Today, Tuesday, March 23rd Is National Agriculture Day
(Des Moines) — This week is National Agriculture Week, with today, Tuesday, March 23rd recognized as National Agriculture Day, with the chosen theme “Food Brings Everyone To The Table.” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says it is important that we honor our farmers and ranchers, and that we take the time to recognize the significance of agriculture.
Secretary Naig says, for many of us, we always took agriculture for granted.
That is until this past year when COVID-19 struck, and there were times the food we wanted wasn’t always on the grocery store shelves.
Naig says food security remains a concern for many families who have had to visit their local food pantries and food banks. He says fortunately, many Iowans, including farm and commodity organizations, food companies, and others stepped up to donate much needed food supplies. However, there is still a great demand for food at our food pantries and food banks.
The Iowa Agriculture Secretary says we all need to continue to tell the story of agriculture. He says we also must realize that agriculture touches us all, and we need to know that agriculture also includes the truck driver, the grain processor, the food processing employee, and even the store clerk at our local grocery store or supermarket.
Meteorologist Suggest People Invest In Having A Weather Radio
(Le Mars) — We continue our series of reports focusing on severe weather conditions during this week recognized as National Severe Weather Awareness Week. Peter Rogers serves as a meteorologist with the National Weather Services in Sioux Falls and he says we need to be able to receive any messages issued by the National Weather Services when threatening and severe weather may be within our area. Many people are alerted to severe weather through text alerts through their cellular phone provider. However, Rogers says we may not want to solely depend upon or cell phones to tell us if we are in the middle of severe weather.
Rogers says outdoor warning sirens are a great use to alert a community of a pending storm or tornado, but Rogers says they are not meant to alert people who are indoors.
The weather services meteorologist tells the difference between a Watch and a Warning, and he offers an explanation as to the criteria when either a Watch or Warning is issued.
Rogers reminds us that strong straight-line winds can be as dangerous as a tornado. He says last year’s derecho wind storm that passed through Iowa on August 10th is an excellent example as it did considerable damage to crops, trees, utility powerlines, grain storage facilities, and buildings, but no
tornado was detected. Le Mars is scheduled to test their outdoor warning sirens on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. then from April through November those outdoor warning sirens will be tested once a month on the first Monday of the month at 1:00 p.m.
Two Staff People Are Killed At Anamosa Corrections Facility
(Anamosa) — State officials say an inmate at the Anamosa State Prison assaulted staff and other inmates in the prison’s infirmary. According to a news release from the Iowa Department of Corrections, a department nurse and a correctional officer
have died. Additional staff who responded to the scene restrained the inmate and provided emergency first aid to the victims of the attack until paramedics arrived. It’s unclear if others were injured. The agency described its initial report of the incident as preliminary and subject to change.
The state prison in Anamosa has medium and maximum security
sections. About 320 people are employed at the facility and the department website shows there are 950 inmates in the prison today.
Democrats Call For End of Challenge to Congresswoman Miller-Meeks’ Victory
(Washington, DC) — Two Democrats in the U-S House are publicly calling for the challenge of Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ election to end. A New Hampshire Democrat Monday night said “the election’s over” and
it’s time for the House Committee on Administration to end its review of Iowa’s second congressional district race. A Pennsylvania Democrat says the House should not dictate the outcome of state elections unless there is “rampant error.” Attorneys for Miller-Meeks and Democratic challenger Rita
Hart have submitted their arguments over how the committee should proceed.
Hart’s lawyer argues the panel is not bound by Iowa law as it evaluates whether 22 ballots that were not counted should be added to the state-certified tally which showed Miller-Meeks winning by six votes. Alan Ostergren, the attorney for Miller-Meeks, said Iowa elections should be governed by Iowa law.
Healthy 10 Challenge Encourages Healthier Living to Reduce Cancer Cases in Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) — A report predicts nearly 19-thousand Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year and a free program is being launched in hopes of trimming that number back. Nigel Brockton at the American Institute for
Cancer Research says the effort is called the Healthy 10 Challenge and it delivers daily emails that offer a range of potentially-life-saving information. Brockton said, “this is a ten-week, free program that provides simple, practical, easy-to-follow, realistic advice directly to people with inboxes.” He says it is not a crash diet, but rather trying to build habits over the long-term that people can sustain. Studies find that many Iowans lack awareness about the cancer risks or about things that might prolong their lives. The annual Cancer in Iowa Report predicts about 18-thousand-900 Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 64-hundred will die from it. The report found breast cancer will be the most common diagnosis among
women, followed by lung and colorectal. Prostate will be the most common among men, followed by lung and colorectal.
Founder Of Des Moines Metro Opera Dies
(Des Moines, IA) — The founder of the Des Moines Metro Opera has died.
The opera says Robert Larsen died in Indianola Sunday at the age of 86.
Larsen Started the Des Moines Metro Opera in the mid-1970’s and chaired the Simpson College Music Department for over 30 years.
Iowa State Women’s Basketball Tops Michigan State in NCAA Tournament
(San Antonio, TX) — The Iowa State women’s basketball team topped Michigan State 79-75 Monday night in the first round of the N-C-A-A Tournament.
Ashley Joens had a game-high 33 points and nine rebounds for the seventh-seeded Cyclones. I-S-U will face number-two seed Texas A & M Wednesday night in San Antonio. The fifth-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes take on number-four seed Kentucky this afternoon (Tuesday 2:30 p-m).
