The state of Iowa is giving one of the nation’s largest financial institutions a $10 million forgivable loan, the first award made from the state’s new Iowa Values Fund. Governor Tom Vilsack lobbied legislators for the Iowa Values Fund, and one of the prospects cited was expansion of the northwest Iowa animal genetics firm TransOva, not the Wells Fargo expansion in the Des Moines area that’s getting the 10 million. Vilsack denies TransOva was a “trojan horse” designed to get legislators to approve the fund. Vilsack says the Values Fund is not about one company, but about one state and transforming Iowa’s economy. Hematech, a partner of TransOva, recently announced it would expand in South Dakota rather than Iowa. Vilsack says TransOva has a number of potential customers and opportunities beyond Hematech. Vilsack says the state is focusing on TransOva. He says the state has asked TransOva to present a phased-in expansion project to the Iowa Values board, and Vilsack expects TransOva will get a forgivable loan.
Top pitching and upset highlight baseball tourney play
A dominating pitching performance highlighted the opening game of the class 4A quarterfinal at the state baseball tournament in Marshalltown. Ryan Tousley tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 as second-ranked West Des Moines Valley blanked Pleasant Valley 5-0. The Senior started quickly, fanning the first seven Spartans he faced with a combination of off speed pitches. Tousley knew early in the game he was on. “After the first inning, I get a pretty good feeling then and what they’re going to hit,” Tousley said. Tousley said despite his success, his fastball was not sharp. “Today the fastball wasn’t there, so I relied heavily on the off-speed,” Tousley said. Valley coach Steve Mohr says Tousley is one of several quality starters on the staff. In the other game, Iowa City High beat Urbandale 13-3 in 10 innings. There was an upset in the first game of the day in Carroll. Sioux City Heelan, with a six-run seventh inning, beat Davenport Assumption 10-4. Davenport Assumption ends their season with a 36-7 record. Sioux City Heelan’s record now stands at 24-20. In the second game, Waukee beat Decorah 7-1.
McCarney says underdog role is nothing new
Dan McCarney says he has gotten used to the underdog role at Iowa State. The Big-12 Conference held its annual football media day in Kansas City on Wednesday and despite three straight bowl games the Cyclones are not considered a legitimate threat for the North Division title. “I don’t lose sleep over it,” McCarney said. He says he “enjoys” and “embraces” the challenge of proving the naysayers wrong. McCarney says the Cyclones are rarely the favorite. “I’ve never really been in a situation in all the years I’ve been in it where we were picked to be the team,” he said. “Maybe someday I’ll enjoy that role.” Iowa State opens at home against Northern Iowa August 30th.
Harkin says passage of the energy bill unlikely
Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’s very doubtful the massive Energy Bill will pass Congress prior to its adjourning for its August break. Harkin, a Democrat, says it means many new incentives for Iowans involved in alternate energy industries, like ethanol, biodiesel and wind, may be put on hold. Harkin says Republicans are “foot-dragging” on the $15.5 billion package which has “a couple hundred amendments” still pending. All is not lost, Harkin says, for legislation that aimed to boost production of corn-based ethanol fuel and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Harkin says the Renewable Fuels Standards measure could be attached to legislation other than the Energy Bill, perhaps the Highway Bill or something else, as he says the pro-ethanol measure has widespread support. Other legislation that might be held up by the Energy Bill includes an extension of the wind energy and biomass tax credits, a production tax credit for electricity generated from livestock waste and for the manufacture and use of super-energy-efficient home appliances.
Water program could expand to help small livestock producers
The Department of Natural Resources would like to give livestock farmers an incentive to clean up Iowa water. The DNR’s holding meetings this week on expanding a loan program already offered to cities to improve their wastewater treatment systems. The loan program was already expanded to include homeowners with septic tanks. Now Jack Riessen in the agency’s Water Quality Bureau says it could help farmers, while not giving a big windfall to giant corporate livestock operations. He says one use could be to help a small feedlot that is likely to face requirements to control its runoff, and larger feedlots would not eligible, he says, because of the wording in federal law. The program could also offer a resource to volunteer groups that want to implement water-protection programs in cities. He says that could be improved construction-site programs to control erosion, or even more frequent street-sweeping so debris isn’t swept into sewers. Riessen says watershed protection isn’t rural versus city, it’s an issue for them both. Riessen says it requires a strategy to control pollution from “non-point” sources. He cites the governor’s call for zero-polluted waters, and says making funding available is just a piece of the overall solution.
Harkin says he supports Graslley’s Smitfhfield inquiry
The proposed Smithfield Foods buyout of Farmland Industries is being studied by members of the U.S. Attorney General’s staff for potential antitrust conflicts. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley’s staff is scheduled to meet with Attorney General John Ashcroft’s representatives on the issue tomorrow. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin wasn’t invited to the meeting, but supports the inquiry. Harkin says he wants the Justice Department to use all its wherewithal to see if there are indeed concerns about Smithfield becoming a monopoly in the industry. Smithfield is offering financially-troubled Farmland Foods $363 million for its pork plants by Smithfield Foods. Smithfield is the world’s biggest pork producer and processor. Farmland has facilities in Denison and Carroll. Smithfield has a plant in Sioux City. Many farmers oppose the move, fearing it would give Smithfield too much power over the pork industry.
Edgewood man killed when crane falls
A northeast Iowa man died on the worksite Wednesday. A rural Edgewood man was killed in a construction accident in Clayton County. Nineteen-year-old Earvin Gingerich was tearing down an old barn on a farm near Garnavillo when his crane flipped over. He was on the crane’s boom at the time and fell about 30 feet. Gingerich was taken to the Guttenberg hospital where he was pronounced dead.
