Some Iowa farmers are having trouble spraying their fields for weeds, because of the wet weather we’ve had. USDA says standing water is also a problem, causing some drowned out spots that will need to be replanted. On the other hand, 84 percent of the corn crop has been rated good-to-excellent so far.… MORE
Category Archives: News Items
Bird flu strikes again
The bird flu has hit one more time in the state, in Wright County. The last case was reported a week ago. While the outbreak has spiked the price of eggs and roasting turkeys, the ag department says it’s caused a dip in chicken prices, as countries restrict their poultry imports.… MORE
Trump declares candidacy
Donald Trump has officially declared his candidacy for president. He’ll be at Sherman Hoyt Place tonight at 6 PM. He touted the economy and jobs in his official announcement today.… MORE
TORCH MORNING NEWS YOU CAN USE:
It could be July 3rd before the state budget is put to bed. Governor Branstad made it clear, he’s not rushing into signing the spending plan approved by the legislature. The governor says his deadline is July 6th. Governor Branstad doesn’t think the elimination of the Iowa Straw Poll will hurt the state’s influence on…… MORE
Congressional delegation wants EPA to visit on RFS
Iowa’s Congressional delegation is pushing the EPA to host a public hearing in Iowa on the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard. The state produced nearly 3-point-8 billion gallons of ethanol and 230 million gallons of biodiesel, and the delegation would like the EPA to take notice.… MORE
Bird flu worst animal health emergency ever
The bird flu outbreak in Iowa ranks as the state’s worst animal health emergency, according to Iowa’s Ag Secretary. Bill Northey says it could cost federal and state agencies up to 300-million dollars for the cleanup, on top of the sizable losses for poultry producers.… MORE
High school football playoffs cut in half
Not so many playoffs for Iowa high school football next fall. The state high school athletic association’s board of control reduced it from 32 to 16 teams for all football classes. They say they’re concerned about the safety of kids playing more than one game during a week. For this fall, the schedules stay as-is.… MORE
TORCH MORNING NEWS YOU CAN USE 6-15:
A huge turnout for the first Des Moines Wizard World Comic Con is prompting promoters to bring the event back next May. Thousands of fans lined up to see their favorite comic book and sci-fi stars, including William Shatner, Dean Cain, Alex Kingston, Brandon Routh and Lou Ferrigno. Corn growers in Iowa are being urged…… MORE
Tech jobs up
Des Moines is pretty competitive when it comes to the information technology job market. A Robert Half IT Hiring Forecast shows 20 percent of area tech execs plan to expand their IT teams in the second half of this year.… MORE
Out-of-State group drums up police protest
Protesters lined up outside the Des Moines police station over the weekend to demand more police accountability. The protests were in the wake of a police chase last week that ended with an officer shooting and killing the suspect. The demonstration was organized by an out-of-state online group that shares negative encounters with law enforcement…… MORE
