Iowa’s two U-S Senators are hosting a meeting in Cedar Rapids today forfarmers who are worried about agri-business consolidation and mergers. AU-S-D-A official who’s in charge of enforcing the anti-monopoly provisionsof the packers and stockyards act will be on hand. An Assistant U-SAttorney General will be there, too. Senator Charles Grassley hopes farmersconvince the bureaucrats to act. Grassley says the meeting comes at animportant time. Grassley has raised questions about recent mergers, such asthe Cargill/Continental Grain merger. Today’s meeting will be held from noonto three at Kirkwood Community College.
Elevators look to move grain to make room
September 7, 1999 By
Elevator operators across the state are trying to free up some storagespace to hold the grain from the approaching harvest. Jim Carlson is thegeneral manager of the Hinton Co-op in northwest Iowa. Carlson says he’sstill storing a lot of grain from last year and his bins are twice as fullas they were last year.Carlson says even with the new storage space, things will still be tight.Carlson says the only way to help the problem is to increase grain salesoverseas.Farmers have stored more of last year’s crop because of the low corn andbean prices.
Investigators look for cause of deadly blast
September 7, 1999 By
Investigators are sifting through what remains of the brick home in southeastIowa that exploded yesterday afternoon. At least seven people died and sixwere injured in the blast in Richland, which is near Ottumwa. The homeowners were hosting a “home decorating” party. State Fire Marshall RoyMarshall headed to the scene this morning.The home had a gas grill in the kitchen, but authorities haven’t determinedthe cause of the explosion.
ISU a favorite over Iowa
September 7, 1999 By
For the first time this decade, the Iowa State Cyclones are favored as theyget set for the annual in-state battle with Iowa Saturday night in Ames. TheCyclones have been installed as a three-point favorites after a seasonopening victory over Indiana State. Iowa opened with a loss to Nebraska, butCyclone coach Dan McCarney says he was impressed with the Hawkeye defense.McCarney says the Cyclones will have to be ready for the game.The Cyclones snapped a long-term losing streak to Iowa with a 27-9 win lastseason, but McCarney says that does not mean they will lack motivation thisweek.
Students test Mars robots
September 7, 1999 By
Industrial engineering students at the University of Iowa are learning –through the eyes of robots — what it may be like to explore other planets.U-of-I students in what’s called the GROK (rhymes with rock) Lab aredesigning software that helps geologists communicate with far-away rovingrobots & vice-versa. GROK stands for Graphical Representation of Knowledge.For practice, the nimble little devices are being placed in remote areas,from a sandy desert in Chile or Utah to the snowy plains of Antarctica.U-of-I industrial engineering professor Geb Thomas says about a dozen U-of-Istudents from the GROK Lab recently took a robot to Utah to try out theirown theories.Thomas says his current students may someday be the ones helping steer themulti-million dollar research robots on the Red Planet 43-million milesaway.
Gas prices should fall with Fall
September 7, 1999 By
As the days grow shorter this fall, the price you pay at the gas pump coulddrop — a little. Iowa Department of Natural Resources analyst David Downingsays fall signals the end of the summer driving season and higher gasprices.Don’t expect a major drop, though, as oil-producing companies are keepinga tight control on supply.Downing says one factor OPEC can’t control is the weather. He says warmweather would require less heating oil production and an increase in gassupplies. Downing says the days of getting a gallon of gas and change backfrom a dollar aren’t likely to return.
Report finds Iowa worker pay lagging
September 7, 1999 By
A new report finds Iowa workers’ wages lagging behind workers in most otherMidwestern states. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the median wage in Iowa lastyear was 10-dollars-and-17 cents an hour. Only Nebraska and the Dakotas hada lower median wage. However, Economic Policy Institute economist EdithRasell (razz’-ull) says Iowa wage-earners did better than others inrecovering from the recession of the early 1990s.Rasell says women’s salaries rose about four percent in the past decade,while men’s salaries declined slightly.Rasell says the Institute’s research also shows fewer businesses providinghealth insurance.
