Sigourney Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud, Conspiracy to Defraud United States

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES, IA – A Sigourney man pleaded guilty on April 17, 2023, to mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

According to court records, Mark Lynn Haines, 48, engaged in a scheme to defraud and obtain money from 2015 to 2018 concerning sales of grain as organic, when in fact, the grain was grown in violation of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP). NOP is a federal regulatory program governing organic agricultural products. Key among Haines’ NOP violations were the use of treated seed, which is prohibited by NOP. Haines concealed his NOP violations from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS), the organic certifier. The grain was then sold by Haines to a number of unwitting purchasers.

Haines also conspired to impede and obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the assessment and collection of income taxes. Between April 2017 to April 2019, Haines obtained false invoices, backdated checks, and exchanged checks to give the appearance of an expense that was not in fact incurred. This conduct increased Haines’ expenses and decreased Haines’ federal income taxes.

“The USDA Organic Seal is a symbol of trust and confidence amongst consumers seeking to purchase organically grown produce. When farmers, like Haines, subvert NOP and its regulations, they compromise the integrity of the program and impair USDA’s ability to protect the health and value of American agriculture,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shantel R. Robinson, USDA, Office of Inspector General, Midwest Region.

Haines is scheduled to be sentenced on August 18, 2023. A related defendant, Daniel DeRycke, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States, and is also pending sentencing.

A federal district court judge will determine the sentences of Haines and DeRycke after considering the United StatesSentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

The United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) revoked Haines’ organic certificate in

2018 due to several NOP violations and assisted the federal agents in the investigation and the prosecution of the case.

If you witness or have knowledge of any violations of laws and regulations related to USDA programs, contact the OIG Hotline by telephone at (800) 424-9121 or TDD (202) 690-1202, or visit https://usdaoig.oversight.gov/hotline.

Pella City Council Approves FY24 Budget

Posted on April 20, 2023 by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Pella City Council met earlier this week and held a public hearing on their budget for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The city’s property tax rate will be $10.20 per $1,000 of valuation, which is the same rate the city has had for the previous 21 years. The budget includes about $55.2 million in revenues compared to $55.7 million in expenses, with city staff attributing the deficit to one-time capital expenditures as part of a planned drawdown of fund balance. The budget was approved by the council in a 5-1 vote.

The council also approved special event permits for the Tulip Time Festival from May 4-6 and the Pella Farmers Market, which will operate on Thursdays from April 27 to October 26, with the exception of Tulip Time. And they discussed the Local Option Sales and Services Tax Redistribution Agreement with Marion County and the city of Knoxville. The agreement will expire on December 31 of this year. The council authorized city staff to begin the process of renegotiating the agreement, but no further action was taken.

The next regular council meeting for the city of Pella will be held on May 2.

Luke Bryan Reacts To AI ‘Luke Bryan’ Song

Posted on April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 by Bob Ballard

AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the hot topic these days – and certainly in the music industry, where artists like Drake and Oasis have had AI takes on their sounds and styles go viral. Some of the attempts to replicate the singers are so-so, but some are uncanny – mimicking the writing style and even the vocal quality to an eerie degree.

Luke Bryan was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” this week when Jimmy informed him they had an AI attempt an original Luke Bryan tune. Luke was game to hear it, saying the word “beer” would probably be in there somewhere. Cue Luke “Br-AI-an” (head to the 5:27 mark to hear the song).

After hearing the tune, while Kimmel said it was “too close for comfort,” Luke – who has 30 #1 country songs to his credit – seemed unphased. “I think I’m okay for now on the AI,” he says. “The problem is, if I really sound like that, yeah, 31 [chart-topping hits] will not happen.”

