United Group Insurance

Farmers making up bigger share of land buyers

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Farmland prices in Iowa hit a record high for the fourth straight year in the Iowa State University survey released earlier this month. I-S-U economics professor Mike Duffy, who conducts the survey, says farmers have recently become bigger players in the land sales. “Seventy-seven percent of the land was bought by existing farmers and about 18-percent by investors. Five to seven years ago, the existing farmers were only about 55-percent of the purchasers,” Duffy says. Duffy says producers looked to expand their holdings as they make more off the ground

“Farm income has been at record levels, and when incomes are high, farmers will tend to bid it into land,” Duffy explains. And as farmers age, they want to keep the land in their family. “What we’ve found is that 30-percent of the land is owned by people over 75,” Duffy says, “and the major intention is to get the land to the family, in some cases either by sale or by gifting.” Commodity prices have dropped recently, but Duffy doesn’t expects big changes in land ownership patterns.

“I think what we’re going to continue to see is about the same level of land being sold, which is about one-and-a-half percent of the land in a year. The other two-and-a-half percent is going to be transferred to the family through inheritance or something like that,” according to Duffy. The survey found the average price for an acre of land in 2013 was eight-thousand-716-dollars an acre, which was up five percent.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Dubuque County first to try Smart911

News

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Dubuque County is the first in the state to try a new emergency response system called “Smart-9-1-1.” County Emergency Communications Manager, Mark Murphy, says the system is voluntary and allows residents to create a database of information linked to any phone number. “Such as medical conditions, for instance diabetes, epilepsy, alzheimers things like that, they can put that information in to inform responders of their condition. They can put medications in and emergency contact information in — any special medical needs or home needs associated with that number,” Murphy says.

The service allows emergency responders to know a lot more than the dispatcher now receives from a regular or cellphone. “If they call from a landline right now we get their name associated with the phone number and and address,” Murphy explains. “If they call from a cellular number we can basically get the cellular number and the latitude and longitude associated with where they are calling from.” The service isn’t just for private homeowners. “Businesses can log in and put in information about their business — contact information so forth. They can also put in floor plans in for the businesses. Residents can also put floor plans in as well,” Murphy says.

He says all that information would then be available to first responders. That’s a lot of confidential information, but Murphy says it is safe. “It is a secure website kept offsite…we can only see the information if a person dials 9-1-1, and then only for a certain period of time,” Murphy says. Murphy says all the information can be very valuable and save time for those responding to an emergency. “People are required to update it every six months to keep it clean and up to date,” Murphy says. He says the accounts are sent a text message from the company that runs the system every six months asking them to update the information.

Dubuque County started signing people up for the service at the start of this month. Murphy wants them to be an example for others. “I hope to be the guinea pig that shows people how it works,” Murphy says. “I think it is a very good product. It has a lot of advantages for the citizens of Dubuque County, it should literally help us get a better response for the public.” Those wanting to subscribe go to a website and log in and fill out their information. Murphy says the 14-thousand dollar first year cost of the system is being paid for with funds seized by the Dubuque County Drug Task Force. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Dubuque Police Department will split the cost going forward.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

Study finds Iowans toss out waaaay too much food

News

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A study finds consumers across Iowa and nationwide are throwing away perfectly good food because of confusion over the “use by,” “sell by” and “best by” dates on packaged foods. Dana Gunders, with the Natural Resources Defense Council, co-authored a report that finds tons of good food ends up in our trash cans. Gunders says about 40-percent of our nation’s food supply is thrown out when it’s still safe to consume.

Gunders says, “Given that each year, Americans spend up to $2,275 per household of four on food they throw out, the average household of four is losing up to $450 per year on food that is needlessly thrown away.” A recent Iowa Department of Natural Resources study found almost 14% of all trash dumped in the state’s landfills is food waste, or about 350,000 tons a year. The problem is getting worse, as the study found the amount of food waste being chucked in Iowa landfills has risen 62% in the past 13 years. Food science engineer Ted Labuza says if stored and handled properly, the food can last for days or even weeks beyond that date and can safely be consumed with no worry of illness.

