Cattle Producers Need To Protect Cattle From Extreme Cold Temps
(Orange City)-– The frigid cold temperatures forcast for the next few days are tough for us humans, but it can be especially difficult for animals.
Performance levels for beef cattle can take a big step backwards if producers don’t follow some simple steps in order to keep their herd warm and dry.
Beth Doran serves as the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Beef Specialist for northwest Iowa. She says with the sub-zero temperatures, cattle need to be kept as warm as possible. Doran says there are some simple measures cattle producers can follow.
The second procedure, according to Doran, is to provide sufficient, and an adequate supply of bedding.
The ISU Beef Specialist suggests producers increase the amount of feed given to their cattle herds, during these extreme cold days, in order for the cattle to have enough energy intake.
Doran says during this cold spell it is important that cattle producers increase the feed energy level for their cattle.
Doran says for cow-calf producers, they need to make certain those new-born calves are protected since calves are extremely susceptible to the cold, temperatures since they are wet. She says the small calves extremities, such as their tails, ears, and legs are vulnerable to frost bite.
(photos contributed.)
Pork Producers To Host Regional Meetings
(Cherokee) — Iowa pork producers may want to attend a series of regional seminars sponsored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The northwest Iowa regional meeting is slated for Monday, February 15th at the Sioux County Extension Offices. Iowa
State University Extension Swine Specialist Dave Stender says the regional meeting will feature several different speakers addressing issues important to the pork industry.
Other speakers, according to Stender will include State Swine Veterinarian, Dr. Chris Rademacher who will address swine health issues, and swine diseases, and Iowa State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist Lee Schultz.
Stender says there has been a great discrepancy between cash market price paid for hogs, and the lean pork meat market value.
The ISU Swine Specialist says during the morning portion of the regional meeting, pork producers will have the opportunity to become certified in Pork Quality Assurance. Stender says being certified in Pork Quality Assurance protects the producer, and offers consumers some peace of mind. He says it covers food safety and animal welfare.
Besides Orange City, other regional meetings are scheduled for Osceola, Waverly, and Washington.
House Speaker Says Inaction On Complaints Led To Tenure Bill
(Des Moines, IA) — Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley says a bill to end tenure at the three state universities comes after years of inaction to complaints about retaliation against conservative speech on the public university campuses. Grassley says the state invests millions and millions of dollars every year in higher education and they think it’s something that
needs to have a serious look. A few Republican lawmakers in previous years have proposed ending tenure for professors at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa, but for the first time, a bill to accomplish that goal has won approval in a committee. Three Republicans on the House Education Committee voted against the bill and
Grassley says he’s heard concerns from fellow Republicans. Grassley plans to have House Republicans discuss the proposal in private to see if there are 51 “yes” votes among Republicans to pass the bill out of the full House.
Iowa City Hospital Opposes U-I Plan To Build New Hospital
(Iowa City, IA) — Administrators of Mercy Iowa City say they oppose a plan by the University of Iowa Health Care to build a new 230 million dollar hospital be built in nearby North Liberty. They say Iowa taxpayers shouldn’t be funding a hospital that would duplicate services in the region and unnecessarily compete with community hospitals. Mercy Iowa City C-E-O Sean
Williams says the university hospital will negatively impact all other hospitals in the area. U-I C-E-O, Suresh Gunasekaran (Sir-resh Goon-uh- sake-ren) issued a statement saying: “U-I Hospitals & Clinics continues to experience unprecedented demand for its services, and patients from across
the state continue to travel to Iowa City for the complex care needs that only we can satisfy. We are confident that the addition of a North Liberty facility will help us meet the needs of Iowans both locally and from across the state.” A state board will consider the U-I’s request next Wednesday.
ACLU Opposes Bill On 1619 Project
(Des Moines, IA) — A statement by the A-C-L-U of Iowa says the group strongly opposes a bill that would reduce funding for any Iowa school district whose teachers use the ’1619 Project’ in their curriculum. The A-C-L-U statement says the “1619 Project”, is a piece of magazine journalism and an effort to reframe United States history through slavery and show its effects on the nation today. Republicans voted Tuesday night to advance the
bill out of a House subcommittee. ACLU of Iowa Executive Director, Mark Stringer, says in the statement that “This bill is an incredibly harmful government attempt at censorship, with the goal of shutting down ideas and preventing students from being exposed to an important discussion on the impact and legacy of slavery in our country.”
5 More Cases of UK COVID-19 Variant Detected in Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) — There are five new cases of the U-K COVID-19 variant in Iowa. The C-D-C reported a a total of eight cases in Iowa Thursday. The Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed the first three cases of the strain first detected in the United Kingdom on February 1st. The B-1-1-7 variant is believed to be spread more easily than the original strain and the
C-D-C now says it “may be associated with an increased risk of death compared to other variants. More studies are needed to confirm this finding.” The Brazilian variant and strain discovered in South Africa have not been found in Iowa. South Dakota and Nebraska are are only neighboring states without confirmed cases of the U-K variant.
GOP Lawmakers Agree on Iowa School Spending Plan
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa’s K-through-12 public schools will get 36-and-a-half million more dollars from the state for the next academic year under a plan by Republicans at the legislature. Representative Cecil Dolecheck (DOHL-uh-check) from Mount Ayr says there are some other funds that they’re looking at that will, quite possibly, go further. Democrats say even if
there’s another batch of money later, this decision setting per pupil spending means property taxes will go up in 137 school districts with lower enrollment this year compared to last. Republicans say it would be irresponsible to withdraw money from the state’s budget surplus for schools as that money may be needed next year if the state’s economy doesn’t rebound
from the pandemic. The G-O-P’s plan for general state spending on schools has cleared the House and will be taken up in the Senate next week.
Reynolds, Garcia Tour New Iowa City Mental Health Center
(Iowa City, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds recognized the opening of a new mental health access center in Iowa City Thursday. Reynolds and Department of Human Services Director Kelly Garcia visited the facility, which advocates say is innovative. Garcia says people experiencing a behavioral health or substance use crisis find themselves in an emergency room or a jail, when what they really need is immediate, short-term care. The new GuideLink Center in Iowa City is meant to provide exactly that. Advocates say they’ll need more financial and policy support from the state to make centers like this sustainable long-term.
Iowa Democrats Propose Tax Break For Federal Unemployment Benefits
(Des Moines, IA) — Democrats in the Iowa Legislature are proposing giving a state tax break for the expanded unemployment benefits Congress approved during the pandemic. House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard of Charles City
says it would mean the additional 600-dollars in jobless benefits approved last summer would not be subject to state income taxes. Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines is making a similar proposal in the U-S House — to
exempt up to 10-thousand dollars of unemployment benefits from federal income taxes. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville says businesses that got federal Paycheck Protection Program grants aren’t paying income taxes on that money.
