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Bikes and bike parts in demand due to pandemic

News

April 21st, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The pandemic found many people dusting off their bicycles that had been sitting in the garage as they looked to get out of the house. Bike Central owner Kevin Richards in Le Mars says the interest is bikes followed along with a bigger pattern. “There was a huge uptick in sales all across the recreation industry, and particularly in bicycles. We are seeing that maintained and I anticipate that as the weather gets nicer we will continue to see an increase in the number of people — at least in inquires or looking to purchase. Or even just doing some repairs on their existing bicycle,” Richards says.

Richards says they took action as they started to see the interest in bicycles going up. “This last fall we were pretty well made aware that bicycles were going to be in short supply. We made the decision to really bring in a lot of service parts that we normally don’t keep on hand, because if we need a service part that we don’t have, we can usually get it within a day,” according to Richards. “Knowing that there would be some supply problems, we started stocking in a supply of repair parts.”

The Bike Central shop owner says the majority of bicycles come from southeast Asia and the global spread of the COVID virus forced plants and shipping to shut down, leading to the lack of supply. Richards says the parts companies are hesitant to ramp up production. “I do know that a lot of the equipment manufacturers — the people who make the shifting and the gearing — have decided to not really increase production because they’re not sure that this isn’t just a bubble in demand in the biking industry,” Richards says. “So we are kind of constrained to what they are going to produce. And I believe from certain conversations that they’ll be certain parts that we won’t’ be able to see until the fourth quarter of 2022.”

He says the types of bikes sold give an indication that a lot of people are just looking to get out of the house and do something. “Most sales are what I would call an active bike geometry. So something that is suitable for trail riding around here, city riding. Obviously we don’t have a lot of mountains,” he says. He says for now they will try to help people fix up the bikes they have available until they can look at a new bike once the supply gets back to normal. Richards says the interest in Le Mars is even higher after it was learned they will be hosting RAGBRAI this year.

Senate GOP proposes new limits, new income verification for food stamps, Medicaid

News

April 21st, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa households with more than one vehicle could be ineligible for food stamps if a Senate G-O-P plan inserted in a budget bill becomes law. The plan also calls for a new system to investigate an Iowan’s financial situation to determine if they’re eligible for food assistance or Medicaid coverage. Senator Mark Costello, a Republican from Imogene, says the goal is to more quickly find out who is and who is not eligible for public assistance.

“To help people that need the resources to have them and not waste them on people that are really not eligible and do not need them so much,” Costello says. Tom Chapman, director of the Iowa Catholic Conference, says the proposed asset limit is very low.

“It also says that households with more than one vehicle would be at risk of losing their eligibility for food stamps,” Chapman says. “Just the fact of owning two cars, especially in rural Iowa, doesn’t mean that people don’t need help to get food.” Chapman says that could disqualify one out of every six Iowans who are receiving food assistance today.

Senate Republicans passed a bill earlier this year outlining these income verification plans, but House Republicans didn’t advance it.

NW Iowa teen found unconscious in hog barn has died

News

April 21st, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa teenager found unconscious Monday night at a hog site in northern Kossuth County has died. According to the Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office, emergency personnel were dispatched to a hog-site building about five miles southwest of Swea City just after 9 p.m. Monday after a person was found unconscious. Upon arrival, a female was found unresponsive and was transported to Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona. The female had reportedly been assisting in the cleaning and power washing of the facility and was found lying on the floor by another person who was also working in the area.

The female, identified as 17-year-old Victoria Marie Parra Lerdo of Rockwell City, was pronounced dead at the hospital. The State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny will be conducting an autopsy to determine a cause of death.

Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in 3 More Iowa Counties Invasive pest confirmed in Fremont, Lyon and Wright counties

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa – Emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Fremont, Lyon and Wright counties for the first time. This invasive insect has now been found in 80 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Insect samples were collected from ash trees in rural Farragut (Fremont County), rural Inwood (Lyon County) and rural Dows (Wright County). Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service confirmed these samples positive for EAB.

EAB is a significant threat to all species of ash trees. The wood-boring pest tunnels just beneath the bark in the vascular tissue, disrupting the transport of water and nutrients. Infested trees usually die within two to four years. Indicators of an infestation may include canopy thinning, leafy sprouts shooting from the trunk or main branches, serpentine (“S”-shaped) galleries under the bark, bark splitting, woodpecker damage and 1/8 inch D-shaped exit holes.

