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Plans underway for E-85 chopper

May 15, 2007 By

Iowa Farm Bureau officials were in Grinnell over the noon hour to unveil plans for a motorcyle that’ll run on E-85 gasoline. The Farm Bureau asked Orange County Choppers, which has a popular TV show on the Discovery Channel, to build the machine. 

Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang says it was the brainchild of his organization’s marketing department."We want Iowans to understand that when they purchase renewable fuels, especially E85, they do a number of things," Lang says. "Number one is that they displace our need for foreign oil. Number two is they leave nearly two-thirds of every dollar right here in the state of Iowa and it improves Iowa’s economy."

Lang, who admits he’s been teased because he doesn’t have a tattoo, has had weekly discussions with the Orange County Choppers folks ever since Farm Bureau staff dreamed up the idea. "Last week three of the celebrities of the show…came out to Iowa with a film crew," Lang says. They visited an ethanol plant near Nevada and a wind farm near Jefferson. "They were really fascinated," according to Lang. Jason, the guy who designs the bikes on Orange County Choppers, grew up in farm country according to Lang.

"Corn-growing country in Mendota, Illinois, and his father worked for Farm Service and always drove a pick-up — powered by ethanol," Lang says. Governor Chet Culver says that Iowa now has 62 ethanol pumps and 120 biodiesel pumps, and the "Join the Ride" campaign is intended to increase consumer consumption

Culver says the key is to move "this wonderful alternative fuel product" across the state and the country, but Culver says there are challenges to moving the product. Culver says public-private partnerships will help solve many of the challenges. All the ethanol and all the ethanol pumps in Iowa do no good without vehicles that burn E-85, called "flex fuel vehicles."

General Motors spokesman Mark Oberkircher says that’s where his company comes in. Oberkicher G-M has "a major committment to E-85 vehicles," with over two million flex-fule vehicles on the road and plans to expand purduction. The Renewable Energy Chopper will be officially unveiled June 24th at the Iowa Corn Indy 250 race at the Iowa Speedway in Newton. Ten dollar raffle tickets for the bike will be sold.

 

Filed Under: Agriculture, Environment & Conservation Tagged With:

Edwards: immigrants need to learn "language of commerce"

May 15, 2007 By

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says "English is the language of commerce" in America and English proficiency should be one of the conditions of citizenship for immigrants.

During a campaign event today in Des Moines, a man who described himself as "an advocate for immigrants" asked Edwards for his thoughts on the issue. "You’re going to like some of what I have to say and you’re not going to like some it, but I’m going to tell you what I believe," Edwards told the crowd.

Edwards has answered Iowans’ questions about immigration policy in many forums here. "I do think that somebody who came here illegally…should pay a fine. I don’t think we should pretend it didn’t happen and the second thing is — more controversial — I think they should learn to speak English," Edwards said, to applause from the crowd of more than 200. "But I am strongly in favor of comprehensive reform."

According to Edwards, what is happening along the southern border is "unacceptable" and security needs to be beefed up with more border agents and better technology to track people trying to enter the country illegally.  "We should crack down on employers who are knowingly violating the law and exploiting workers," Edwards said, to applause.

Edwards contends those who are currently in the country illegally should have some way to "earn" citizenship by paying a fine. "I don’t think we should have 11 (or) 12 million people — whatever the best estimate is — living in this country and living in the shadows," Edwards said. "I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think that’s who we are."

Edwards’ campaign today announced 1500 Iowa women have endorsed the former North Carolina senator’s candidacy — and it amounts to at least one female backer in each of 800 Iowa voting precincts.

Edwards told reporters it’s another example of the "serious, sustained organization" he’s building for his second go-round in Iowa’s Caucuses.

"We know what we’re doing," Edwards said. "…We’re seasoned at this."

Throughout much 2003 Edwards lagged in public opinion polls, then his stock started rising late that year and Edwards wound up finishing second in the 2004 Iowa Caucuses.

