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Iowa Hunger Coalition says food banks are overwhelmed this summer

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Representatives from the Iowa Hunger Coalition have met with state officials, hoping to convince Governor Kim Reynolds Iowa should participate in a federal program NEXT summer that provides extra food for kids in low income households. The program provides an extra 120 dollars in summertime federal food assistance for each child who qualified for free or reduced price lunch at school. Reynolds cited administrative costs when she turned down the federal funds for the so-called “Summer E-B-T” program THIS summer.

Luke Elzinga, a spokesman for the coalition, says the U-S-D-A has announced it will provide grants to states, to cover technology expenses associated with the benefits.

Elzinga says food pantries in the state are overwhelmed.

Elzinga works for the Des Moines Area Religious Council food pantries, which saw record use in July.

The Iowa Hunger Coalition delivered a petition to the governor’s office this week that was signed by over 35-hundred Iowans, urging Reynolds to accept extra federal food benefits next summer for low income students who qualify for free or reduced prices school lunches.

Posted in News |

Cities with severe flooding reviewing FEMA’s buyout program

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa communities hit by this spring’s flooding are evaluating whether — and how — FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program could work in their area. The grants may be used to buy homes that are damaged or destroyed by flooding — at pre-flood market prices — and the land is cleared. Kevin Robinson is the deputy city manager in Spencer.

FEMA typically pays 75 percent of the cost of these projects, with state and local governments being responsible for the rest.

The program was used previously in Cherokee, where nearly 190 homes were either demolished or moved — clearing about 67 acres along the Little Sioux River.

Posted in News |

“Breakfast with the Birds” Program

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board is sponsoring a “Breakfast with the Birds” Program. The program will be held at Sunnyside Park, Camblin’s Addition Shelter in Atlantic, IA on August 17th 2024 at 9 am. Free will donations accepted.

Kay Neuman, Executive Director at S.O.A.R., Saving Our Avian Resources, will show and discuss several of her permanently injured birds and will hopefully have one that is fully recovered and ready to release back into the wild.

Please help the Cass County Conservation Board support raptors and education, by attending this event.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Ice Cream Social and Annual Meeting to be August 18 at Carstens Farmstead

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Shelby, IA – An old- fashioned ice cream social is planned for Sunday, August 18, 2024 at Carstens 1880 Farmstead near Shelby.  This will be a family friendly event for all ages.  The ice cream social will begin at 5 p.m. and conclude at 7 p.m. Carstens Board member Terry Torneten says “Our annual ice cream social gets us in gear for the Farm Days show which happens in about three weeks. It is a great time to come out and enjoy being on the farm.”

Torneten adds, “The homemade ice cream will be made by Benny’s Ice Cream, Minden, Iowa. Benny’s Ice Cream is our board member Ben Ausdemore and his wife Katie. I hope we see a good crowd come out for ice cream again this year.”

The annual meeting of Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc. to plan for the upcoming 42nd Annual Carstens Farm Days will take place during the ice cream social starting at 6 p.m. Reports will be given by various committees which have been organized for the show.

Members of Carstens Farm will be voting for three positions on the board of directors. The following board members’ terms are ending as of the date of the meeting: Charlie Leaders of Minden, Stan Kern of Shelby and Rick Newland of Persia will be up for re-election for another term. Additional nominations from the meeting attendees will be added to the ballot.

Continuing board members are David Dittmer and Gerald McCool of Minden, Bill Johnson of Shelby, Harvey Ferris of Missouri Valley and Terry Torneten of Harlan.  Results of the election will be announced following the meeting.

Carstens 1880 Farmstead is located at 32409 380th St, Shelby, just south of I-80 exit 34. Carstens 1880 Farmstead, Inc., a non-profit group of local volunteer members, maintains the farm as a working museum exhibit. It is located between Minden and Shelby, Iowa in Pottawattamie County. The farmstead is the home of Carstens Farm Days, which is held the first weekend after Labor Day each September.  It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information visit the web site: www.carstensfarm.com

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Work release escape of Myron Dumarce

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports Myron Allen Dumarce, who was convicted of Theft 2nd Degree, Eluding, and Assault with Weapon in Woodbury County, failed to report back to the Sioux City Residential Treatment Facility as required, Thursday.

Dumarce is a 20-year-old, 5’11”, 167-pound American Indian male. He was admitted to the work release facility on Aug. 8, 2024.

