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Senator Harkin accuses EPA of “bias” against ethanol

June 24, 2010 By

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin is accusing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of “bias” in its delay of a decision on allowing higher concentrations of corn-based ethanol to be blended into gasoline.

Harkin says, “I have a feeling that there are people at the Department of Energy, including the Secretary of Energy, that are just anti-ethanol.” Harkin, a Democrat, says he heard U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu make a discouraging comment about the corn-based renewable fuel during a speech last year.

“He said something to the effect that we have to recognize that ethanol needs to be phased out or is going to be phased out or it’s on its way out and I took note of that,” Harkin says. “I’m just wondering if the secretary has just closed his mind to the benefits of ethanol.”

The proposal which the EPA has put off would inject a greater concentration of ethanol into gasoline — the ten-percent ethanol blend would be increased to 15% ethanol. Initially, there was concern the higher ethanol blend might damage engine parts, but Harkin says multiple tests have already concluded, the boosted blend would be just fine.

“Evidently, the EPA is relying on the Department of Energy to do the testing,” Harkin says. “We’ve had enough tests. We’ve tested this forever, yet now the Department of Energy says they want to do more tests.” An estimate from the Renewable Fuels Association shows an increase to 15% ethanol could replace 200-million barrels of imported oil a year.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Politics & Government Tagged With: , ,

Waterloo shooting leaves one dead, one injured

June 24, 2010 By

One person is dead, another remains hospitalized, after a double-shooting in Waterloo. Waterloo police were called to a home on the city’s east side shortly after 1 A.M. today. While enroute to the shooting scene, additional officers were dispatched to another home about two blocks away on a report of a gunshot victim there.

At the first location, police discovered 58-year-old John Parham, Junior, had been shot several times in the torso, and was on the ground in front of the house. Police say the second victim, 27-year-old Terence Dixon, suffered wounds to the left arm and abdomen and ran to the second home after being shot.

Parham was rushed to nearby Allen Hospital for treatment his wounds, while Dixon was transported across town to Covenant Medical Center. Police say Parham died of his injuries after arriving at the hospital. Dixon’s condition isn’t being released. Police aren’t saying if any arrests have been made. The shooting remains under investigation.

By Elwin Huffman, KOEL, Oelwein

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Northeast Iowa soldier laid to rest

June 24, 2010 By

Iowa soldier who died while on duty in Iraq was laid to rest this morning. Twenty-nine-year-old Army specialist Christopher Opat, a native of Lime Springs, died on duty in Iraq on June 15th. The Army says the non-combat incident involving his death is still under investigation.

Opat graduated from Crestwood High School in 2000 and also earned an associate’s degree from Iowa Lakes Community College in Emmetsburg. Opat joined the Army in 2003 and was on his third tour with Operation Iraqi Freedom when he died. He is survived by his parents Leslie and Mary Katherine Opat of Cresco and two sisters and three brothers.

Opat’s funeral was held at the Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco and he was buried at Our Lady Of Lourdes Cemetery in Elma.

Filed Under: Military

Altoona man arrested in shooting of bulldog

June 24, 2010 By

Polk County authorities say tips from the public have led to an arrest of a man who’s accused of shooting a dog. Fourty-nine-year-old Bernard Lear of Altoona was arrested around 11 o’clock last night. The animal was found in a wooded area on Des Moines’ northwest side Saturday evening. Polk County Deputy Sheriff Jana Rooker says the English bulldog was badly injured.

“It was discovered by three people who were walking back into the woods as Mr. Lear was walking out, however we didn’t know his identity at the time,” Rooker said. “He had shot the dog prior to these people finding it. They found it severely injured and notified local law enforcement.” The dog, which was owned by a relative of Lear, had to be put down on Tuesday at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. Lear is charged with animal abuse.

The charge is an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison. Lear is facing two additional charges. “He’s also been charged with felon in possession of a weapon and he had a warrant for failure to pay child support,” Rooker said. Lear made his initial court appearance this morning. The Humane Society and Polk County Crime Stoppers had both offered rewards for information leading to an arrest in the case.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

The Branstad/Reynolds ticket revealed (audio)

June 24, 2010 By
Terry Branstad introduces Kim Reynolds as her husband, Kevin Reynolds listens.

Terry Branstad introduces Kim Reynolds as her husband, Kevin Reynolds listens.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad has picked a state senator from southern Iowa to be his running mate. 