“About 80% of the dates are guesses from some consumer questionnaires or based on what competitors are putting on,” Labuza says. “The others are done in very controlled conditions, food testing in order to determine when the taste of the product changes enough for the consumers to be displeased. I look at shelf life as the percentage of consumers that you’re willing to displease.” Expiration dates on food vary from state to state and between food company. Gunders says she’d like to see a country-wide system in place.

“People are throwing away food on the dates they see on products because they believe those dates mean the food is no longer safe to eat,” Gunders says, “however, those dates almost never have a direct link to the food safety.” Gunders says “use by” and “best by” dates on packaging are placed there by the manufacturer which determined after that time the product loses its maximum freshness. She says the “sell by” date is basically a tool for manufacturers and retailers so they can rotate product on the shelves.

Iowa has 46 municipal solid waste landfills but only four of them offer a food waste composting program. Nationwide, 40% of all food produced ends up in landfills.

(Radio Iowa)

Posted in News |

NWS Forecast for the KJAN listening area: Christmas Day, 2013

Weather

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

346 AM CST WED DEC 25 2013

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. WARMER. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. WEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 10 TO 15. WEST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH.

THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY. LOW 15 TO 20. WEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY…SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 30S. SOUTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

FRIDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE MID 20S.

SATURDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 30S.

Posted in Weather |

Chiefs go away from Charles in crunch time

Sports

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — There is no prescribed number of plays that Chiefs coach Andy Reid would like the ball to end up in the hands of Jamaal Charles, one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL. One thing Reid does know is that Kansas City would be better off if Charles got the ball more than the six times he did in the second half of Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis. Or if he didn’t seem to stray from giving him touches at the end of close games.

It’s not as if Charles didn’t have another solid afternoon in a 23-7 loss. He ran for 106 yards and a touchdown, and caught five passes for 38 yards. But when the offense got stuck in the second half, it seemed Reid completely abandoned the run — even though it seemed to be working just fine. Charles carried eight times for 62 yards in the first half Sunday, including a 31-yard run for the Chiefs’ only touchdown. He had just five carries in the second half, while the Colts were in the midst of scoring 23 straight points, despite averaging nearly 9 yards per carry.

In other Chiefs Kingdom News….Kansas City signed Running Back Eric Kettani, Wide Receiver Jerrell Jackson and Line Backer Ridge Wilson to the practice squad, Tuesday. They replace WR Fred Williams, who was released, Full Back Toben Opurum, who was added to the Texans active roster, and Tight End Jake Byrne, who joined the Chargers’ active roster.  Coach Andy Reid said Tuesday that starters and backups will both practice this week. The Chiefs are assured of the No. 5 seed for the playoffs, so it’s likely most starters will rest against San Diego.

Posted in Sports |

Iowa News Headlines: Wed., Dec. 25th 2013

News

December 25th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa-based floral designer Laurel Hollopeter is among those working on decorating some of the floats for the 2014 Parade of Roses in Pasadena, Calif. Hollopeter is heading to California on Dec. 26, where he’ll spend several days working as a paid floral designer for Fiesta Parade Floats, a company that is creating 13 floats for the event held the morning before the Rose Bowl.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A settlement between the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and the University of Iowa will ensure that students with assistance animals have equal access to university housing. The commission announced this month that the university has agreed to train employees on state and federal laws that require reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities who use assistance animals. The school also will revise policies for how such requests are handled and pay $10,000.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — A University of Northern Iowa professor calls her time volunteering in the typhoon-ravaged Philippines “the most different Christmas I’ve ever had in my life.” But Michele Devlin tells KWWL TV she hasn’t regretted her decision to go to the Philippines to work with the American Red Cross. Devlin, who focuses on health issues at UNI, says children and adults have repeatedly thanked her and other volunteers for the help they are bringing to the devastated country.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is appealing a federal decision to deny disaster aid to four rural electrical cooperatives. Gov. Terry Branstad announced Tuesday that the appeal had been filed with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The four cooperatives are located in Northwest Iowa where utility lines were damaged in an ice storm in the spring. In August, FEMA denied a request for $19 million in funding based on the fact that the utilities had not done enough laboratory testing on the wires.

