A forum next week will focus on the intersection between faith, climate change and agriculture. Reverend Susan Guy, executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light, says the panelists will talk about how climate change is altering the face of farming, why the issue is important to them and how their faith calls them to respond. “We know that there are a lot of people in rural communities who are very dependent on agriculture to make a living,” Reverend Guy says. “We know that extreme weather events are really having an impact on them. We feel this is part of our mission to reach out to those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.”

Members of the panel include Fred Kirschenmann, a farmer and former director of the Leopold Center at Iowa State University and Chris Anderson, assistant director of the I-S-U’s Climate Science Program. “Farmers are doing a lot of great things and they’re aware of the impacts of climate change in terms of their planting seasons and extreme weather events,” Guy says. “We want to normalize the conversation about climate change and agriculture and talk about how farmers and rural communities are adapting and mitigating and helping to find solutions.”

Those solutions include using more renewable fuels and working to make farming operations more energy efficient, in addition to locating wind turbines on their properties to help offset costs. Still, Guy says, climate change continues to present significant challenges to growers. “We’re having extreme weather events and a lot of flooding, so it’s keeping farmers out of their fields or it’s destroying crops that are already in the ground,” Guy says. “We’ve had seasons where we’ve had both flooding and drought in the same year, so we’re going from lots and lots of water to no water which is also having a negative impact on crops.”

The forum is open to anyone and will start at 6:30 PM Wednesday (June 15) at the Christy 4-H Hall in Nevada. Guy says Iowa Interfaith Power & Light is a non-profit group dedicated to inspiring and equipping people of faith to become leaders finding solutions to climate change.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the board that governs Iowa’s three public universities says he’s backing a tuition hike that’s been criticized by Gov. Terry Branstad. Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter said Thursday that the $300 increase for undergraduate students is necessary to maintain quality.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A Cedar Rapids woman has pleaded guilty in a scheme to defraud an elderly Illinois couple out of thousands of dollars. Tea Ware pleaded guilty Thursday to two counts of mail fraud and one count of using a fictitious name. Ware admitted she would call and falsely tell an elderly woman that she had won a lottery or sweepstakes, but could only claim the winnings if she paid a fee.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of Des Moines and the Animal Rescue League are re-evaluating their longstanding partnership after concerns about the agency’s euthanasia rates and transparency. The Des Moines Register reports that the city delayed a $2.2 million contract with the agency last month after animal supporters questioned the agency’s kill rate and cooperation with residents. But despite the city’s reservations, it’s expected to approve the agency’s three-year contract Monday night.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Work has begun in Iowa on an oil pipeline despite repeated attempts by landowners and environmental groups to stop it. The Iowa Utilities Board signed a final order Wednesday allowing construction on the $3.8 billion, 1,150-mile pipeline. And Lisa Dillinger, a spokeswoman for Texas-based Dakota Access, which is building the pipeline, confirmed Thursday that work is underway.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that an investigation following a call about a truck in a ditch Thursday, resulted in two arrests. Deputies called to the 1500 block of Western Avenue subsequently took into custody, 32-year old Skip Skalak, of Malvern, and 33-year old Tammy Hammers, of Thurman.

Tammy Hammers

Skip Skalak

Skalak was arrested for driving revoked with other pending charges. He was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center being held on $300 bond. Hammers was found to be in possession of Methamphetamine, and also charged with 4 counts of Unlawful possession of Prescription Medication (271 units) Possession of drug paraphernalia, Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp. Her bond was set at $10,300.

Deputies are still investigating the incident. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Dept. K9 Unit assisted in the arrest.

Despite the wet spring across much of the Midwest, there’s still the potential for drought. Doug Kluck, a climatologist with NOAA in Kansas City, says most of the Missouri River Basin is far from drought, though some potential dry spots are starting to emerge in the upper basin. Kluck says western Iowa shouldn’t have anything to worry about, at least not yet.

“It’s not surprising this time of year, droughts can happen really fast,” Kluck says. “Sometimes, they call them flash droughts, if it gets really hot and winds pick up. Those are usually agriculturally-based impacts.” Kluck says the El Nino effect on the weather has passed now with a La Nina pattern likely, meaning, it will be hotter and wetter than normal over much of the region in the months to come.

“As far as predictions, right now we’re slipping into what we call a Neutral Tropical Pacific with La Nina likely developing a little later this summer,” Kluck says. “Really, the impacts from that La Nina tend not to be felt until late fall.” Barges should be running all summer on the Missouri, according to U-S Army Corps of Engineers hydraulic engineer Joel Knofcynski. He says the upper Missouri River reservoirs -do- have enough capacity to handle the heavy rainfall this spring and the current heavy snow melt.

“The service level for the remainder of the navigation season and the navigation season length are based on the July 1st system storage check,” Knofcynski says. “Under all three simulations, flow support for navigaton would be full service and a full eight-month navigation season would be provided.” Water levels are high on the upper Missouri River reservoirs, but enough capacity remains to reduce flooding while maintaining barge traffic. He notes, there could be some minor-to-moderate flooding along the Missouri River, but nothing that poses a serious threat to property.

