Farmers are relieved by Monsanto’s decision to nix its plans to buy Syngenta. The deal would have meant the hybrid seed and herbicide maker would have controlled 45 percent of the global seed market, leaving Johnston-based Pioneer in a distant second place.
USDA says farm income will be down for this year. The department estimates peg crop receipts will fall by six percent this year. It’s not expected to be the same downward spiral as in the 1980’s.
Both sides of the water debate in central Iowa turned out yesterday for a water quality forum moderated by the Iowa Partnership for Clean Water. The panelists all agreed that the state’s nutrient reduction strategy with cover crops, buffer strips and grazed pastures was sound science…the disagreement was over how to implement it.
Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton announced her plans for rural economic development while speaking in Ankeny yesterday. Clinton says she wants to bring broadband access to all Americans.
GOP candidate Carly Fiorina is in the state for the next few days, appearing tomorrow in Ames and Des Moines. Fiorina’s fellow Republicans Scott Walker and Mike Huckabee will also be stumping in the state today.
One of the four finalists to be the next president of the University of Iowa is on campus today for interviews. Marvin Krislov is the president of Oberlin College in Ohio. Three more finalists land on campus over the next few days, all doing the Q&A with the board of regents.
Des Moines Public Schools team up with United Way this weekend for the Graduation Walk. Shirley Burgess with the walk says they’ll be looking for dropouts, trying to give them support and encouragement to go back to school.
The state auditor says they discovered many of the records they planned to investigate at Casey City Hall were destroyed in a suspicious fire a year ago. By recreating financial files through the city’s bank, they recovered accounting information. The probe identified nearly 300-thousand dollars’ worth of improper spending, and over 180-thousand dollars in undeposited utility billings.
A grand jury has opted not to file charges against a Des Moines police officer who fatally shot a man through her squad car window. Ryan Bolinger had left his car after a chase through northwestern Des Moines and was approaching Officer Vanessa Miller’s vehicle when Miller fired. The case is still under internal review.
Digital drivers licenses could be coming to Iowa…and across the country. A small group of Iowans is testing the new app on their phones…and the digital licenses will eventually be used as an alternative to physical license cards. It’s still in the testing stage…but it’ll be called Iowa’s Mobile Identity Application.
Country legend Tanya Tucker is performing tomorrow night at Seven Flags in Grimes, and she says she’s looking forward to it. Tucker has been working on some new music.
