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Underground water source in Iowa subject of study

November 26, 2009 By

An underground aquifer that provides drinking water for 300-thousand Iowans is the subject of intense study. That’s because a state law passed three decades ago forbids draining the “Jordan Aquifer” below 200 feet of its 1975 water level.

“One of the questions that we have about these deep, underground water sources is, since we use them quite heavily: How long can we do so?” says Bob Libra of the Iowa Geological and Water Survey. “And can we look, can we ballpark, crystal-ball out in the future and say, ‘If we are using water in this manner for the next 20, 40, 60 years will we be running into problems? Should we think about managing things differently now?’” 

The Jordan Aquifer is the most-widely used aquifer in Iowa, with the city of Fort Dodge and many more moderate-sized cities throughout the state pumping water from the aquifer for drinking water, as well as industrial use.

“When you are pulling out an awful lot of water — and we’re moving around billions of gallons every year — one of the big concerns we have is changes in the quality of the water. Will we be pulling water in from above or below (the aquifer)…and then impacting the quality of the water we’re trying to get out and drinking?” Libra asks.  “And will we see increases in certain constituents in the water just because of the effect of the pumping?” 

Libra and others have been reviewing mountains of paperwork, as pumping records for the Jordan Aquifer date back to the 1880s. They’re trying to figure out when the aquifer might reach the level that late-1970s law set as a stopping point. 

“Locally there are places where, when the water levels have fallen a couple of hundred feet and we can ballpark into the future and see that continuing to happen, there’s a the day-to-day cost of just how much more dollars, energy it takes to extract the water,” Libra says.  “So there are a bunch of factors like that are involved.” 

According to Libra, way before all the water is pumped out of the aquifer, the quality of the water that remains may be less than desirable.  As for that 1975 water line that was to serve as a cut-off for pumping, Libra says water users throughout the state are “pushing that limit” on the Jordan Aquifer.

“That limit — we have exceeded it some places and, again, projecting into the future, into that even 20 year time frame, if we keep using the aquifer as we are now, we will be exceeding that over fairly large areas,” Libra says.  “And if use increase, say, 25 or 50 percent which would be in keeping with how the increased use has been going of the last 50 years, then those areas would be larger and larger.” 

Officials in the “Water Allocation” program at the Department of Natural Resources have the authority to stop pumping from the Jordan Aquifer.  Libra says they’re “grappling” with that.

“It’s not doomsday around the corner, but we know we’ve got something going on and we know we’re in a very long-term business here. It’s not the problem du jour. It’s how do you manage things for the very, very long-term for the best interests of the state,” Libra says.  “And so what we’re trying to do is come up with recommendations for how that limit should be handled.  Is it the correct number? Are there other ways of thinking about this? And what we’ve been doing, really, is try to build the tools so we can do this in an intelligent manner in the long run.” 

According to Libra, the Jordan Aquifer provides water for many of the state’s ethanol plants, too.  The Department of Natural Resources will hold meetings in the Cedar Rapids and Fort Dodge areas in December to discuss Libra’s study of the aquifer and plans for future use of the underground water source.

Filed Under: Business, Environment & Conservation, Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Volunteering is another way to give

November 26, 2009 By

The executive director of the state’s largest shelter for runaways says if you find you have less money in the current economy, that doesn’t mean you can’t give something to others. Stephen Quirk runs the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter (YESS) in Des Moines says volunteer time is one commodity that can be just as important as money.

Quirk says as a non-profit, donations of money are important, but he says they are always looking for volunteers and mentors at the facility and in the community to reach out to kids and help them cope with different circumstances. He says you don’t need any special skills to help.

Quirk says they run a criminal background check and do extensive interviews with all volunteers, beyond that he says they are looking for any adult who is willing to work with the kids. They have children from birth through age 17, and they try to link up kids with adults who are most comfortable dealing with them. Quirk says they get a lot of interest during the holidays, but can use help anytime during the year.

He says the kids that spend Christmas with them will have great time thanks to donations, but he says they are in need all year round and are always looking for donations and volunteers. Quirk says you can find out more at yessiowa.org, or call your local shelter and ask about volunteer opportunities.

