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NW Iowa farmer awarded $200,000 from the USDA in support of farm workers

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

PALISADE, Colo., June 14, 2024 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today (Friday) announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is awarding $50 million to 141 awardees in 40 states and Puerto Rico, through the Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program (FLSP Program), reaching 177 unique agricultural operations and over 11,000 workers. The awards will help improve the resiliency of the U.S. food supply chain by addressing agriculture labor challenges and instability, strengthen protections for farmworkers, and expand legal pathways for labor migration. Vilsack says the program delivers on a commitment made as part of the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection and furthers the Administration’s commitment to a regional approach to migration in the hemisphere.

In northwest Iowa’s Woodbury County, Greg Smith Farms, LLC, in Lawton, was awarded $200,000 from the FLSP Program, to “lift up employees, and ensure cattle and crops are cared for in the best way possible: Implementing new bonus and loyalty bonuses, creating a paid sick leave policy and establishing an employee working group to ensure ideas are heard from throughout the operation. Additionally, FLSP will help bolster their recruitment strategy to employ an additional 10 farm workers.”

Ag Secretary Vilsack says “These awards will largely support small and mid-sized farms to ensure they can hire and retain the workers they need to be competitive in the market, while also lifting up rural communities across the country.” Vilsack said “Farmworkers make an incredibly important contribution to food and agriculture and ensure we have food on our tables every day. Improving working conditions and quality of life for farmworkers, both U.S. based workers and those that come to our country to work, is one key step in building a stronger, more resilient food supply chain. The Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to supporting employers and farmworkers alike.”

USDA announced the FLSP Program in September 2023, in coordination with other federal agencies, to help address workforce needs in agriculture; promote a safe and healthy work environment, as well as ethical recruitment for farmworkers; and support lawful migration pathways for workers, including expansion of labor pathways for workers from Northern Central America, through the H-2A visa program. FLSP was designed with significant input from immigration, labor, and agricultural stakeholders – informed by the experiences of farmworkers and farmers themselves.

The FLSP Program grants will support a range of required and elective supplemental commitments to expand benefits and protections for all employees.

Heartbeat Today 6-14-2024 (Part 1)

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

June 14th, 2024 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with M.J. Brown about Tori’s Angels, a group holding a fund raiser in Panora Sunday to help families with children undergoing life-saving medical treatment.

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Heartbeat Today 6-14-2024 (Part 2)

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

June 14th, 2024 by Jim Field

Jim Field visits with Dave Hansen about Brayton Big Days this weekend.

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CAROL MEYER, 79, formerly of Atlantic (Svcs. 6/22/24)

Obituaries

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

CAROL MEYER, 79, formerly of Atlantic , died Wednesday, June 12, 2024, at Northridge Village in Ames, Iowa. Funeral services for CAROL MEYER will be held 10-a.m. Saturday, June 22nd, at the Massena United Methodist Church. Roland Funeral Service in Atlantic has the arrangements.

The service will be recorded and available at www.rolandfuneralservice.com by end of day Saturday.

An open visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday, June 21st, from 10-a.m.-until 5-p.m.; Visitation with the family present will held Saturday, from 9-a.m. Until the time of service, at the Massena United Methodist Church,

Burial will be in the Massena Center Cemetery, north of Massena.

Memorials may be directed to the family for later designation to the Massena United Methodist Church or the Massena United Methodist Church Women.

CAROL MEYER is survived by:

Her daughter – Cheri (Jeff) Thieleke, of Ames,

and three grandsons.

6 arrested in Creston in recent days

News

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports six people were arrested in recent days. A little before 5-p.m., Thursday, 53-year-old Michael Dean Williams, of Creston, was arrested in the 700 block of W. Jefferson Street, on a warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree – Threaten Forcible Felony, and Domestic Abuse Assault – Strangulation with Bodily Injury. Williams was being held in the Union County Jail on a $7,000 bond.

Just before 6-p.m. Thursday, 41-year-old Kristin Jan Gross and 21-year-old Huntor James Gross, both of Creston, were arrested in the 600 block of N. Poplar Street, in Creston. Authorities say Kristin Gross was arrested for Disorderly Conduct (by loud or raucous noise). She was later released on a $300 bond. Huntor Gross was arrested for Harassment in the 2nd Degree – Threaten Bodily Injury. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

At around 7:40-p.m., Thursday, Creston Police arrested 32-year-old Brandon James Case, of Creston, for Driving While Barred. He was later released on a $2,000 bond. Wednesday morning, Creston Police arrested 35-year-old Jessica Lynn Wilker, of Creston, for allowing an Animal to run At Large. She was cited at the scene and released on a Promise to Appear in Court.

And, at around 1:25-p.m. Tuesday, 40-year-old Abel Olivera Martinez, of Creston, was arrested for Violation of a Protective Order. He was later released on a Promise to Appear in Court.

Man arrested on drug charges in Adams County

News

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Corning, Iowa) – The Adams County Sheriff’s Office says a man was arrested Thursday evening on drug charges. 58-year-old Timothy Jay Blank was taken into custody after the Adams County Sheriff’s Office received a call at around 5:50-p.m., about a man who was intoxicated. When deputies arrived on the scene, they found Timothy Blank was visibly under the influence of a controlled substance.

