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Continue lack of sunshine keeps farmers out of fields

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — The U-S-D-A crop report showed just one day suitable for fieldwork last week and corn progress is 10 days behind and soybeans are two weeks behind last year. Iowa corn growers now have 76 percent of the expected crop planted, with is two weeks behind the five-year average. This is the smallest amount of corn planted by May 26 since 1995 when 75 percent of the expected crop had been planted. Forty-two percent of the crop has emerged — nine days behind last year and 10 days behind average. Less than one-third of the expected soybean crop has been planted. This is the smallest percent of soybeans planted by May 26 since 1993 when just 23 percent of the expected crop had been planted. Eight percent of the crop has emerged, 12 days behind last year and 8 days behind average. Farmers saw one sunny day this weekend, but say it was not enough to make a difference.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

‘Historically slow pace’ to corn and soybean planting in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa farmers who’ve been unable to plant corn yet this year face a deadline this week. Corn planted by May 31st is covered by crop insurance. If that corn fails to sprout because of cold and soggy conditions, insurance will help farmers RE-plant their fields in June. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says there’s been an “historically slow pace” to planting corn AND soybeans this season. “It’s been a great challenge,” Naig says. “However, we know that if we can get a few days strung together where the weather will cooperate that our farmers can move very quickly and get that crop in the ground quickly. The other piece that we look at is what’s happening to our neighbors…as bad as it is in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana in particular have significant delays.”

Naig says planting soybeans in June rather than corn is an option for some. “It all depends on whether they think they can achieve a decent yield and make that pencil out in terms of profitability,” Naig says. June 15th is the deadline for planting soybeans that can be covered by crop insurance. Farmers debating whether to plant corn or soybeans this week face the dynamic of a soybean market that has been roiled by trade disputes. “The market’s sending a signal. Soybean prices, clearly, have been dramatically reduced. You’re talking a 20 percent reduction in soybean prices this year, a 10 percent reduction in corn and so folks will look at those economics,” Naig says.

But Naig says there are other factors at work, like deciding which corn or soybean hybrids will yield best if planted late. Some farmers may not be able to plant a crop at all this year — and that makes them ineligible for the next round of federal farm payments the U-S-D-A announced last week. Naig says 100-thousand acres of western Iowa farm ground in Pottawattamie, Mills and Fremont Counties was flooded in March — and in some areas there’s still water coming through broken levees. “You’ve got acres that might be dry, but they’ve a tremendous amount of sand and other debris that needs to be removed and those acres may or may not be planted this year,” Naig said. “…For those acres that are planted, you’ll crop insurance. For those that aren’t, you’ll be looking at a prevented planting selection.”

The federal “prevented planting” program provides payments to farmers who cannot plant a crop at all. Naig made his comments during an appearance on Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Le Mars police give update on robbery and shooting of HyVee employees

News

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) — Le Mars Police have identified the two HyVee employees and the man who shot them in an attempted robbery early Sunday morning at the HyVee convenience store. Assistant Police Chief Justin Daale spoke Tuesday, at a news conference. “The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Oscar Gutierrez. He displayed a nine millimeter handgun and demanded money from the two clerks,” Daale says. “After he demanded the money he had shot one of the clerks, which was Faith Laskie age 18. She was shot in the abdomen area. Gutierrez then shot clerk Ashley Storesund — age 29 — also in the abdomen area. He attained no money before or after the shooting.”

Daale says they had a license plate number of the car and were able to get a cellphone signal for Gutierrez. The car was found by South Sioux City police not long after the shootings. “They had located our suspect Oscar Gutierrez inside his vehicle with a lethal self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Daale says. “He was located after a broadcast was put out shortly after the incident here in Le Mars on locating the suspect as well as the suspect vehicle.”

The two women are listed in stable condition. Daale says a nurse and another HyVee employee who was an E-M-T gave them immediate aid after the shooting and that was key. “I think with the immediate response that they took…I think that eased the tension I guess in the store. They did exactly what they were supposed to do. I think it helped the victims probably more than anything. They did a fantastic job of taking immediate action,” according to Daale.

Daale says Gutierrez was known by the department for mostly minor run-ins. Police say the results of a toxicology report on the Gutierrez’s body won’t be known for a while. Counseling services are still being made available to the Le Mars HyVee employees. HyVee spokesperson, Tina Potthoff, says Sunday’s shooting and attempted robbery was the first shooting incident involving HyVee employees through out their more than 250 stores located in eight different states. Hy Vee has since re-opened their gas station.

Posted in News |

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area – Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Weather

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Today: Area of morning fog; P/Cldy to Cldy w/scattered showers & thunderstorms this afternoon. High around 70. N @ 10.

Tonight: P/Cldy to Cloudy w/showers & thunderstorms ending. Low 56. Winds light & variable.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy w/isolated showers & tstrms. High 76. Variable breeze @ 5-10 mph.

Friday: P/Cldy. High around 80.

Saturday: P/Cldy to cloudy w/scattered shwrs & tstrms. High around 78.

Yesterday’s High in Atlantic was 65. Our Low 54. Rainfall in Atlantic from 7-a.m. Tuesday thru 6-a.m. today amounted to .21″ (for a total of 1.99″). Last year on this date our High was 92 and the Low was 65. The record High in Atlantic on this date was 104 in 1934. The Record Low was 29 in 1947.

Posted in Weather |

JULIE KAY BRUCK, 63, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 6/1/19)

Obituaries

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

JULIE KAY BRUCK, 63, of Harlan, died Tuesday, May 28th, at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan. A Mass of Christian Burial for JULIE BRUCK will be held 10:30-a.m. Saturday, June 1st, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at St. Michael’s Catholic Church is on Friday, May 31st, from 4-until 8-p.m., with a Wake Service at 7-p.m.