Myron Allen Dumarce

Persons with information on Dumarce’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Posted in News |

Iowans are reminded that hitting an underground line could bring a big fine

News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – This Sunday is August 11th or 8-11, the day Iowans are reminded about the three-digit phone number they’re required to call before doing any digging on their property. Ben Booth is spokesman for Iowa One Call which is marking what it calls 8-1-1 Day in advance of the fall planting season.  “Iowa law says you have to notify Iowa One Call prior to doing any type of digging, not just contractors and professionals, anyone in Iowa planning to do any type of digging or disturbance of the earth,” Booth says. “The reason is because there’s a lot of stuff underneath the ground that you can’t see.” The state law was enacted in 1993, mandating that Iowans use the service before taking a shovel to dirt, and especially before using anything larger to dig.

Call at least 48 hours in advance, and crews will mark the underground utilities with flags or spray-paint so you can know where -not- to dig. “I’m talking about your fiber optic, your broadband, your satellite cables, and then real serious stuff like high voltage electricity and pressurized natural gas,” Booth says, “of course, your water and sewer, all these fundamental services that we need that we just don’t think about because they are literally out of sight and out of mind.” Booth notes, digging can mean much more than just taking a shovel to dirt. “If you’re pounding a stake or a fence post or something like that in the ground, you could pierce one of those underground facilities, and that could have devastating consequences,” Booth says. “It could be hazardous, and of course, there’s the liability on the other side of that, because if you break something, typically, you’re going to get a bill to repair it.”

time an Iowan phones the call center, it typically triggers several more calls, depending on how many utilities may be buried on the property. Booth says they field about 600,000 calls a year, which equates to more than 3.6 million notices back to the utilities.

IowaOneCall.com

Posted in News |

Tournament of Champions Round 1 Results (Final)

Sports

August 9th, 2024 by Jim Field

Friday, August 9, 2024 @ Atlantic Golf & Country Club

Open Division:

  • Zach Christianson (Atlantic) 33 – 34 = 67 (-2)
  • Matt Haley (Indianola) 31 – 37 = 68 (-1)
  • Alex Bireline (Adair) 34 – 35 = 69 (E)
  • Ross Martens (Jefferson) 32 – 37 = 69 (E)
  • Giani Chiodo (Des Moines) 35 – 34 = 69 (E)
  • Jake Olsen (Atlantic) 35 – 34 = 69 (E)
  • Jackson Tennis (Missouri Valley) 34 – 36 = 70 (+1)
  • Andrew Martin (Atlantic) 35 – 35 = 70 (+1)
  • Chase Jahde (Anita) 35 – 35 = 70 (+1)
  • Nathan Ross (Atlantic) 34 – 37 = 71 (+2)
  • Jared Koch (Waukee) 35 – 36 = 71 (+2)
  • Evan Schuler (Altoona) 35 – 36 = 71 (+2)
  • Michael West (Creston) 37 – 35 = 72 (+3)
  • Matt Wynne (Norwalk) 37 – 35 = 72 (+3)
  • Avery Fuhs (Webster City) 35 – 38 = 73 (+4)
  • Alec Fuhs (Webster City) 35 – 38 = 73 (+4)
  • Jeff Gude (Atlantic) 39 – 35 = 74 (+5)
  • Jordan Schuler (Atlantic) 39 – 35 = 74 (+5)
  • Blake Perrin (Grimes) 34 – 40 = 74 (+5)
  • Easton Emery (Denison) 36 – 38 = 74 (+5)
  • Nathan Koch (Denison) 34 – 40 = 74 (+5)
  • Evan Smith (Knoxville) 37 – 37 = 74 (+5)
  • Troy Finestead (Granger) 37 – 37 = 74 (+5)
  • Ben Renaud (West Des Moines) 36 – 38 = 74 (+5)
  • Ryan Muldoon (Atlantic) 37 – 38 = 75 (+6)
  • Rob Langfelt (Walnut) 40 – 35 = 75 (+6)
  • Mitch Burg (Atlantic) 39 – 36 = 75 (+6)
  • Jaxson Armstrong (West Des Moines) 34 – 41 = 75 (+6)
  • James Reynolds (Griswold) 41 – 35 = 76 (+7)
  • Joe Schafer 40 – 36 = 76 (+7)
  • Derek Jacobsen (Omaha, NE) 39 – 37 = 76 (+7)
  • Jess Marlow 36 – 40 = 76 (+7)
  • Hank Weresh 38 – 38 = 76 (+7)
  • Seth Hensley (Massena) 40 – 37 = 77 (+8)
  • Alex Snyder (West Des Moines) 37 – 40 = 77 (+8)
  • Drew Thompson (Lenox) 39 – 39 = 78 (+9)
  • Brennan Sefrit (New Market) 40 – 38 = 78 (+9)
  • Cyle Renaud (Atlantic) 40 – 38 = 78 (+9)
  • Matthew Gearheart (Waukee) 39 – 39 = 78 (+9)
  • Carter Trewet (Ankeny) 41 – 38 = 79 (+10)
  • Austin Yoakum (Colfax) 39 – 41 = 79 (+10)
  • Wes Dahlhauser (West Des Moines) 38 – 41 = 79 (+10)
  • Cole Burmeister (Exira) 43 – 36 = 79 (+10)
  • Troy Pedersen (Treynor) 42 – 38 = 80 (+11)
  • Travis Olsen (Anita) 39 – 41 = 80 (+11)
  • Phoenix Shadden (Atlantic) 40 – 40 = 80 (+11)
  • Kamron Brownlee (Griswold) 40 – 41 = 81 (+12)
  • Lucas Mosier (Atlantic) 43 – 39 = 82 (+13)
  • Tom Leiferman (Ankeny) 40 – 42 = 82 (+13)
  • Trevor Schweers (Corning) 40 – 42 = 82 (+13)
  • Cooper Langfelt 42 – 40 = 82 (+13)
  • Matt Gross (Atlantic) 40 – 42 = 82 (+13)
  • Tanner Dunn (Norwalk) 40 – 42 = 82 (+13)
  • Steven Martin (Shenandoah) 40 – 42 = 82 (+13)
  • McKinley Leonard (Lamoni) 40 – 43 = 83 (+14)
  • Seth Christensen (Ankeny) 43 – 42 = 85 (+16)
  • Scott March 43 – 43 = 86 (+17)
  • Marcus Lunning (Ankeny) 43 – 44 = 87 (+18)
  • Spencer McCosh (Atlantic) 45 – 43 = 88 (+19)
  • Cooper McCosh (Granite Falls, MN) 43 – 45 = 88 (+19)
  • Hogan Hook (Griswold) 44 – 45 – 89 (+20)
  • Brody O’Brien (Atlantic) 46 – 43 = 89 (+20)
  • Nolan Jackson (Mt Vernon) 42 – 48 = 90 (+21)
  • Mitch Leiferman (Ankeny) 46 -46 = 92 (+23)
  • Kywin Tibben (Stanton) 46 – 48 = 94 (+25)
  • Jake Oathoudt (Corning) 53 – 45 = 98 (+29)