Posted in News |

Hoiberg, Cyclones Top Iowa Sports in 2013 (Year in Review)

Sports

December 25th, 2013 by Jim Field

by:  LUKE MEREDITH, AP Sports Writer

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It was the game of the year — won by the team of the year in Iowa sports.

Iowa had the ball and a 3-point lead with less than a minute left of a thrilling matchup with the rival Cyclones at Hilton Coliseum on Dec. 13. But Iowa State, helped immensely by a raucous home crowd, rallied to beat the Hawkeyes and highlight a fantastic 2013 for Fred Hoiberg’s surging program.

The Cyclones made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances for the first time in 12 years in March, where they blasted Notre Dame before Ohio State’s Aaron Craft broke their hearts with a buzzer-beating 3. The Cyclones soon reloaded behind transfers DeAndre Kane and Dustin Hogue and became the last unbeaten team in the Big 12 to start this season.

Iowa State will enter 2014 as a legitimate contender for the conference title and a deep run in March.

The Cyclones certainly weren’t the only team to make news in Iowa this year, though. Here are some of the other top stories in Iowa sports in 2013.

2. HAWKEYE REVIVAL: After finishing 4-8 with six straight Big Ten losses in 2012, most thought Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes were due for a .500 season at best. But after some early stumbles in league play, Iowa reeled off three straight wins — capped by a 38-17 waxing of Nebraska on the road — to finish the regular season at 8-4 and 5-3 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes defense blossomed into one of the best in the country, sophomore Jake Rudock had a promising debut season and Iowa wound up with a berth in the Outback Bowl against LSU. Next year could be even better for the Hawkeyes, who return a majority of their starters and appear to have a much more manageable schedule in 2014.

3. HOOPS TOO: Iowa’s basketball team was also on a major upswing in 2013. Though the Hawkeyes narrowly missed the NCAA tournament, they made a run to the finals of the NIT and started this season at 11-2, earning a spot in the Top 25. Iowa is one of the deepest teams in the country and looks ready to compete for a Big Ten title in the weeks ahead.

4. CYCLONES STUMBLE: Things weren’t nearly so rosy for coach Paul Rhoads and the scuffling Cyclones. Iowa State lost its season opener to Northern Iowa and things only got worse from there. The Cyclones lost nine of their first 10 games as quarterback Sam Richardson struggled through injuries and their young defense got lit up by a number of high-powered Big 12 offenses. Though Iowa State closed a dreadful season with a pair of wins, offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham was fired less than 24 hours after the final game of the year. The Cyclones have already signed a number of junior college recruits in an effort to fill immediate holes, and they’re hoping that Grant Rohach can solidify their quarterback situation.

5. WRESTLING’S OLYMPIC FIGHT: Perhaps nowhere in the United States was the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation that wrestling be dropped from the Olympic program felt more than in Iowa. A state with a long and illustrious history of supporting the sport was thrust into the fight to preserve its future — starting with the NCAA Championships in March. Sellout crowds in Des Moines helped start the push to save Olympic wrestling, which survived two rounds of IOC voting and was reinstated in September.

6. STEWART CRASHES IN IOWA: One of the biggest NASCAR stories of the year originated in Oskaloosa. Three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart broke his leg and missed the rest of the season after flipping his sprint car at the Southern Iowa Speedway in early August, again raising questions about safety in the sport. Stewart remains optimistic he’ll be ready to return for the Dayton 500 in late February.

