Jeneary Comments On Veterans Bill That Has Passed The Iowa House
(Le Mars) — Action in the Iowa House this past week, saw lawmakers approve a measure that would benefit veterans. Dr. Tom Jeneary, a Republican from Le Mars who serves the people in the 5th District talks about the bill.
County Supervisors Approve Funding From COVID Virus Account To Be Directed For Broadband Internet Installation For Rural Residents
(Le Mars) — During their meeting held on Tuesday, the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution allocating $2.44 million dollars from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to provide state and local governments with the resources needed to the pandemic and its economic effects. The county governing board will direct the funds to Premier Communications of Sioux Center for installation of high speed broadband internet services for rural Plymouth County. An additional $655,000 will be available to the county for a second payment for the installation of broadband internet throughout the rural areas around Merrill, and Brunsville. The remaining SLFRF allocation which is not used on broadband, in the expected amount of approximately $2.5 million dollars as lost revenue to spend on government services in Plymouth County.
NRCS To Offer Farmers And Landowners Funding For Conservation Measures Within Floyd River Watershed Quality Project
(Des Moines) –– The U-S Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is announcing three new project areas in which Iowa farmers can apply for conservation assistance through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
Through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, NRCS co-invests with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to resource concerns.
NRCS accepts program applications on a continuous basis but sets dates to batch and rank applications as funding allows. Interested producers should submit applications to their local NRCS office by April 8, 2022, to be considered for fiscal year 2022 RCPP funding.
One of the three new projects involves the Floyd River Drainage area. In the Floyd River Water Quality Partnership, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) will address water quality by helping farmers plant cover crops and implement nutrient management practices. Coordinated on-farm partnerships with input suppliers, farmers, and the livestock industry will deliver grazing and edge-of-field practice demonstrations. Farmers in the Floyd River Watershed are eligible to apply.
Siouxland Energy Cooperative Signs On With Summit Carbon Solutions To Transport Pressurized Carbon Dioxide Through Pipeline
(Sioux Center) — Last week the Summit Carbon Solutions Company held a news conference at the Siouxland Energy Cooperative, west of Sioux Center. Summit Carbon Solutions is one of three proposed pipelines to go through Iowa transporting compressed carbon dioxide to an underground storage facility. Siouxland Energy Cooperative is one of 31 ethanol processing plants to sign up with Summit Carbon Solutions. Jeff Altena, is the general operations manager with Siouxland Energy Cooperative. Altena says every ethanol processing plant produces carbon dioxide and most of it is emitted into the atmosphere. He says the ethanol facility has been marketing its product to the west coast states that require a low carbon source of fuel. Altena explains why the proposed pipeline is a good idea, and why the Siouxland Energy Cooperative ethanol facility has signed on with Summit.
Construction has already begun at the ethanol plant to pressurize the carbon dioxide and transport it through the pipeline. Altena tells of the physical modifications that will take place.
Little Sioux Corn Processing of Marcus is another area ethanol plant that has signed up with Summit Carbon Solutions to transport pressurized carbon dioxide.
Reynolds Launches Reelection Bid as Iowa Governor
(Des Moines, IA) — After raising nearly four million dollars last year and delivering the G-O-P response to President Biden’s speech last week, Kim Reynolds has formally kicked off her bid for another term as Iowa’s governor. She told a crowd of supporters at the Iowa State Fairgrounds Wednesday that she wants to use the next four years to “show how much further we can go when we trust Iowans.” Rather than outline proposals for the future, Reynolds reviewed her recent record, including last week’s tax bill and last year’s ban on mask mandates in schools.
(photo contributed.)
Grassley, Ernst Sponsoring Bill to Boost Biofuel Production
(Washington, DC) — Iowa’s two U-S senators are introducing new legislation they say will bring an immediate lowering of gasoline prices while boosting biofuel production. Senator Joni Ernst says President Biden’s announcement Tuesday to ban Russian oil imports didn’t take advantage of the domestic fuel option, but instead, Biden lauded the use of electric vehicles, a policy Ernst calls “reckless.” The Homefront Energy Independence Act would put the ban on Russian oil into law while making E-15 fuel available year-round, create an E-15 and biodiesel tax credit, and provide for biofuel infrastructure and compatibility with retailers. Co-sponsor, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, says it’s a better solution than “begging OPEC to send us more oil.”
Casey’s CEO Talks Gas Prices
(Akeny, IA) — The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store chain reported net income was up 66 percent in the third quarter compared to last year as gasoline and in-store sales were both up. Gas prices in Iowa have increased by 46 cents a gallon in the last week — but Casey’s C-E-O Darren Rebelez (Reb-ell-ez), says sales haven’t dropped off. He says consumer behavior tends to lean towards aggressive buying because people are afraid gas is going to be 20 cents more a gallon tomorrow than it is today. Rebelez added that Midwest gas prices tend to be lower than the northeast and west coast, in part because a lot of ethanol is blended with gas, and ethanol is trading about 70 to 80 cents below gas.
Interactive Video Simulator to Train Police Officers and Cadets
(Ames, IA) — Criminal justice students at Iowa State University will soon have a chance to test their policing skills on a high-tech simulator that features an interactive ten-foot-wide screen. I-S-U Police Chief Michael Newton says his officers are also using the simulator to practice a variety of techniques used to diffuse volatile situations and to better respond to behavioral health issues. He says training like this puts their officers in real-life-type situations — giving them the chance to practice and make mistakes in a teaching and learning environment. I-S-U officers are put through roleplaying training sessions on the simulator, which Newton says are designed to mimic different scenarios they could encounter on campus — including de-escalation.
