DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Drought conditions are getting worse in several states, and extreme heat and weeks with little rain have begun to stress corn, soybeans, wheat and livestock in some areas. The weekly U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says nearly 11 percent of the continental United States is in moderate drought or worse. The most severe drought area is centered on portions of Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The United States Department of Agriculture has designated several counties in those states as areas of natural disaster, paving the way for emergency loans for producers.  Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas also are seeing stressed crops and farm animals. About half of U.S. spring wheat, 15 percent of corn and 14 percent of soybeans are in drought.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says a Defensive Tactics class open to women is set to take place August 7th, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Harlan High School Wrestling room. Any female over the age of 14 is invited to join in this event. Participants will be asked to sign a waiver prior to the start of the class, and any participants under the age of 18 will need a guardian to sign the waiver upon arrival. Pre-registration is not required.     

The 18th annual Iowa Sales Tax Holiday will be held Friday and Saturday, August 4 and 5, 2017. Qualifying clothing or footwear with a selling price of less than $100 will be exempt from sales and local option tax. Lists of taxable and exempt items are available on the Iowa Department of Revenue website: https://tax.iowa.gov/iowas-annual-sales-tax-holiday. Information on how to apply the tax to layaway and mail order items, rain checks, gift certificates, coupons, and exchanges is also available on our website.

Some tax exempt items include:
* Clothing and footwear for everyday wear such as shirts, pants, caps/hats, socks, shoes, sandals, underclothing
* Uniforms for work and school
* Coats
* Bathing suits
* Leotards and tights
* Costumes
* Diapers

Some items remain taxable on these two days, such as:
* Computers
* Backpacks
* School supplies
* Jewelry
* Fabric
* Special clothing or footwear designed primarily for athletic activity or protective use and not usually considered appropriate for everyday wear

Businesses that are open on these days and sell qualifying items are required to participate. The holiday does not include Sunday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A report from a federal commerce bureau says the economies of Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota logged the worst performance in the U.S. in the beginning of 2017, with economic output declining in all three states. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that from January through March this year, Nebraska’s economic output declined by 4 percent when compared to the final quarter of the previous year, making it the worst of any state. South Dakota ranked second-worst with a 3.8 percent decline, followed by Iowa with a 3.2 percent decline.

The Omaha World-Herald reports that the bureau is a federal agency from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It measures a state’s “real” gross domestic product, which is the market value of goods and services produced in-state.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – Iowa Congressman David Young has announced that the Second Annual Iowa Senior Wellness and Security Expo will take place this Saturday, July 29th at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs (2700 College Road). The Expo, which runs from 9-a.m. to 1-p.m.,  connects Iowa seniors, their families and caretakers with a variety of services and resources available to them. The event features a one-stop-shop with representatives from over 30 local, regional, state and federal organizations and agencies dedicated to serving seniors.

In addition to the representatives from agencies and organizations, attendees will also have access to programs and resources at each of the Expos, including:

• Free health screenings from health care professionals
• Free and safe disposal of unwanted or expired prescription drugs by pharmaceutical professionals
• Caseworkers with federal, state and local agencies and organizations to answer questions and help seniors and their loved ones cut through government agency and program red tape
• Presentations by professionals on how seniors can protect themselves and their savings from ever-growing identity and financial threats from scammers and frauds
• Presentations on steps seniors can take to ensure continued independent living in their homes and communities.

The event is free and open Iowa seniors and the public. Iowans with questions regarding the Expo should contact Congressman Young’s Council Bluffs Constituent Services Office at: (712) 325-1404.

Iowa State University’s Armstrong Research and Demonstration farm will feature a variety of agricultural topics at a field day August 17th. The field day will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon, with lunch following. Registration begins at 9 a.m. There is no charge for attending the field day.

Mark Licht, ISU Extension assistant professor and cropping systems specialist, will begin the program speaking about yield response to delayed corn and soybean planting dates. Tim Youngquist, ISU STRIPS project farmer liaison, will feature the soil, water and wildlife benefits of row crops integrated with prairie strips. A high-tech cattle feed bunk that measures individual feed intake will be demonstrated by Garland Dahlke, ISU assistant scientist.    

The Armstrong Research Farm is located 13 miles southwest of Atlantic on Highway 6, one-half mile south on 525th Street, and three-quarters of a mile east on Hitchcock Avenue.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports 19-year old Jerry Carr, III, of Atlantic, was arrested Wednesday on a Cass County warrant. Carr was taken into custody for Probation Violation, and booked into the Cass County Jail.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Court records say an Iowa woman accused of trying to flush her newborn down a toilet and then leaving it for dead in a trash can intends to change her plea. The records say a plea hearing is scheduled Aug. 11 in a Johnson County courtroom in Iowa City for 24-year-old Ashley Hautzenrader. She’s already pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and child endangerment. The records don’t say how she’ll plead and to what charges.

Authorities have said Hautzenrader gave birth May 8 last year in a bathroom at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Police say Hautzenrader tried to flush the baby down a toilet and then put it in a pillowcase and left it in the trash. The child was soon found alive.

A traffic stop in Pottawattamie County Wednesday morning resulted in the arrest of a woman from Florida on a warrant, and drug charges. The Sheriff’s Office reports Deputy Brian Miller stopped a 2017 Nissan Altima for speeding at around 10:25-a.m. on Interstate 80 at mile marker 7. While speaking with the driver, 30-year old Brittany Leigh Davis, of Chipley, FL., the Deputy detected an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A probable cause search was conducted, which resulted in the discovery of three separate containers of marijuana on the rear seat. The combined weight of the marijuana amounted to 248 grams. A records check on Davis showed she was wanted on a Florida warrant for being a Fugitive from Justice, related to fraud. She was taken into custody and booked into the Pott. County Jail.

Also on Wednesday, a visitor to the Pott. County Jail, 28-year old Melissa Kay Casson, of Underwood, was arrested at around 2:55-p.m., when it was learned the woman had a valid arrest warrant for Burglary in the 3rd degree/motor vehicle related. Casson was turned over to corrections department staff without incident.

And, at around 4:45-a.m. today (Thursday), 23-year old Matthew Lewis Andersen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following an accident investigation. Andersen was found unconscious in a 1999 Mazda Protege that was involved in an accident near 240th and Chestnut Street in Treynor. Andersen was checked out by Treynor Rescue personnel, but he refused treatment. A Field Sobriety Test was conducted, and Andersen consented to a Preliminary Breath Test. The test results came back as .181, or a little more than twice the legal limit for intoxication. Andersen was transported to the Pott. County Jail and refused to comply with a request for sample of his blood or urine.

In addition to the OWI charge, Andersen was cited for Failure to have insurance and Failure to Maintain Control.

Two people were arrested on separate charges Tuesday, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 56-year old Richard James Gardner, of Pacific Junction, was arrested at around 10:45-a.m., Tuesday, on a warrant for Assault. His bond was set at $1,000. And, at around 1:15-p.m. Tuesday, deputies in Mills County arrested 25-year old Danielle Renee Davenport, of Glenwood, on a warrant for Driving Under Suspension.

(9-a.m. News)