Filed Under: Human Interest

ISU poets stage tactile art/poetry show for the blind

November 26, 2009 By

Most art exhibits carry signs warning you not to touch them, but an installment opening next week in Des Moines encourages just the opposite. Tracey Morsek, director of the Iowa Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, says the exhibit is called “More Than Words: A Tactile and Audible Poetry Experience.”

Morsek says it was created through the guidance of Iowa’s poet laureate, Mary Swander. “This exhibit will have poetry that has been written by Iowa State University students,” Morsek says. “In addition to their poems, they are also bringing tactile art to express some concept that comes through in their poetry as well.”

One poem about autumn will include a container that’ll hold things like leaves or mittens, which the observer can touch while listening to the words of the poem. Another will include raised pegs and bumps that depict different stars and constellations represented in the poem.

Morsek says the I-S-U students were very interested in determining what types of touchable items might have the most impact on people who are visually-impaired. “The class interviewed a few blind readers who work for the Department for the Blind about those kinds of things,” Morsek says. “They’ve really studied this and I hope that they’ve integrated it in different ways because there are a number of students working on it. I have a feeling each piece will be different and unique.” She says some of the students are musicians and singers, so she also expects some of the poems to have both tactile and audio components.

While the exhibit is being created specifically for visitors who can’t see, she predicts people with 20-20 vision will also be drawn in — to experience it with all of their senses. “We found that out this summer when we unveiled some permanent installations of tactile art that were done for us by an artist from Colorado,” Morsek says. “We have a tactile version of ‘American Gothic’ that has proven popular with both sighted and blind visitors alike.”

The exhibit opens December 1st at 7 PM in the Iowa Department for the Blind’s Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, fourth floor. To learn more, visit www.idbonline.org and click on the “More Than Words” link.

Filed Under: Human Interest, Recreation & Entertainment

AFSCME leader says he learned value of unions from dad

November 26, 2009 By
Danny Homan

Danny Homan

A Sioux City native who is president of the union that represents thousands of workers in the executive branch of state government says he learned the value of unions from his father.  Danny Homan is president of AFSCME Council 61, the union which represents about 40,000 people who work in state, county and municipal governments throughout the state.

 Homan’s been in the spotlight this month, as 9,000 members in his union have been given an opportunity to vote on an “understanding.” It’d mean state executive branch employees take five unpaid days off in order to save 479 union jobs.  Homan plans to announce the results of that vote on November 30th.

“I’ll probably be in (the AFSCME state office in Des Moines) on Saturday or Sunday and tally up the tally sheets and we’ll make the announcement on Monday,” Homan says.

Homan didn’t take a public stand on the deal, and isn’t predicting which way he thinks the vote may go.

“This vote is about one thing and one thing only:  letting the membership of this union have a say in their own destiny,” Homan says. 

During a news conference earlier this month, Homan spoke emotionally about his start with the state and the workers who face layoff notices.

“I remember the day I was hired by the State of Iowa.  June 24, 1984 is when I thought I got a good job,” Homan said.  “And it meant the world to me.  There are 500 people that are looking at having their world come to an end.”

Back in 1984, Homan was hired to work at the state’s residential treatment facility in Sioux City and in 1985 Homan led an effort to start a union local in his workplace. Homan rose through the AFSCME ranks and in July of 2005 he was elected president of AFSCME Iowa Council 61, the top state official in the union.

Homan grew up in a union family.  Homan’s father was a member of the Teamsters Union, driving short-haul routes in the Sioux City area.

“One thing my old man always told me, my dad: ‘If there’s a union there, you need to be involved in it because it’s the only way your voice can be heard,’” Homan says.  “If I deny the folks that have payed dues to this union the opportunity to vote this (understanding) up or down, I have denied them their voice.  That’s why I ran for this office.  That’s why I come into work every day, to make sure the members have a voice in what this union does.”

The roots of the AFSCME union date back to the Great Depression and a group of white collar state workers in Wisconsin who formed a union in their workplace.