Emerald Ash Borer

Now is the time to decide a course of action for ash trees at risk of EAB attack (within 15 miles of a known infestation). Landowners and managers can choose to wait and see what happens, remove declining ash trees and replace them with other species, or use preventive insecticide treatments to preserve and protect valuable and healthy ash trees. Spring, from mid-April to mid-May, is the best time to treat for EAB. Insecticides are most effective when the ash tree is actively growing and uptake is at its peak. Tree service companies can apply insecticide trunk injections through the summer if soil moisture is available.

See Iowa State University Extension and Outreach publication PM2084, Emerald Ash Borer Management Options, for more details about EAB treatment. The State of Iowa monitors the spread of EAB on a county-by-county basis. Before a county can be declared positive, a life stage of the insect must be collected and confirmed. Anyone who suspects an infested ash tree in a new location is encouraged to contact one of the following:

  • Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, State Entomologist Office, 515-725-1470.
  • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Entomology, 515-294-1101.
  • Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-725-8453.

The beetle flies short distances on its own, but people have contributed to the spread of this pest by moving infested material, including firewood. EAB can unknowingly be transported beneath the bark of firewood. Use locally sourced firewood where it will be burned to help limit the spread of EAB.

Additional information on EAB, including known locations in Iowa, can be found at iowatreepests.com.

Cass County Master Gardeners Grant Money Available for Local Garden Projects

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Spring is in the air, and plans are underway for gardening projects in Cass County. Local groups planning community gardening, beautification or education programs will again be eligible for assistance from the Cass County Master Gardeners. The group is offering grant money to be used in the 2021 growing season, to encourage gardening to grow food for education or donation, and/or for gardening projects to improve local communities. The money may also be used for gardening education purposes. The Cass County Master Gardener Memorial Grants are offered in remembrance of the many years of service to the community provided by long-time Master Gardener volunteers who have passed.

Any Cass County not-for-profit group may apply. Schools, churches, libraries, 4-H clubs, Scouts, or other organizations/individuals working to improving their communities can apply for money to begin or improve gardens or landscaping for community benefit, or to provide education for their members or the public. To ensure the money is helping a wide variety of community organizations, those who were funded by 2020 grants will not be eligible to apply in 2021. Each grant has a maximum value of $300. Applications must include plans for teamwork and sustainability. Consideration for the environment is also an important factor in selection. All grant recipients will be expected to submit a report at the end of the growing season, detailing how the money was spent. Recipients will also be given a sign to place in their garden area for the 2021 growing season.

Applications must be received by 4:30 PM on Friday, April 30 for consideration. They may be submitted by mail or email. Grant recipients will be informed of their application status no later than Saturday, May 8. For more information, or with questions, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu. You may also contact Master Gardener Donna Reimers. Application forms can be printed from the Cass County Extension website- www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. You can also call or email the office to request a form be mailed to you, or stop by 805 West 10th Street in Atlantic to pick an application up.

The Master Gardener program trains volunteers to develop their knowledge and skills in horticulture. These volunteers then give back to their communities through gardening service and education. The program is available in all 50 states and Canada through land grant university Extension programs such as Iowa State University Extension. Education courses are available throughout Iowa on a regular basis, with the next statewide training class beginning in August of 2021. For more information on the program, contact Cass County Extension Director Kate Olson, at 712-243-1132 or keolson@iastate.edu.

Legislature votes to set some speed limits for electric bicycles

News, Sports

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa legislators have voted to establish some speed restrictions for low-speed electric bicycles. People riding e-bikes on multi-use trails or in bike lanes along city streets would be required to abide by any posted speed limit for other traffic. If there are no speed limits in the area, 20 miles an hour would be the upper limit.

Representative Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls says other states are taking similar steps to set standards for e-bikes that are different from the rules of the road for mopeds and scooters.

“We’re seeing a lot more electric bikes that are coming and people are riding them,” Kressig says. “I imagine one day I’ll be on one, too — maybe a few years from now.” E-bikes are equipped with low-speed motors and the rider must be pedaling, even when the motor kicks in. The bill has cleared the House and Senate and now goes to the governor.

