(LE MARS) The 60th annual Crop Advantage Clinic, hosted by ISU Extension, drew well over 100 attendees yesterday at the Le Mars Convention Center.
Participants were able to attend different workshops and participate in large group sessions. Large group talks included “Understanding Sudden Death Syndrome of Soybeans” and a “Grain Market Outlook for 2011.” Dr. Chad Hart, assistant professor and marketing economist from Iowa State University, presented the “Grain Market Outlook.” He explained the increase in the price of corn during the latter part of 2010 and now into 2011.
Listen here
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Part of the export demand on corn comes from the lack of rain in Argentina and too much rain in Brazil. Hart said the USDA recently took down Brazil production estimates by 6% for 2011.
Listen here
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La Nina has been the cause of the dryness in Argentina that has negatively affecting their growing season, and in turn gave us the great harvesting weather this fall in the midwest.
Soybeans have had a similar story with demand up and prices high. But how long can the high prices last? Hart thinks the clock is ticking.
Listen here
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For further information on crop and other agriculture related updates visit www.extension.iastate.edu.
$7,000 in stolen animal medication and tools found
(ROCK VALLEY) The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office has completed the investigation into the theft of cattle medications taken from a rural Rock Valley Farm. The theft of over seven thousand dollars in animal medication and tools were taken November 6th.
Through the investigation the sheriff’s office discovered that a rancher near De Smet, South Dakota, found a large quantity of stolen medications amoung the possessions of one of his former emplyees. It was revealed that the medications were those stolen from the Rock Valley incident. An arrest warrant has been issued for the suspect, Brian Lee Olsen, age 28 of Rainer, Oregon.
Le Mars residents win big
(LE MARS)– 2010 was full of Iowa Lottery winners from across the state, including winners in every county and 2 big winners right here in Le Mars. Robert Lancaster was the latest instant/scratch game winner in Plymouth County during calendar year 2010, winning $25,000 in the Reindeer Bingo game with a ticket purchased at Caseys of Le Mars. A Girls Night Out Group from here in town was the county’s latest and biggest lotto winner during the same period, winning $50,000 in the Powerball game with a ticket purchased at Le Mars Car-Go Express.
Hull man injured in two vehicle accident yesterday
(HULL)– A Hull man was injured yesterday morning in a two vehicle accident just west of Hull. According to a report from the Sioux County Sheriffs Office, 52 year old Loren VanDyk of Hull was westbound on 310th Street when he lost control of his vehicle and became stuck on the side of the road. Tyler Van’t Hul, age 22 of Hull, was also westbound, lost control and struck VanDyk’s vehicle.
Van Dyk was transported to Hegg Memorial Hospital by the Hull Ambulance for injuries. Van’t Hul did not report any injuries. Both drivers were cited for failure to maintain control.
The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Hull Fire and Rescue Crews and the Iowa State Patrol.
Safety inspectors review Iowa worker’s death
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Safety inspectors are reviewing the death of a contract employee who was killed while working on a flood project at the University of Iowa.
An official with Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement says the agency will look for any safety violations at the construction site where 52-year-old Kevin D. Hammons died on Monday.
Hammons was pronounced dead after a beam fell on him and he became trapped beneath it. He was an employee of Iowa Bridge and Culvert based in Washington, Iowa.
Hammons was working on a project to protect the Art Building West from future flooding by installing a pumping station to keep water away from the building.
Investigators are still looking into what caused the beam to fall.
Iowa dive team ends search for snowmobiler’s body
PRESTON, Iowa (AP) A dive team has ended its search for the body of a snowmobiler near Preston in eastern Iowa.
Authorities say a search for 23-year-old Shawn Berthel proved unsuccessful on Monday.
Berthel and his vehicle crashed through the ice Saturday night into the Maquoketa (muh-KOHK’-ih-tuh) River. His friend, 34-year-old Brett Stalker, of Sabula, also broke through the ice, but he was able to scramble out of the water.
