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Ag Secretary says child labor rules won’t impact farm kids

October 28, 2011 By

The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing new restrictions on child labor on farms, but U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the rules would not apply to farm kids doing work on their family’s farm. The rules would only apply to children under the age of 16 who are hired to do farm work, according to Vilsack.

“When you take a look at the number of injuries that occur, there’s a fairly significant number of people who get hurt on the farm,” Vilsack says, “and anything we can do to make it safer, as long as they’re reasonable, we should at least be talking about and considering.”

The proposed Department of Labor rules would prohibit kids under the age 16 hired to work on a farm from operating almost all power-driven equipment. Other proposed restrictions deal with the use of chemicals and how high young workers could climb on ladders used on the farm. Vilsack says the aim is safety for kids who’re hired to work on farms and the rules would not apply to kids who’ve grown up on the family farm.

“This is not going to regulate the ability of a son or daughter to be on the farm, doing the chores that they have traditionally and normally done,” Vilsack says. “What this really is designed and focused on is more hired labor on farmsteads and recognizing that farming is, because of the nature of farming, it can be a very dangerous occupation.” The proposals have angered some farm groups who say the government is becoming too involved in traditional family operations.

Vilsack made his comments during an appearance on Iowa Public Radio.

Filed Under: Agriculture, News Tagged With: ,

Horses seized in Fayette and Guthrie County neglect cases

October 28, 2011 By

This horse was seized in a Fayette County animal neglect case.

Several horses have been removed from properties in northeast and west-central Iowa as authorities investigate separate cases of animal neglect.

 An anonymous tip this week led Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies to search two properties owned by an Oelwein magistrate.

Sheriff Marty Fisher says 14 horses were found and 8 were transported elsewhere for treatment.

 ”The horses at these locations suffered from different levels of neglect,” Fisher said. “In some cases, they did not have enough food.” Sixty-two-year-old Larry F. Woods is charged with two counts of animal neglect and two counts of duty to dispose of deceased animal bodies.

Fisher said two diseased horse bodies were not disposed of properly. Woods has served as a magistrate in Fayette County since 1992. In another case, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa reports it helped officials remove 18 sick and neglected horses from a property in Guthrie County.

A press release indicates the horses had been living without food, shelter and veterinary care for an undetermined amount of time. There’s no word of any charges in that case.

Photo courtesy Fayette County Sheriff’s office.

Filed Under: Agriculture, Crime & Courts, News

Pella Corportation seeks to cut back employees

October 28, 2011 By

A door and window maker is blaming the continued recession in the housing market for an offer to employees at four operations in Iowa that’s aimed at cutting their workforce. Pella Corporation spokesperson Kathy Krafka Harkema says the move is designed to trim the company’s bottom line.

Pella is offering incentives for employees to retire or voluntarily leave the workforce. The offer involves Pella Corporation facilities in Carroll, Shenandoah, Sioux Center and Pella. It’s also being offered at Pella manufacturing sites in Macomb, Illinois and Portland, Oregon.

The incentives were announced Thursday along with the closing of a plant in South Carolina. “Unfortunately, we must close our manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina that employs 147 people,” Harkema said. That plant will close by the end of December. Harkema says new home construction has dropped 70% since 2006 and the recession in the U.S. housing economy is projected to continue.

“If people aren’t building new homes, they’re not needing as many new windows and doors. That’s what led us to take these actions,” Harkema said. “We’re sorry to have to take these actions, but we’re doing all we can to partner with area officials to try and help people find new careers.”

Pella Corporation is a privately-held company headquartered in Pella, Iowa with 8,000 employees around the country.

Filed Under: Business, News Tagged With:

Alcoholic Beverages Commission says no to “Adult Chocolate Milk”

October 28, 2011 By

While chocolate milk is now being promoted as a way for people to refuel after a workout, the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission has turned downed a chocolate milk drink aimed at those who want a buzz.

Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports: Chocolate milk :48

The commission has voted against adding a drink called “Adult Chocolate Milk” to the products that are sold by the state-controlled liquor business.

Commission chair, Greg Nashleanas says there are some similar type of products already being sold as drink mixes, but this comes ready to drink in a milk bottle. He says the original marketing said you could “go back to your childhood” when you drank the product, and thought he company said it had changed the marketing, he says they have a safety responsibility when looking at products, and this had some red flags.

Nashelenas says the drink is 40-proof , containing 15% alcohol, and the way it is presented could cause problems. Nashleanas says a young child could mistakenly drink the product thinking it was regular chocolate milk. The decision by the commission came after the manufacturer appealed the decision of Alcoholic Beverages Division staff and the commissioner that the product should not be sold.

Nashleanas says the three-level appeal process was created when Stephen Larson took over as the head of A.B.D., and it’s the first appeal the commission has heard. Nashleanas says it shows that they have a serious responsibility that the sale of alcohol is done in good faith and with good decisions.