House again votes for parity on reimbursement for virtual mental health services

News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – For a second time this year, the Iowa House has voted to require insurance companies to provide equal reimbursement rates for in-person AND virtual mental health services. The insurance industry opposes the move and it stalled in the Senate. House members voted to attached their proposal to a bill that calls for a study of how to better track how many inpatient psychiatric beds are available in Iowa hospitals.

Representative Eddie Andrews of Johnston says the study be done by year’s end, so legislators can implement any proposed changes in 2022. “We need to do something about mental health,” Andrews says. “As a matter of fact, two years ago I had zero desire to run for office or any knowledge, but what moved me is the changes that we can make to our mental health system.”

The House decision to merge the two issues into one package will force senators to either agree to both proposals, abandon both, or form a 10-member conference committee to hammer out a compromise.

3 western Iowans sentenced on drug charges, Monday

News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Two men and a woman from western Iowa were sentenced to federal prison on drug charges Monday, in Council Bluffs U-S District Court. Court records show 31-year-old Jessica Joy Martinez, of Carroll, will serve 10-years in prison. 40-year-old Shaun Lee Walker, of Council Bluffs will serve 11 1/4 years in prison, and 28-year-old Jonathan Samuel Dings, of, of Glidden, was sentenced to 13.3-years (60 months) in prison. Each was convicted on Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine charges.

Each defendant was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow their prison terms and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. There is no parole in the federal system.

On January 10, 2020, Carroll County law enforcement served a search warrant on Dings’ residence in Glidden. While conducting the search, law enforcement learned Martinez and Walker planned to supply Dings – that day – with approximately a pound of methamphetamine they obtained from Omaha, Nebraska. Dings was to sell the methamphetamine in Carroll and Audubon Counties. Law enforcement attempted to intercept the load car containing the methamphetamine that was driven by Walker with Martinez as a passenger, in Audubon, which resulted in a pursuit
occurring before Walker and Martinez were arrested.

The investigation was conducted by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Audubon Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Agency. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Cass County Supervisors approve new hires & an appointment

News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, approved two new hires, a promotion, and an appointment to the Board of Health. They approved employment contracts for:

  • LaJean Fajen-Webb, Jailer (Starting wage $19.64/hour)
  • Christian Kinzie as an Engineering Technician ($24.70/hour)
  • and the promotion of Dennis Vogl to Senior Engineering Technician. ($28.50/hour)   – Both positions are in effect as of May 10, 2021.
  • The Board approved the appointment of Dr. Elaine Berry as a member to the Cass County Board of Health (term ending 12/31/2023).

County Conservation Director Micah Lee presented 3rd quarter FY21 report of activity at county recreational sites (including maintenance at Cold Springs, West Nodaway Area, T-Bone Trail, Hitchcock House, Indian Creek, Troublesome Creek and Outdoor Classroom) and naturalist’s environmental education activities: 58 programs to 664 persons.

Veteran Affairs Executive Director Mitch Holmes gave report of 3rd quarter FY21 activity.  During the quarter 141 veterans were assisted: Federal VA benefits and/or local general assistance.

Audubon School Board sets last day of the 2020-21 school year as May 21st

News

April 20th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Audubon School District’s Board of Education, Monday, set Friday, May 21st 2021 as the last day of school for the current school year. Superintendent Eric Trager said on that day, students will be dismissed at 2:15-p.m.

In other business, the Audubon School Board approved a contract with the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool.

The pool allows the district to pay its natural gas service purchases through their management fund. It’s the third year the district has participated in the program. The District also approved a renewal of a contract with SU Insurance, that allows the district to turn-in break-down insurance when computers need repairs, kitchen equipment breaks down, etc. The Board also added a service agreement with Studio Melee, the district’s facilities renovation project architect.

The Audubon School Board approved a “Quit Claim” Deed for Christiansen Trust, which is of an historical note of sorts.

The Board chose to deed the property back to the land owner who’s been farming it for many years. And, the Board was notified the District would receive a little more than 1.2-million dollars in COVID Relief Funds they will try and figure out how best to use them.

In other news, the Audubon School Board approved 2.5% raises for those employees who are not represented by a collective bargaining unit, and they renewed Superintendent Eric Trager’s contract for another three-years. They also approved the hiring of: A P.E/At risk teacher; A Special Education Teacher and a new Custodian. Trager said they’re working hard on the hiring process, but the supply of interested and qualified applicants is drying up.