Crop Insurance Participation Sign-up Deadline Approaches
(Le Mars) — Farmers have until only March 16 to sign up for crop insurance, and according to Chuck Kellen of Mark Crop Insurance agency of Le Mars, farmers along the western border of Iowa need to know of some major changes to this year’s crop insurance program.
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Kellen says farmers need to understand the exlusion provision can be applied to individual farms, instead of the entire farming operation, as was the case in past years.
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Kellen says through the years, farmers have become more informed about the benefits of crop insurance programs, and as a result, more farmers are participating, and more farmers have expanded their crop policy coverage.
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The crop insurance agent emphasizes area farmers not to wait until the last day to sign up for crop insurance. He says there will not be an extension to participate in crop insurance programs past March 16th, and if farmers fail to abide by the deadline, there is nothing anybody can do to change the circumstances.
New CF Industries Fertilizer Plant Costs Are Rising
SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) – An executive with CF Industries says the cost of a fertilizer plant being built near Sioux City will climb to more than $2 billion, up from an initial estimate of $1.7 billion.
Tony Will, CEO and president of the fertilizer manufacturing company, says the new estimate stems from an increase in labor and construction materials necessary to winterize the plant at its Port Neal nitrogen complex in Sergeant Bluff.
Will says additional dollars are also needed to establish competitive wages to attract and retain skilled laborers.
The company upped its estimate of workers at peak construction to 2,200. Ground broke on the project in 2013, with completion expected in early 2016.
The project is among the largest private capital expenditures in Iowa history.
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Ernst Investigates Veteran’s Mental Health Program Following Veteran’s Death
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Federal officials have initiated investigation into mental health services available for returning soldiers in central Iowa after a veteran was found dead last month in a Des Moines park.
The office for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General’s office has agreed to review the programs provided at the VA Central Iowa Health Systems. Ernst issued a request on Feb. 23 following the death of 41-year-old Richard Miles, whose body was found frozen at Water Works Park a few days earlier.
Ernst says the review aims to examine treatment provided to Miles to determine any systematic problems and ensure quality access to mental health care for veterans.
The VA inspector general’s office says the investigation should take about one month to complete.
Marshalltown Teacher Found Intoxicated While Teaching
MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) – Police say they arrested a sixth-grade teacher following reports that she was teaching while drunk at a central Iowa school.
The Marshall County Sheriff’s Office says 33-year-old Carissa Bryant, of Marshalltown, was arrested Wednesday and charged with public intoxication. Police say they responded to a report from Marshalltown Community School District of a possible intoxicated teacher at Leninhan Intermediate School.
The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports testing at Marshall County Jail showed Bryant had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.19, more than double the legal limit.
District spokesman Andrew Potter says Bryant has been placed on administrative leave pending investigation. Online court records don’t list an attorney for Bryant to provide comment on her behalf.
Police say the case has been referred to the Marshall County Attorney’s Office for further review.
Davenport Man Pleads Guilty To Sexual Abuse Of Mental Health Patient
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A Davenport man has made a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to accusations that he sexually abused a mentally disabled person at a residential care facility.
The Quad-City Times reports that in return for Tyshon VanBlue’s plea, prosecutors agreed to drop five counts stemming from an unrelated case involving two Special Olympics athletes. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on April 15.
VanBlue was arrested Aug. 22 and charged with sexually abusing a resident at the Handicapped Development Center, where VanBlue worked. VanBlue had been charged with performing sex acts on two men in May while they stayed at Iowa State University for the Special Olympics Iowa event. The athletes also were residents at the Davenport facility where VanBlue worked.
Soldier Surprises Son At School Assembly
BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) – A surprise reunion awaited a Burlington first-grade student at a not-so-typical school assembly.
The Burlington Hawk Eye reports that Andy Deuitch, who had returned home from serving in Afghanistan, surprised his son Tanton Welborn at school Wednesday.
When Welborn joined the rest of the student body and their dragon mascot to sing in the school gymnasium, he was unaware that the man in the mascot’s costume was his father. During the song, Deuitch removed the head of the dragon suit and the father and his son hugged as the crowd gave a standing ovation.
The reunion was coordinated by Deuitch’s wife.
Deuitch has been with the Army Reserves for the past nine years, and has served in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