Burial will be in the Harlan Cemetery.

JULIE KAY BRUCK is survived by:

Her mother – Vivian [Sorensen] Lytle, of Harlan.

Her husband – Jim Bruck, of Harlan.

Her son – Ryan Bruck, of Council Bluffs.

Her daughters – Michelle (Jason) Kruse, of Norwalk; Tara (Steve) Bubb, of Eden Prairie, MN; Ashley (Jeff) Petersen, of Harlan, and Sinem Tuncer, of Istanbul, Turkey.

Her sister – Joni (Chris) Larsen, of Harlan.

Her brothers –  Gaige (Sherry) Lytle, and Mark (Phyllis) Lytle, all of Harlan.

and 12 grandchildren.

Posted in Obituaries |

Midwest Sports Headlines: 5/29/19

Sports

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cesar Hernandez hit a go-ahead two-run homer, Nick Pivetta threw five tough innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 4-3. Paul Goldschmidt and Marcell Ozuna hit homers in the first inning but the Cardinals blew a 3-0 lead in their 11th loss in 15 games.

CHICAGO (AP) — Lucas Giolito struck out 10 while winning his fifth straight start and the Chicago White Sox posted their second victory of the day, beating the Kansas City Royals 4-3. Hours after Yolmer Sanchez hit an RBI single in the ninth inning to give Chicago a 2-1 win in the resumption of a suspended game, Giolito put on quite a performance.

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago White Sox employee of the month got to throw out a first pitch. And, to put it mildly, she was just a little bit off target. The rookie right-hander uncorked one of the most wayward first pitches ever when she plunked a team photographer standing close by, between the mound and first-base line prior to the game against the Kansas City Royals. The ball went right off Darren Georgia’s lens, nowhere near the plate. He says he was OK, as was his camera.

BOSTON (AP) — The defense for the Boston Bruins is a matter of extremes: Two players are listed at 5-foot-9 and two more at 5-11. Then there is Zdeno Chara, who is 6-foot-9, and Brandon Carlo, who is 6-5. Whatever they are doing, it’s working. The Bruins have made it very hard to score and they lead the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the Stanley Cup Final. Game 2 is Wednesday night.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., May 29, 2019

News

May 29th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

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

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — On Monday, the U.S. tied its current record of 11 consecutive days with at least eight tornadoes confirmed on each of those days. Patrick Marsh of the federal Storm Prediction Center says the previous 11-day stretch of at least eight tornadoes per day ended on June 7, 1980. The National Weather Service had already received at least 27 more reports of tornadoes Tuesday, suggesting that the record for consecutive days would be broken once the official totals are in.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says Iowa could be headed toward a law eliminating the use of cell phones while driving. A hands-free bill didn’t advance this year but could come back again next year, and Reynolds says she supports the idea if lawmakers send it to her. She signed a proclamation Tuesday declaring this “end distracted driving week” in Iowa..

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Flooding along the lower Missouri River will likely worsen in the days ahead because the amount of water being released into the river is increasing because of the recent rain. But officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say the river will remain below the levels it hit in March when flooding caused significant damage in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas.

Posted in News |

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29th

Trading Post

May 29th, 2019 by Jim Field

FOR SALE:  4 BMW tires and rims P205/60 R15, 4 Neon tires and rims P185/70 R14, 4 Neon tires and rims P185/65 R14.  Phone: 712-789-0313 in Griswold.

FOR SALE:  Heider 300 bushel wagon.  Westfield 8 foot by 60 foot auger.  Phone: 712-789-0313 in Griswold.

FOR SALE: Honda Magna motorcycle, 1998, 750cc, 9,100 miles, black and lots of chrome, tires new – less than 300 miles, runs and looks like new, well maintained, stayed inside, comes with 2 black helmets, slide on/off windshield. Ready to go! $2,650. 249-6018.

Posted in Trading Post |

State Girls Golf suspends play on Day 1, play to resume Wednesday

Sports

May 28th, 2019 by admin

The State Girls Golf Tournaments got off to a slow start due to rainy weather conditions. Play was suspended at each site for Day 1 play and Day 2 will consist of the resumption of first rounds followed by second round play.

Class 1A at American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown will resume at 9:30am Wednesday with golfers completing their Day 1 round before beginning Day 2’s 18 holes.

Class 2A play at Ames Golf and Country Club had not completed their rounds as of Tuesday evening with just a few holes left.

Class 3A at Otter Creek Golf Course in Ankeny suspended play with many players through about 12 holes after a delay to start the day as well. Play will resume at 8:30am Wednesday with completion of first round before 2nd round begins.

Class 4A at Coldwater Golf Links in Ames was suspended. Two groups will complete round 1 at 9:00am Wednesday with a shotgun start for the 2nd round at 10:00am.

Posted in Sports |

Roadways in western Iowa expected to close due to flooding

News

May 28th, 2019 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa – May 28, 2019 – The Iowa DOT is keeping a close watch on several roadways in western Iowa due to concerns of flooding. Areas of specific concern include:

  • Interstate 29 near Honey Creek
  • Interstate 680
  • Interstate 29 between U.S. 34 and the Missouri border
  • U.S. 34

Roadways may be closed on short notice. Before traveling, motorists are encouraged to check 511ia.org, the Iowa 511 mobile apps or call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide) for up-to-date closure information on state-owned roadways across Iowa. Closures due to flooding can be viewed by turning on the incident layer on the online map and mobile app.

For the latest in flooding information and recovery resources, as well as an image gallery showing the flood damage and recovery efforts go to https://floods2019.iowa.gov/.

Posted in News |