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Agri-giant: DuPont-Dow merger gets Justice Dept approval

Ag/Outdoor

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The U.S. Justice Department has approved the merger of DuPont and Dow Chemical, but with the condition that some crop protection products be sold off. Critics have complained the merger will increase costs for farmers by reducing competition in the seed and farm chemical markets. The Justice Department’s conditions for the merger call for the sale of DuPont’s Finesse herbicide for winter wheat and an insecticide used in fruit and vegetable crops. DuPont acquired Iowa-based Pioneer Hybrid in 1999 and there were fears last year that Pioneer facilities in Johnston might be closed.

However, DuPont shifted some jobs from Delaware to Iowa and made the Pioneer campus in Johnston a hub for crop research and its seed business. Senator Chuck Grassley had been among those raising some concerns about the DuPont and Dow Chemical merger and he’s vowing to “keep a close eye on” mergers within the agriculture industry, but Grassley says forcing the companies to sell off parts of their businesses maintains “a more fair and open marketplace” for farmers.

But Grassley adds that farmers — and consumers — are “rightly…on edge” about agribusiness mergers. The Justice Department continues to review another proposed agribusiness merger. Germany’s Bayer hopes to take over Monsanto and become one of the world’s largest agriculture conglomerates.

(Radio Iowa)

International farmers group arrives in IA for week of tours, w/stops in Anita & Bridgewater

Ag/Outdoor, News

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

An international delegation of ten farmers and ag industry leaders from as far away as Australia and New Zealand is arriving in Iowa today (Friday) to spend a week studying the Iowa way of life. Ed Kee, Delaware’s former Secretary of Agriculture, is now president of Nuffield American. “Nuffield International is a group that sponsors significant travel for young farmers from different countries to go around the world and learn about agriculture in those countries,” Kee says. “They travel 16 weeks divided over a year’s time to do that work.”

That work includes compiling an in-depth report on their experiences. Kee is no stranger to Iowa as he’s had a long working relationship with Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey. “It’s a real treat for me to help these people from these different countries to visit Iowa,” Kee says. “Secretary Northey and his department have been a big help in arranging it but as we did that, the Iowa farmers, the Iowa agribusiness people are so welcoming and encouraging.”

Members of the delegation were expected tol begin their tour meeting with Secretary Northey today. “The group is interacting with the different farm organizations and commodity leaders to really start off trying to understand Iowa agriculture,” Kee says. “The most exciting thing is just getting out on the farms, interacting with different agribusinesses, different farmers.”

The tour will include stops on farms and tours of agricultural industries in the Des Moines area as well as Ames, Anita, Bridgewater, Sigourney, Nevada and Ellsworth. They’ll also take in an Iowa Cubs game in Des Moines, the first baseball game for many of them. Ag officials participating in the tour are from Australia, Brazil, England, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

(Radio Iowa)

Audubon Police report (6/16)

News

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

(Corrected arrest dates) Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports three people were arrested recently. Thursday, 18-year old Travis Theodore Wolff, and 31-year old Spencer Gordon Heuton, both of Audubon, were arrested for Disorderly Conduct.

And, on Tuesday, 49-year old Jeffrey Robert Albert, of Kimballton, was arrested for Driving While Suspended.

All three individuals were subsequently released on a promise to appear (later) in court.

Iowa hospital hit by computer hacker using ‘ransomware’

News

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Waverly, IA (Radio Iowa) — Hackers hit the Waverly Health Center Wednesday night. Hospital computers began showing signs of irregularities about 5:00 p.m. Heather Solheim, the hospital’s director of community relations, says by early evening it was clear a cyberattack was underway. “By seven o’clock we had disconnected all of our systems, recognizing that we had a significant virus within our entire information systems,” Solheim says.

Solheim says the hospital’s “incident reaction team” was activated. “All of our incident command positions started really just taking care of the projects that we needed to do, making sure that patient safety was our number one priority,” Solheim says, “and determining what types of services we were able to continue offering.”

The ransomware hacker demanded money in order to free up the hospital’s computers. Solheim says fortunately, the hospital’s data is encrypted so the hacker did NOT have access to patient information. “This issue was unsual in that Microsoft had not recognized this virus before,” Solheim says, “so there really were no safeguards to prevent it from getting in our system.”

Healthcare has become a particularly attractive target for ransomware hackers. A group of free standing cancer treatment centers in Florida was subject to a ransomware attack in 2016. The computers at the Waverly Health Center are expected to be virus free sometime today (Friday).

