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Bigger corn surplus could slow food inflation

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

WASHINGTON (AP) – Food prices could rise more slowly next year because farmers have a bigger surplus of corn on hand than previously thought. The Department of Agriculture estimates farmers have 206 million more bushels of surplus corn on hand at the start of this year’s harvest. That means farmers will have 866 million bushels of corn on hand at the end of next summer. That’s higher than last month’s forecast of 672 million bushels. The bigger surplus could bring down corn prices, which soared to record levels in June because of limited supplies. Corn is an ingredient in everything from animal feed to cereal to soft drinks. So cheaper corn could ease broader food prices. It takes about six months for corn prices to trickle down to products at the grocery store.

Road crews work to fill “The Beast” left by Missouri River flooding

News

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

"The Beast" (image courtesy Radio Iowa)

After a full summer of flooding, Interstate 29 reopened last weekend in southwest Iowa, yet repair work is still underway on many miles of other highways and roads. The Missouri River flood caused tens of millions of dollars damage to thoroughfares in the region. Melissa Black, with the Missouri DOT, says there’s a giant hole worn in Route 136 in northwest Missouri, just south of Hamburg, Iowa.   “It’s 480 feet long, which is quite sizeable, and 65 feet deep,” Black says. “That’s a pretty darn big gap in the pavement.”

While it’s not exactly the Grand Canyon, she admits it’s going to take a lot of work to fill in the huge hole, dubbed “The Beast” by construction crews.

Three other large gaps in the highway that were carved out by months of rushing floodwaters have already been repaired. “It will take more than 100-thousand tons of rock to fill that back up to the regular pavement level, which is about what it took to fill the other three gaps,” Black says.

The contract to tackle and fill “The Beast” is worth nearly three-and-a-half million dollars and she says it should take another several weeks to complete. “These other emergency repair projects have been going pretty smoothly,” she says. “The weather’s been cooperating and contractors have been getting done quicker than we were anticipating so we’re hopeful this one will go the same way.” The target date for completion of work on that gap is November 28th. Many roads that were impacted by the flooding closed in June.

(Radio Iowa)

Southwest Iowa officials ask for Missouri Valley bypass

News

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A delegation from southwest Iowa spoke to the Iowa Transportation Commission Tuesday, asking the commission to consider building a Highway 30 bypass around the south edge of Missouri Valley. John McCurdy of the Southwest Iowa Planning Council in Atlantic, told the commission the time is right to move ahead.  McCurdy says the D-O-T studied the issue in the 1990’s and it was put on the shelf. He says one of the reasons it didn’t move forward is that there wasn’t the local support needed. Missouri Valley Mayor, Clint Sargent, says the biggest reason to move ahead with the bypass now is that the support has changed in favor of the bypass. Sargent says they would like to combine the building of the bypass with FEMA flood mitigation measures to improve the flood protection in the area. 

 Sargent says they know the importance of Highway 30 as a “corridor for commerce,” and he says the was evidenced by the efforts of the D-O-T to keep it open during the flooding this year. Sargent says there’s also a safety issue as the amount of truck traffic through the town on Highway 30 has increased. He says the businesses that rely on the truck traffic have already moved to the nearby interstate and those in Missouri Valley are not dependent on that traffic, so they support a bypass. Sargent finished his remarks with a call for action on the issue.

Heartbeat Today 10-12-2011

Heartbeat Today, Podcasts

October 12th, 2011 by admin

Jim Field speaks with 2003 Atlatnic High Graduate Cale Halder about his experience performing in the Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12th

Trading Post

October 12th, 2011 by Jim Field

WANTED: older bicycles,rusty dirty, any condition is ok for  parts or fixer uppers. Phone 515-238-3343.

FOR SALE: 2 end tables with storage underneath. $10 each. 712-304-4452

Omaha college students to help with flood cleanup

News

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Hundreds of University of Nebraska at Omaha students will use their fall break later this month to help clean up the flood-damaged Salvation Army Camp Eppley in Bellevue. The students will also renovate and repair other community facilities and low-income housing as part of UNO’s annual Three Days of Service project. The UNO students will combine efforts with high school students from Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The students will begin the work Saturday and continue through Tuesday on numerous renovation and beautification projects. Camp Eppley suffered extensive damage from the Missouri River flooding this summer.

7AM Newscast 10-12-2011

News, Podcasts

October 12th, 2011 by admin

w/ Ric Hanson

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Tuesday Volleyball Results

Sports

October 12th, 2011 by Jim Field

Hawkeye 10:

  • (3-2) Glenwood 24-25-22-25-15, Creston 26-17-25-16-12
  • (3-2) Lewis Central 27-25-22-21-15, Red Oak 25-17-25-25-7
  • (3-1) Clarinda beat Shenandoah

Western Iowa Tournament Semi’s:

  • (3-1) Missouri Valley 25-25-24-25, Treynor 21-15-26-21
  • (3-0) Tri-Center 25-25-25, Underwood 16-18-19

Rolling Hills:

  • (3-0) Iowa Christian Academy 25-27-25, Exira-EHK 19-25-20
  • (3-0) Walnut 25-25-25, Adair-Casey 23-20-19
  • (3-0) Ankeny Christian Academy 25-25-25, Paton-Churdan 20-20-22
  • (3-0) Glidden-Ralston 25-25-25, East Greene 23-15-14

Pride of Iowa Conference Tournament
Semifinals:

  • (3-2) Bedford beat Interstate-35
  • (3-0) East Union beat Nodaway Valley

Consolation Final:

  • (3-1) Interstate-35 beat Nodaway Valley

Championship Final:

  • (3-1) Bedford beat East Union

Others:

  • (3-0) Ar-We-Va 25-25-25, Woodbine 19-23-19
  • (3-0) Boyer Valley 25-25-25, West Harrison 13-7-17
  • (3-1) Guthrie Center 25-23-28-25, Van Meter 21-25-26-20
  • (3-0) IKM-Manning 25-25-25, Charter Oak-Ute 18-7-19
  • (3-1) Villisca 25-25-20-25, Essex 13-14-25-18
  • (3-0) Stanton beat Fremont-Mlls
  • (3-1) Sidney beat Clarinda Academy
  • (3-2) Panorama beat Ogden

 

(update 7:45-a.m.) Crash has I-80 WB blocked in NW Adair County – detour established

News

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Interstate 80 westbound remains closed at this time near Adair, following a collision earlier this morning, between two semi tractor-trailers. The crash occurred at the 75-mile marker, or about one-mile west of Adair. The Cass County Communications Center dispatched Anita and Wiota Fire and Rescue at 5:48-a.m.  One person was injured and transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.  Rescue crews are no longer on the scene. The Iowa DOT reports traffic is being detoured around the crash through Anita.

No other details are currently available. The accident was under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

News actuality cut 10-12-11

Podcasts

October 12th, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Atlantic Superintendent Dr. Mike Amstein talks about the strip search settlement and school liability cost.  (:39)

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