w/ Kate Olson

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You’re invited to join Cass County Conservation Staff at Atlantic’s Schildberg Recreation Area on Saturday, January 9th 2016, for “Sioree with the Swans.” Conservation staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour beginning at 11:00 a.m. with the last one being presented at 2:00 p.m. There will also be time to view the swans through spotting scopes and witness random swan feeding sessions.

Hot chocolate, cookies, grilled hotdogs, and other snacks will be provided free of charge with donations being accepted (for swan care). The Schildberg Recreation Area is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, on the north side of Highway 83.

IF THE WEATHER IS “BAD” OR THE SWANS ARE NOT AT THE PARK…the program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a light lunch available. This event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Atlantic Public Library.

Officials with the Cass County Conservation Board say the sponsors of the Trumpeter Swan arrival contest have determined the official arrival of the swans at the Schildberg Recreation Area, as November 22nd  On that day 18 Trumpeter Swans were at the Rec Area, and they stayed more than twenty-four hours. The winner of the contest is Todd Rocker.

He will receive a Trumpeter Swan 8×10 print from the Cass County Conservation Board. The Cass County Conservation Board thanks to all who participated in the contest.

The Cass County Board of Supervisor’s, today (Wednesday), voiced their support for a proposed Resolution pertaining to the U-S Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). A draft of the Resolution was presented to the Board for their review and changes as necessary. The Resolution, as currently written, states in-part, that the RFS “Has been created to reduce dependence on foreign sources of crude oil and to foster development of domestic energy resources.”

A change to the proposed resolution by Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, would remove a section that states “Renewable fuel resources should provide significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.” Wedemeyer says he doesn’t subscribe to the theory of “Global warming.”

John and Brad Hartkopf, representing the Renewable Fuels Industry, spoke before the Board prior to their taking the Resolution under consideration. John Hartkopf said they have been trying to educate the public and presidential candidates on the importance of the issue.

He said “Iowa is the nation’s leader in renewable bio-fuels and ethanol and production.” The renewable fuels industry he says, brings 73,000 jobs to Iowa, a $5-billion payroll and $13-billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the original law passed in 2005 and renewed in 2007, “There is seven-years left in that law, and that last seven-years is primarily for market access. So this market can be expanded to other states. And that was the intent of the law…the purpose of the law is the protection of the United States from foreign oil…environmental protection, and to grow Iowa’s and [the] Midwest’s agriculture industry.”

Hartkopf said the RFS of course has seen opposition from the oil industry, and there are misconceptions about who benefits from renewable fuel. He said Renewable Fuels has not received federal tax credits since 2011, but the oil industry still receives $4.8-billion in tax credits.”

He says the main thing they want to the public and presidential candidates to understand, is the economic benefit to the State and how critical the RFS is in continuing that benefit. The Board is expected to approve the amended resolution during its meeting on Dec. 31st.

Economic development officials and local leaders have been trying for years to bring an ethanol plant to Atlantic. After hopes were dashed in 2006 when Amaizing Energy pulled plans to build a plant here, and a Green Plains Renewable Energy deal fell through, plans were announced in 2011-2012 for Ron Fagen, with Fagen, Inc. of Granite Falls, MN, to buy the property. But since then, only an administrative building, an outbuilding and foundation have been placed on the site, and the County constructed a road leading to the facility.

During a meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors this (Wednesday) morning,
Kathy Schowalter, with PlanScape Partners, said by speakerphone, momentum is once again building for the stalled-out project. She said Fagen has been trying to market the site, and if he can get assistance from the State of Iowa, the County and City of Atlantic, he will work and develop the site himself.

The company is now ready to submit an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), but officials there have made it clear they need proof such a plant is needed before financial assistance is considered and granted. She said they have had to demonstrate there is adequate corn available for processing, and an available labor force.

Showalter said they used 2013 data provided by CADCO (the Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation) and other anecdotal information about the county to support the application. The application needs to be submitted to the State by January 4th. A decision on the request won’t be made until the end of January.

As part of the application, Showalter said there has to be “Some local skin in the game,” in the form of a 50-percent match of the TIF (tax Increment Financing) for 10-years, which is projected to be nearly $3.5-million, based on an assessed value of $25-million dollars.

The County, has passed a Resolution approving the sponsorship of and local match for the application to the IEDA High Quality Jobs Program for Farmers Energy, Cardinal, LLC. If the application is approved, the ball would start rolling on $190-million dollar investment toward bringing an annual 150-million gallon ethanol plant to the County just outside of Atlantic. The plant would be added to the Cass County Urban Renewal Plan, and the project, which is larger than the originally proposed 100-million gallon production facility, would create at least an estimated 45 new jobs. Other details about the proposal are still being worked out, and are pending approval of an economic development package from the State.