Griswold’s Topham commits to Hawkeye Community College

Sports

June 16th, 2017 by admin

Photo from Griswold School District Facebook Page

Griswold senior cross country and track and field runner Joanna Topham announced this week that she will continue her running career at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo.

Topham had a strong senior year that propelled her to the opportunity to continue running at the next level. Topham took place medals in the 1500 and 3000 meter runs at the state track meet this season.

Topham will join brand new programs at Hawkeye CC for both cross country and track and field. She’ll join schoolmate David Thompson who also is joining the new programs for the Redtails.

(Podcast) KJAN 8-a.m. News, 6/16/2017

News, Podcasts

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Play

Heartbeat Today 06/16/2017

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

June 16th, 2017 by admin

Jim Field speaks with Elizabeth Tobak and Cody Reineke discuss the local start-up of a Special Olympics team. The organizational meeting will be held Thursday, June 22nd at 5:30pm at the Atlantic Pizza Ranch.

Play

(Podcast) KJAN Morning Sports report, 6/16/2017

Podcasts, Sports

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast w/Chris Parks.

Play

(Podcast) KJAN Morning News & funeral report, 6/16/2017

News, Podcasts

June 16th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Play

IGHSAU High School Softball Rankings 6/15/2017

Sports

June 16th, 2017 by admin

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their latest softball rankings late Thursday.

2017 Iowa High School Softball Rankings
Thursday, June 15

Class 1A

School Record LW
1 Kee 15-0 1
2 Akron-Westfield 15-1 2
3 Martensdale-St. Marys 16-1 3
4 Newell-Fonda 16-5 4
5 AGWSR 15-4 7
6 West Sioux 12-5 6
7 Clarksville 14-0 14
8 North Butler 12-3 5
9 Westwood 15-8 8
10 Murray 14-4 10
11 Colfax-Mingo 12-7 11
12 Lynnville-Sully 12-5 9
13 Sigourney 12-7 13
14 Belle Plaine 11-4 15
15 Woodbury Central 14-8 NR

Dropped Out: Wayne (12)

Class 2A

1 North Union 16-2 1
2 Interstate-35 15-2 2
3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 19-4 3
4 Durant 15-3 4
5 CMB 16-4 7
6 Columbus Catholic 14-3 8
7 Iowa City Regina 12-7 6
8 Pella Christian 13-2 9
9 Central Springs 16-3 5
10 Logan-Magnolia 18-2 10
11 Alta-Aurelia 16-1 11
12 Lisbon 16-3 12
13 Louisa-Muscatine 15-1 NR
14 Treynor 12-2 14
15 BCLUW 14-5 15

Dropped Out: Highland (13)

Class 3A

1 Davenport Assumption 22-1 1
2 Humboldt 14-1 5
3 Sioux Center 11-2 7
4 Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley 15-2 2
5 Solon 15-5 4
6 Atlantic 17-3 3
7 Beckman Catholic 19-4 8
8 Mount Vernon 17-7 9
9 Center Point-Urbana 12-4 10
10 West Marshall 17-0 14
11 West Delaware 17-5 6
12 Spirit Lake 16-5 15
13 Algona 11-3 NR
14 Albia 14-4 NR
15 Cherokee 13-5 12

Dropped Out: PCM (11), Union (13)

Class 4A

1 Benton 19-2 2
2 Fairfield 18-3 1
3 Ballard 18-3 4
4 Winterset 17-3 5
5 Bishop Heelan 19-1 6
6 Oskaloosa 13-7 3
7 Perry 15-4 7
8 Mount Pleasant 16-4 9
9 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 15-5 8
10 Boone 14-5 12
11 Burlington 11-11 10
12 ADM 11-10 11
13 Carlisle 11-8 13
14 Denison-Schleswig 18-2 NR
15 Des Moines Hoover 12-5 NR

Dropped Out: Charles City (14), Keokuk (15)

Class 5A

1 Waukee 17-1 1
2 West Des Moines Valley 18-3 3
3 Urbandale 15-2 4
4 Johnston 19-2 5
5 Cedar Rapids Jefferson 20-3 2
6 Pleasant Valley 15-6 6
7 Davenport West 14-4 7
8 Cedar Rapids Kennedy 16-4 8
9 Indianola 18-3 9
10 Dubuque Hempstead 15-5 11
11 Dowling Catholic 10-5 10
12 Muscatine 17-4 13
13 Bettendorf 11-6 15
14 Southeast Polk 12-7 NR
15 Cedar Rapids Prairie 15-6 NR

Dropped Out: Fort Dodge (12), Ottumwa (14)