Local Pork Industry Contributes To Local Economy
(Le Mars) — October is Pork Month, and in an effort to call more attention to the economic impact of the pork industry to the state’s economy, the Iowa Pork Producers Association recently released an economic study. The state’s pork producers organization shows the impact on the state, as well as with 20
individual counties, including Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury counties. Iowa leads the nation in pork production with more than 24 million head of hogs, and overshadows both North Carolina and Minnesota, the next two leading hog
producing states, by more than ten million head. Bill Tentinger is a Plymouth County pork producer, and a former state president, as well as a current director with the National Pork Board.
Tentinger explains the study conducted by the state’s pork producer organization.
Hog production has a prominent position within northwest Iowa. Sioux County ranks second in the state with pork production with 1.3 million head of hogs, and Plymouth County holds down the fifth spot raising 1.0 million head. Lyon County is in between as the third largest county in Iowa with the number of hogs at 1.1 million head. Tentinger says the trend has shown a continued
growth in pork production.
Focusing our attention only with Plymouth County, Tentinger says there are 180 hog farms within our county with 1,552 jobs created because of the county’s pork industry.
Tentinger says in Sioux County the pork industry is responsible for nearly $300 million dollars in household income, and more than 4,000 jobs. Hogs raised in Plymouth County will consume approximately 112,000 acres of corn, and 82,500 acres of soybeans.
We will continue our series of reports focusing on the economic impact of the pork industry with future news updates.
COVID-19 Deaths Continues To Rise
(Des Moines) — The number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals has been escalating this month, to 536 Thursday night, and Friday the state website shows the number of confirmed Covid deaths in Iowa has surpassed 16-hundred.
Covid is now the third leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease and cancer. The state of New Jersey has the highest per capita death rate. Iowa ranks 24th among the states in the number of Covid deaths per 100,000 residents. Only one other neighboring state ranks higher.
Almost 97-hundred Covid deaths have been recorded in Illinois and Illinois ranks 10th per capita in deaths from the virus. Wisconsin, where 17-hundred-30 residents have died of Covid, has the lowest coronavirus death rate in the Midwest. Nearly 350 Covid deaths have been reported in South Dakota and the state ranks 34th in deaths per 100-thousand residents. Nebraska ranks 40th, with 589 deaths. Missouri ranks 28th, with 27-hundred-34 deaths. Minnesota ranks 30th with 23-hundred-54 deaths.
Police Dog Helps Locate Missing Boy
(Mason City) — A police dog helped locate a missing two-year-old boy and the boy’s own dog near Mason City earlier this week.
The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department says deputies responded to a call where they assisted family members searching the house and buildings on an acreage southwest of Mason City. The deputies called for the Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management drone as well as the K-9 units from the Mason City Police Department and Worth County Sheriff’s Department. Mason City police officer Duane Kemna and K-9 Kilo were the first to arrive and tracked the missing boy along a creek and through several acres of timber about six-tenths of a mile away from the house. He was found in the northwest corner of a neighbor’s house, sitting on a cinder block with the dog at his side. The boy had removed his wet socks, shoes and coat but did not need medical attention.
DNR Investigates Fatal Fall From Tree Stand
OLLIE, Iowa — The DNR Law Enforcement Bureau is investigating a fatal fall from a tree stand in rural Ollie in Keokuk County on Thursday, October 22.
Raymond Byers, 76, was reported missing after he did not return home from hunting during Early Muzzleloader Season on his property. The Keokuk County Sheriff’s Office and the local fire and rescue teams found Byers deceased.
Investigators believe Byers fell from a treestand he was using to hunt.
The DNR continues to investigate the fall and an autopsy will be performed at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny.
The DNR reminds hunters of the safety tips of using tree stands:
- Always properly wear a full body harness/fall restraint device.
- Maintain three points of contact when you are climbing in and out of an elevated stand.
- Always use a haul line to raise up and lower equipment to and from the elevated stand.
- Stands should not be left up year round and prior to season you always want to check straps, buckles, climbing steps, etc. for wear and tear prior to set up and use.