 

AUDIO: Henderson report (mp3 runs 40 sec)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:

Gas prices in Iowa soar

May 15, 2007 By

Today the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Iowa is $3.18. The Triple-A’s Dawn Duffy says that’s a record, and above the national average of $3.09 a gallon.

"Typically in the Midwest we do tend to lag a couple of cents below the national average, but recently in the past week, week and a half, we’ve been going above the national average," Duffy says. "It’s a supply and demand issue. We need to wait until we get past Memorial Day to, hopefully, see any relief."

The highest priced gasoline is in Sioux City, where it’s selling for $3.24 a gallon. The low spot in Iowa appears to be Waterloo, where regular unleaded is selling for $3.14 a gallon. Duffy says gas prices tend to rise in the spring when refineries recalibrate to produce a different fuel blend for summer.

"This year has been worse with problems, with fires and demand has obviously not gone down," Duffy says. "…We’re holding our breaths. We have two and a half weeks to go ’til Memorial Day when demand is going to be high, but we’re hoping that once we get over that Memorial Day hump that prices should — hopefully — go down."

According to Duffy, one reason prices are skyrocketing is because higher gasoline prices aren’t dampening demand. Duffy says retailers haven’t found the threshold which causes consumers to quit buying as much gas.

 "Last August when we first crossed over $3 a gallon for an average price, our habits did not change," Duffy says. "We’re seeing that $3 up on the board once again. Will it be $3.50? Will it be $4? We still haven’t met that threshold."

The statewide average price for diesel $2.85 a gallon. "Granted, that’s still a lot, but it’s surprising to see diesel below regular gasoline," Duffy says.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Fort Dodge man dies after motorcyle crashes

May 15, 2007 By

A 22-year-old Fort Dodge man died Monday after his motorcycle went off a road northwest of Fort Dodge. The Iowa State Patrol identified the man as Brandon M. Halbach. Authorities say Halbach was on his motorcycle, traveling north on a Webster County road, he apparently did not round a curve.

Halbach and his bike then went straight ahead off the road, down an embankment, hit a tree and then rolled several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A state trooper had clocked a motorcycle traveling 96 miles an hour and began a chase, but lost sight of a speeding motorcycle after it turned onto the road where Halbach wrecked.

 

Audio: Pat Powers report. :39 MP3

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Man hits train, dies after being trapped

May 15, 2007 By

Authorities in western Iowa are investigating the cause of a fatal car-train accident that occurred late Monday night. According to Council Bluffs police, at around 11:30 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of a car-versus-train accident.

When they arrived, the car was on fire and the driver unresponsive. Despite the best efforts of police and railroad personnel to remove the driver, the man remained trapped in the car and died at the scene as the passenger compartment became fully engulfed in flames.

The man’s identity is not known. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine if he died of injuries suffered during the crash or as the result of the fire.

Audio: Ric Hanson report. :31 MP3

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Desoto man dies in accident

May 15, 2007 By

A west-central Iowa man was killed Monday during an accident between a car and a semi, two miles South of Adel. According to the Iowa State Patrol, 47-year old Shawn P. Kubrak of Desoto died when his 1989 Toyota Camry crossed the centerline of southbound Highway 169, at around two p.m. Monday.

The car collided head-on with a northbound 2006 International Semi driven by 44-year old Patrick J. Blaylock, of Omaha, Nebraska. Blaylock was not injured in the crash, which remains under investigation.

Audio: Ric Hanson report. :26 MP3

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Two children die in Keokuk fire

May 15, 2007 By

Two kids are dead and two adults are being treated for burns after an early morning house fire in Keokuk. Firefighters arrived at the house just before five A.M. and found two adults and two kids outside the home.

Firefighters were told two kids were still inside the home. The two kids, ages five and two were found dead inside the home.

The adults were taken to the Keokuk Hospital and later transferred to University Hospitals in Iowa City with extensive burns. The names of the victims have not been released. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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