Branstad will ask delegates to this Saturday’s Republican Party’s state convention to ratify his choice of State Senator Kim Reynolds of Osceola as the party’s nominee for lieutenant governor.

“Since our victory in the June primary, I’ve given a lot of thought and consideration as to who should join me on this journey,” Branstad said this morning shortly after nine o’clock.  “…In selecting Senator Reynolds I have found a dynamic and dedicated public servant who shares my core values on the key issues and also shares my passion for leading Iowa’s comeback.” 

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Politics & Government Tagged With: ,

Special effects make Iowa Guard training more realistic (audio)

June 24, 2010 By

This is the second in a series of stories about the Iowa National Guard training.

Iowa National Guard soldiers are training at the 53,000 acre Camp Ripley in Minnesota as they prepare to deploy to Afghanistan this fall. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson caught up with a military police unit from Marshalltown as they worked on handling roadblocks during training.
Dar Danielson ING report 1:40 MP3

The units go through several training scenarios they call “lanes” were the threats to them can be multiple or change at any moment. Hollywood style special effects are used to make things as realistic as possible. In one typical exercise a truck pulls up to the M-P’s roadblock — and refuses to stop when a shot is fired at it, and then it explodes. Sergeant Scott McClain says there are a variety of “Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Devices” or V-BID.

McClain says that’s the purpose of this lane, to react to V-BIDS, react to civilian traffic, react to ambush, react to far, which is a sniper attack. In this exercise it’s determined a soldier is injured, and the M-P’s then have to get the soldier to an open landing zone where a first aid copter can take him out quickly.

They form a circle perimeter around the landing zone with their armed vehicles to prevent any further attacks on the copter or wounded. The action comes with on the spot instruction as another sergeant yells at a soldier to turn his gun the other way. A copter lands and takes away the wounded man and once the site is secure, the soldiers then move to an After Action Report, where they break down everything done right — and those done wrong — and get ready to try it again.

Soldiers check out a car used to simulate an explosion during a traing exercise.

Soldiers check out a car used to simulate an explosion during a traing exercise.

McClain says the repetition now is important to getting ready for the deployment. “If you watch us a month and half, two months from now, the confusion will be gone,” McClain says, “it’s just repetition, getting used to that process.” McClain says sometimes not adapting is what kills soldiers. He says the repetition and correcting mistakes builds confidence in the soldiers.

The more confidence we build in them the easier our jobs become…the other piece is just training, consistent training, refining our techniques,” McClain says. The Marshalltown M-P’s will be among some 28-hundred Iowa National Guard soldiers that got to Afghanistan in the fall.

See a related story below:
http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/06/23/iowa-national-guard-training-mixes-experience-with-newcomers-in-preparation-for-afghanistan/

Filed Under: Military Tagged With:

Iowa African-American Hall of Fame adding five new members

June 24, 2010 By

The Iowa African-American Hall of Fame will add five new members later this summer. The Hall of Fame is housed in Iowa State University’s Black Cultural Center. The inductees include Elaine Estes, Melvin Harper, Chuck Toney, Zack E. Hamlett Jr. and the Iowa Tuskegee Airmen. I.S.U. Vice-President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill says Estes opened doors for future Iowans in terms of both race and gender.

“As a student in 1949 at Drake University, she integrated the girls residence halls,” Hill said. “Later, she became the first African-American female graduate of the College of Business Administration and the only female majoring in retailing in the 1953 graduating class.” Estes went on to become the only African-American director of the Des Moines Public Library. Chuck Toney and Zack Hamlett Jr. will be honored posthumously. Hill says Toney became the first African-American executive at John Deere in 1972.

Toney helped Deere develop an affirmative active plan that would later be used as a model implemented by the federal government. Hamlett founded the Des Moines Area Community College Urban Campus. “He was an educator,” Hill said of Hamlett. “He was really instrumental in establishing a campus that provided opportunities for higher education and continuing education in central Iowa.”

Hamlett also founded the Iowa Alliance of Black School Educators. Melvin Harper was a successful music promoter and businessman. The Iowa Tuskegee Airmen were a group of 12 African-Americans from the state who were involved in a combined 400 combat missions in World War II. The 2010 Iowa African-American Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at a reception and banquet on August 6 in Altoona.

For more information about the event, call (515) 294-1909.

Filed Under: Human Interest, Military
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