(Danny Homan photo courtesy of  AFSCME)

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With:

Atlantic man thwarts would-be phone scam…with math

November 26, 2009 By

Elderly Iowans are being warned about a telephone scam where someone claiming to be their grandchild calls and begs for money due to an incident. The stories may include a car accident, a medical emergency or legal trouble. Bart Webb, of Atlantic, says he got a call recently from someone who claimed to be his grandson.

The caller said he’d been arrested on a drug charge on the U-S/Canadian border. Webb says the alleged trial was supposed to have been held later that same day. The caller said Webb needed to wire $4,000 right away for bail and to hire an attorney.

Webb says his wife had answered the phone and talked to the person initially, but couldn’t tell if it was really her grandson. “He was crying and sobbing and everything: ‘Grandma, Grandpa, they’re going to put me in jail. Do something for me.’”

Beverly Webb was upset by the call and told the “grandson” they would get a hold of his father. The caller told her to keep the information confidential as he only trusted her. At that point, Bart Webb got on the phone and asked a question, since his grandson has a master’s degree in mathematics.

Webb says he asked the caller: “What is X squared plus 2-X-Y plus Y squared?” and the caller started mumbling and couldn’t answer, then tried to turn the questions around. Webb then asked another equation question typically found in calculus, which the caller also couldn’t answer.

Webb says the caller started screaming, “Grandpa, what are you doing this to me for?” and eventually just hung up.

Officials say anyone who gets this type of call should not provide any personal or bank account information. Since this type of fraud typically crosses international borders, prosecution is unlikely, as is the recovery of funds.

Webb says they tried to trace the call and the number seemed to originate in Tennessee, but when they called, there was no such number. He suspects an overseas scammer went through a U-S operator to carry out the attempted fraud.

Contributed by Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Turkey industry dealing with some tough times

November 26, 2009 By
An Iowa turkey. (file photo)

An Iowa turkey. (file photo)

Iowa supplied the turkey for the White House Thanksgiving celebration last year and that was one of the bright spots in what has been a tough time for producers. Gretta Irwin, a spokesperson with the Iowa Turkey Federation in Ames, says turkey growers have faced some of the same problems as other livestock producers.

Irwin says the higher corn prices did have a ripple affect on the industry and forced some of the west coast processing plants to shut down. She says the shutdowns helped ease some of the strain on the number of turkeys raised and help the industry adjust. While there’s been the closing of some plants outside the state, Irwin says those in the state continue to maintain and develop in Iowa.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business

About 11.5 percent of Iowa households “food insecure”

November 26, 2009 By

A U.S.D.A. report issued earlier this month concluded just over 11-and-a-half percent of Iowa households are “food insecure.” 

It means the adults and children who live in those Iowa homes sometimes go without food for a day at a time — and many eat food that’s cheaper, but with low nutritional value, just to have something to eat.  The U.S.D.A’s Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services is Kevin Concannon, a man who served as director of the Iowa Department of Human Services from 2003 ’til 2008. 

“I think reports like this one, which has been coming out annually now for 14 or 15 years, are and should be an occasion for us to get as serious as we can be as a country and as individuals about hunger,” Concannon says.

This year, more than 36 million Americans are enrolled in SNAP — the “supplemental nutrition assistance program” which used to be known as the food stamp program. 

“Many of your listeners may not be aware that in the Department of Agriculture some 70 percent of the agency’s total budget goes into feeding programs,” Concannon says.  “I know when speaking to people outside of government informally they’re surprised by that.  I don’t think they realize that the federal government has made a commitment in this order.”

In addition, the federal government provides free or reduced-price school lunch or breakfast at school for millions of American kids.  Concannon says 31 million American children get those meals at school each weekday.

“For many of these children in these households, in these very poor households, that school lunch or school breakfast may be the principle source of food and nutrition that particular day,” Concannon says. “And at USDA we have been on a sustained effort to make access to these programs — the SNAP program, the school breakfast program, the school lunch program — more available to individuals and families.”

Last year, an average of 256,000 Iowans were enrolled in the federally-funded food assistance program each month.  The average monthly payment to an individual Iowan was just less than a hundred dollars.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,