Source: TasteOfCountry

This day in Country Music History

Posted on April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1959, 12-year-old Dolly Parton released her first single, “Puppy Love.”
Today in 1977, the Glen Campbell hit “Southern Nights” went gold.
Today in 1987, the “Greatest Hits” album by Reba McEntire was released.
Today in 1987, Eddie Rabbitt performed at the White House Easter Egg Roll. Get it? Eddie “the Easter” Rabbitt?
Today in 1988, “The Last One To Know” album by Reba McEntire was certified gold.
Today in 1991, Willie Nelson was among the performers at an Earth Day benefit concert in Foxboro, Massachusetts.
Today in 1993, Patty Loveless’ “Only What I Feel” album was released.
Today in 1993, the “Honky Tonk Attitude” album by Joe Diffie was released.
Today in 1993, Shania Twain’s self-titled album was released.
Today in 1993, Tracy Lawrence’s album, “Alibis,” went gold.
Today in 1993, Mercury released Toby Keith’s self-titled debut album.
Today in 1996, Lee Roy Parnell was #1 on the country charts with “Heart’s Desire.”
Today in 2000, Diamond Rio announced plans for a “Fan Appreciation Concert.” The event, which included a silent auction served as a benefit for Kaia Jergenson, a David Lipscomb University student and basketball star who was tragically stricken with meningitis. As a result of the infection, both of Kaia’s legs, were amputated below the knee. The skyrocketing cost of Kaia’s care overwhelmed the family. Located in Nashville, David Lipscomb University is the alma mater of Diamond Rio’s lead singer, Marty Roe.
Today in 2000, Clay Davidson made his “Fox & Friends” debut with a performance of “Unconditional.”
Today in 2000, Randy Travis performed “A Little Left of Center” on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.”
Today in 2002, Toby Keith’s “My List” begun a five-week run at the top of the Billboard country list.
Today in 2008, Hank Williams, Steve Wariner and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were added to the Music City Walk of Fame.
Today in 2011, Jo Dee Messina sung the national anthem at a Nashville Predators playoff game. Carrie Underwood sung “Cowboy Casanova” during intermission while Vince Gill played the guitar.
Today in 2012, Eric Church’s “Springsteen” went gold.
Today in 2013, the Band Perry’s “Pioneer” debuted at #1 on the Billboard country albums chart.
Today in 2015, Willie Nelson uses 4/20 – ‘National Weed Day’ – to formally announce plans to launch Willie’s Reserve, his own brand of cannabis. The product will initially be available in Colorado and Washington, the only U.S. states where pot is legal.
Today in 2016, Jana Kramer’s single, “Whiskey,” went gold.
Today in 2016, Thomas Rhett sang “Die A Happy Man” in a guest role on ABC-TV’s “Nashville.”
Today in 2017, Rodney Atkins headlined the Back The Badge, a benefit for law enforcement at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas.
Today in 2017, a certified pilot – Dierks Bentley – was appointed to the board of commissioners that oversees the Nashville Airport. He resigned the post in 2018.
Today in 2019, Brooks & Dunn’s “Reboot” debuted at the top of the Billboard country albums chart. The project features a dozen previous hits remade with younger country acts, including Brothers Osborne, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown, Brett Young, Ashley McBryde, Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves.
Today in 2020, Upchurch’s album, “Everlasting Country,” was released.
Today in 2020, Lady A’s single “Champagne Night” hit the airwaves.
Today in 2021, Jana Kramer files for divorce from Mike Caussin, accusing him of adultery (again), in Williamson County, Tennessee. The divorce was finalized on July 22, 2021.

Ottumwa City Council Approves FY24 Budget, Moves Forward with Asbury Heights Project

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Ottumwa City Council met last night and approved their city budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget projects for city revenues to total about $57.5 million, while expenditures are expected to total $62.6 million. The property tax levy rate that was approved was $21.20 per $1,000 of valuation, a decrease of about $0.02 from last year’s levy rate.

The council also received a presentation on a proposed development agreement with CBC Financial for the Asbury Heights low-to-moderate income housing project. A representative from CBC Financial said that they have previously assisted with LMI housing projects in Fairfield and Fort Dodge, as well as in Phoenix, Arizona. This project would include 30 unit rentals across a total of 6 buildings (each roughly 6,000 sq ft), as well as a rental office building, and according to the presentation, the city has been granted a Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) award for the project and they have already completed the site plans, architectural drawings, and environmental and geotechnical work. The project was approved unanimously by the council and construction is expected to begin in mid May.

The next regular meeting with the Ottumwa city council is scheduled for May 2.

Southwest passengers face delays after nationwide grounding

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Sam Parsons

DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines planes were briefly grounded nationwide Tuesday for what the airline called an intermittent technology issue, leading to more than 2,200 delayed flights just four months after the carrier suffered a much bigger meltdown over the Christmas travel rush.

The hold on departures was lifted by mid-morning Eastern time, according to Southwest and the Federal Aviation Administration, but not before traffic at airports from Denver to New York City backed up.

“Southwest has resumed operations after temporarily pausing flight activity this morning to work through data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure,” the Dallas-based airline said in a prepared statement. “Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall went down and connection to some operational data was unexpectedly lost.”

Southwest urged customers to check on their flight status “and explore self-service options” for travel as the airline worked on restoring its operation.

By late afternoon on the East Coast, more than half of all Southwest flights were delayed, and the airline accounted for half of all delays nationwide. On the positive side, Southwest had only about a dozen flights canceled, roughly in line with other major airlines, according to FlightAware.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg retweeted an FAA post about the ground stop, adding, “We are here to ensure passengers have strong protections when airline failures like this affect their plans.” He referred travelers to a Transportation Department checklist of passenger rights, and his press secretary noted that “no other airlines experienced disruptions.”

