United Group Insurance

Inspection reports show violations at Iowa egg farms

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A investigation by the Des Moines Register has revealed safeguards at some Iowa egg production facilities remain inadequate, one-year after salmonella sickened at least 1,600 people and led to the recall of a half-billion eggs. The paper reported in its Sunday edition, Iowa egg producers don’t have to disclose salmonella test results to state or federal regulators, egg farms are told days in advance about inspections, federal regulators don’t fine or close egg farms where violations are found and some egg farms refuse to tell government inspectors what brands their eggs are sold under.

One of the egg farms mentioned in the article, was Southwest Iowa Egg, in Massena. During a visit by FDA inspectors four-months ago, the co-op was noted for four violations. Inspectors found the company was not: following its own protocol for preventing salmonella; was failing to review internal plant records as required; was failing to properly document cleaning, disinfecting and efforts to control flied and rodents; and, maintained no records documenting the number of hours eggs were stored on site before being shipped out. The FDA give company officials a poster detailing some of the regulations pertaining to egg production, but imposed no penalties.

In an interview to air 7:30-a.m. Monday on KJAN’s “Heartbeat Today,” with Jim Field, Rich Hall, General Manager of Southwest Iowa Egg says the company has a bio-security plan in place to prevent salmonella from forming at the facility. He says when facility first opened, they allowed tours, but that practice was stopped not long thereafter, to prevent contamination, and provide for a safe product that’s shipped to the consumer.

Hall says the violations were tied to the manner in which paperwork was maintained by the company. He says the documentation is there, but officials with the FDA thought information pertaining to rodent and fly activity should be on separate logs. He says for the past three-years, the birds are vaccinated for salmonella, which is not required. In addition, their facilities have been tested twice, once by the FDA, and a second time by an independent lab. No evidence of salmonella was ever found.

Hall says their new security plan was developed when eggs produced at another Iowa farm were recalled in August 2010, following an investigation into the salmonella outbreak that affected more than two-dozen states. He says they hired a veterinary consultant to help develop the plan, and have implemented that plan according to its interpretation. Hall says they discussed the paperwork issues mentioned by the FDA, and have made modifications to comply with the recommendations.

Hall says an audit in July of the cooperative’s north facility, did not reveal any problems with documentation. Another area egg production facility, Rose Acre Farms, in Guthrie Center, was inspected in April, but the process was aborted when officials discovered that birds in one of the henhouses had been diagnosed by the company, with a viral infection that is harmful to hens, but poses no risks to humans. The diagnosis was not reported to the state veterinarian, as required by law. The veterinarian advised the FDA not to re-enter the farm or any other facilities for at least five days, following the Rose Acre inspection. Officials with Rose Acre Farms say the FDA did complete its inspection, and no action was taken against the company for failing to report the disease, or refusing to provide the requested information about it.

Hall says Southwest Iowa Egg has made significant improvements to its documentation processes, based on discussion with the FDA. Iowa is the nation’s leading egg producer, with 57 million hens laying 14 billion eggs per year.

CHARLES “BUD” STEWART, 84, of Panora (svcs 8-31-11)

Obituaries

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

CHARLES “BUD” STEWART, 84, of Panora, died Sat., Aug. 27th, at Lexington Place, in Keokuk, IA. Funeral services for “BUD” STEWART will be held 10:30-a.m. Wed., Aug. 31st, at the Twigg Funeral Home, in Panora.

Visitation at the funeral home will take place one-hour prior to the service, Wednesday.

Burial will be in the West Cemetery at Panora.

(update 10:10-a.m. 8-29-11) Two injured in Saturday rollover accident

News

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says a Neola man remains in serious condition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, following a rollover accident Saturday morning, in Neola. Danker says 38-year old Daniel Colton , of Neola, was transported to the hospital by Neola Rescue, after the vehicle he was a passenger in rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its top in a yard at 514 Front Street in Neola, at around 2:15-a.m., Saturday. 

The driver of the 2011 Chevy Cruze, 37-year old Craig Wiggins, of rural Council Bluffs,  told investigators he had swerved to miss a deer on northbound Railroad Highway, just before the accident occurred. Wiggins suffered what were described as “non-life threatening injuries,” and was transported by Underwood Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs.   Rescuers worked for about 30-minutes to free both men from wreckage.

Danker says a blood test was conducted to determine if alcohol was a factor in the crash, but the results of the test are currently not available.  Charges are pending the results the blood alcohol test.

ROBERT SCHILTZ, 63, of Defiance (svcs 8-29-11)

Obituaries

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ROBERT SCHILTZ, 63, of Defiance, died Thu., Aug. 25th, at Lakeside Hospital. A Mass of Christian Burial service for ROBERT SCHILTZ will be held 10:30-a.m. Mon., Aug. 29th, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at the church is from 1-9pm Sun., Aug. 28th, with the family present from 5-8pm, & a Wake service at 7-pm.

Burial will be in the St. Joseph’s Cemetery.

Robert Schiltz is survived by:

His mother – Benita (Bissen) Schultz, of Earling.

His sons – Scott (Jill) Schiltz, of Earling; Steve Schiltz & fiance’ Kim Ekdahl,  Danny (Dana) Schiltz, David (Shannon) Schiltz, and Brad Schiltz, all of Omaha, NE.

His brothers:- Tony (Helen) Schiltz, of Davenport; Gene (Marian) Schiltz, of Des Moines, & Jim (Mel) Schiltz, of Bellevue, NE.

His sisters – JoAnn (Tony) Allegretti, of San Jose, CA; & Mary (Delmer) Powell, of Omaha.

