Iowa State University Extension And Outreach To Host Crop Advantage Meeting
(Le Mars) — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach has been hosting a series of seminars focusing on next year’s crop production. Entitled “Crop Advantage”, the meetings provide a solid foundation of current, research-based crop production information to help make smart, informed decisions for the farming operation. Each location features topics selected for your fields and your growing conditions. Le Mars will be hosting the “Crop Advantage” meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 26th at the Le Mars Convention Center. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach crops specialist for northwest Iowa, Joel DeJong says the meeting will help farmers make decisions and prepare for the upcoming crop year.
DeJong highlights the various seminars planned for the afternoon session.
The ISU crops specialist reminds area farmers of the registration process. DeJong says the seminar will take walk-ins, however, after January 19th, the cost of the registration increases.
COVID Outbreak Making Travel Difficult
(Des Moines) — Even with the holidays well behind us, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is continuing to impact air travel, causing delays and cancellations at airports in Iowa and around the country. Kyle Potter, executive editor of Thrifty Traveler-dot-com, says recent bouts with wintery weather are only making a bad situation worse for air travelers.
Reports say around five-thousand flights were cancelled nationwide just last weekend, with Southwest Airlines alone suspending more than a thousand flights. Des Moines International Airport reports it cancelled around 30 flights during the week between Christmas and New Year’s, with more in the days that followed.
For Iowans who plan to fly sometime soon, he recommends being proactive and closely monitoring the status of your flight.
Reports say Southwest was offering double pay for staff who agreed to take extra shifts last week. Just like other industries, airlines are dealing with escalating numbers of illnesses among pilots and staff, many due to COVID.
Student Council Students Asking For Soup Donations
(Le Mars) — The freshmen students of the Le Mars Community High School student council have been collecting soup for the local food pantries. They will have a display of the collected cans at the gym lobby on Tuesday, Jan 18. They are asking the public to donate soup or money for those in need.
Iowa To Receive $432M To Repair Structurally Deficient Bridges
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa is set to receive 432 million dollars from the federal infrastructure plan over the next five years. The money will be used to update some of the 45 hundred Iowa bridges considered to be structurally deficient. Some of that work could start as soon as this summer. The head of the American Society of Civil Engineers says drivers will see a lot of orange cones on the roadways over the next five years. Maria Lehman sees that as a “terrific” impact on roadway safety and the state’s economic situation.
State Schedules Virtual Celebration For Martin Luther King Junior Day
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Human Rights’ Office on the Status of African-Americans will host a virtual celebration today (Monday) honoring the life and legacy of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Junior. The virtual event will include Governor Reynolds’ Proclamation designating January 17 as Martin Luther King, Junior Day, and the period of January 17th through the 22nd as Martin Luther King Junior Week. The event will be streamed via the Department of Human Rights’ Facebook page at 10:45 a-m and is open to the public.
Governor Doesn’t Support Direct State Investment In Carbon Capture Pipelines
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds says carbon pipelines are private sector projects and she does not support direct state investment in any of the pipelines that are proposed. During her Condition of the State address last week, Reynolds called for investment in what she described as carbon capture solutions. Reynolds says she’s talking about state money for Iowa State University research focused on how Iowa farmers could secure carbon credits for planting crops. There are now three proposed pipeline projects to carry liquid carbon through the state, with terminals to pick up stored carbon emissions from Iowa fertilizer and ethanol plants.
Iowa State Trooper Injured When Semi Hits His Parked Squad Car
(Mason City, IA) — An accident involving an Iowa State Trooper’s squad car shows how dangerous some snow-packed state highways were last weekend. The trooper suffered minor injuries Friday and was checked out at a local hospital. He was inside the squad car helping with the response to another traffic accident when his car was hit. State officials were advising people to avoid driving Friday evening. Those who had to go out were urged to use caution and drive at a safe speed.
COVID Cases Continue To Rise At Iowa’s Hospitals
(Des Moines) — Nearly a thousand patients in Iowa hospitals today (Friday) have tested positive for Covid. Every patient is tested for Covid and infection rates have been rising as the more contagious omicron variant sweeps through the Midwest. The latest data from the Iowa Department of Public Health shows treatment for the virus is the primary reason nearly two-thirds of the Covid-positive patients were admitted to an Iowa hospital. Fifty Iowa nursing homes are reporting outbreaks among residents. The state has been tracking the number of positive Covid test results since the beginning of the pandemic and that number has been climbing. However, over-the-counter rapids tests are now available and the state’s number does not include home test results that are not reported to public health departments. A police department in Jasper County has announced its chief has died from Covid complications. Prairie City Police Michael German died Thursday. According to a Facebook post, German had been Prairie City’s police chief since 2014 and his passing is considered a death in the line of duty.
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