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Iowa Corn Growers Association Releases Top State and Federal Policy Priorities for 2018

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JOHNSTON, IA – December 20, 2017 – The Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA), one of the most effective, longest-standing agricultural associations in the country, released today its final list of state and federal policy priorities for the upcoming year.

“The single most important thing we can do for our members is to support sound policy development,” said ICGA President Mark Recker, a farmer from Arlington. “Our dedicated members engage in policy development through member surveys, roundtable meetings, and our annual Grassroots Summit in establishing goals and guiding our priorities each year to aid in the success of the corn industry. I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish in the coming year.”

2018 ICGA state priorities, listed in alphabetical order:

  • Conservation/Water Quality: Long term, increased funding for Iowa Nutrient Reduction
    Strategy
  • Ethanol: Obtain funding for Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (RFIP)Reducing
  • Regulation: Reduce regulatory barriers where possible
  • Taxes: Full state coupling of the federal Section 179 small business expensing provision
  • Taxes: Protect agriculture in comprehensive tax reform

2018 ICGA federal priorities, listed in alphabetical order:

  • Ethanol: Retain the Renewable Fuel Standard
  • Safety Net: Protect crop insurance funding as part of the 2018 Farm Bill
  • Taxes: Protect agriculture in comprehensive tax reform
  • Trade: Protect/expand funding for Market Access Program (MAP) and Foreign Market Development (FMD) as part of the 2018 Farm Bill
  • Trade: Expand bilateral and multi-lateral trade agreements

“I encourage all members to join us at a ICGA Day on the Hill on January 16, March 21, or visit with your local legislators to have your voice heard and to share your priorities with state policy makers,” stated Recker. “Finally, if you are not a member of ICGA, I encourage you to join us today and get engaged on issues impacting your farm.”

The complete 2018 policy resolution book is available at www.iowacorn.org/policy or in hard copy for free upon request by emailing corninfo@iowacorn.org or calling 515-225- 9242.

Shots Fired on Dec. 19 in Oskaloosa

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On the night of Dec. 19, just before 10:30 PM, officers with the Oskaloosa Police Department were dispatched to a call for service involving shots being fired. It was reported that 26-year-old male Deon Freeman was at the intersection of Pella Avenue and Green Street in Oskaloosa, where an 18-year-old male identified as Cellous Glover who was inside another vehicle pointed a firearm at Freeman.

Freeman has a valid permit to carry weapons and was armed with a pistol. Freeman reported he fired upon Glover in self-defense striking the vehicle in which Glover was riding.

No injuries were reported as a result of this shooting. All involved parties – except Glover – were located and questioned at the time.

Later in the evening, Glover was located in Pleasant Hill Iowa by police and subsequently arrested on unrelated charges. Charges of assault while displaying a dangerous weapon, an aggravated misdemeanor, have been filed on Glover related to the shooting. Glover is not considered a danger to the public as this appears to be an isolated incident between the involved parties.

The investigation is still ongoing with further charges pending.

Osky Boys Move to 9-0 For First Time with Slim Win Over Newton

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It wasn’t pretty down the stretch, but the Oskaloosa boys’ basketball team did just enough to hold off the hard-charging Garrett Sturtz and the Newton Cardinals on the road. The Indians outlasted the late push and won by a final score of 56-53. Earlier in the evening, the Osky girls showed some improvement but ultimately fell to Newton, 50-30.

The boys’ game started with Newton slowing the pace to try to limit Osky’s chance to get up and down the floor. The Indians were still much more efficient in the offensive half, outscoring the Cardinals in the first half, 33-18, with great balance across the stat sheet.

Sturtz would ignite a comeback for Newton, however, as he would score nearly every point for his team down the stretch. The senior would finish the game with 44 points and 9 rebounds in an impressive showing while his running mates were cold from the field.

The Cardinals’ comeback would get them within two after a steal and layup on the fastbreak, but Osky’s Cole Henry hit a huge shot fading away from the left block to give the Indians a two possession edge.

Henry led the way for Osky with 21 points and 9 rebounds. The rest of the Indian offense was inconsistent. Xavier Foster finished with 10 points, but was quiet for most of the second half. Same could be said for Spencer Tucker who ended up with just 7 points and no made field goals in the last two quarters. Jarad Kruse never really got it going in the game, finishing with 7 points as well, but hit a couple of shots in the second half as the Indians tried to secure the lead.

Again, it was Rian Yates sinking a couple of free throws to help ice the game for Oskaloosa, but shots at the charity stripe continue to haunt the Indians. The finished the game shooting just 7 for 14 on freebies.

A win is a win, however, and the victory moves Osky to 9-0 for the first time in boys’ basketball history. They are also 4-0 in the Little Hawkeye Conference as we head to the holiday break. Newton is now 4-2 and 2-2 in the LHC.

The girls’ game had its ups and downs for Osky, but it was a slow first quarter that really decided the contest.

The Indians fell behind 18-4 at the end of the first. They were only outscored by six points the final three quarters, but that obviously wasn’t enough to grab their first win of the year. The girls were led by Marleigh Denburger, who had 14 points, 4 boards, and two blocks.