Newly acquired Adams County K9 “Midge” was deployed and alerted positively on Blank’s vehicle. He was subsequently arrested for Public Intoxication and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 2nd Offense.

First tenant signed up for CYTOWN

News

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Board of Regents has given Iowa State University the approval to move ahead with a lease for an anchor tenant in its CyTown development project near Jack Trice Stadium. I-S-U attorney Michael Norton says the lease agreement is with McFarland Clinic. “McFarland is committed to building a comprehensive medical clinic in the CyTown development area. The services provided the clinic will include sports medicine, urgent care, family practice and pain management, physical therapy, occupational medicine, and imaging and lab services,” Norton says. He says it is a long-term agreement.

“The terms of the agreement include a 30 year ground lease with four five-year extension rights the initial ground lease will be 50-thousand per year escalating five-thousand per year through the life of the contract,” he says. Norton says I-S-U will not be involved in the construction. “McFarland will build the facility at their own cost and then convey ownership of the building to the university upon completion, and the building will then be leased back with the cost of construction being essentially prepaid lease for the use of the building over the term of the agreement,” Norton says.

I-S-U is tax exempt, and the agreement includes a provision to with the City of Ames dealing with the tax issue. “Under the agreement with the city I-S-U will agree to charge all tenants of the CyTown development, an amount equal to what they would pay if the development was developed on privately owned land as payments in lieu of tax,” Norton says. “This ensures that tenants are not given an unfair competitive advantage to locating their business in the CyTown development area.”

The area develop approximately between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center is 40 acres and the University continues working to secure other tenants.

Red Cross puts out plea for donors of blood, platelets

News

June 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Friday) is World Blood Donor Day as the American Red Cross works to make up from critical shortages of all types of blood and platelets. Josh Murray, spokesman for the agency’s Nebraska-Iowa region, says the day serves as a way to both thank donors for their contributions and to urge others to donate a pint. “There’s no other way to manufacture blood, to produce blood for those patients who need it. The only way we can do that is through generous donors,” Murray says. “It’s really time to maybe encourage someone if you haven’t thought about giving, if you’ve given but it’s been a while, maybe this would be a good time to make an appointment and help us out.”

Summertime is often a slow time for donors, but Murray says the last month has been particularly difficult. “Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a dip in donations,” Murray says. “I think that has a lot to do with travel time, people are busy with graduations and things have been going on the last month. You also throw in severe weather. We’ve seen it in our area. We’ve seen it around the country where severe weather has impacted blood drives. We either had to cancel drives, or folks just haven’t been able to get out to where they need to go to make their appointments.”

When fewer people donate, less blood is available for hospital patients.  “All blood types are always needed,” he says. “Right now, we’ll say type O is more needed, and that’s often the case, O-positive is the most common blood type, O-negative is the universal blood type. They can use that pretty much on anyone.” While the Red Cross is a non-profit and doesn’t pay donors for blood, the agency is offering an incentive during June.

“What we have here through the end of the month is an opportunity for a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of your choice, and there are dozens of merchants to choose from,” Murray says. “When you sign up and you show up at the blood drive and you give, you’ll get an email and you’ll be able to select the one you want. It’s a wide variety, from retail stores to restaurants to other goods and services.”

Those e-gift cards are being offered to donors through June 30th. Find a blood center near you by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by visiting RedCrossBlood.org.

High School Baseball Scores from Thursday

Sports

June 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten 

Harlan 6, Kuemper Catholic 3
Creston 15, Red Oak 4
Denison-Schleswig 8, Atlantic 0
Clarinda 10, Shenandoah 0
Lewis Central 10, St. Albert 3

Western Iowa Conference

Missouri Valley 6, IKM-Manning 3
Underwood 11, Audubon 1
Tri-Center 11, Riverside 1

Corner Conference

Stanton 14, Essex 1
East Mills 4, Griswold 3

Pride of Iowa Conference 

Southwest Valley 8, Nodaway Valley 0
Mount Ayr 8, Bedford 3
East Union 2, Southeast Warren 1

West Central Activities Conference 

Interstate-35 4, Madrid 3
Interstate-35 8, Madrid 3
Pleasantville 7, ACGC 4
Pleasantville 13, ACGC 2
Ogden 9, Earlham 7
Earlham 9, Ogden 3
Des Moines Christian 8, Panorama 4
Van Meter 10, Woodward-Granger 1
Van Meter 4, Woodward-Granger 1

High School Softball Scores from Thursday

Sports

June 14th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten 

Creston 13, Red Oak 0
Kuemper Catholic 5, Harlan 1
Atlantic 12, Denison-Schleswig 0
#11 Clarinda 13, Shenandoah 1

Western Iowa Conference

#7 Missouri Valley 22, IKM-Manning 1
#10 Audubon 14, Underwood 0
AHSTW 5, Treynor 2

Rolling Valley Conference 

MVAOCOU 16, Boyer Valley 2

Corner Conference

Essex 15, Stanton 5
#11 Griswold 16, East Mills 0

West Central Activities Conference 

Pleasantville 4, ACGC 3
Pleasantville 9, ACGC 2
Des Moines Christian 10, Panorama 9
Panorama 14, Des Moines Christian 13
#1 Van Meter 5, Woodward-Granger 2
#1 Van Meter 6, Woodward-Granger 4
Southeast Valley 12, West Central Valley 9