Tuesday’s delays added to the picture of an airline that has struggled more than most with technology issues.

“It was a 17-minute ground stop. This will have no long-lasting affect on Southwest’s reputation,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Atmosphere Research Group. “What matters now for Southwest is getting to the cause and doing all it can to ensure incidents like this don’t occur again.”

Rob Britton, a former American Airlines executive who teaches crisis management at Georgetown University, said the damage from Tuesday’s incident will be minor but will add to the erosion of Southwest’s image. He said Southwest has underinvested in technology while growing rapidly, and it suffers from an “insular culture” that “keeps them from looking outside for solutions.”

In December, Southwest canceled nearly 17,000 flights in a 10-day stretch around Christmas — wrecking holiday travel plans for well over 2 million people — when a winter storm shut down its operations in Denver and Chicago and the airline’s system for rescheduling pilots and flight attendants was overwhelmed.

Those cancellations cost the airline more than $1 billion and led to an ongoing Transportation Department investigation and a congressional hearing during which lawmakers complained that Southwest provided little or no help to stranded travelers.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who led that hearing, said Tuesday’s breakdown “is another demonstration that Southwest Airlines needs to upgrade their systems and stop the negative impacts to individual travelers.”

The airline’s unions have said they warned management about problems with the crew-scheduling system after a previous meltdown in October 2021.

CEO Robert Jordan has embarked on a campaign to repair the airline’s damaged reputation. Southwest said last month it would add deicing equipment and increase staffing during winter weather that is cold enough to limit the amount of time that ground workers can stay outside.

Shares of Southwest Airlines Co. fell Tuesday nearly 1% while its closest rivals — American, Delta and United — all gained at least 1.5%.

Looming El Nino could bring Iowa farmers decent growing season, drought relief

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Sam Parsons

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

The La Nina weather pattern is gone, and the National Climate Prediction Center anticipates an El Nino will develop within a few months, which could be welcome news for Iowa farmers. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub based in Ames, says El Ninos typically mean a decent growing season for our region, while the extra rainfall could help to knock down the long-running drought.

“Conditions look like they’re heading towards El Nino, in the way of the computer models and what we’re seeing in the way of sea surface temperatures,” Todey says, “so they issue what they call an El Nino Watch, which means that an El Nino is likely to be occurring after this.” While the La Nina lasted for three years, he say the switch to an El Nino pattern is coming on much faster than expected.

“The ocean temperatures in the Pacific, especially close to South America, are warming up very quickly,” Todey says. “The computer models continue that progression to likely being El Nino. Reading the advisory now, the El Nino seems more likely by summer which seemed a very quick transition.” Wide areas of Iowa have suffered with drought, and this weather shift could provide some much-needed relief.

“El Ninos typically are better growing seasons for us. They may not be outstanding growing seasons but the tendency is for them to not be bad growing seasons,” Todey says. “Temperatures tend to be more moderate, better chances for precipitation. So for the drought areas, that’s not a bad thing and actually a good thing.” Northwest Iowa’s Monona and Woodbury counties are in the worst category — exceptional drought, while much of Iowa’s western half is either rated in moderate, severe or extreme drought, while broad sections of central and eastern Iowa are listed as abnormally dry.

Nelson Pioneer Farm Prepares for Opening Day

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska County Historical Society at the Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum will open for the 2023 summer season on May 2.

The historical site is open to the public every Tuesday thru Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily admission is $7 for adults, $2 for students, and children 5 years old and younger are free. Members of the Historical Society also receive free admission for an unlimited number of visits. Memberships are available for purchase throughout the year. Individuals are $12 and families/couples are $20 per year.

Special events being hosted for this summer include:

June 10 – Knots, Loops, and Other Twisted Crafts

July 11-28 – Laura’s Days Family Activities

Aug. 5 – Dog Hollow Rendezvous

Sept. 16 – 57^th Annual Fall Festival

“We are looking forward to another great summer at the Nelson Pioneer Farm,” explains Director/Curator Margaret Spiegel. “We are already booked to host over 1,000 K-5 children for May field trips and several daycares have reached out for summer visits. We always enjoy hosting our special events that feature a range of topics and activities for all ages. We are renovating the Summer Kitchen and Laundry for this season and are continuing restoration on the Buxton House. We hope everyone will have the chance to see the new exhibits and explore the site.”

Spiegel continues, “If you haven’t been out to the Pioneer Farm in a while, be sure to add it to your calendar! Over the last five years, we’ve renovated six outdoor building exhibits, installed an interactive kid’s exhibit, refreshed paint and wallpaper in two of our historic buildings, and added several new artifacts to existing exhibits. There’s a lot of new things to see and explore with your friends and family. We’d love to see everyone visit us!”

The Nelson Pioneer Farm & Museum is maintained by the Mahaska County Historical Society and located at 2211 Nelson Lane, Oskaloosa, IA. If you have questions, you may contact the Director Margaret Spiegel at 641-672-2929 or curator@nelsonpioneer.org

Taylor Swift’s Concert Mistaken for UFOs in Florida

Posted on April 19, 2023April 19, 2023 by Bob Ballard

Taylor Swift fans may be star-struck, but apparently her latest concert in Tampa had the townspeople seeing Aliens as well as stars! Apparently, lots of people outside the stadium noticed strange lights in the sky that they couldn’t explain.

People who weren’t in the concert took videos and posted them on TikTok, showing a wide band of lights moving across the cloudy sky.

Some people were very sure it was Aliens, and not a pop-star at all. One person in a video exclaimed, “That is NOT Taylor Swift!” But concertgoers were able to point out that really the lights were just from her show. Taylor Swift has not been confirmed to be an alien at this time, despite her star-power.

Source: TMZ

This day in Country Music History

Posted on April 19, 2023April 19, 2023 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1924, “National Barn Dance” premiered on WLS radio in Chicago. Later, the famous program would be renamed “The National Barn Dance” and became the first country music jamboree on radio. (“The Grand Ole Opry” on WSM Radio began in 1925.) “National Barn Dance” continued for many years on the radio station that was owned by retailer, Sears Roebuck & Co. WLS, in fact, stood for “World’s Largest Store”. Though the “Barn Dance” gave way to rock music and eventually, talk radio. On the other hand, “The Grand Ole Opry” continues each weekend.
Today in 1969, Glen Campbell reached the top of the Billboard country singles chart wit the Jimmy Webb song “Galveston.”
Today in 1975, Emmylou Harris debuted on the charts with “Too Far Gone.”
Today in 1978, Willie Nelson released his album “Stardust.”
Today in 1980, for the first time ever, women held the top five positions on the “Billboard” country chart. The artists were Crystal Gayle, Dottie West, Debby Boone, Emmylou Harris and Tammy Wynette (with George Jones).
Today in 1988, the “Strait Country” album by George Strait was certified gold.
Today in 1990, Lorrie Morgan’s “Leave The Light On” album was certified gold.
Today in 1990, the “Lost In The Fifties” album by Ronnie Milsap was certified gold.
Today in 1991, Travis Tritt scored his first #1 hit, “Drift Off to Dream.”
Today in 1993, the “Slow Dancing With The Moon” album by Dolly Parton was certified gold.
Today in 1995, the Eagles played Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville to a celebrity-filled audience including Clay Walker, Tim McGraw, Doug Supernaw, Brooks & Dunn, Steve Winwood, Reba McEntire, Lorrie Morgan, and Diamond Rio’s Brian Prout.
Today in 2000, Clay Davidson appeared on CNN’s “On The Shelf” segment.
Today in 2000, the British paper, “The Weekly News,” reported that Shania was responsible for helping a 14-year-old boy come out of a coma. In October 1999, the child was struck by a car and left in a coma. The boy’s mother said that doctors told her to expect the worst for her son. Then, a few weeks into the boy’s treatment, his family brought him a personal stereo and a copy of Shania’s “Come On Over” album. Reportedly, every time the hospital staff switched off the CD for any reason, there were immediate changes in his vital signs. Slowly, he started to come out of his coma and in late December, his mother heard the precious words, “I want my mum!” A few weeks later, the boy’s family was given the best news of all – that he could come home permanently. At last check, the family said that everything is improving and that “Come On Over” is still his favorite album.
Today in 2003, Brad Paisley’s “Celebrity” video premiered during CMT’s “Most Wanted Live,” with celebrity cameos by Jason Alexander, Jim Belushi, Little Jimmy Dickens, Trista Rehn, and William Shatner.
Today in 2005, Carrie Underwood sang “MacArthur Park” as one of the seven remaining contestants on “American Idol.”
Today in 2007, Keith Urban’s video “I Told You So” debuted on CMT.
Today in 2010, “The Foundation” album by Zac Brown Band went double-platinum.
Today in 2015, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and Miranda Lambert were the big winners at the 50^th Academy of Country Music Awards.
Today in 2016, the Brothers Osborne performed “Stay A Little Longer” as they made their Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville.
Today in 2017, Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman introduced a line of kitchen items, Love & Daisies, on the Home Shopping Network.
Today in 2017, Kid Rock visited president Donald Trump in the Oval Office along with Ted Nugent and Republican politician Sarah Palin.

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