7. SPEEDWAY SOLD: The NASCAR story most pertinent to Iowans broke just before Thanksgiving, when it was announced that NASCAR had purchased the Iowa Speedway in a near-unprecedented move. NASCAR called the purchase a “strategic play” — but it also said it has no plans to bring the top-tier Sprint Cup Series to Newton in the near future.

8. MR. 138 GOES FOR 180 IN TWO GAMES: Grinnell’s Jack Taylor made headlines when he set the NCAA scoring record with a staggering 138 points in late 2012. Taylor missed the second half of last season with a broken wrist, but he let the world know he was healthy at the onset of 2013. Taylor opened the season with a 71-point effort, which he followed up by scoring 109 points — third-most in NCAA history — in a 173-123 win over Crossroads on Nov. 18. Taylor is averaging a national-best 44.6 points a game, over 14 more than the player in second, as the Pioneers won seven of their first eight games.

9. DRAKE FIRES PHELPS: The Bulldogs gave Mark Phelps five years to try to replicate the success Keno Davis had in just one season in Des Moines. But after just 77 wins and 86 losses, Drake fired Phelps after last season and replaced him with Ray Giacoletti. The Bulldogs have taken to the change thus far, winning seven of their first 10 games.

10. IOWA, IOWA STATE MAKE NCAA TOURNAMENT YET AGAIN: The women’s basketball teams at Iowa and Iowa State make the NCAAs so often that it’s easy to forget how consistently strong they really are. The Hawkeyes made it to the second round in March, their sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament, and the Cyclones also won an NCAA game in their seventh straight tournament trip. Both Iowa and Iowa State will finish 2013 in the Top 25 and in great shape for yet another NCAA bid.

Posted in Sports |

MABEL ANDERSON, 76, of Lewis (Svcs. 12/29/13)

Obituaries

December 24th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

MABEL ANDERSON, 76, of Lewis, died Tue., Dec. 24th, at Alegent Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs.  Funeral services for MABEL ANDERSON will be held 2-p.m. Sun., Dec. 29th, at the Lewis United Congregational Church in Lewis. Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold has the arrangements.

An open visitation will be held at the Duhn Funeral Home in Griswold, where the family will be present from 3-to 5-pm Saturday.

Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery at Lewis.

MABEL ANDERSON is survived by:

Her children – Jean (Donnie) Cohrs of Lewis, Chuck (Diane) Anderson of Griswold, Teri Leighton of Atlantic, Lauri (Lee) Wyman of Griswold and Sheri (Mark) Walter of Atlantic.

Her sisters and brother – Betty Jane (Duane) Anderson of Lewis, Judy (Gary) Ireland of Iowa Falls, and Rick Sanny of Lewis.

11 grandchildren, 12 great grandchildren with another on the way.

Posted in Obituaries |

HELEN RECHTENBACH, 88, of Des Moines (Svcs. pending)

Obituaries

December 24th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

HELEN RECHTENBACH, 88, of Des Moines, died Mon., Dec. 23rd,  at Parkridge Specialty Care in Pleasant Hill. Funeral services for HELEN RECHTENBACH are pending at the Steen Funeral Home in Fontanelle.

Posted in Obituaries |

Jurors reject Deere’s patent claims against rivals

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 24th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Jurors have ruled against tractor maker Deere & Co. in a lawsuit that alleged rivals were infringing on its patent covering the design of heavy-duty mowing blades. Federal jurors in Davenport found last week that rotary cutters marketed by Bush Hog Inc. and Great Plains Manufacturing Inc. didn’t infringe on Deere’s patent.

The trial centered on competing brands of rotary cutters, which are pulled behind tractors and are used to cut through fields after harvest and clear weeds and brush. Deere filed the lawsuit in 2009 contending the Bush Hog and Great Plains brands infringed on a patent issued in 2000 that covers a deck design meant to keep the blades clean by stopping debris from accumulating.

Deere had been seeking an injunction and damages for lost profits and royalties.

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |