United Group Insurance

State Fair opens with unveiling of butter sculpture

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Duffy tribute - Butter Sculpture

A massive sculpture made of more than 12-hundred (1,200) pounds of butter was unveiled this (Thursday) morning as part of the opening ceremonies for the 2011 Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. It’s located in the Ag Building near the famous life-sized butter cow which has now been part of the Fair for 100 years. The Fair’s “butter cow lady,” Sarah Pratt, also created the surprise sculpture which includes a cow and a young boy teaching a calf to nurse. It’s placed on a turntable so the entire sculpture rotates 360 degrees.

“Some people might know, but I’ll let out the secret, the other cow isn’t completely finished all the way around. It’s only finished on the parts that you can see from outside. So, I was excited to be able to do a sculpture that everyone could see from all sides,” Pratt said. The sculpture, located behind glass in a 42-degree cooler, pays tribute to Norma “Duffy” Lyon – who served as the Fair’s “butter cow lady” for 45 years. Lyon passed away earlier this year at the age of 81. Pratt says she was inspired by a story about how Norma met her husband Joe. Their first meeting involved a minor argument about Norma chasing a butterfly. The sculpture includes a young Norma Lyon with a butterfly in her hand.

“To me, it signifies her curious spirit and her love of all living things. But also, just that spirit that embodies the Fair of curiousity and learning and exploring,” Pratt said. “So, I hope when people are on the fairgrounds and they see a butterfly they might remember Norma.” The 34-year-old Pratt, who’s from Norwalk, learned the art of butter sculpting from Lyon and took over the role of the Fair’s “butter cow lady” in 2006. She spent three weeks working on the sculpture revealed this morning.

“Because it rotates and people can see it from all different angles, there was a lot of consideration taken into all the angles. And because it was all done in secrecy, it made it difficult to come outside and view the sculpture,” Pratt said. “Now that I can see it from outside, I think there are some things I might go in and fix up a little bit.” A long line of people stretched throughout the Ag Building this morning as fairgoers waited to see the butter cow and Pratt’s sculpture of Lyon.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa State Fair seeks Omaha customers

News

August 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Midway rides at the IA State Fair

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The Iowa State Fair is spending more money to draw Omaha customers than the Nebraska State Fair as organizers continue their efforts to attract more Omaha-area fairgoers. The Iowa State Fair is spending $125,000 to advertise in Omaha this year, which represents about 20 percent of its total advertising and production budget. Iowa’s campaign includes print and broadcast advertising, seven Omaha billboards and another in Council Bluffs. Officials say their efforts, which began in 2010, are paying off.

Iowa fair marketing director Lori Chappell says roughly 15 percent of Iowa fairgoers came from the Omaha area last year. The Iowa State Fair kicks off today (Thursday) and runs through Aug.21st.

Backyard and Beyond 08-11-2011

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

August 11th, 2011 by admin

Lavon speaks about what to do with plants in August.

Play

Griswold man wins top prize in the IA lottery’s “MONOPOLY” instant-scratch game

News

August 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Craig Leighton, of Griswold

Officials with the Iowa Lottery say a Cass County man has claimed the top prize in the “Monopoly” instant-scratch ticket game. Craig Leighton, from Griswold, claimed his $50,000 prize last Friday at the Iowa Lottery’s regional office in Council Bluffs. He’d purchased his winning ticket at a convenience store in Council Bluffs.

MONOPOLY is a $5 scratch game. Players win a prize by matching any of “your numbers” to any of the “winning numbers.” If they find the “top hat” symbol they win double the prize shown. There are also three bonus areas where players can win $10, $25 or $50 instantly. Seventeen top prizes are still up for grabs in MONOPOLY as well as 266 prizes of $1,000, more than 1,060 prizes of $200 and more than 2,650 prizes of $100.

Since the lottery’s start in 1985, its players have won more than $2.7 billion in prizes while the lottery has raised more than $1.3 billion for the state programs that benefit all Iowans.

Lottery proceeds in Iowa have three main purposes: They provide support for veterans, help for a variety of significant projects through the state General Fund, and backing for the Vision Iowa program.

9AM Newscast 08-11-2011

News, Podcasts

August 11th, 2011 by admin

w/ Ric Hanson

Play

8AM Sportscast 08-11-2011

Podcasts, Sports

August 11th, 2011 by admin

w/ Jim Field

Play

Heartbeat Today 08-11-2011

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

August 11th, 2011 by admin

Jim talks about the wide variety of food options at the Iowa State Fair.

Play

7AM Newscast 08-11-2011

News, Podcasts

August 11th, 2011 by admin

w/ Ric Hanson

Play

Public meetings this evening in Villisca over whole grade sharing

News

August 11th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The first of a series of meetings will be held this evening with regard to options for whole grade sharing between the Villisca and Stanton, and Villisca and Corning Community School Districts. The first session, a joint meeting between the Villisca and Stanton School Boards, takes place in the Villisca High School gymnasium, beginning at 7:30- p.m. That will be followed by a similar meeting between the Villisca and Corning districts, at 8:35, also in the Villisca High School gym.

During both meetings, members of an educational consulting group from the University of Northern Iowa will present the results of feasibility studies conducted between Villisca and Stanton and Villisca and Corning School Districts. Villisca Superintendent Willie Stone says the studies will outline options for wholegrade sharing between the districts.

Tonight’s public meetings are the first of several planned with regard to whole grade sharing. They’re designed to help the school boards make a more informed decision on how to proceed with their plans for the future.

After the respective presentations with regard to the feasibility studies, members of the public in attendance at the meetings, will have three minutes each to make comments, or ask questions.

This is Your Nishna Valley 08-07-2011

Podcasts, This is Your Nishna Valley

August 11th, 2011 by admin

w/ Jim Field and Stacie Linfor

Play