FORMER WORLD FOOD PRIZE WINNER NOMINATED FOR NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
The woman who won the Iowa-based World Food Prize last fall has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Heidi Kuhn founded a non-profit called Roots of Peace in 1997. It works to remove landmines and restore ground ravaged by war so it can be used as agland. The head of a group in Azerbaijan nominated Kuhn for the Nobel Peace Price. Kuhn recently visited the country to launch a pilot project to clear an estimated one-and-a-half million landmines and revive an area where vineyards used to flourish.
Norman Borlaug, a Cresco native who was awarded the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in improving crop production and he helped found the World Food Prize 38 years ago.
At last October’s World Food Prize ceremony in Des Moines, Kuhn said she intended to use the half a million dollars that came with the award to work on removing landmines in Ukraine. The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize will be announced next October.
LE MARS COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD
The Le Mars Community School Board meets tonight. They will hold a work session at 6 pm, and their regular meeting at 7.
Their first order of business will be a report from their consultant, ISG, about district infrastructure. ISG is helping the board through future facilities planning.
One of the last items on the agenda is to consider setting a public hearing on the issuance of 27 million dollars in sales, services, and use tax revenue bonds.
Property and Casualty insurance renewal, personnel items, and approval of a new position and an appointment to the Teacher Leadership Program will be acted on by the board.
THE 157TH ANNUAL TRAVELING EXHIBIT OF THE AMERICAN WATERCOLOR SOCIETY
The best in International Watercolor will be on display at the Le Mars Art Center starting Tuesday, June 11.
Arts Council President Nancy Thoma says the American Watercolor Society traveling exhibit is a rare opportunity for the community to see forty amazing paintings.
Newly-hired Director of the Le Mars Arts Center, Draven Haefs, says Le Mars is the only Midwest stop for the exhibit which opened in New York City.
Thoma says the week of Ice Cream Days is a sweet time for the exhibit to open with a special reception scheduled for Thursday of this week.
Haeffs says the exhibit is made possible with grants from Travel Iowa and the Le Mars Convention & Visitors Bureau and is being offered free of charge to the public.
Hours this week will be from 1 till 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with this Thursday hours continuing till 8 p.m. for the special reception. Saturday hours are from 10-4, with a special Sunday opening on Father’s Day from noon-4 p.m.
The exhibit will be available for viewing through July 13.
ISU LAB DEVELOPS TEST FOR MOSQUITO-BORNE VIRUS THAT CAN STRIKE HOGS
Iowa State University researchers have created a test to detect a disease that could threaten the state’s pork industry, although it has not been found in the U-S. The test can identify Japanese encephalitis virus, or J-E-V, which is spread by mosquitoes and is related to West Nile and Zika. Rahul Nelli at I-S-U’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, says most cases of J-E-V in pigs result in mild symptoms, but an outbreak could cost the state’s pork industry 600-million dollars. Nelli, who led I-S-U’s development of the test, says J-E-V can also be a health threat to humans and other animals, including water birds and horses.
BIOSECURITY KEY AS BIRD FLU CONFIRMED IN O’BRIEN COUNTY CATTLE
The same strain of bird flu has recently hit a flock of laying hens in Sioux County and dairy cattle in O’Brien County. Iowa State University Extension veterinarian Dr. Phillip Jardon (JARD-un) says Iowa is the 11th state where bird flu has been reported among dairy cattle.
Bird flu has been reported in 24 herds of dairy cattle in Michigan and one in Ohio. Jardon says biosecurity issues are key, as investigators believe a poultry flock in Michigan struck by bird flu may have been infected by an employee who also worked at a dairy operation.
So far, bird flu has been confirmed in over 80 U-S dairy cattle herds. Jardon says the impact may reach dairy cattle shows at county and state fairs.
Last July, Jardon joined Iowa State University Extension as a dairy specialist after working 11 years as a technical consultant to a company that produces vaccines and medicines for pets and livestock.
IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR SEES ‘ENCOURAGING’ SIGNS FOR PARTY IN 2024
Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart says the party is focused on reaching out to over 92-thousand Iowans who voted as Democrats in 2018, but did not cast ballots in the 2022 election. Hart says those votes didn’t change their party registration to Republican and she says the Iowa Democratic Party is bound and determined to get those voters back to the polls this November. Hart predicts Democrats will field candidates in around 80 of the 100 seats in the Iowa House. Hart made her comments during a weekend appearance on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.
