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Dubuque City Council votes to consider plastic bag ban

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The Dubuque City Council is moving ahead with having staff draft an ordinance that would ban retailers from using plastic shopping bags. The Telegraph Herald reports that council members voted 4-3 in favor of the plan Monday night. Council members Luis Del Toro and David Resnick argued the city would be better served by a less heavy-handed approach and recommended finding ways to encourage retailers and residents to voluntarily lessen plastic bag use.

A memo from Cori Burbach, the city’s sustainable community coordinator, says charging shoppers more in an effort to curb the use of plastic checkout bags would require a substantial amount of work. City Attorney Crenna Brumwell says the city could be exposed to litigation if a fee were implemented improperly.

GOP file bill to change Iowa’s collective bargaining law

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans who hold majorities in the Iowa Legislature are moving quickly on a bill that public employee unions say would gut Iowa’s collective bargaining law.

The 68-page bill was filed Tuesday in the House and Senate. Republican leaders say they intend to approve procedural votes Wednesday and Thursday. Full votes in both chambers could happen next week under that schedule.

The bill would allow employers to fire public workers without proper cause, and it would prohibit unions from bargaining over several issues that are now covered.

Republicans say the bill would create competitive wages for the best workers, an assertion several union leaders say isn’t true. Democrats say they didn’t see the bill before Tuesday.

Dozens of union workers gathered Tuesday at the Capitol to voice opposition to proposed changes.

Iowa GOP pushes ban on fetal tissue use in medical research

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Senate subcommittee has approved a proposed ban on medical research using fetal tissue despite objections it could jeopardize life-saving cures.

The Republican-controlled panel agreed Tuesday that the use or transportation of fetal tissue should be largely prohibited. The legislation is similar to a bill passed in the Iowa House last year that banned the use of aborted fetal tissue for research. That bill failed in a Senate controlled by Democrats, but with Republicans now controlling both chambers, the measure could see greater support.

The Iowa Board of Regents requested an amendment that would allow researchers to use fetal cell lines, permit medical donations and allow pathological study. Legislators didn’t OK the amendment but say they could consider it later.

The bill moves to the Senate Human Resources committee.

Corning man arrested for Indecent Exposure and Harassment

News

February 7th, 2017 by Jim Field

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Corning man on Tuesday.  At 1:00pm Deputies arrested 28-year-old Christian May of Corning for Indecent Exposure and Harassment. May was taken to the Adams County Jail and booked in.

Man pleads not guilty to thefts of skid loader, stuck pickup

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City man has pleaded not guilty to allegations that he stole a skid loader in an effort to free a stolen pickup truck stuck on railroad tracks.
The Sioux City Journal reports that 36-year-old Nicholas Penny entered the pleas Monday to charges of theft, burglary and criminal mischief.

Police say Penny drove the stolen truck over tracks and became stuck Jan. 26. Police say Penny then walked to a nearby Bobcat dealership and stole one of the dealership’s skid loaders. Police say he damaged a fence when he drove the skid loader through it and also damaged the loader’s door.

Winter Weather Advisory for Monona-Shelby-Pottawattamie Counties

Weather

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

1156 AM CST Tue Feb 7 2017

…Fast moving band of snow to impact area tonight…

.Snow will spread east tonight and continue into early Wednesday morning. The heaviest band will likely fall near a line from Albion to Norfolk to Tekamah and Logan, Iowa.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON CST WEDNESDAY..

* TIMING…Snow will spread east across the area beginning around
10 pm with the heaviest snow falling from around 10 pm to 4 am.
Light snow will continue through the early morning hours
Wednesday.

* SNOWFALL AMOUNTS…2 to 5 inches of storm total accumulation is
expected by Wednesday morning with the heavier snow band across
northeast Nebraska.

* IMPACTS…Periods of snow may cause travel difficulties with
snow covered roads and limited visibilities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means that periods of snow
will cause primarily travel difficulties. Be prepared for snow
covered roads and limited visibilities, and use caution while
driving.

Atlantic School Board to act on purchase of Suburban from central IA dealership

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic School Board will meet in a regular session Wednesday in the High School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m. On their agenda is a presentation with regard to the Girls Golf Team, followed by approval of the first reading of Board Policies pertaining to Student Conduct, and, a Negative Balance. The Board is also expected act on approving the purchase of a 2017 Chevy Suburban from Karl Chevrolet in Ankeny, for $31,938, which is reduced $7,600 thanks to proceeds from insurance.

The District’s 2005 Suburban was totaled during an accident in Dubuque on January 10th. The 2005 vehicle will be repurchased by the District for the salvage value of $1,050, and repaired, since Transportation Director Dave Eckles thinks it can be made road worthy again. It would only be used as a staff vehicle, however, and not to transport students.

Among the items up for discussion during Wednesday’s meeting, is an update on the 2017-18 Certified Budget, and Summer 2017 Capital Projects.

Corning woman arrested on a harassment charge

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest just before 9-a.m. today (Tuesday), of 36-year old Deena Morales, of Corning. Morales was charged with Harassment and brought to the Adams County Jail, where her bond was not set.

Sioux City man’s murder trial to be moved to Council Bluffs

News

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A judge says the second trial of a Sioux City man charged with murder will be held in Council Bluffs. On Friday the judge granted 48-year-old Elias Wanatee’s request for a change of venue, citing pretrial publicity. The judge said Monday the trial will be held in Pottawattamie County District Court, starting Feb. 28.

Wanatee’s first trial ended in a mistrial in December after jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. Wanatee is charged with first-degree murder in the Feb. 17, 2016, stabbing death of 50-year-old Vernon Mace in Sioux City. There were no eyewitnesses, and police never found the weapon. Defense attorney Jason Dunn has suggested that Wanatee acted in self-defense.

ISU economist says another spring bump in commodity prices could happen

Ag/Outdoor

February 7th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

An Iowa State University agricultural economist believes there may be an opportunity for a modest price rally for commodities during the spring. Chad Hart says this year is looking very much like last year, and farmers will need to strike while they can to capitalize on any potential price rally. “We look at prices that time versus now, we’re up on the corn side a little, we’re up on the soybean side by about a dollar fifty. That’s despite having record crops this past year,” Hart “Well, that speaks about this demand that continues to build and work through these crops. And hopefully as we sort of found last year, as we worked through the spring of 2016 we sort of saw a price rally from April to June, and we’ve got the potential to do the same thing over again as we look into 2017.”

Analysts believe the South American crop production will also be good this year, but Hart says it, too, is resembling last year when flooding damaged some of the crops. That’s already showing up in the markets. “We’ve added about 50 cents to the soybean price…so far this year and this month. The South American soybean crop looks big — but can they get it out of the fields, will they be able to — that uncertainty is helping to raise prices right now,” Hart says.

The Iowa State University Extension Grain Marketing Specialist says producers, and trading partners are watching closely the actions of the Trump administration on trade, as it will play a big factor in the prices as well. ‘That is where we are seeing the biggest growth in that demand, and that’s going to be, let’s call it an issue that the administration is going to have to wrestle with over the entirety of the Trump administration — how to continue to promote and grow agricultural trade as we renegotiate some of these trade agreements,” Hart says.

So much of U-S agricultural trade depends on the value of the dollar in foreign nations. Hart says the value of the dollar has been on the increase, however, trading partners have not been deterred from purchasing U-S grown commodities. Hart says he’s hearing that the dollar will continue rise in the coming months, but the demand for the commodities to feed animals is driving the price despite what’s happening with the value of the dollar.

Hart suggests farmers to look at perhaps conducting some forward contracting to take advantage of price rallies when they occur.

(Radio Iowa)