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Corps: flooding risks along Missouri River remain high as water levels drop

News

August 24th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

While water levels on the flooded Missouri River are dropping, officials want safety awareness to remain high. This week’s rain prompted flash-flooding in southwest Iowa which led to building collapses, evacuations and daring rescues of trapped residents in the Council Bluffs area. Brigadier General John McMahon, of the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, says the public can’t let down its guard.

“I would caution everybody that we have to continue to be very vigilant in so far as the risks associated with this flooding,” General McMahon says. “The water is still high, it’s moving fast and there’s erosion and other effects. We’ve got to be vigilant in terms of how the levees, both the temporary and the permanent ones, are performing. We’re not out of the woods yet.” Releases of water from upriver reservoirs, like Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota, are being cut back daily. That process started last Friday and will continue through month’s end. Still, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard (DO-guard) warns that significant danger lurks as the release levels drop. He says the next week or so will be crucial.

“If there is going to be a catastrophic failure of any levee, it probably could occur during that time,” Governor Daugaard says. “We want to urge our citizens not to become complacent, which is easy to do, because they see the end in sight, the light at the end of the tunnel.” Daugaard says residents in all states along the Missouri River need to remain at the ready for potential risks.

“We really have to be careful as the subjacent weight of the water draws away, the super-saturated soils that make up those levees could slough,” he says. “It’s very important that we have vigilance on those levees during this next ten-day period and not allow our citizens to become complacent.” Iowa’s Governor Branstad met in Omaha last week with his counterparts from a half-dozen other Missouri River states to discuss avenues to prevent a repeat of the summer-long flooding. While the water has been high more than two months already, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says it could be October before the flooded waterway returns to normal.

“When you have a system this charged, it’s important for the public to know they always need to be careful,” Governor Nixon says. “We’ve lost a National Guardsman coming back from duty, we’ve lost a trooper that we’re still searching for. It’s a very dangerous river. Everybody out there should be well aware of the danger and the power of this much water moving this quickly. No, this is not over, not until it gets back inside its banks and it’s a long way from getting there.”

Releases from Gavins Point topped out around 160-thousand cubic feet per second (CFS) — or around one-point-one million gallons per second. By month’s end, the releases should be down to 90-thousand C-F-S. Those reductions will halt on September 1st, allowing the Corps to inspect the system’s levees and dams.

(Radio Iowa)

Branstad and Reynolds stop in Harlan

News

August 24th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad was in Harlan Tuesday, touting his administration’s accomplishments on the jobs front, and telling locals what else needs to be done to get more Iowans back to work. His visit was part of Branstad’s “Jobs for Iowa” tour, and are a continuation of the theme he and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds began before they were elected.

Speaking to a crowd of about 50 people at the Petersen Family Wellness Center in Harlan, Tuesday, Branstad said he wants to reduce commercial property taxes. He and Reynolds spelled out their accomplishments since taking office, such as getting a two-year budget passed during the contentious 2011 legislative session. But commercial property taxes were not reduced, and that’s something Branstad long has said he wanted done in order to stimulate economic development.

While the focus of Tuesday’s Town Hall meeting essentially focused on jobs and the economy, when it came time for questions from the audience, the first two pertained to education, and allowed the governor to promote his plans to attract better entry-level teachers and pay the best teachers more. He acknowledged it will cost more, especially in terms of teacher salaries, but Branstad added the state will make it harder to get into the teaching profession.

62-year old Paul Leinen, of Harlan, the former owner of a farm supply store in Portsmouth, asked Branstad about government regulations. Branstad said he had replaced many of the top people in state government departments, such as the Department of Natural Resources, and expects them to work in a more collaborative manner than their predecessors had. Leinen told the Omaha World-Herald afterward, that he was pleased with the governor’s response, because it’s a “Step in the right direction.”

Branstad and Reynolds are scheduled to tour western Iowa through Thursday, with “Jobs for Iowa” public meetings scheduled for today in Rock Rapids, Sibley and Primghar; and tomorrow (Thursday) in Cherokee, Storm Lake, Pocahontas and Rockwell City.

Red Oak woman arrested on warrant

News

August 24th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A Red Oak woman was arrested this (Wednesday) morning on a warrant for probation revocation. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department says 49-year old Kelly L. Beaver was taken into custody without incident a little after 2-a.m., at her residence in Red Oak.

Beaver was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where she was being held on $5,000 bond.

