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Waterloo police kill pit bull after officer on horseback attacked

May 30, 2007 By

Waterloo police say they were forced to shoot and kill a pit bull that attacked a patrol officer and his horse. According to police, the attack occurred yesterday while three horse patrol officers were patrolling an alley in a residential neighborhood.

One officer received minor injuries when he was thrown from his horse. Police say the horse — named "Rocky" — was bitten multiple times in the attack and suffered several injuries. According to police, officers tried to capture the dog. When they couldn’t, officers shot the pit bull to avoid jeopardizing their safety.

Animal Control was called in to take the dog for treatment, but it later died. Police checked the area and found the pit bull had not been chained up or contained inside a fence. The case remains under investigation.

Audio: Elwin Huffman reports. :34 MP3

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Grassley supports ethanol pipeline study

May 30, 2007 By

Iowa leads the nation in ethanol production and for the industry to continue expanding, experts say a better delivery system is needed. Iowa Democrats Senator Tom Harkin and Representative Leonard Boswell are co-sponsoring a bill in Congress that would spend two-million dollars to study the use of pipelines for transporting the corn-based fuel. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, says he’d be on-board.

Grassley says: "It would be a way of moving it very efficiently from one point of production to end usage and I would support studies in that area." The proposed study would weigh the feasibility of using new or existing pipelines to move ethanol from plants in Iowa and elsewhere to parts of the country where demand for the fuel is high.

Grassley says from what he’s learned, existing pipelines would not be a viable option. Grassley says, "The reason why a separate pipeline is necessary is that ethanol has some moisture in it, not compatible with use in petroleum pipelines or natural gas pipelines."

Ethanol is moved mostly by rail now, while pipelines are used for the bulk of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Iowa ethanol plants produced about one-quarter of the nation’s ethanol in 2006. The state has 25 plants in operation with at least 21 expanding or under construction.

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Parts of state under flood watch

May 30, 2007 By

Thunderstorms are expected across much of Iowa this afternoon through the overnight. Brad Small with the National Weather Service says heavy rain could make a bad situation worse in areas of the state that are already soaked.

"We’re just now getting away from flooding that occurred on part of the Raccoon River, so the Raccoon River basin, Nodaway River basin, and some smaller tributaries can’t take much more rain," but Small says, unfortunately, there’s more on the way. Small says a major downpour could force some road closures.

"That’s certainly a possibility, especially if we get these heavy rains in places like Adair, Cass, and Adams Counties – places that were hit hard during the past event," Small says. A flood watch is posted across much of central and western Iowa, covering cities like Mason City, Fort Dodge, Denison, Atlantic, Ames, Des Moines, and Lamoni. 

Filed Under: Weather

Culver axes millions from state budget plan

May 30, 2007 By

Governor Chet Culver has used his item veto authority to pare millions from the state budget plan drafted by his fellow Democrats in the legislature. Culver cut out a proposal to set aside $4 million in each of the next six years for the state’s Community Attractions and Tourism grant program.

Culver says the level of state funding for the program should be reevaluted each year. Legislators also tried to set aside three quarters of a million for year two of the Volga River State Recreation Area project and another half million for the Levi Carter Lake project’s second year. Culver says both those projects already have state financing for their first-year and second-year funding levels can be decided next year.

Culver rejected the idea of setting up a $1 million annual state appropriation for the World Food Prize. That’s the award created and financed by trucking magnate John Ruan — a sort of Nobel Prize for food.

Finally, Culver said legislators had already set aside millions for a project that’s creating a park directly west of the state capitol so the governor axed another $120,000 legislators wanted to spend — to buy two decorative planters.

Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports. :53 MP3

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Girls state golf meet underway despite rain

May 30, 2007 By

Despite a couple of weather delays the opening day of the girls state golf tournament is in the books. The class 3A and 4A competition is at Otter Creek in Ankeny. Washington is the leader in Class 3A with a score of 336 to Shenandoah-Essex’s 346. Ottumwa leads in Class 4A with a 322, three strokes ahead of Dubuque Hempstead.

Ottumwa leads the team chase in class 4A. Ottumwa coach Dustin Stewart who says his team had high hopes coming into the meet, and for the most part, they’re playing pretty well, and are in a good position.

The Class 1A and 2A meet is being held at Jester Park near Granger. Algona Garrigan has the team lead in 1A by 13 strokes over Hinton while Garrigan’s Andrea Richter has the medalist lead after an opening day 80. Grundy Center has a 13 stroke lead over Iowa City Regina in class 2A. Jesse Feuerbach of Regina leads the medalist chase after shooting an 82.

Audio: John Martenson report. :62 MP3

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Crop report says planting has caught up

May 30, 2007 By

Most of Iowa’s 2007 corn and soybean crop is in the ground. The latest state crop and weather report indicates 98 percent of Iowa’s corn crop has been planted — only three days behind last year’s planting pace. Eighty-seven percent of the soybeans are planted.

The experts say last week’s rains did cause some flooding in replanted fields. Wind and moisture limited application of herbicides. The late freeze in April has delayed development of the alfalfa crop, too, but a few Iowa farmers are cutting alfalfa hay this week.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports on crops. :34 MP3

Filed Under: Agriculture Tagged With:

Spanish company breaks ground for turbine plant in West Branch

May 30, 2007 By

The world’s largest developer, owner and operator of wind farms will break ground today for a new facility in Iowa. Acciona is a huge conglomerate based in Spain. Acciona Energy owns 164 wind farms in nine countries. It will open a wind turbine assembly plant in West Branch, Iowa — the company’s first turbine assembly operation in North America.

Acciona is making a 23-million dollar investment in the new plant. It already has two wind turbine assembly plants in Spain and a third in China. According to Governor Chet Culver’s staff, more than 100 people will be employed at the plant. The facility should produce 250 wind turbines in 2008. A groundbreaking for the facility will be held this morning at 10 o’clock in West Branch.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports. :44 MP3

Filed Under: Business
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