A.B.D. spokesperson, Tonya Dusold, says they have over 1,400 products they sell and they are constantly reviewing new requests. Dusold says the number of new products varies month-to-month as they don’t usually review new products. They don’t usually review new products in October, November and December, but in the other months they can have from five to 35 new products in a month.

Some of the “new” products are just variations of the ones already being sold. She says the new products could be a new size of something like Black Velvet, and she says they don’t have listing meetings on those, they are usually presented as an extension of a product and a decision is made on them.

The chocolate milk with alcohol in it is sold in some other states, but Dusold says it is not sold in a majority of states the control the sale of alcohol products like the Iowa system.

Photo courtesy Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Filed Under: Business, Featured Story, News, Politics & Government Tagged With:

UNI faces big conference matchup

October 27, 2011 By

The U.N.I. Panthers prepare for a Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown this weekend when they visit North Dakota State. The Panthers are 5-0 in the league race and second ranked nationally while the Bison are 4-0 and ranked third.

U.N.I. coach Mark Farley says it’s a huge challenge and an exciting time, which is what “college football is all about.” The Panthers average nearly 30 points per game and a big reason is the improved efficiency of senior quarterback Terrell Rennie, who has 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions this season.

A year ago Rennie had eight touchdown passes but was picked off 11 times. Farley says Rennie worked all summer and spring on techniques, but the improvement also comes with more experience. He says Rennie has developed as any player would with more action.

Defensive lineman Ben Boothby had eight tackles in a victory over Southern Illinois last weekend but just getting on the field was a surprise as it came just five days after he underwent athroscopic surgery on his knee. Farley says Boothby is a good defensive linemen who has a work ethic and a desire to play that has made him into a great football player.

North Dakota State coach Craig Bohl says the Panthers are strong on both sides of the football and play fast and aggressively.

Bohl says the build up to this game has been “huge” as he says it is the biggest game they have played in his 9 years there.

Bohl says it is a pivotal game in the Valley race but it also carries national implications, even though there is a lot of season left. He says the MVC is stacking up favorably against the rest of the country.

U.N.I. is 6-1 overall while the Bison are 7-0.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

Drake still in the PFL title race

October 27, 2011 By

The Drake Bulldogs will be on the road this weekend in the Pioneer Football League to play Marist. The Bulldogs are 4-1 in the league race and have their title fate in their own hands, again, after the University of San Diego was stunned by Campbell last week.

Drake coach Chris Creighton says it’s exciting that all their goals are still intact with three weeks to go and they can control their own destiny. Marist is 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the league race after a 28-10 win at Butler. He says they’ve played Jacksonville tough and are not scared by anybody in the league.

The Drake defense should be able to make the Marist offense one dimensional. The Red Foxes average only 78 yards per game one the ground while the Bulldogs give up only 82 yards of rushing per game. He says previous games don’t make it happen, they have to go out and do it.

Marist says road wins are difficult to achieve in the league race and they will need to play well to make it happen.

Drake is 6-2 overall

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: ,

State wins award for shaken baby prevention efforts

October 27, 2011 By

IDPH director Mariannette Miller-Meeks uses doll to demonstrate a point about shaken baby syndrome.

The state of Iowa is receiving national attention for its efforts to prevent shaken baby syndrome.

Most parents of a newborn, before checking out of an Iowa hospital, now receive an informational packet about the “Period of Purple Crying.”

Dr. Marianette Miller-Meeks, the director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, says the packet includes a booklet and ten minute DVD explaining nearly all babies go through a period of increased crying that usually peaks in the second month. She says during that time, a baby can cry for up to five hours a day.

“Sometimes they cry, they seem to be in pain, they’re not consolable and that crying can cause tremendous frustration among parents and that’s normal,” Miller-Meeks said.

“To have that education and support and knowledge of the developmental stages of crying really can help (parents) to understand and then prevent episodes of shaken baby syndrome.”

The National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome has deemed Iowa a “Purple State” in recognition of the effort to educate new parents. Miller-Meeks believes the program, enacted in Iowa three years ago, has been effective. “It goes beyond simple warnings of ‘don’t shake’ and it appeals to mothers, fathers, child care providers, aunts, uncles and grandparents to understand why an infant is crying, the stages of the crying, the connection between their frustration and responses to that…and the response you want is to not shake an infant,” Miller-Meeks said.

Steve Scott, with Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, says it’s normal for newborns to cry for hours even if nothing is wrong. The packet of information warns parents that shaking the infant can cause brain damage or death.

“All of those efforts have resulted in a situation where more Iowa children are safer and making their way through what is unfortunately the most dangerous time for a child, which is the first year of life,” Scott said. Funding for the educational booklet and DVD comes from the state, participating hospitals and a few private investors.

Filed Under: Featured Story, Health & Medicine, News
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