Bugs Badgering Ballplayers Just Part of the Game

Sports

August 23rd, 2011 by Jim Field

     ST. LOUIS (AP) – The moth that forced Matt Holliday from the outfield is done causing mischief. What remained of the offending bug was tucked inside a sandwich bag,  perfect for TV cameras and for the St. Louis Cardinals’ star to show it off around the clubhouse.  Holliday was joking around Tuesday, one day after the insect flew deep inside his right ear during in the eighth inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, of course, it’s a laughing matter, just the latest critter at the ballpark.  After all, midges, mosquitoes and grasshoppers have pestered players in the past.  But this latest call of the wild was something even manager Tony La Russa couldn’t remember seeing before.  It took 10 minutes to get the moth out of Holliday’s ear in the clubhouse. First, the trainers tried turning off all the lights hoping it would come out on its own. Then came the tweezers.

Controversial Cy-Hawk Trophy Will be Replaced

Sports

August 23rd, 2011 by Jim Field

  The new Cy-Hawk trophy that was supposed to be given to the victor of the Iowa State-Iowa football game September 10th is going the way of the state’s touchplay machines. The trophy which features a farm family around a basket of corn, was unveiled by the Iowa Corn Growers Association and representatives of the two schools Saturday. But Corn Growers Association C-E-O Craig Floss says fans were not impressed.  “We have received an overwhelming amount of feedback on the new trophy that was unveiled last week at the Iowa State Fair,” Floss said, “We’ve had both positive and negative comments, but I would be remiss to not mention that the overwhelming amount of feedback has been negative.” Floss appeared with representatives of the two schools today (Tuesday) to pull the plug after five days.  “We are announcing that we are changing the trophy as was unveiled last week, and we are going to open up a process that is going to allow Iowans — the fans — to decide what that trophy should be like,” Floss said. Floss said they had sought to create a trophy that representative of the entire Cy-Hawk series between the schools and not just the football game. He says they “missed the mark.”  He says based on what they have heard, they are going to develop several concepts and then let the fans which concept to use to develop a trophy. Iowa State associate athletic director, Steve Malchow, says the creation of the trophy has been wrongly portrayed as Iowa Corn wanting to design the new trophy in exchange for its sponsorship of the series.  Malchow says each of the schools had received considerable input about changing the trophy, and the change to Iowa Corn as the sponsor of the series simply provided the right time to make the change. He says they are eager to move ahead and create a new trophy that is more representative of the “states marquee sporting event, the Iowa State-Iowa football game.” Iowa associate athletic director, Rick Klatt also said the criticism aimed at the corn growers was unwarranted.  Klatt says “unfortunately our partner in the project, Iowa Corn has shouldered most of the burden of the criticism.” He says both schools and Iowa corn collaborated in the development of the trophy and that story has been told incorrectly. Klatt was asked if there had been any fan input before the new trophy was developed.  Klatt says the answer is “no” as it would have been a greater challenge with more input, “The honest answer is that we didn’t consult with season ticket holders or donors are any particular constituency group.” The new trophy will not be given out at the September 10th game, but Floss says they will develop an interim trophy to hand out to the winning team until the revamped trophy is ready. Floss says you can find out more about giving input for the trophy at the Iowa Corn Growers Association website, or at the websites of the two schools.

Rams-Chiefs Game to Benefit Joplin Recovery

Sports

August 23rd, 2011 by Jim Field

     KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Rams will use Friday night’s preseason game at Arrowhead Stadium to benefit the tornado recovery efforts in Joplin, Mo.  The city was devastated by a tornado on May 22 that killed more than 150 people and caused an estimated $2 billion in damage.  Joplin is only now finishing debris removal and turning its attention to rebuilding its infrastructure.  The Chiefs and Rams both visited the town to assist in the recovery effort his summer.  They plan to recognize rescue teams and volunteers on Friday night, along with collecting donations from fans. About 500 volunteers and residents of Joplin will attend the game, and the coaching staffs will wear special shirts and hats to raise awareness of the recovery effort.

Syngenta sues grain elevator over biotech corn ban

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 23rd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Seed maker Syngenta is suing a grain elevator operator that has banned the company’s biotech corn. Bunge North America, which operates grain elevators across North America, including one in Council Bluffs, recently posted notices that it would not accept corn planted with Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera seed. In the lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, St. Louis-based Bunge said the seed has not been approved for export to China.

“We are surprised and disappointed that Syngenta has taken an action which could put at risk a major export market for U.S. corn producers,” St. Louis-based Bunge said in a statement Tuesday. Minnesota-based Syngenta claims Bunge violated federal and state laws and that the seed has been approved for shipment to other international markets, including Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico and Korea.

Syngenta spokesman Chuck Lee said only 1 percent of the nation’s corn crop will be exported to China this year. Bunge said it will accept Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera seed once it is approved by China.

“Until this approval occurs, we must protect the integrity of our export supply chain by not accepting Agrisure Viptera and other varieties that do not have major export market approval,” the company said in its statement. “Our obligation to our farmers is to provide access to the global marketplace and the price benefits of that access. Syngenta’s decision to commercialize Agrisure Viptera should not foreclose our ability to sell to a major market – China,” the company said.