Osky is now 0-8 on the year and 0-4 in the LHC, while Newton is 3-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Oskaloosa should have a very competitive doubleheader out of the break on January 5th as they host Norwalk. The Warriors are still unbeaten on the boys’ side and that will set the table for a battle for the top spot in the Little Hawkeye Conference as we near the halfway mark of the season. The Norwalk girls are just 3-6 and are winless in league play.

That doubleheader can be heard on 99.5 FM and 740 AM KMZN and can be viewed with a live video stream on radiokmzn.com and MCG Channel 7 in Oskaloosa. The broadcast begins at 6 PM on Friday, January 5th.

FSA Welcomes Julie Van Waardhuizen Back to the Mahaska County Committee

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Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Mahaska County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Office is pleased to announce that Julie Van Waardhuizen has been re-elected to serve a three-year term on the County Committee (COC). The Farm Service Agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and provides financial assistance through disaster assistance, conservation, commodity and price support programs, and farm loans.

The national FSA office guides state and county offices in the implementation of farm programs legislated by Congress. Farmers who are eligible for FSA programs nominate and elect representatives in the local community to serve on the local FSA County Committee. This extensive county-based structure provides FSA a unique position from which to serve rural America.

Effective January 1, 2017, Ms. Van Waardhuizen will continue to represent Scott, Jefferson, West Des Moines, East Des Moines, Harrison and Cedar townships. She will continue to serve on the COC with E.T. (“Ted”) Ver Steegh and Gary DeGoey. Committee members help make decisions necessary to administer the programs in the county and provide local input on price support loans and payments,
conservation programs, disaster payments, emergency programs, and payment eligibility
determinations.

FSA serves the public by providing all farmers and ranchers access and opportunity to participate in their farm programs. Through these activities, FSA supports the USDA mission and helps ensure a healthful, stable, accessible, and affordable food supply. FSA also fosters good land stewardship, which will help preserve our agricultural prosperity for generations to come.

To learn more information about the programs and services FSA has to offer, contact the Mahaska County Office at (641) 673-3476, Extension 2, or visit FSA online at www.fsa.usda.gov/ia.

‘Nine to Five’ Opens in America

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The film Nine to Five, with Dolly Parton in one of the leading roles, opened across America on December 19, 1980, grossing over $3.9 million in its opening weekend. The movie’s theme song, “9 to 5”, became one of Parton’s biggest hits of the decade and went to #1 for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

Haven’t heard ‘9 to 5’ in a minute? Check out the video below:

 

Songwriter Richard Dobson Dead at 75

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Richard Dobson — a singer and songwriter who penned songs for Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Guy Clark, Carlene Carter and David Allan Coe, among others — died on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, at a hospital in Switzerland. He was 75.

While he’s well known for his famous cuts by legendary country artists, Dobson also released more than twenty albums himself. Both Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds, as well as Johnny and June Carter Cash, recorded his song “Baby Ride Easy.” Other successes included his song “Forever, For Always, For Certain,” which Clark recorded.

Dobson frequently collaborated with Clark as well as Clark’s wife, Susanna, in the writing room. One of their songwriting partnerships included “Old Friends,” which became the title of Clark’s 1988 Grammy-nominated album.

The late songwriter split his time between Nashville and his wife’s home country of Switzerland. He’d often return to Music City to record music of his own, working with producer Thomm Jutz.

“He was extremely generous and kind, meticulous in everything he did,” Jutz tells the Tennessean. “He taught me to look at the world in a different way in many different respects, and one of them was to observe nature. He wrote all the time, working on songs, books, newsletters. He always said as long as there’s some writing to do, he’s happy wherever he is.”

A Texas native, Dobson wrote on his website that he “became seriously addicted to songwriting and put everything else on the back burner.” This passion eventually convinced him to move to Nashville in the 1970s.

“Inspired by the example of Kris Kristofferson and the records Bob Dylan had made there I moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1971, beginning a series of peregrinations back and forth to Texas that continued for almost three decades,” he wrote. “Occasionally people ask me if I’ve been able to make a living at this business, and I’ve always answered that while you couldn’t call it a living, I wouldn’t trade the life. Music has enriched my existence immeasurably and brought so much joy, I would be a fool to complain about the hard times. A privileged and ancient profession, music can open doors and take you to places where the rewards are not counted in money. It is a window on the world like no other. Looking back I can truthfully say I have few regrets.”

RIP to another legendary great in 2017. You will be truly missed, but your influence will continue to live on in country music and beyond.

Attorney says DCI Worked Unfairly Against Knoxville Man in Civil Trial

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The attorney for a Knoxville man who was charged with murder days after a civil trial found him liable in his mother’s death, says his client was treated unfairly. Attorney Steven Wandro says law officers went too far in helping with the case against 45-year-old Jason Carter.

“In this case, there was no doubt that law enforcement was working hand-in-glove with the plaintiffs in this case,” Wandro says. The D-C-I held a news conference Monday morning and said they learned new information in the civil trial that led them to file murder charges against Carter in the death of his mother Shirley Carter in June of 2015. Wandro says the things investigators did in the courtroom probably influenced the jury and the verdict.

