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How Iowans can make great burgers and not make themselves sick

News

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Many Iowans love the distinctive taste of food that’s seared on the grill, and they’d likely prefer their Fourth of July cookouts be remembered for great steaks or burgers, not for people getting sick. Marisa Pruitt, registered dietician with the Gundersen Health System, says with summertime in full swing, it’s important to keep three grilling safety tips in mind. “The first one is to invest in a food thermometer. Really understand what temperature your food needs to be cooked to in order to avoid any pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses,” Pruitt says. “The second one is to keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold, so generally above 140 degrees and below 40 degrees. And then the third one is, put food away after two hours, so don’t leave it sit out all day long.”

Some of your holiday guests might like their steak grilled rare or medium rare, but how can you tell if you’re cooking it long enough?  “Certainly, eating any undercooked food can increase your risk for foodborne illness, so you do want to cook it to the appropriate temperature,” Pruitt says. “A quick Google search can let you know what temperature is appropriate for what food item you’re cooking, and every food item has a different point at which it’s considered safe to eat.” Is it healthier to grill out? Pruitt says that depends on what you’re grilling.

“It’s all about quantity, frequency and then what else you’re serving it with,” Pruitt says. “So if you like a steak, eat a steak. If you like chicken, eat chicken, and if you like veggies grill up some veggies. It’s about balance. It’s about how often you’re eating those foods, what quantity you’re eating them in, so no one food is going to make or break it for you.”

High water could impact holiday boating plans

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The longer Independence Day holiday had boaters looking to spend more time on the water, but heavy rains and flooding could interrupt those plans. Iowa D-N-R Boating Law Administrator, Susan Stocker, says continued rain has caused water levels and conditions to change daily.  “Make sure wherever you’re going you check to make sure the ramps are open because with the high water there certainly should can be some ramps that are closing,” she says. The flooding has washed all kinds of debris into the water and it may be tough to tell what is lurking below. “You may only see a small what appears to be a small log but that is now a potentially 30 foot tree that is under the surface,” she says.

Stocker says a lifejacket is always important, and even more so in high water conditions where you could be thrown from the boat. “Wearing the lifejacket is very, very important because in an emergency situation you won’t be able to find it and or you’re thrown in one direction and the lifejacket is thrown and or the water current is taking it downstream,” Stocker says. She expects the waterways that are accessible to see a lot of traffic.”We do anticipate good crowds we may see that there is a shift in where people are traveling because some of the areas are flooded but it’s also going to depend on the weather, Stocker says.

Stocker says officers will be looking for drunken boaters, so if you are going to drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a boat.

GTSB offering Uber discount voucher over holiday weekend

News

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

If your Fourth of July plans include consuming alcohol, the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is reminding you to plan for a sober driver. To help keep intoxicated drivers off the road this holiday weekend, the GTSB is offering a $10 Uber voucher for the holiday weekend.

The $10 off Uber code is =AT1Vp4vIZdSJaqnEr_RlRAGQ-obOObmPWByZi9I7kqcmkLxoQDvr5KMtMXyNPlfALmPOxkEyq5QsGCgwYm3HlWLGKBhSvIP3aR_biYNinNyRy_yT4K9uCb08M3lwgoYYfH1pImBirPGUxgYJWm7GmsCtOVVygCb-mUVAnkIcfhgUoFCa2YpLkuuEDEi7eJb7UNNlRjwMGULUMBm6kyTomNKIaSij3AEohfue” target=”_blank”>r97tnXpyhUv and can be used until Sunday at 11 p.m.

According to the GTSB, from 2019 to 2023, there were 32 traffic fatalities during the Fourth of July holiday, with about half of those being alcohol-related. AAA is also activating its “Tow-to-Go” service for the weekend. The company will tow one person and their vehicle to a safe place within a 10-mile radius.

The service is free to everyone, even if you don’t have a AAA membership. To request a tow, visit the AAA website or call 855-286-9246. The service is active until 6 a.m. Monday.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: July 4, 2024

Weather

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today (Independence Day): Partly sunny w/a 50% chance of showers & thunderstorms. High near 79. Southwest winds @ 5-10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight: Partly cloudy w/a slight (10%) chance of showers & thunderstorms this evening. Low around 60. W @ 10-20 mph.
Friday: A slight chance of afternoon showers, otherwise mostly sunny & breezy, with a high near 78. NW winds @ 15-25 mph.
Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57.
Saturday: Mostly sunny w/a slight chance of afternoon showers & thunderstorms. High near 81.
Saturday Night: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 60.
Sunday: Partly sunny w/a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 79.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.

Wednesday’s High temperature in Atlantic was 85. The Low was 60. 24-hour rainfall (ending at 7-a.m. today): .04″. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 90, and the Low was 66. The All-time Record High in Atlantic on July 4th was 111 in 1936. The Record Low was 41 in 1967. Sunrise today: 5:51-a.m. Sunset is at 8:57-p.m.

Norwalk mom charged with killing newborn pleads guilty to second-degree murder

News

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

A Norwalk mother accused of killing her newborn baby has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a week before she was set to go to trial for first-degree murder. Megan Staude was arrested in March 2023 after she and her father, Rodney Staude, allegedly placed the baby in a trash bag and left it in a ditch the month before. Both were charged with first-degree murder.

Megan Staude’s trial was scheduled to start July 9, but on Wednesday, she entered a plea of guilty to second-degree murder. A status conference is scheduled for Aug. 26. Rodney Staude’s case is currently on hold while he undergoes a mental evaluation.