China is currently the seventh largest importer of U.S. corn, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Basement collapses from flooding reported in Council Bluffs

News

August 23rd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Monday morning’s storm that dumped 4 to 7 inches of rain across western Iowa is causing more trouble for residents of Council Bluffs. Public Information Officer Don Gross says several homes are not livable right now due to collapsed basements. “As of today (Tuesday) , seven homes have had basement collapses that have been severe enough that they have had to evacuate their homes,” Gross said. All of the affected homes are on the west side of Council Bluffs, which was hit the hardest by the flash flooding. The city is also dealing with a collapsed sanitary sewer, which could take up to two weeks to repair. There is some good news – most of the streets that were closed by the flooding are back open.

“There are a few spots that still have a little bit of water on them, but most of the water has receded,” Gross said. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin toured the flood stricken area of Council Bluffs Tuesday. The Council Bluffs recycling center is accepting tree debris free of charge to city residents until further notice.

(Radio Iowa)

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24th

Trading Post

August 23rd, 2011 by Jim Field

WANTED: A good running vehicle that cost around 500.00….Please call Jenny @ 712-254-3276.

FOR SALE: Motorola W385 and Motorola W755 asking $100 for both. Call 712-762-3400.

FOR SALE: Two Sony Surround Sound systems asking $275 for both.  Call 712-762-3400.

FOR SALE: Brand new in box GemOro Ultrasteam jewelry cleaner – paid $380, asking $300.  Call 712-762-3400

WANTED: Looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom house , trailer or apartment near or around Atlantic or Avoca. Rent needs to be around 425.00 a month and must allow pets (we have a small dog he’s around 12 pounds, he’s house trained and is a very good dog). Please call Jenny @ 712-254-3276.

FOR SALE: 10 drawer dresser: 6 big drawers & 4 small drawers $25; entertainment center $10. 243-1218

FOR SALE: Twin loft bed, wooden, $75.  Entertainment center, honey oak color (pressed laminate), small glass doors, Opening 37″, 46 3/4″ W, 15″ deep, 54″ tall $40.  Set of living room lamps brass/gold look on the base. $20.  Call Lora @ 563-451-9210 or email ljs242000@yahoo.com pictures of everything!

FREE: 2 full grown cats, 2 years old, 1 gray, 1 multi-colored. Both are spayed/neutered and declawed, full bag of cat foot, litter box, and litter. 249-8602.

WANTED: Wide front end for WD Allis – Chalmers tractora nd a radiator for same. 641-788-2167 call after 6 pm.

FOR SALE: Full pickup of firewood. 778-4672

FREE: men’s pants 32×32, 612 W. 6th St. 243-2538

ISU Fans Will Love 2010-2011 Wrestling Schedule

Sports

August 23rd, 2011 by Jim Field

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State’s 2011-2012 wrestling schedule is the Cyclones’ best in memory.  For the first time in years, the Cyclones will grapple with Big 12 opponents Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Missouri at home and on the road. Iowa State will play host to intrastate rival Iowa in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series at 2 p.m. Dec. 4 in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones will also host a National Duals Regional Feb. 12 that will feature six of the nation’s top teams.

“Our fans know wrestling and this schedule provides them the opportunity to see the nation’s top teams,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “In addition to seeing all of our conference rivals, the schedule includes Iowa and Northern Iowa, Virginia Tech and Cornell. We want to be the nation’s premier wrestling program and you can’t do that if your wrestlers don’t wrestle the best.”

The home season begins Nov. 13 with the Harold Nichols Open in Hilton Coliseum. Big 12 foes Oklahoma State and Oklahoma come to Ames, on Nov. 25 and Nov. 27, respectively. Missouri is in Ames Jan. 8, Virginia Tech comes to Hilton Jan. 13, and on Jan. 29 2011 national runner-up Cornell makes an appearance in Hilton Coliseum. The home schedule will include a NWCA National/Cliff Keen National Duals regional, which includes Iowa, Virginia Tech, Northern Iowa, Oregon State and Wisconsin.

The Cyclones will also be tested on the road, starting with a Nov. 6 triangular against Army and Boston in Boston, Mass. On Nov. 20 the team will travel to Norfolk, Va. to take on Old Dominion before going on a month-long road schedule that includes Minnesota on Dec. 9, Missouri on Dec. 18, the Midlands Championships on the Dec. 29-30, before wrapping up the road stretch Jan. 3 in Tempe, Ariz. against Arizona State.

Iowa State will travel to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners on Jan. 20 and the Cowboys on Jan. 22 before finishing the regular dual season with a short trip to Cedar Falls to take on Northern Iowa.

Post season action begins with the Big 12 Championship March 3 in Columbia, Mo. The 2012 NCAA Championships are March 15-17 in St. Louis.

(ISU press release)