Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says farmers have been able to catch up quite a bit in their planting with some days of dry weather. But he says some of the corn that’s already emerged may have been in too much water to make it. “They’ll be a little bit of replant where some water has been standing. Most of the rest of the crop it sounds like is up and going,” Northey says. “There’s still some beans to be planted yet….and it is wet enough across Iowa it’s going to take a little while in some places to be able to get back in the field.”

It’s preferred to get the corn all planted by mid-May to avoid any loss in yield. While 92 percent of the corn was planted by the start of this week, Northey says there’s still plenty to be concerned about. “Even just eight percent of the corn means we have a million acres of corn yet to plant — and that’s not in here by the end of May — so we’ll see,” Northey says. “That starts to lose a little yield. Certainly some replants in some bottoms that’ll need to happen, that’ll probably be a little lower yield expectations for producers as well.”

Northey says farmers were busy at the various times when the weather was dry. He says there was one in April, one in early May and then the middle of May, so the planting times have been spread out and it is kind of an experiment in different planting times.

Northey says he’s gotten all his corn planted, but like other farmers, he needs some heat to get it growing. “We do need some warm weather to get it up and going. Most of it has emerged across the state, but it’s still coming yet,” Northey says.

He farms near Spirit Lake and says he still has some beans to get planted.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Creston say two people were arrested Tuesday afternoon for Violating Protection Orders. 34-year old Erin Marie Wallace, and 35-year old Kevin Lee Cottrell, both of Creston, were arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on Union County warrants for Violating the Protective Order. Wallace was being held in the Ringgold County Jail, and Cottrell was being held in the Union County Jail, both while awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A new survey of rural bankers in Iowa and several other Midwest states suggests the ag economy is improving. Creighton University’s “Rural Mainstreet Index” hit a two-year high in May. Economist Ernie Goss conducts the monthly survey and says lender confidence levels on the rural economy for May inched into positive territory for the first time since August 2015. Farm land prices and ag equipment sales were still negative, but they moved in a positive direction.

“It was still not a great report, but we’re talking about many months, in this case 20 straight months, of the overall index being below growth neutral. Moving above growth neutral was certainly good news,” Goss said.

Survey participants said, over the next five years, rising regulatory costs will be their top challenge. The number of rural bankers reporting farm foreclosures was the biggest risk doubled to one in ten, but Goss says it would take even lower commodity prices for that to be a major concern.

“At this point in time, agricultural commodity prices have at least stabilized. They’re not growing, but what we need to see of course is a good 20-to-25 percent increase in grain prices and livestock prices,” Goss said.

Nearly 90 percent of bankers said low commodity prices were the biggest threat to the rural economy, slightly less than last year. Participants surveyed were located in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

(Radio Iowa)

(Clarifies service is May 27th)

Officials with the Twigg Funeral Home in Guthrie Center have announced Memorial Services will be held this Saturday, May 27th, for two teens who died in a May 15^th arson fire at their home. Services for 16-year old Shakiah Marie Cockerham and 12-year old Melanie “Paige” Exline, of Guthrie Center, will take place in the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center High School Auditorium in Guthrie Center, beginning 10:30-a.m. Saturday. No visitation is planned.

Shakiah and Paige’s uncle, 54 year old William Long, III suffered severe burns to his upper body and was flown to an Omaha hospital for treatments. Their grandmother, 74 year old Shirley Exline, suffered minor injuries.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office concluded that the house fire was a result of Arson. No arrests have been made in connection with the ongoing investigation.

A traffic stop Tuesday night in Adams County resulted in the arrest of a man from Union County on drug and other charges. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports 47-year old Tony Dean Fizer, of Creston, was taken into custody at around 9:42-p.m. following a traffic stop on Highway 25 at 240th Street.

Fizer was found to be driving on a suspended license with nine withdrawals in effect. He was arrested for DUS, and upon further investigation, was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs.

His bond was set at $1,300.

Police in Red Oak report a Red Oak woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Authorities say 31-year old Colbie Jo Sue Fike was taken into custody at around 3:25-p.m., for Driving While Suspended. Fike was also cited for Operating a Motor Vehicle without Registration. Bond was set at $300.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ruled a man accused of killing two people in Mason City is now mentally competent to stand trial. The Globe Gazette reports that the judge issued the ruling Tuesday in the case against Peter Veal. Veal has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the November deaths of Caleb Christensen and Melinda Kavars.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins is among a group of senators that is trying to make some types of hearing aids more easily accessible and more affordable. Collins, a Republican, is sponsoring the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 along with Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley. The senators say only about 14 percent of people with hearing loss use assistive hearing technology such as hearing aids, and one of the biggest obstacles is price.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A quick transition is expected for Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds to take over as governor now that Terry Branstad has been confirmed as the next U.S. ambassador to China. Branstad will resign as governor Wednesday in his formal office at the Capitol. Reynolds will then be sworn in as governor in the Capitol rotunda. Reynolds will inherit a range of issues, including a constrained state budget and questions about the future of water quality initiatives.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a sentencing appeal by a father and son whose Iowa-based egg production company caused a massive 2010 salmonella outbreak. The rejection Monday means Austin “Jack” DeCoster and his son Peter DeCoster will be required to serve prison time for misdemeanor food safety violations. The appeal was denied without comment. The DeCosters were sentenced to three months in prison in 2015.

A man facing charges of murder and numerous other charges associated with the shooting death of a Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy, has plead not guilty to the charges and asked for a speedy trial. Online court records show 24-year old Wesley Correa-Carmenaty entered his not guilty plea Tuesday. He’s scheduled for jury trial on July 25th in Pottawattamie County.

Correa-Carmenaty is being held in the Woodbury County Jail pending the start of his trial on a felony first-degree murder charge associated with the May 1st death of Deputy Mark Burbridge that took place when Correa-Carmenaty broke out of his restraints and wrestled a gun away from one of two deputies who were transferring him to the Pott. County Jail. The escape occurred after his sentencing on a separate murder charge.

He faces 11 additional felony charges associated with the incident, including: 2nd-degree kidnapping; two counts of Attempted murder; 3 counts each of 1st degree robbery; Intimidation with a dangerous weapon; two counts of Felon in possession of a firearm; escape, and 1st-degree criminal mischief.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office in Atlantic reports the right lane of westbound Interstate 80/northbound I-29 between the Iowa 192/South Expressway (exit 3) ramps is currently closed for repairs. The lane closure went into effect 9 a.m. today (Wednesday, May 24th), and continues until 5 a.m. Thursday (May 25th), weather permitting.

To reduce traffic volumes while repairs occur, the northbound on-ramp at U.S. 275/Iowa 92 (exit 47) and the westbound on-ramp at Madison Avenue (exit 5) will also be closed until 5-a.m., May 25th.

The Iowa DOT anticipates that significant delays could occur, so motorists are encouraged to find alternative routes and allow for extra time while repairs are taking place.

Construction during the 2017 season is part of the Iowa DOT’s Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program, a streamlined approach to planned construction projects on I-80, I-29, and I-480 in the Council Bluffs/Omaha metropolitan area. The program is the single largest project in the Iowa DOT’s fiscal year 2017-2021 Iowa Transportation Improvement Program. Visit the program website at www.councilbluffsinterstate.iowadot.gov/.