Libertarian Party nominates candidates in three of four congressional districts

News

July 4th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Libertarian Party candidates have been nominated in three of Iowa’s four congressional districts. Lone Tree City Councilman Nicholas Gluba is the Libertarian candidate in Iowa’s first district. Gluba, a U-S Marine Corps veteran, says Iowans are tired of U-S involvement in Ukraine and Israel. “I don’t want my children and my constituents’ children to have to fight in another war because I saw that first hand. Nobody else needs to ever see that again,” Gluba says. “…The United States has people here who need money that need the United States to be backing them and not backing foreign wars.”

Gluba says he’s running on a platform of accountable government, economic opportunity and personal freedom. “Libertarians, we come from a very, very wide base,” Gluba says. “If you are on your property or in your home, do what you need to do to make your life better, so long as it does not hurt anyone else.” Gluba is running in the district where Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Davenport is seeking reelection and Christina Bohannan of Iowa City is the Democratic Party’s nominee.

Libertarian Marco Battaglia of Des Moines is the party’s candidate in the third congressional district. Battaglia says voters should have a choice beyond Republican Congressman Zach Nunn and Democrat Lanon Baccam.  “You know, there’s just a few glaringly red or blue issues that they would vote differently on,” Battaglia says, “but I think in terms of like, continuing to spend more and more money, they’re gonna vote, they’ve consistently voted the same.”

Battaglia says it’s time to cut spending on foreign conflicts in places like Ukraine and Israel and spend that money to solve domestic issues. “We basically have to get our own house and our own budget in order before we even consider sending money to other countries,” Battaglia says. Battaglia was the Libertarian Party’s nominee for lieutenant governor in 2022 and ran for attorney general in 2018.

The Libertarian Party has nominated Charles Aldrich of Clarion to run in the fourth district, where Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra is running for reelection and Democrat Ryan Melton of Nevada is running a second time. Aldrich, an enginer who served in the Marines for four years, ran for a U-S House seat in 2018 and ran for the U-S Senate in 2016. He ran for a seat in the state legislature in 2022.

John Deere Classic opens Thursday

Sports

July 3rd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

With an eight million dolar pursue the John Deere Classic opens Thursday in the Quad Cities. George McNeilly reports.

Cedar Rapids native and 2012 winner Zach Johnson hopes to be in the hunt this week.

Lucas Glover won in 2021 and feels confident when he shows up to the tournament.

High School Baseball Scores from Wednesday

Sports

July 3rd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten
Glenwood 7, Atlantic 4
Creston 3, Shenandoah 0
Creston 7, St. Albert 6
Clarinda 2, Harlan 0
Red Oak 6, Nodaway Valley 1
Lewis Central 5, Kuemper Catholic 2

Western Iowa Conference
Council Bluffs Jefferson 7, Treynor 6
IKM/Manning 10, Ar-We-Va 0
Audubon 11, Glidden-Ralston 1

Raccoon River Conference
Boone 12, Newton 2
#9 Bondurant-Farrar 3, Carroll 0

Pride of Iowa Conference
Melcher-Dallas 8, Central Decatur 6

West Central Activities Conference
Panorama 8, Southwest Valley 1
ACGC 5, West Central Valley 2

High School Softball Scores from Wednesday

Sports

July 3rd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Hawkeye Ten 

St. Albert 11, Red Oak 1
St. Albert 21, Red Oak 0
Creston 4, Shenandoah 0
Atlantic 2, Glenwood 1

Western Iowa Conference

#4 Audubon 9, Glidden-Ralston 2

Rolling Valley Conference

Nodaway Valley 4, CAM 0
Southeast Valley 13, Coon Rapids-Bayard 2

Corner Conference 

Riverside 6, #13 Griswold 5

Raccoon River Conference

#10 Winterset 7, Boone 3
#1 Valley 5, #10 Winterset 1
#11 Bondurant-Farrar 2, Newton 1
#9 Carlisle 3, #2 Dallas Center-Grimes 2

West Central Activities Conference 

#1 Van Meter 10, Madrid 0
#1 Van Meter 13, Madrid 0

Hawkeyes Fall in Island Cup Challenge

Sports

July 3rd, 2024 by Asa Lucas

HENLEY-ON-THAMES – The University of Iowa women’s rowing team fell to a strong Edinburgh University “B” boat, who posted the fastest time of the day in the Island Cup Challenge on Wednesday.

Tough conditions on the Thames did not make it an easy race for either boat, but the Hawkeyes fought Edinburgh until the very end. Iowa led EU through the barrier with a time of 2:09, which put them in the top three fastest crews during the first section of the race.

Iowa’s Quad will race Twickenham R.C. & Trentham B.C. on Thursday.  For more information on draws, race times, and live streaming: https://www.hrr.co.uk.

First held in 1839, the event has been held annually ever since, with the exception of the years affected by the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally staged by the mayor and people of Henley as a public attraction with a fair and other amusements, the emphasis rapidly changed so that competitive amateur rowing became its main purpose. The Regatta took place on a single afternoon but proved so popular with oarsmen that the racing lasted for two days from 1840. Today, the regatta is staged for six days, ending on the first Sunday in July.

The Henley Royal Regatta is “the most prestigious regatta in the world,” according to its website. Races are held on the River Thames, one of London’s main attractions.

QUOTING HEAD COACH JEFF GARBUTT

“I’m extremely proud of how this group of women competed today on the water. They’ve done an incredible job of facing adversity this entire year and today was no different. Our nine women were aggressive and gutsy against a great boat. They represented the University of Iowa very well on this highly competitive stage.”