(Radio Iowa)

The number of quail taken by hunters in 2015 increased by 165 percent to 28-thousand-400. Iowa Department of Natural Resources wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz says quail have seen the benefit of better weather just like other game birds.”Quail numbers have been bouncing back up just like pheasants. Of course, our quail are mostly in the southern third of Iowa along the Missouri border there,” Bogenschutz says,” they just had some really good winters, that’s kind of a key for them. We don’t see a lot of quail if we have a bad winter.” Bogenschutz says there are a lot of signs that the quail population is going to get even better.

He says he’s heard from a lot of people who have heard quail calling everywhere which he says is a good sign for the spring nesting. “Our quail counts last year on the roadside were some of the best we’ve seen in 20 years, so I think the quail counts this year could be the best we’ve seen in 30 years,” Bogenschutz says. He says they saw more hunters take to the field this year for quail.

Bogenschutz says the number of quail hunters had dropped off as the bird numbers dropped and they should come back as the bird numbers increase. Quail are like other games birds and have trouble when there are heavy snows followed by wet springs. “The fluctuations we see from one year to the next are almost always by weather. Mother Nature really frowned on us for about five years there, but now it seems like she’s decided to smile on us, so that’s a good thing,” Bogenschutz says. He says they will know more about the quail population when they do their annual survey in August.

(Radio Iowa)

JACKSON, Neb. (AP) — Two Council Bluffs residents, including a 9-year-old girl, have died in an early-morning crash in Nebraska. The Dakota County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called around 3:30 a.m. Thursday to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Jackson, Nebraska. The vehicle went over an embankment and into a creek on the side of the highway.

The driver, 45-year-old Christopher Cox, was able to get out of the vehicle and climb to the road. Cox, who had been released from the hospital, told police that he swerved to avoid hitting a deer. Two passengers, 57-year-old Connie Fauzae and 9-year-old Espionza Lara, were pronounced dead at the scene.

A third passenger, 10-year-old Jose Lara, was taken by helicopter to a Sioux City hospital. He is on life support.

During the past year, the Iowa Department of Transportation has been working on improving the lanes of Interstate 29/Interstate 80 east of the Missouri River in Council Bluffs. Beginning Monday, June 13th, construction crews will shift traffic overnight on westbound I-80 and northbound I-29 between 24th Street and the Missouri River bridge, according to the Iowa DOT’s District 4 Office in Atlantic.

Once traffic is shifted, a fourth lane for I-29/I-80 will be added at the 24th Street on-ramp. Traffic staying on westbound I-80 at the I-29/I-80 interchange will shift over to the new permanent westbound lanes. Motorists are urged to use caution while becoming accustomed to shifting onto these new lanes.

The Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29 and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – The president of the board that governs Iowa’s three public universities says he’s backing a tuition hike that’s been criticized by Gov. Terry Branstad. Board of Regents President Bruce Rastetter said Thursday that the $300 increase for undergraduate students is necessary to maintain quality.

The plan comes after lawmakers provided about $14 million less than the universities requested and would raise about $21 million in revenue. Regents are expected to vote next month. Branstad said last week that the increase was too much and noted it is coming just months before the school year begins. He called on his appointees on the nine-member board to consider the impact it will have on students and families.

A public split is unusual between Branstad and Rastetter, one of the governor’s top donors.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Tiffany Nicole Study, of Red Oak, was arrested Thursday morning, for Driving Under Suspension. Study was taken into custody at around 4:20-a.m. near Highway 34 and 350th Street. She brought to the Mills County Jail, where her bond was set at $300.

Forecasters say a heat wave will wash over Iowa today (Thursday) that will likely last through the weekend, with steamy high temperatures in the 90s — and the heat may doom many pets. Josh Colvin, with the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, expects they’ll average five calls a day alerting them to animals that are locked inside hot cars.

“If we get a call like that, first, we’re going to try to identify how critical it is,” Colvin says. “If it’s very critical, we’re going to call the police department over and make entry into the vehicle. We’re going to try to identify where the owner is, who the owner is, if we’ve got a little bit of time but it’s a hurry up and make a decision on whether we’re going to gain entry in that vehicle.” Sad but true, he says, hundreds of cats and dogs die needlessly every summer by being left inside cars.

“People are on the fence, ‘Well, I don’t want to call on my neighbor,’ because they just don’t want to do that,” Colvin says, “but if they’re really concerned that the animal is in danger, we really encourage people to call us.” Colvin says the situation can rapidly become lethal. “If we’re talking about animals in vehicles, with weather like today, tomorrow and this weekend, it can become critical very quickly, in a matter of minutes to be frank,” Colvin says. “We’ve really got to respond to those calls quickly.”

Pets should never be left unattended in a car when the temperature is more than 70 degrees, even for a few minutes. When it’s 80 degrees, the temperature inside a car can reach 99 degrees or hotter within ten minutes, and leaving windows cracked does very little to lower the temp. Colvin reminds people to act immediately if they see a distressed animal in an unattended car. Call your local law enforcement agency.

(Radio Iowa)