As you make out your list of things to take on your holiday camping trip, don’t put down “firewood.” The U-S-D-A is trying to warn people of the danger of spreading the emerald ash borer. Sharon Lucik oversees the emerald ash borer program and says the destructive pest hides in firewood and hitchhikes to new territory. “When people inadvertently move infested firewood from one place to another, they are spreading the beetle,” Lucik says. “What we’re trying to get people to do, is instead of transporting firewood, we want them to buy firewood at their destination. When they get to their campground, when they get to their destination, buy it then.”

The agency has declared this “Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week.” Lucik admits loading up a few logs to take along for the campfire is a habit that’s tough to break.
“We’ve been traveling with firewood for so many years, it’s almost an innate right to take firewood with you when you go camping,” Lucik says. The emerald ash borer was first discovered in North America in Michigan in 2002. “And since that time, it has been detected in 15 states,” according to Lucik. She says Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois all have infestations.

The larvae of the beetle was discovered on an island in the Mississippi River off Allamakee County in May of 2010. “Even though we have been surveying for the pest in Iowa, we have not found any other sightings of it. So to date, the state only has the one county that is known to have an emerald ash borer infestation,” Lucik says. She says the pest moves very slowly and the best way to stop it from spreading is to not help it along by moving infested firewood. Officials estimate Iowa has some 88 million ash trees. Many cities have already identified the ash trees and some have cut them down as a preventative measure to keep the ash borer from spreading.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

Republican Congressman Steve King opened a campaign headquarters in Ames this week — the city where his Democratic opponent, Christie Vilsack, moved last year to launch her run in Iowa’s new fourth congressional district.

Congressman Steve King

King says he has a solid base of support in conservative northwest Iowa, so he’s been focused on introducing himself to people in the 20 counties that are part of the new district that he’s never represented before.  “And the communities that are new and those who present the greatest challenges are Fort Dodge, Mason City and Ames,” King says, “in ascending order.”

King’s visit to Mason City this week featured a confrontation with someone who called King a “professional liar.” “No,” King said, adding: “You’re done.” The man was escorted from the room by police. Democrats also blasted King for comments he made this week in Pocahontas. King suggested the best immigrants to the country are those who are like “bird dogs” with an “aggressive…frisky” demeanor. While the new fourth district is not as heavily Republican as King’s current congressional district, it still has a sizable Republican voter registration edge with about 40-thousand more Republicans than Democrats. And some areas like Story County where Democrats have held an advantage in the past have seen margins narrow.

Cory Adams is chairman of Story County Republicans. “The Democrats only have…less than 600 voters over us and we’re going to do our best to find 601 Republicans,” Adams says. King in the past has relied on a core of volunteers to run his reelection campaigns and his son has served as campaign chairman.

Christy Vilsack

This year — with the well-financed challenge from former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack — King has raised more money and hired two of Governor Branstad’s aides to work on his campaign.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

A woman from Walnut was injured early Thursday afternoon when she was hit by a car that crashed into a bank in Avoca. Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department Investigator Sgt. Dwayne Riche told KJAN News the incident happened at around 1:15-p.m., in front of the U-S Bank, in Avoca. He said the driver of a 1997 Buick LeSabre, 85-year old Dennis Allgood, of Omaha, was pulling into a parking stall in front of the bank, when his foot slipped-off the brake and onto the gas pedal.The car jumped the curb and struck a pedestrian.

Sarah Nelson, age 32, of Walnut, was hit and knocked over by the car, which continued across the sidewalk and hit the front of the bank, causing an estimated $100 damage. Nelson was transported by Avoca Rescue to Myrtue Memoral Hospital in Harlan, for treatment of back pain, left arm and right leg injuries. Sgt. Riche said the woman’s injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

Allgood was cited by authorities for Failure to Maintain Control. His vehicle sustained an estimated $5,000 damage.

The Sioux City city council has approved the expansion of Sabre Industries into a new business park. Economic Development director Marty Dougherty says Sabre is anxious to get started on the new facility. “Sabre is doing a major expansion they are actually going to build a whole campus,” Dougherty says. He says the campus will have seven buildings and be the first business in the new Southbridge Industrial Park. The company makes cellphone and other types of towers. “They have about 200 jobs currently in Sioux City that will move over to the site when it is completed, and they will be adding an additional 200 jobs in phase one,” Doughterty says. He says they are skilled, well-paying jobs.

Sabre’s Darwin Gamm says the company hopes to have the first production plant ready by mid-November. “This facility will be utility pole structures that will complement our Sabre facility in Alvarado, Texas,” according to Gamm. Gamm says the company is experiencing a growth period with orders increasing. “And especially in the utility segment, the energy grid is so far behind, that there is a lot of business to update transmission lines. Especially when the renewable energy continues to be an issue, then you have to move that electricity to the open markets,” Gamm says. A second phase of the project could bring in another 100 jobs.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)