Combines and tractors pulling grain wagons aren’t the only harvest-relatedhazards on the roads these days. Wildlife is being displaced by harvestactivity. Department of Natural Resources law enforcement supervisor MikeAshby of Clear Lake says deer aren’t the only roadside travelers asraccoons, opossums and other animals will also be flushed by combines.Ashby says deer will become more of a problem in October when most grainfields are cleared. Ashby says you are better off to hit an animal in theroad than try to swerve into the other lane or swerve into the ditch. Hesays while it may damage your car, it could keep you from serious injury.If you hit a deer with your car and want to claim it for the meat, you mustget permission from a law officer before carting the carcass away.
Grassley says farm bill is on the way
Senator Charles Grassley says the U-S Senate and House will approve anemergency aid package for farmers by mid-week. Grassley says the deal’s been struck by House/Senate negotiators and theseven-point-six Billion dollars should be in the hands of farmers by month’send. Grassley says farmers may not believe the package is big enough.Much of the emergency federal help goes to grain farmers by doubling the”Agriculture Market Transition” payments, which are forwarded to allfarmers, regardless of income or need. President Clinton and others havecalled for re-doing the payment system to give the aid to small- andmedium-sized family farmers, but Grassley says that would take too long.Grassley says the emergency aid package should be approved by theHouse/Senate negotiators tonight and by the full House and Senate tomorrow.
Anhyrdrous leak near Nevada prompts evacuations
An accident at an anhydrous ammonia storage facility south of the town ofNevada in Story County let a cloud of the gas escape. The cloud formed after an accident which happened at about 8:15 this morningaccording to Lieutenant Gary Foster of the Story County Sheriff’sdepartment. The 30-thousand gallon tank was 70-percent full.Foster says 15 farms have been evacuated. The cloud is moving away fromNevada, which is east of Ames.Foster says there are no injuries, yet, and no cause is known. The tank isused for storage by the Heartland Co-op.
Northern Iowa prepares for SIU
The Northern Iowa Panthers will open Gateway Conference play this weekend byhosting Southern Illinois. The Salukis are ranked 25th nationally inone-double-a and U-N-I coach Mike Dunbar says solid play from the offenisveline is a major reason.Dunbar says the key to stopping the Salukis starts with the quarterback.Dunbar says Southern receiver Karnell Craig will be tough to stop.
I-Cubs shoot for 500,000 fans in 2000
The Iowa Cubs will pull out all the stops in an attempt to draw 500-thousandfans to Sec Taylor Stadium next season. The I-Cubs drew a record466-thousand fans to the stadium in 1995 and spokesman Brett Dolan saystopping the half million mark in attendance is the next step.Dolan says they will make it worth their while for the 500-thousandth fanwho will get a new car if they hit the mark.The team announced that ticket prices will remain the same for next seasonand Dolan says by drawing more fans, that will help the club keep ticketprices low.
DOT gets ready for winter
The first day of Fall is Thursday, but the Iowa Department of Transportationis already preparing for winter. The D-O-T will hold its third annual WinterTraining Expo next week in Ames. Spokesperson Diane McCauley says 12-hundred city, county and state officialsfrom across Iowa will participate. She says there will be several classes toteach new removal methods and plent of equipment on hand.McCauley says managing the snow and ice on Iowa roadways involves more thanjust hooking up a plow and taking off.She says computers have become a big part of handling winter.The expo is next Monday and Tuesday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
Keyes promises to keep up Republican fight
Republican presidential candidate Alan Keyes says competitor Pat Buchanan is”selling out” by his apparent decision to leave the G.O.P. and seek theReform Party’s presidential nomination. Keyes said last night in Des Moines he will not “surrender” to pressure toannoint George W. Bush the Republican nominee. Keyes says that would beabandoning the grassroots arm of the party and leave them with no choice,whatsoever. Also yesterday, Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes said the tencommandments are the foundation for our civilization, so it makes sense topost them in our nation’s public schools. Forbes was quizzed by students at a West Des Moines high school yesterdayabout issues ranging from gun control to military spending. Afterwards,Forbes told reporters he opposed the posting of other religious sentiments,such as passages from the Koran, as one student suggested.
