TEN NAPEL-CROP STRESS
Area agronomist Leah Ten Napel says the high heat and humidity caused stress on corn and soybean crops in her 7-county district.
Ten Napel says there were few places that had any relief from the extreme weather conditions.
The extreme weather conditions come at a crucial development stage for soybeans.
This affect is consistent around most of her reporting district
Tough to predict what yields will be with the extreme conditions.
More heat is on the way
Ten Napel says it’s tough to tell what yeilds might be, as additional harsh weather is forecast later this week.
TRUCK CRASH
A pickup pulling a trailer crashed into a house this morning east of Le Mars, resulting in several people injured. The Iowa State Patrol says the accident occurred along Iowa Highway 3 and Mc Kurth Drive around 7 am. The driver of the pickup – 32 year old Jesus Almaraz of Sioux City, was driving east on Highway 3 when he suffered a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle went into a north ditch, went airborn, and crashed into a house on McKurth Drive. Almaraz and four passengers – all from Sioux City, were injured. Le Mars Fire Rescue says one person in the house was also injured. One person had to be extricated from the vehicle. Almaraz was transported to Floyd Valley Healthcare in LeMars. Two others were transported to Orange City Hospital. A fourth passenger was airlifted to Mercy Hospital in Sioux City. Merrill and Remsen ambulances were called to the scene.
CARBON PIPELINE DECISION COULD AFFECT ENTIRE ETHANOL INDUSTRY
The second week of hearings opens tomorrow (Tuesday) in Fort Dodge as the Iowa Utilities Board takes public comments on the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline that would run nearly 700 miles across 29 Iowa counties. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the board’s ultimate decision could have a tremendous impact on the Midwestern ethanol industry.
The pipeline, one of three proposed in Iowa, would carry liquid carbon dioxide from ethanol plants to a sequestration site in North Dakota. Goss says states like Iowa and Nebraska depend heavily on ethanol production.
The first week of testimony was mostly from landowners and farmers who oppose the project, ridiculing what they say are scare tactics being used by the company. Many expressed fears about the potential impacts on land prices and on the environment. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association issued a report in February saying 75-percent of the state’s ethanol production would contract or migrate out of the state if carbon sequestration projects are curtailed, leading many plants to shut down.
DeSANTIS URGES FOCUS ON 2024, NOT TRUMP LEGAL TROUBLES
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is subtly urging Iowa Caucus goers to focus on the 2024 election rather than on former President Donald Trump’s indictments. DeSantis, who campaigned in Iowa over the weekend, says if the election ends up as a referendum on controversies from the past, then President Biden won’t face any scrutiny and he’ll win. DeSantis says last Wednesday’s debate has kicked off a new phase and there will be a different cadence to the campaign going forward. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy also campaigned in Iowa this weekend. Ramaswamy told reporters his goal is to finish in the top three in the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.
MOCFV ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
A brand new 37 million dollar elementary school is now in service in Orange City. Supt. Russ Adams recently spoke at the dedication of the MOC-Floyd Valley Elementary School building.
Adams says they received much help from state and local officials.
Superintendent Adams described the building.
The new school, on the east edge of Orange City, replaces aging buildings in Orange City and Hospers. Those buildings were purchased by their respective communities. The properties will be repurposed. He was especially grateful for the community’s support of the project.
The school has 670 students in grades k through 5.
GASOLINE PRICES LOWER
This is the last week before Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Gasoline prices are inching downward as demand drops, due to less travel. Prices are still high compared to a year ago and even a month ago. Triple-A-Iowa spokesman Brian Ortner says crude oil prices are gradually falling and that translates to a drop in prices at the pump.
The motor club says the average price for a gallon of self-serve unleaded is now three-61 in Iowa, which is 21-cents below the national average.
Triple-A says the highest gas prices in the state are in both Ames and Dubuque at three-76 a gallon, while the lowest prices are in Waterloo/Cedar Falls at three-47.
ORGAN BUILDER GROUNDBREAKING
A Lake City firm is building a new facility after a fire destroyed their previous one. Dobson Pipe Organ Builders is building a new facility at the site of the fire in June of 2021 that destroyed its workspace and the parts of an organ destined for Australia. John Panning, the president and owner of Dobson Pipe Organ Builders.
The fire destroyed many of the highly specialized tools the company’s artisans used to create their musical masterpieces. Panning, who has worked at the company since 1984, took over as president and owner in late 2020. He says the outpouring of support from around the globe kept them operating.
The Dobson team has been working out of several temporary spaces in Lake City since the fire and will continue to do so until the new shop is finished. Panning says they are fortunate to have that space as they continue to receive orders for new organs.
Construction on the new building is expected to be done by August 2024.