Burst pipe cancels Blue Man Group performance
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) A deluge from a burst pipe has forced officials to cancel a performance of the Blue Man Group at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.
UNI spokesman Jim O’Connor told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that a sprinkler pipe broke Tuesday morning while gear was being loaded for Tuesday night’s performance at the Great Hall stage.
A fire official says a metal frame that supports the curtains malfunctioned, causing the break.
Water flooded the stage, hallways and equipment for the show. O’Connor says the water has stopped flowing and cleanup has begun.
Wednesday and Thursday performances so far are still scheduled to go on.
Giunta will be honored by congressional delegation
WASHINGTON (AP) Iowa’s congressional delegation will join with military leaders and others to honor Iowa Medal of Honor winner Army Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta with a joint resolution for his valor and courage.
Iowa’s two senators and five representatives will present the resolution Wednesday to Giunta at the U.S. Capitol. They will be joined by Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, also a Medal of Honor winner, and military leaders including Army Chief of State General George Casey Jr.
Giunta is a native of Hiawatha who exposed himself to enemy fire to save a soldier when his platoon came under attack in 2007. He also shot two insurgents attempting to carry off another U.S. soldier.
Giunta is the only living soldier from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to receive the Medal of Honor.
Board member must go to Iowa offenders’ class
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) If a Johnston school board member completes a class for first-time offenders and performs 25 hours of community service, her shoplifting charge will be dropped.
Julie Walter was arrested Nov. 30 at Valley West Mall. Von Maur security workers say she left without paying for a $38 package of leggings.
The Des Moines Register says the 48-year-old Walter disagreed, calling the situation “an unfortunate misunderstanding.”
Walter’s attorney, Tim McCarthy, says Walter is not admitting any guilt. He says they’re happy with the plea agreement because “sometimes when you go to court you don’t know what is going to happen.”
If she doesn’t complete the class, or perform the community service by March 24, she’d have to plead guilty and pay $320 in fines and fees.
Des Moines employer indicted on fraud charges
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The owner of a Des Moines employment agency has been indicted on federal fraud charges, accused of scheming to defraud insurance companies out of workers’ compensation premiums.
Dan Sethi, of Ankeny, owns DES Staffing Services in Des Moines. An indictment returned last week charges him with five counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
A telephone message left late Monday for the 39-year-old Sethi was not immediately returned.
The U.S. attorney’s office says Sethi created two other companies that he represented as being separate from DES Services and transferred the majority of his employees to those other companies to avoid rising workers’ compensation premiums.
If convicted, Sethi could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
3 new members named to Iowa Board of Parole
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) Gov. Terry Branstad has appointed three new members to the Iowa Board of Parole, replacing three who had been interim appointments by his predecessor.
A news release from Branstad’s office says the new members will be former Iowa Rep. Doris Kelley, of Waterloo; retired Pioneer executive W. Thomas Phillips, of Waukee; and Jim Felker, of Hiawatha, who previously worked in the Iowa Department of Corrections.
The three face Iowa Senate confirmation. The five-member board can take no actions for now because its remaining two members don’t constitute a quorum.
The Culver appointees were Larry James and Steve Young, both of Des Moines, and Barbara Western, of Waterloo. The Des Moines Register says they had been named after the Legislature adjourned last year, so they had not been confirmed.
ISU falls to No. 23 in AP poll
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa State women’s basketball team has dropped in The Associated Press poll heading into Wednesday night’s game at Nebraska.
The Cyclones (13-5, 1-3) fell three spots to No. 23 in Monday’s poll after losing to No. 6 Texas A at home on Saturday.
Iowa State has lost three of its last four games, though they beat the Huskers 64-43 in Ames.
Wednesday night’s game will mark the final Big 12 trip to Lincoln for the Cyclones.
Nebraska is just 11-7, but the Huskers are 9-1 at home.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
