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Farm Bureau Scholarship applications accepted now through Jan. 31, 2024

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(West Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) will award 27 graduating high school seniors from Iowa (three from each of IFBF’s nine districts) a $2,500 scholarship each, renewable for four years (up to $10,000 per recipient). College and graduate students are not eligible to apply. IFBF President Brent Johnson says offering scholarships has been a long-standing program for the organization.

He says agriculture hinges on the passion and ingenuity of the next generation.

The scholarships give students interested in agriculture, but not sure which aspect they want to specialize in, the opportunity to explore the options.

Johnson says the scholarships aren’t just for farm kids.

Each of IFBF’s 100 county Farm Bureaus will select one application from their county to be considered for IFBF’s state scholarship.

To qualify for the IFBF scholarship renewal, the recipient must continue to meet the scholarship requirements annually. To learn more about IFBF eligibility requirements and guidelines, click here.

LARRY ALLEN, 79, of Logan (12-27-2023)

Obituaries

December 21st, 2023 by Jim Field

LARRY ALLEN, 79, of Logan died on December 19th at his home in Logan.   Funeral services for LARRY ALLEN will be held on Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Fouts Funeral Home in Woodbine.

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Visitation will be on Tuesday, December 26th from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Fouts Funeral Home in Woodbine.

Committal service will be at Wednesday, December 27th at 2:30 p.m. at the Union Cemetery, outside of Murray.

LARRY ALLEN is survived by:

Wife: Joelle Allen of Logan, Iowa

Children: Kimberly and Sean McIntyre of North Liberty; Krista Smith of Pleasant Hill; Kari Woodring of Independence, Kansas; Matthew and Anna Allen of Winterset

Sister: Patricia and Dan Burkey of Monroe, Washington

Sisters-in-law: Janet Harms of Wall Lake; Julie Huntley of Cheyenne, Wyoming

Hit-and-run in Glenwood causes $2,500 damage to an SUV

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood are investigating a hit-and-run property damage accident that took place sometime between 8-and 9-a.m., Wednesday (12/20/23). The owner of a 2013 Toyota RAV4 notified the police department about the incident, which took place in the parking lot the Glenwood McDonald’s restaurant. The SUV was parked in the lot earlier in the morning, Wednesday. When the owner came back, he noticed damage to the passenger side quarter panel of the vehicle, which – according to restaurant employees – was by a white truck that was pulling a horse trailer. The damage was estimated at $2,500.

Restaurant staff were contacted by Glenwood Police, who were expected to review surveillance images of the suspect vehicle.

3 arrested in Glenwood

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Three people were recently arrested on separate charges. Today (Thursday, 12/221), 59-year-old Raymond Price, of Missouri Valley, was arrested for Possession of a controlled substance, and poss. of drug paraphernalia. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,300. There were two arrests Wednesday, in Glenwood: 42-year-old Crystal Rowland, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear. Her cash-only bond was set at $2,000. And, 35-year-old Brittany Baker, of Glenwood, was arrested for driving under suspension. She posted a $300 bond and was released.

Farmland expert says development hasn’t impacted agriculture

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The development of housing and businesses has exploded in the last decade in many of the state’s metro areas, but a farmland expert says all the building hasn’t put much of a dent in agriculture. Peoples Company president Steve Bruere says central Iowa is a good example. “There’s 27 million crop acres in Iowa. And when you look at what’s happening around the Des Moines metro, there’s about three-thousand new homes being built a year. And so that takes about one thousand acres of development ground,” he says. Bruere says when you throw in commercial developments, that takes another one-thousand acres.

“Of course for farmers and people that grew up on a farm, it makes you sick to see some of these fields get turned into turned into houses,” Bruere says. “But from a statewide impact, you know, that 27 million acre figure versus the two thousand it’s not going to move the needle.” He says there will be some local impact on farming, especially if there are big chunks of land that are bought for data centers or other development.

“That’ll have an impact on the local market when you see those big transactions happen. But, you know, as far as food security and whatnot, it’s not as impactful as one might think,” according Bruere. His company producers an annual report that reviews all types of sales information and other factors for Iowa’s cropland. The survey this found farmland prices have held their own along with the rest of the country despite issues with the national economy.

Iowa’s congressional delegation blasts closure of Texas rail crossings

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The six Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House and Senate are calling on the Biden Administration to reopen rail crossings in Texas. The U-S Border Patrol suspended rail operations in Eagle Pass and El Paso on Monday to shift agents to process migrants crossing the border. Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant says those two rail crossings are critical to getting Iowa grain and agricultural exports to Mexico.  “That’s a third of all ag export coming out of the country to Mexico, our number one trading partner,” Nunn says. “…So at the same time we have a dumpster fire on immigration, now we’ve poured gasoline on it by saying we’re not going to allow Iowa corn to leave the country, but we’re going to allow unfettered access to illegal immigrants coming into the country.”

Iowa’s congressional delegation sent a letter to President Biden and the U-S Secretary of Homeland Security yesterday (Wednesday), calling the situation at the southern border grave. Nunn says the Biden Administration’s failure to secure the border is making things tougher for law enforcement in Iowa. “There is no strategy for curbing the amount of crime coming across the border,” Nunn says. “With the border incursion comes crime, comes fentanyl, comes human trafficking.”

Nunn met with local officers at the Davis County Law Enforcement Center in Bloomfield on Wednesday.

Ramaswamy to hit 99 counties, twice; blasts CO court decision

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he will withdraw from the Colorado Primary if former President Donald Trump isn’t on it. The Colorado Supreme Court this week declared Trump ineligible for office, citing Trump’s role in the January 6th, 2021 riot at the U-S Capitol. Ramaswamy says the Colorado ruling is based on a misinterpretation of the U-S Constitution.

“Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was made for people from parts of the Confederacy from being re-elected to a post-Civil War government,” Ramaswamy says, “so I always stand with the Constitution, not with a fake set of Democratic un-elected cabal of judges in a partisan vote in the state of Colorado interpreting our Constitution in a way that no federal judge would.”

Ramaswamy made his comments yesterday (Wednesday) during a stop in Hampton. He’s making stops in eight Iowa cities today (Thursday) and has said he’ll have visited each of Iowa’s 99 counties twice by early next year.

Exira-EHK School Board discusses Weight Room Renovation & facilities

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-Elk Horn/Kimballton School District’s Board of Education met in a regular monthly session, Tuesday night. The Board discussed updates with regard to the Exira weight room renovation. Superintendent Trevor Miller said they’re looking at other school districts offer their students and the community.

The total cost estimate is $421,000. Mr. Miller said the goal is to get construction started in about a year or so. During the facilities discussion, Superintendent Miller shared with the Board an update on potential projects at both the Elk Horn and Exira campuses.

Invision Architecture and Boyd Jones are working to provide anticipated costs for the projects. Miller says they hope to get going on those projects by next Summer. In other business, the Board approved the Fiscal Year 2022 Audit as presented. Mr. Miller said the audit revealed typical issues faced by many districts and government entities, but nothing substantial.

The FY23 audit just wrapped-up this week. The results won’t be available for several months. The Exira-EHK Board approved a snow removal bid from Duane Christofferson in the amount of $275 per snow incident. They also approved a MSA (Modified Supplemental Amount) for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention request to the SBRC of $160,211. And, the 2023-24 Early Notification Incentive for Early Retirement was approved as presented.

The Board approved the purchase of a used, 12 passenger van from Bob Brown Chevrolet, for $42,705. And, as we’ve previously mentioned, the Exira-EHK Board, Tuesday, approved a Superintendent Sharing Agreement with the Audubon Community School District. The Audubon School Board approved the agreement during their meeting Monday evening. The agreement means Trevor Miller will oversee both districts effective July 1, 2024.

The Board approved the resignations of a Food Service employee (Cindy Gries) and an Associate (Dee Hill-Gorger). They also approved the hiring of an Elementary Special Education Teacher (Riley Simpson).

Their regular next meeting is 5-p.m. January 16, 2024, in the High School Conference Room in Elk Horn.

Mills County Sheriff’s Dept. reports 2 arrests on Tuesday

News

December 21st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say two separate arrests took place, Tuesday morning (12/19/23). 43-year-old Renee Lynn Adams, of Hastings, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Bond was set at $1,000. And, 39-year-old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Villisca, was arrested in Fremont County, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $10,000.

Wednesday High School Basketball Scores

Sports

December 21st, 2023 by Asa Lucas

Games at the 12 Courts of Christmas in the Hy Vee Arena

Boy’s Basketball Scores:
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 86 Bishop Miege, 64
Kearney 64 Ballard, 55
Platte County 57 Creston, 56

Girls:
Creston 43 Hogan Prep, 27