Plymouth County Still Within Budget For Snow and Ice Removal
(Le Mars) — While some Iowa counties are seeing their snow and ice removal budgets being stretched to the limit, as a result of several heavy snowfalls and a long lingering winter, Tom Rohe, Plymouth County’s Engineer says the county’s secondary roads department winter budget for ice and snow removal
is holding up well.
Rohe says for some counties that have already exceeded their financial allocation for snow and ice removal budget, may have to delay or forfeit a planned construction project until another year.
Plymouth County uses a mixture of calcium and chloride to melt ice and snow. Rohe says they still have an abundance of available product to tackle any additional ice and snow for this winter.
Trade Dominated Discussion At Commodity Classic
(Orlando, FL) — Farmers from across the nation gathered in Orlando, Florida last week for the annual Commodity Classic, a convention of corn, soybean, wheat, and grain sorghum growers, along with the Equipment Manufacturers Association. The predominant talk at Commodity Classic focused on the trade
tariffs. Lindsey Greiner of Keota, Iowa serves as the president of the Iowa Soybean Association. He says farmers are wondering how long the trade war will continue?
Greiner says farmers are wondering if the U-S will be able to recapture the Chinese market share, they once enjoyed, after the trade tariffs are lifted?
The Iowa Soybean Association president says soybean officials are planning a return trip to China to hopefully solidify relations.
Greiner says he wonders if South American nations such as Brazil and Argentina will increase their soybean acres in anticipation of an expanding soybean trade with China?
Greiner says Iowa is known as a corn and soybean state, and he doesn’t anticipate farmers will make many changes to their farming plans. He believes the planted acres for corn and soybeans in Iowa will remain fairly consistent.
(Audio courtesy of Brownfield Ag Network)
Des Moines Police Involved In Shooting Incident Resulting In Death of Suspect
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and fatally wounded him.
Police say the carjacking victim called 911 around 3:50 a.m. Monday to report that he’d been shot in a leg when two people stole his sport utility vehicle. Police say the SUV was occupied by two men and a woman when it was spotted around 10 minutes later.
It went up a dead-end street and parked in driveway. The three got out and walked away, and the woman and one of the men were soon detained.
Police say three officers then found the last suspect hiding near a
garage. Police say the officers told him to show his hands, and he responded by firing several shots at them. They returned his fire and killed him. He’s been identified as 36-year-old Luke Swann, of Des Moines.
The three officers were identified as Brian Buck, Brian Minnehan and Ryan Steinkamp.
Des Moines Water Works Wants Zoo To Pay Water and Sewer Bill
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A utility is demanding that a Des Moines zoo start paying its water and sewer bill but the foundation that runs the zoo says that could jeopardize programs such as free tickets for children.
The Des Moines Register reports that the Des Moines Water Works board is willing to forgive most of the $5 million in water and sewer services that Blank Park Zoo hasn’t paid since 2003. The utility wants $74,000 for water used last year.
Zoo president Mark Vukovich says the Blank Park Zoo Foundation was told it wouldn’t have to pay utilities when it took over operations from the city in 2003. The utility says the free water deal should have ended then.
City, utility and the zoo officials will meet this month to discuss
the issue.
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Dubuque Couple Waiting For Sentencing After Robbing Restaurant
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – A Dubuque man and wife are awaiting sentencings for the robbery of the Dubuque restaurant where she worked. The Telegraph Herald reports that 41-year-old William Brown used a gun to rob the Hardee’s restaurant where his wife, 38-year-old Mary Brown, was working the morning of Oct. 11. Authorities say both were charged with child endangerment because their 7-year-old child was left home alone during the robbery.
University of South Dakota Investigates Student Bar Association
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) – The University of South Dakota has launched an investigation into the Student Bar Association’s decision to change the name of its winter social event from “Hawaiian Day” to “Beach Day.” The group said earlier it was changing the name because it was advised by law school administrators that it violated the school’s policy of inclusiveness.