“Any of you who were spending time in the courtroom for any extended period of time, you would see the law enforcement people passing notes to the plaintiff’s side,” Wandro says. Jason Carter’s father Bill filed the lawsuit against him that resulted in a 10 million dollar civil verdict against Jason. Wandro maintained that it was Bill Carter who committed the murder, not Jason. He says it was unprecedented to have the civil trial before the criminal trial.

“There were lots of things that you folks didn’t see, what was going on behind the scenes in that case. There was evidence that we could not produce that would have revealed to you and the jurors the true nature of Bill Carter,” Wandro says. He says that evidence will come out in the criminal trial. Wandro made his comments to reporters in a news conference and was asked if he was alleging misconduct by investigators.

“I’m not going to say it in those terms. I’m just going to say it was unprecedented, it’s unfair, it’s not the way it should be, and the Supreme Court in the State of Iowa will have the last word on it,” according to Wandro. He says his concerns are with the way state investigators acted — not with the Marion County Sheriff.

“The bone that I have to pick is with the Department of Criminal Investigation,” Wandro said. “The sheriff’s office was always secondary in this stuff, they were taking their orders from the D-C-I. I think that [Sheriff] Jason Sandholt runs a clean shop and he is a man of integrity.” Wandro said they will appeal the verdict in the civil trial, and he believes the Iowa Supreme Court will eventually decide his client was treated unfairly. He also says they will seek to have the murder trial moved out of Marion County because they will be unable to find a jury in the county that hasn’t been influenced by the civil trial.

Persons Arrested for Thefts from Multiple Vehicles

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On Friday, December 15, 2017, the Ottumwa Police Department received several reports of unattended vehicles that had been rummaged through and items stolen from the vehicles. The crimes occurred in the area of Pennsylvania Place and the 1000 Block of East Pennsylvania. In total, 11 separate victims were identified as having property stolen from their vehicles.

The police department received a tip from a citizen that assisted police in the investigation of these car burglaries. The citizen tip ultimately led to the recovery of much of the stolen property. As a result of the investigation, the following persons have been charged:

Bridget Mary Logas, age 47, Ottumwa was arrested and charged with the following:

  • Using a Juvenile to Commit Certain Offenses, a Class “C” Felony
  • Aiding and Abetting Burglary 3rd (Theft from auto), 6 counts, all Aggravated Misdemeanors
  • Aiding and Abetting Burglary 3rd , a Class “D” Felony
  • Aiding and Abetting Theft 2nd Degree, a Class “D” Felony

Elijah Deshoun Sanders, age 17, Davenport, IA, was charged with the following:

  • Burglary in the 3rd Degree (Theft from auto), 10 Counts, all Aggravated Misdemeanors
  • Burglary in the 3rd Degree, a Class “D” Felony
  • Theft in the 2nd Degree, a Class “D” Felony
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor

Sanders was also arrested on an outstanding arrested warrant out of Davenport for Robbery Second Degree.

Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Man Arrested for Burglary and Impersonating an Officer

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On Saturday, Dec. 16 shortly before midnight, the Ottumwa Police Department responded to a Burglary in progress call. When police arrived it was determined that a suspect, later identified to be Joshua Michael Barnes, had damaged the victim’s vehicles parked at that address.

Barnes then represented himself to be a police officer and forcibly entered the residence with a weapon, with the intent to assault an occupant of the residence. Thirty-one year old Joshua Barnes, of Ottumwa, was located soon after this incident was reported and charged with the following crimes:

  • Burglary in the 1 st Degree, a Class “B” Felony
  • Impersonating a Public Official, an Aggravated Misdemeanor
  • Criminal Mischief in the 3 rd Degree, an Aggravated Misdemeanor

Barnes is being held in the Wapello County Jail on a $29,000 Bond.

 

Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Corps to maintain fall water levels at Lake Red Rock through February

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Based on a request from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a temporary deviation to Lake Red Rock’s authorized water control plan which will result in the lake being held at fall levels from December 15, 2017 through February 28, 2018.

Lake Red Rock’s current water control plan allows for, at the request of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, a 2-foot fall pool raise beginning in September and extending through December 15 to enhance waterfowl food supply and shore bird habitat along the shoreline and upper portions of the reservoir. The fall lake raise is typically maintained until ice begins to form on the lake and then levels are dropped back to the normal conservation pool level of 742 feet throughout the winter months.

Transitioning the reservoir from fall pool to normal conservation levels typically takes several days, depending on how fast ice is forming on the reservoir. The lowering of the lake during this time of year has the potential to impact species of concern. Releasing the fall pool raise at time of ice out, or March 1, coincides with naturally increasing river levels in the spring and could be beneficial to early spawning fish. The approved deviation has been coordinated with state and federal resource agencies involved with the reservoir, as well as the private developer constructing the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project.

 

For more information on Lake Red Rock’s water control plan, contact the reservoir staff at 641-828-7522 or visit: http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lake-Red-Rock/Master-Plan/.

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