(Radio Iowa) – The Democrat running against Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra in Iowa’s fourth congressional district says rank-and-file voters in the district have massive public health concerns that aren’t being addressed. Iowa is the only state where cancer rates are increasing and Ryan Melton says Iowans want answers.

Melton cites Palo Alto County, which has a cancer rate 50 percent higher than the national average. There’s just one other county in the country that has a higher incidence of cancer among its residents. Melton says more robust action is needed to encourage farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizer that winds up in Iowa waterways.

Melton says policymakers should explore limiting the amount of nitrogen applied to farm fields.

Melton says the added cost of treating drinking water to reduce contaminants and the sheer number of “swimming not advised” warnings this summer at state owned parks are concerning to Iowans, regardless of party.

Ryan Melton, the Democratic Party’s nominee in Iowa’s fourth congressional district, on the “Iowa Press” set on Oct. 4, 2024. (Iowa PBS photo)

And Melton says there need to be increased protections for public health and water due to the increase in large-scale hog operations in Iowa.

Melton made his comments during today’s (Friday’s) taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight on Iowa P-B-S. Congressman Feenstra did not accept the invitation from Iowa P-B-S to debate Melton before this year’s election. Melton is running against Feenstra for a second time. Melton works for a major insurance company. Melton and his family recently moved from Nevada (nuh-VAY-duh) to Webster City.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Danish Ambassador to the United States visited Elk Horn (IA) this (Friday) afternoon. Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen, Chief of Mission at the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington, D-C, was the featured guest at a “Kaffe og kringler” (Coffee and pastry) reception at the Museum of Danish America. In Elk Horn, Ambassador Sorensen toured the Museum, and then spoke about the relationship Denmark has with the U-S and Iowa, in particular.

He spoke also about our two countries sharing agricultural and technological advancements.

Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen speaks at the Museum of Danish America on Oct. 4th, 2024. (Ric Hanson/photo)

Ambassador Sorenson and his trade delegation of wind energy suppliers and sub-suppliers stopped in Des Moines Thursday, and visited with Governor Kim Reynolds.

He spoke Friday morning with students and toured the private, Grand View University, which was founded in 1896 by the Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In Elk Horn, the Ambassador discussed the importance of security and collective defense, and Denmark’s partnership with NATO, especially in light of the threat coming from Russia.

Ambassador Sorensen said the United States is Denmark’s most important ally. The strength of that relationship, he said, is the basis for continued economic and commercial ties between the two countries.

He said one particular area that is very strong, and Denmark has been a front-runner for decades, is in the renewable energy sector. The country includes wind energy, bioreactors, life sciences and Quantum Technology. The relationship Denmark has with the U-S and Iowa, is a “Truly special one…We are looking to continue to build these bridges between companies, research institutions, capital [investments] and between the people of our two countries.”

(Radio Iowa) – A convoy of U-S military vehicles will make its way through north-central Iowa next week as part of a 25-hundred mile journey. The Military Vehicle Preservation Association is celebrating the 15th year of its convoy program by retracing the historic Jefferson Highway route from the Minnesota border to New Orleans. Visit Mason City executive director Lindsey James says the caravan will be a must-see, especially for veterans.

The convoy will head south on Wednesday. James says it’s sponsored by the largest international historic military vehicle group, which includes roughly 35-hundred members.

James says the public will have a chance to have an up-close look at these historic vehicles at the Mason City V-F-W.

This year marks the eighth convoy organized by the Military Vehicle Preservation Association and the first to follow a north-south axis through the heart of the country.

Photo from Visit Mason City

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More at https://www.mvpa.org/

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Reynolds says there’s a possibility India may be a market for Iowa-made ethanol. Reynolds has recently returned from a trade mission to India, which is the world’s third largest ethanol producer. However, the country has set the goal of having a 20 percent blend of ethanol in all gasoline sold in India — by next year — and eliminating all carbon emissions by 2070. Reynolds says not only does that mean Iowa-made ethanol may have a new market, but the ban on imports of Iowa corn — because it’s grown from genetically-modified seeds — might be lifted if that corn is used to produce ethanol.

Reynolds says another idea would be finding plots of land in rural India to grow genetically-modified corn that would be used to make ethanol. She says that could lead to acceptance of G-M-O corn in India for food production.

Reynolds stressed the work of Iowa native Norman Borlaug (BOR-log) as she met with officials in India last month. Borlaug developed a strain of high-yielding wheat in Mexico, took it to India in the 1960s and was credited with saving hundreds of millions in Pakistan and India from starvation.

(Radio Iowa) – The latest U-S Drought Monitor shows nearly all of Iowa in abnormally dry or drought conditions, with portions of Monona and Harrison counties in western Iowa in severe drought. It is the first time since May that any area of the state has carried a severe drought designation. Glenwood Fire Chief Matt Gray says the dry weather made conditions ripe for grass and field fires, and fire departments don’t have as many firefighters as they used to.

Gray says the cooperation among departments has helped everyone deal with a tough situation.

Shenandoah Fire Chief Justin Marshall says farmers need to be working in the fields to bring in the crops and that increases the fire danger.

Marshall says there’s no rain in the forecast, so the risk will stay high into next week.

The number of burn bans has more than doubled this week and now includes 35 counties.