13 grandchildren.

ANDREW T. “ANDY” SHUTTERS, 29, of Council Bluffs (svcs 8-29-11)

Obituaries

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

ANDREW T. “ANDY” SHUTTERS, 29, of Council Bluffs, died Thu., Aug. 25th at Creighton Medical Center in Omaha, NE, following an automobile accident. Funeral services for ANDY SHUTTERS will be held 10:30-a.m. Mon., Aug. 29th, at the Faith Community Church in Red Oak. Nelson-Boylan-LaRett Funeral Chapel in Red Oak has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family present, will be from 6-8pm Sun., Aug. 28th, at the funeral home.

Burial will be in the Hanock, IA, Cemetery.

Memorials are suggested to the family.

ANDY SHUTTERS is survived by:

Amanda Dahl & her daughter McKenzie, of Council Bluffs.

His parents – Charlie (Cheryel) Shutters, of Red Oak.

His brother – Aaron Shutters, of Red Oak.

His sister – Amber Shutters, of Red Oak.

His grandmother – Cora Travis, of Corning.

Other relatives, & friends

HERMA LUCILLE WILSON, 94, of Harlan (svcs 8-30-11)

Obituaries

August 28th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

HERMA LUCILLE WILSON, 94, of Harlan, died Fri., Aug. 26th, at the Elm Crest Assisted Living Facility in Harlan. Funeral services for HERMA WILSON will be held 1-p.m. Tue., Aug. 30th, at the Persia Methodist Church. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation is from 6-9pm Mon., Aug. 29th at the funeral home, with the family present from 6-8pm.

Burial is in the Valley View Cemetery in Persia.

HERMA WILSON is survived by:

Her sons – John J. Wilson, of Mesa, AZ, & Jerry (Jill) Wilson, of Yankton, SD.

Her daughter – Jan Wilson, of Persia.

15 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren, & 6 great-great grandchildren.

Man dies after falling 40 feet from Bluffs parking garage

News

August 27th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs police say a 23-year-old man has died after he apparently jumped 40 feet from the top floor of a parking garage. Police and fire and rescue squads responded to the Omni Center early Friday morning after a man was found unconscious near the parking garage. Bronson Babcock, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police say they believe he jumped from the top of the parking garage. They say a vehicle registered to him was found on the top floor and his billfold was found near the ledge. An autopsy has been scheduled at the state medical examiner’s office.

Atlantic Student Maren McNees Speaks at National Elks Convention

News

August 27th, 2011 by Jim Field

Click on the link below to view the speech Maren McNees made at the Elks National Convention in July in Phoenix, Arizona.  She spoke in a convention center about a block in size in front of between 4,500 and 5,000 people. Maren is the 15 year old daughter of Mark and Bobbi Jo McNees and a student at Atlantic High School.  She pledged as her new years resolution to do a good deed for someone every day.  Her speech is a motivational one with that theme.

http://www.elks.org/dap/NewsStory.cfm?StoryID=71286#.TlcIqAILYXE.email

High School Football Scores – August 26

Sports

August 27th, 2011 by Jim Field

  • Denison-Schleswig 20, Atlantic 14
  • Sergeant Bluff-Luton 16, Glenwood 12
  • Creston 30, Chariton 7
  • Norwalk 7, Winterset 6
  • Underwood 33, Shenandoah 0
  • Clarinda 35, Red Oak 0
  • Des Moines Christian 29, Pella Christian 17
  • Carroll 44, Kuemper Catholic 18
  • Logan-Magnolia 39, Missouri Valley 0
  • OA-BCIG 50, Ridge View 33
  • JSPC 17, Perry 7
  • Nodaway Valley 19, A-H-S-T 6
  • Griswold 49, Corning 14
  • Tri-Center 48, Riverside 7
  • Exira-EHK 27, Audubon 8
  • IKM-Manning 21, Treynor 0
  • Martensdale-St. Mary’s 42, Clarinda Academy 0
  • West Central Valley 48, Earlham 20
  • Panorama 30, Guthrie Center 6
  • Dowling Catholic 44, Thomas Jefferson 7
  • Johnston 28, Abraham Lincoln 0

Class 8-Player

  • East Mills 63, Adair-Casey 26
  • Fremont-Mills 56, East Union 8
  • Sidney 67, Heartland Christian 8
  • CAM 47, Villisca 12
  • Nishnabotna 34, Lamoni 32
  • Stanton 50, Lenox 12
  • Glidden-Ralston 62, Grandview Park Baptist 21
  • Kingsley-Pierson 47, Ar-We-Va 6
  • Northeast Hamilton 56, Coon Rapids-Bayard 20
  • River Valley 70, Charter Oak-Ute 28
  • Boyer Valley 61, Whiting 0
  • Moravia 76, Ankeny Christian 21

Hyde Remains at Safety on Iowa Depth chart

Sports

August 26th, 2011 by Jim Field

     IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa junior Micah Hyde will start the season as a safety, according to the latest depth chart for the Sept. 3 opener against Tennessee Tech.  Hyde, who played his first two seasons at cornerback, will start at free safety with Collin Sleeper listed at strong safety.  Greg Castillo has earned a starting nod at cornerback in place of Hyde, and sophomore Christian Kirksey is starting at linebacker.  The Hawkeyes will need another week of practice to sort out whether Thomas Nardo or Dominic Alvis will start alongside Mike Daniels at defensive tackle.  Quarterback A.J. Derby and John Wienke are listed as co-backups to James Vandenberg.  The Hawkeyes haven’t disclosed who’ll be returning kicks against the Golden Eagles.