Senior Division:

  • Shane Burmeister (Exira) 31 – 35 = 66 (-3)
  • Chris Nelson (Atlantic) 33 – 37 = 70 (+1)
  • Eric Boehlert (Ankeny) 35 – 37 = 72 (+3)
  • Ryan Clark (Ankeny) 38 – 35 = 73 (+4)
  • Darron Baker (Eagle Grove) 37 – 37 = 73 (+4)
  • Bret Taylor (Booneville) 36 – 38 = 74 (+5)
  • Bill Matzdorff (Ankeny) 38 – 37 = 75 (+6)
  • Eric Brown (Mt Ayr) 36 – 39 = 75 (+6)
  • Steven Montgomery (Des Moines) 36 – 39 = 75 (+6)
  • Darby McLaren (Atlantic) 41 – 36 = 77 (+8)
  • Barry Smith (Knoxville) 37 – 40 = 77 (+8)
  • Kyle Rock (Avoca) 37 – 41 = 78 (+9)
  • Daryl Armstrong (Anita) 39 – 42 = 81 (+12)
  • Bob Franke (Ankeny) 41 – 43 = 84 (+15)
  • Jeff Heckroth (Grimes) 42 – 42 = 84 (+15)
  • Chad Buresh (Clive) 46 – 39 = 85 (+16)
  • Steve Valline (Grimes) 41 – 45 = 86 (+17)
  • Roger Fisher 49 – 47 = 96 (+27)
  • Richard Pendegraft (Elkhorn, NE) 49 – 48 = 97 (+28)

Super Senior Division:

