PROMINENT BANKER ASSESSES IOWA ECONOMY
A northwest Iowa banker says interest rates and commodity prices are squeezing the farm economy. Jeff Plagge served as State Banking Superintendent for four years, retired from that post last December and is now a member of a state panel that forecasts state tax revenue. Plagge says with the rapid harvest and dry weather, yields are at least at or slightly better than usual, though commodity prices have challenged the market. He notes recent layoffs in the agri-business sector by Cargill and John Deere, but says despite headwinds, the overall economy has been pretty resilient.
AARP STUDY FINDS ELDERLY IOWANS WANT TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES
A national study by A-A-R-P looked at where members want to live as they get older. A-A-R-P vice president Rodney Harrell says the numbers are pretty decisive.
Harrell says there’s a concern that the services offered in their communities may not be enough.
Things like getting a ride to the doctor are a concern, especially in rural areas.
And he says most homes are built to accomodate younger people and though it may be paid off, it may not be the best situation for mom.
Harrell says the positive thing for those who are getting older is there are lots of resources to help you.
Harrell says check out those resources and see what you can use to help you stay in your home as you age. He says it’s also a good idea to start looking at those issues as early as you can so you can be ready to make changes to improve you situation.
SCHOOL BOARD MEETS
There will be a special meeting of the Le Mars Community School Board of Education at noon today. The board will discuss the purchase of real estate.
CROP ADVANTAGE PREVIEW
The Iowa State Extension area agronomist gave a preview of the Crop Advantage Series that will take place across Iowa in the month of January. Leah Ten Napel says the program for each of the Crop Advantage sites is customized for each of the locations. She says all of the speakers and topics were chosen for the growers in that part of the state. One of the new features of the meetings are a panel of specialists addressing particular topics. In Sioux Center, on January 7, There will be a discussion on Lean and Mean Crop Production. At Le Mars on January 28, there will be a Conservation Conversation. This will include a water quality researcher, NRCS staff, and local farmers who will share the conservation practices on their farms. There is a registration fee for each location, and that fee is higher if made less than a week before the meeting. Registration can be made through your local Extension office.
AG ECONOMY HAS FARMERS DELAYING DECISIONS
Lower commodity prices and a drop in farm income are some of the issues farmers have faced this year. Iowa State Extension field agronomist Aaron Saeugling says the farmers he’s talked to in southwest Iowa are adjusting and more cautious than they were a year ago. Saeugling says big equipment purchases may be delayed, as a lot depends on which areas had the best crop development. He notes, those who had dry conditions will not have the advantage of volume as when you get into extremely short crops or dry crops, you simply don’t have the bushels to market. Saeugling says planting got started late in southern Iowa and that led to a late harvest, but he some report very good yields.
CONGRESSMAN NUNN WANTS MORE INFO ON DRONE SIGHTINGS
Iowa Congressman Zach Nunn says the American public needs real answers to repeated reports of drone sightings. The Republican from Bondurant who’s a colonel in the Air Force Reserves says he’d like to see an end the hysteria, but that means an end to finger-pointing among federal agencies — and leadership from the White House. President Biden said this week there’s nothing nefarious about drone sightings on the east coast. President-elect Trump has said something strange is going on and he is staying away from his New Jersey golf club as a precaution. Nunn says the U-S should have a domestic drone production program, so the country isn’t dependent on drone technology that today comes from China and eastern Europe. Nunn, who was an airborne intelligence officer in the Air Force, also led an Iowa National Guard Intelligence Squadron in the past decade.
IOWA’S JOBLESS RATE RISES SLIGHTLY DUE TO ‘ANXIETY’ ABOUT ELECTION
The head of Iowa Workforce Development says the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November rose one-tenth of a point from October to three-point-one percent. Workforce director Beth Townsend says the increase was expected, even with the anticipated hiring of seasonal workers for the holidays.
The national unemployment rate also rose for the month to four-point-two percent, more than a full point above Iowa’s rate. Townsend says Iowa typically has a better showing than the U-S figures.
Another bright spot in the report, according to Townsend, was that 16-hundred Iowans came back to the labor force in search of a job.
Townsend says it’s possible we’ll see better numbers for December, though she admits there may not be a significant shift upwards until spring.
There are still about 50-thousand open jobs posted on Iowa-Works-dot-gov and Townsend says anyone who’s on the hunt for a new employment opportunity should log in.