Farm fertilizer retailers in Iowa and nationwide were spared expensive new OHSA regulations by Congressional action in the big budget bill that was passed last week. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the bill included a rider that blocked OSHA from implementing new safety rules on all retailers that sell anhydrous ammonia. Compliance could have cost some retailers up to 60-thousand dollars and forced many of them to stop selling the popular fertilizer.

Grassley says, “That would’ve applied to great big facilities right now but it got down to a point where it would apply to your local co-op and drive up the cost of operating, the cost of product, all that sort of stuff.” The proposed rules from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were sparked by an explosion in 2013 at a fertilizer storage and distribution facility in Texas that killed 15 people and injured more than 160.

“That was a great big facility and it would’ve applied changes of rules to apply to them,” Grassley says. “It would have affected every small retailer around the country.” Officials with the Ag Retailers Association called OSHA a “runaway federal agency” due to the new safety rules it wanted to enforce. Grassley says the regulations OSHA demanded were simply too restrictive and too expensive.

“It just figured that the safety effects weren’t as realistic to challenge, that a regulation was justified,” Grassley says, “and that’s why it was stalled.” Under the legislation, the ban on OSHA requiring higher safety rules for anhydrous retailers lasts until the end of calendar year 2016.

(Radio Iowa)

Members of Farmers Cooperative Company (FC), in Ames, and West Central® Cooperative, in Ralston, have both approved the merger of their cooperatives effective April 1st, 2016.  West Central Board Chair and Paton, Iowa-area farmer Sue Tronchetti said  “In this merger vote, our members were presented with a rare opportunity to combine two strong, financially-stable cooperatives in a merger of equals to maintain local ownership for generations to come.”  FC Chief Executive Officer Jim Chism added “We are pleased the memberships approved the boards’ recommendation. We are confident that together, we will become an even stronger cooperative and be better positioned to help improve the economic well-being of our member-owners.”

Each membership met Iowa’s state voting requirement for a successful cooperative merger as certified by independent auditing firm of Gardiner Thomsen. To approve a merger, Iowa law requires at least 50 percent of each membership (plus one) to vote, with two-thirds of those casting ballots voting in favor of the merger. West Central President and CEO Milan Kucerak will become the CEO of the newly formed cooperative.

The unified cooperative, to be known as Landus Cooperative, will be led by current West Central President and CEO Milan Kucerak and be headquartered in Ames. The board of directors will be made up of nine directors from each cooperative for equal representation. More information on any changes will be provided in coming months as integration plans are finalized.

Together, West Central and FC have more than 70 grain, agronomy and feed locations in 26 Iowa and three Minnesota counties. According to World Grain magazine’s Grain and Milling Annual, Landus Cooperative will become the seventh largest grain company in North America based on storage capacity and have shuttle-loading access on all seven major Iowa rail lines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Agribusiness giant Monsanto is dropping a major construction project in Iowa telling state officials that market changes have led it to change course.  Documents distributed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority indicate Monsanto planned to build a $90 million seed corn plant in Independence, creating 47 jobs. Monsanto says it’s no longer pursuing the project and wants to cancel a contract for $7.5 million in job creation tax credits.

DuPont Pioneer also seeks to cancel contracts for $13 million in tax benefits tied to creating 300 jobs for three projects. Pioneer is completing the projects but will not create the promised number of jobs. Farm income is down for the third consecutive year prompting farmers to spend less pressuring seed companies like Pioneer and Monsanto to lower profit expectations.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has charged three men with multiple hunting violations for events that took place on January 10, 2015 in Cass and Audubon Counties.

The DNR says 27-year old Dustin Hansen,  of Adair, was charged with shooting a pistol over a public roadway, reckless use of a firearm, two counts of illegal attempt to take – use of motor vehicle, illegal attempt to take – use two-way communications, two counts of illegal take – use of motor vehicle and two counts illegal take – use of two way communication. He was also charged with violating one-way traffic designation and stopping, standing, parking on interstate right of way all in Cass County. Hansen was also charged with no migratory bird fee from a separate incident.

41-year old Donald Kinzie, of Stuart, was charged with two counts illegal take of deer – use of motor vehicle, two counts illegal take of deer – use of two-way communications, three counts trespassing while deer hunting, illegal attempt to take deer – use of motor vehicle, illegal attempt to take deer – use of two way communications and reckless use of a firearm causing property damage all in Cass County.

And 39-year old Bradley Wendt, of Denison, was charged with two counts illegal take of deer – use of motor vehicle, two counts illegal take of deer – use of two-way communications, three counts trespass while deer hunting, illegal attempt to take deer – use of motor vehicle, illegal attempt to take deer – use of two-way communications and reckless use of a firearm causing property damage all in Cass County.

One of the trespassing charges for Kinzie and Wendt occurred in Audubon County. Officials began the investigation after receiving calls from the public. The alleged activity resulted in the individuals killing two buck deer.

Charges were filed December 9, 2015. Their initial court appearance date is set for January 7, 2016 in both Cass and Audubon counties.