  • Kim Peters (Adair) 37 – 36 = 73 (+4)
  • Del Miller (Eagle Grove) 39 – 34 = 73 (+4)
  • Jeff Morenz (Atlantic) 37 – 37 = 74 (+5)
  • Arnie Leistad (Atlantic) 36 – 39 = 75 (+6)
  • Rick Thompson (Fairfield) 38 – 37 = 75 (+6)
  • Jim Simmelink (Adair) 39 – 38 = 77 (+8)
  • Rick Carter (Creston) 38 – 39 = 77 (+8)
  • Kirk Nelson (Atlantic) 39 – 39 = 78 (+9)
  • Rich Ward (Anita) 37 – 43 = 80 (+11)
  • Barry McGinn (Council Bluffs) 44 – 38 = 82 (+13)
  • John Willmore 44 – 40 = 84 (+15)
  • Paul Huddleson (Atlantic) 47 – 38 = 85 (+16)
  • Ron Calhoun (Anita) 40 – 46 = 86 (+17)
  • Ron Pendegraft (Creston) 45 – 41 = 86 (+17)
  • Mick Lee 44 – 42 = 86 (+17)
  • Merlin Bell (Leon) 43 – 43 = 86 (+17)
  • Tim Dooley (Eagle Grove) 49 – 39 = 88 (+19)
  • Perry Paulsen (Exira) 46 – 45 = 91 (+22)

Posted in Sports |

DR. J.W. PURTZER, 99, of Greenfield (Celebration of Life 8/17/24)

Obituaries

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DR. J.W. PURTZER, 99, of Greenfield, died June 4, 2024, at the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston. Celebration of Life services for DR. J.W. PURTZER will be held on Saturday, August 17th (which would have been his 100th birthday) at 11-a.m., at the Greenfield United Methodist Church. Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

The family will greet friends on Friday, August 16, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Greenfield United Methodist Church.

Burial will be in the Greenfield Cemetery with full military graveside rites by the Greenfield American Legion Head-Endres Post No. 265 & VFW Post No. 5357.  A luncheon will follow the burial at the church.

Memorials may be directed to  the Greenfield United Methodist Church or to the family, to be established at a later date.

DR. J.W. PURTZER is survived by:

His daughter – Ann (Dan) Frost, of Riverwoods, IL.

5 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, his daughter-in-law, Paula Purtzer of West Des Moines; sister-in-law, Dorian Purtzer; other relatives and friends.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

 

 

 

Posted in Obituaries |

Media Day at Iowa

Sports

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

It is Media Day at Iowa as the Hawkeyes enter the new season with lofty expectations. Iowa’s dreadful offense has received much of the attention heading into the season. New coordinator Tim Lester is trying to turn around a unit that only scored 20 touchdowns in a 14 game season. Kirk Ferentz is entering his 26th year as head coach and likes the potential on offense.

Ferentz says Lester’s experience was a plus in the search for a new offensive coordinator.

While there are changes on offense Ferentz says complimentary football remains the goal.

A healthy offense will help. Luke Lachey (luh-shay) returns after missing most last season with a broken ankle. He hopes to be the next in a long line of great tight ends.

Lachey says the Hawkeyes used summer workouts to get familiar with the changes on offense.

Quarterback Cade McNamara returned for summer drills. His season ended in week two of Big Ten play by a torn ACL.

The Hawkeyes open August 31st at home against Illinois State.

Posted in Sports |

Longtime Iowa firefighter touts importance of hydration to state fairgoers

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 9th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A few hundred-thousand people are expected to pass through the Iowa State Fair gates this weekend, and they’re all being reminded about the importance of hydration, even if high temperatures are only forecast in the 70s. Des Moines District Fire Chief Ed Haase says they’re encouraging fairgoers to bring in something extra this year. “They can bring in a sealed water bottle, or they can bring in a reusable water bottle, water glass, whatever, as long as it’s empty when, if it’s a reusable one, as long as it’s empty when they come in,” Haase says. “The fair is allowing them, pretty similar to what TSA does at the airports.”

The fair has placed scores of water bottle refill stations throughout the fairgrounds, which Haase says makes it easier for visitors to stay hydrated. “If you go to the Iowa State Fair’s website, they actually have a link to water stations,” he says, “and it’ll give them…actually pinpointed on the map.”

A portion of the Iowa State Fair map showing all water refill stations.

Last year’s state fair was a scorcher, and dozens of people had to be rushed to nearby hospitals. Haase says most of them simply hadn’t been drinking enough water. “They present with a little bit of confusion, just general fatigue type of thing,” Haase says. “So that’s why we encourage people to stay hydrated. I would say probably 75% of what we did last year with transports to the hospital had something to do with dehydration.”

At last year’s fair, the Des Moines Fire Department responded to:
355 Medical Cart responses in the fairgrounds
58 transports to local hospitals
283 ice packs used at first aid stations
42 bee stings treated
969 bandaids used at first aid stations
3 grease fire responses

The Iowa State Fair runs through August 18th.

Click to access 2024-IAstFairMap_WaterFountains_RefillStations.pdf

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |