Aaron Olson, of Nora Springs, is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Officials say Olson used two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography. Prosecutors also say 31-year-old Derek Clemens, of Evansdale, has been charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. Officials say he accessed child pornography on his cellphone.
WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) — A northeastern Iowa man has been charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 death of a 4-week-old infant. The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Division of Criminal Investigation says in a news release that 22-year-old Dean Hettinger, of Westgate, was arrested Thursday at the Black Hawk County Jail, where he was being held on unrelated charges. He’s accused of causing the death of Holton Smith.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — “Lucky Larry” may have a shot to win millions more _ this time from a jury. A judge has ordered a trial in a lawsuit filed by Iowa lottery winner Larry Dawson, who contends a $9 million jackpot that he won in 2011 should have been nearly three times as big. Dawson filed the lawsuit in 2016 after an investigation revealed that lottery contractor Eddie Tipton rigged the previous $16.5 million jackpot, bought the winning ticket himself and unsuccessfully worked with associates to claim it.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A flurry of lawsuits against maker of OxyContin intensifies as Idaho’s attorney general tells the company and the family that owns of it of plans to take legal action. Six other states have announced filings this month against Purdue Pharma and another said it’s looking for a law firm to help it sue. Idaho’s letter was disclosed Thursday. It suggests a lack of progress with settlement negotiations with the company behind a drug that helped change the way prescription painkillers were used.
ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley went 3 for 4 and drove in a run, Julio Teheran pitched five-plus scoreless innings, and the Atlanta Braves won for the fifth time in six games with a 10-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night. Riley, who homered in his second major league at-bat Wednesday, doubled off the top of the wall in the second inning and singled in a run in the third. He scored twice. Teheran (3-4) allowed two hits — a bloop single by Yadier Molina to begin the fifth and a single by Paul Goldschmidt to begin the sixth — and drove in two runs with a sacrifice bunt in the second and a single in the third. Teheran, who has a 0.53 ERA over his last three starts, walked four and struck out four.
Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright (3-4) gave up five runs, five hits and five walks with two strikeouts in four innings. RHP Carlos Martinez will rejoin the Cardinals’ bullpen this weekend at Texas after missing 44 games a right shoulder cuff strain. “You’re talking about a legitimate weapon, a two-time All-Star who proved he could do the job out of the bullpen last year,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said. “You always want to be able to shorten games.”
UP NEXT
Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (4-3, 3.83 ERA) will make his 10th start when St. Louis begins a three-game series at Texas. In four career starts in the Rangers’ ballpark, the former Texas hurler is 0-4 with a 13.73 ERA.
JOHN PETERS, 81, of Ames (& formerly of Lewis), died Thursday, May 16th, at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown. Funeral services for JOHN PETERS will be held 10:30-a.m. Wednesday, May 22nd, at the United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.
Visitation with the family is from 5-until 7-p.m. Tuesday, May 21st, at the funeral home.
Burial will be in the Lewis Cemetery.
JOHN PETERS is survived by:
His wife – Suzanne Peters, of Ames.
His daughter – Sabina Peters-Daywater & husband Brandon Rutter-Daywater, of Taiwan.
Audubon Community School District Superintendent Brett Gibbs has announced that the Audubon Community School District is participating in the Summer Food Service Program. Meals will be provided to all children without charge and are the same for all children regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.
Meals will be provided, at a first come, first serve basis, at the sites and times as follows:
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
(1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
(2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or
(3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Iowa Non-Discrimination Statement:
“It is the policy of this CNP provider not to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or religion in its programs, activities, or employment practices as required by the Iowa Code section 216.6, 216.7, and 216.9. If you have questions or grievances related to compliance with this policy by this CNP Provider, please contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Grimes State Office building, 400 E. 14th St. Des Moines, IA 50319-1004; phone number 515-281-4121, 800-457-4416; website: https://icrc.iowa.gov/.”
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS