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Air Force cadets get a look at Iowa Guard operations in Sioux City, Des Moines

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Air Force cadets in Sioux City.

Forty cadets from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs flew to Sioux City and then Des Moines this past weekend aboard an Iowa Air National Guard KC-135 Stratotanker.

The cadets toured the Air Guard Facilities as part of a partner program between the Air Force Academy and the Iowa Guard. The cadets, including Cadet Second Class Jenna Petty from Spirit Lake, crawled into the boom operators pod in the back of the KC-135 to see a midair refueling of several F-16 fighters.

She says she had been on a KC-135 on the ground but had never flown on one. “That was an awesome

Refueling an F-16 by a tanker from the 185th in Sioux City.

experience,” she says. While visiting the 132nd Wing in Des Moines the Cadets were shown the remotely piloted aircraft operations They also had dinner with Major General Tim Orr, the Adjutant General for the state of Iowa. Orr’s son attends the academy and the general says he invited the academy cadets here to give them a first-hand look at the National Guard operations.

“I really think this is the right thing to do, and having a son at the academy I inquired about when do you get your reserve component experience,” Orr says. “And I don’t believe in their curriculum without a program like this that they get a chance to see what our reserve components do for our Air Force.”

It’s the first time the Air Force Academy has partnered with the Air National Guard in this way. Most of the members of the group are second class cadets or equivalent to juniors in college. The Academy says the visit to Iowa allows the cadets to see a variety of Air Force specialties before deciding on a job at the beginning of their senior year.

(Reporting by Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City/Photos courtesy of the 185th in Sioux City)

Sheldon man dies after being trapped in river under lawn mower

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A man is dead following an accident at the Sheldon Golf and Country Club Monday morning.

The O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office got a 911 call reporting an employee of the club was trapped in the river under a piece of equipment.  Sheldon police, ambulance and fire crews, along with an O’Brien County Sheriff’s Deputy, were dispatched to the scene. They found a riding lawn mower laying on its side in the river with a man who authorities identified as 66-year old Dean Seivert of Sheldon pinned under the machine.

Officials say a country club employee had located Seivert and was in the river trying to hold Seivert’s head above water.  First responders got Seivert out the river and he was transported to Sanford Sheldon Medical Center by ambulance, but resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

(Reporting by Tom Traughber, KIWA, Sheldon) 

 

ISU expert advises breaks for farmers to keep on top of safety

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Chuck Schwab

This is National Farm Safety Week. It is designed to call attention to the dangers of farming, especially during harvest season.

Iowa State University Extension Agricultural Engineer and Safety Specialist Chuck Schwab says agriculture ranks as one of the most dangerous and deadliest occupations.

He says agriculture has roughly 2.2 deaths for every 100,000 workers, which is a highest rate in the U.S., surpassing mining, construction, manufacturing and transportation. He puts the issue in perspective.

“It really means that a lot of people leave for the day to go to work and got out there in the fields and do something, and don’t come home,”Schwab says. Schwab says the most common accidents involving agriculture include: tractor rollovers, ATV rollovers, roadway collisions with farm equipment, grain suffocation, electrocution, and machine entanglement. He says one reason for the high rate of agriculture injuries and deaths is the wide age demographic of the people involved with agriculture, from the young to the old.

“Agriculture doesn’t have that cap where you get to 65 and you stop farming,” Schwab says, “and so we see a lot of older farmers out there. And what happens with older farmers — you tend to have different reaction times, you have balance issues, hearing issues, sight, and so all these issues play a role in how you make good safe decisions.”

The Iowa State University Safety Specialist says the same is true with the younger generation, those 18 and younger. He says they should be given more supervision until they gain experience. Schwab says farmers need to be in shape for the physical demands of the business, and he says the best thing you can do is to take a break from the action and have a moment of rest.

He says it’s important to be in top condition, and taking the break allows you to get away from the operation and make sure your mind is thinking clearly. Schwab says it’s similar to athletes who keep themselves in shape, stay hydrated, and then rest when needed so they stay sharp and focused. He says that helps prevent mistakes on the playing field and can do the same in the farm fields too.

(Reporting by Dennis Morrice, KLEM, Le Mars)

 

Northwest Iowa motorcyclists begin long adventure for good cause

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Miracle Riders

Seven motorcyclists from the Sioux City area took off Monday on a 5,000 mile journey with plans to raise $50,000 for the Unity Point St. Luke’s Children’s Miracle Network.

Steve Schmidt is taking part in the ride.

“What a great cause to help the youngsters of Siouxland,” Schmidt said. “I love to ride and I know a lot of people, so I can help with the fundraising.” Schmidt, who rides 10-to-15-thousand miles a year on his motorcycle, has been with Security National Bank in Sioux City for 36 years. He and the other riders traveled to the Chicago area on Monday. Today, they’ll make their way to historic U.S. Route 66.

“Then we go down through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, we touch a little bit of Nevada, and then into southern California where it ends in Santa Monica,” Schmidt said. Woodbury County Sheriff Dave Drew is on the trip. He’s a fan of the band The Eagles and is looking forward to one particular stop.

“I’m gonna be standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, so I’m pretty excited,” Drew said. “We’re going through the Grand Canyon, Santa Monica, and some areas I haven’t been to. I’m like a little kid at the candy store.” The seven motorcyclists will be stopping at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to meet children and share their story along the way, hoping to raise $50,000 for CMN.

“That’s what this ride is about – to help Unity Point Children’s Miracle Network with buying some things that will help the nurses and help the parents with their sick children,” Drew said. “That was really the big reason I got involved.” The seven riders, who are each covering their own expenses on the trip, plan to return to Sioux City on September 29.

(Reporting by Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)

 

Atlantic man nominated for post at Farm Credit Administration

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Glen Smith

A western Iowa businessman and farmer will be joining a federal agency that regulates financial institutions that provide credit to farmers, ranchers, and rural utility cooperatives.

The nomination of Glen R. Smith of Atlantic to become a member of the Farm Credit Administration was announced late last week by the White House.

“It’s very much an honor for us to represent western Iowa, Atlantic, and represent all Iowans, for that matter, in this capacity,” Smith said. The nomination has been sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Smith will likely appear before the Senate Ag Committee this fall for a hearing, prior to any action on approval.

Smith was interviewed for the position with the Farm Credit Administration at the White House at the end of April. He’s a 1979 graduate of Iowa State University. Smith and his wife, Fauzan, own and operate a corn and soybean farm. They also own a land acquisition/exchange company based in Atlantic.

Members of the advisory board to the Farm Credit Administration serve a six-year term, but Smith would be filling the term of a board member who died in March. Therefore, his term would expire 2022.
(Thanks to Ric Hanson, KJAN, Atlantic/Photo Fischer Photography in Atlantic)

Fort Dodge man accused of murder arrested in Des Moines

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Levi Gibbs

A central Iowa man who was wanted after a fatal shooting is now behind bars.

The man wanted in connection with the murder of 32-year-old Shane Wessels of Fort Dodge on September 3rd was captured early Monday morning. Twenty-seven-year-old Levi Gibbs III of Fort Dodge was taken into custody in Des Moines.

Gibbs was subsequently booked into the Polk County Jail where he will await extradition back to Webster County later today. The Fort Dodge Police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are continuing to follow-up on leads in this case.

(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)

China’s ethanol use could have positive impact for U.S producers

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The head of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) is cautiously optimistic that China’s ethanol goals will positively impact producers in the U.S.

The Chinese National Development and Reform Commission and energy administration recently announced a plan to extend the use of biofuels throughout the country by 2020. RFA president Bob Dinneen calls the move a step in the right direction, but says some important questions need to be answered.

“Right now, all they’ve really done is said that there’s a plan in place that would allow the use of higher level blends. But, they have not yet removed their barriers to U.S. ethanol that could help them meet such a lofty target,” Dinneen says. He projects Chinese ethanol demand could exceed four billion gallons. Dinneen says China – the world’s third largest ethanol producer behind the U.S. and Brazil – can’t achieve that objective alone.

“And yet, they’ve got a huge tariff in place that really makes U.S. ethanol impossible to get into the country. So, we hope to work with them, and we certainly hope that they will work with us to open up free and fair trade on ethanol, as well as distillers feed,” Dinneen said. Iowa is the top ethanol producing state in the U.S. Dinneen points out having former Iowa Governor Terry Branstad as Ambassador to China should prove beneficial, given his longtime support of renewable fuels.

(Thanks Mark Dorenkamp, Brownfield Ag News)

EPC to release ruling on livestock site rules

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A hearing is scheduled for this morning on a request by environmental advocates to toughen the state’s rules on the placement of large-scale livestock lots.

Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement say the Department of Natural Resources is urging the Environmental Protection Commission to deny the petition.

ICCI organizer Erica Blair says the DNR is flat-out rejecting their request. “They essentially have cherry-picked certain things in the petition and are using those items to justify denying it outright, which is not something that they necessarily need to do,” Blair says. “They could still take up the petition, they have that option. They can propose alternatives if they don’t agree with everything, but instead, they’ve just decided to kick the can down the road.”

The EPC will make the final decision on the so-called “master matrix” rules which govern the siting of livestock operations. Blair says, “The Department of Natural Resources has made a recommendation to the EPC and so they are going to be the ones that ultimately take a vote whether or not to move forward with our petition to strengthen the master matrix.” Many of the state’s residents want these rules tightened, according to Blair, and ICCI members will be weighing in at the EPC hearing.

“They need to take up this petition,” Blair says. “We really can’t afford to wait any longer with strengthening the master matrix. This is something that thousands of Iowans are calling for. The EPC really needs to stand with the people of Iowa, not the industry.” The EPC meets this morning at the Iowa state capitol starting at 10 a.m.

(By Jerry Oster, WNAX, Yankton)

Former Navy Seal who shot Bin-Laden speaks in Sioux City

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Robert O’Neil

The former Navy Seal most often credited with killing Osama Bin-Laden was in northwest Iowa Thursday night.

Robert O’Neill told the crowd gathered at the 32nd Annual Siouxland Chamber of Commerce Banquet that he took part in roughly 400 combat missions, but the one most people are interested in hearing about is the May 2011 shooting of the founder of al-Qaeda.

“That one sunk in right away, not because we got (Bin-Laden), but because we lived,” O’Neill said. “It’s never not interesting to go through that one.” Bin-Laden was said to be the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S. that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The 41-year-old O’Neill recalled meeting family members of 9/11 victims. “Everyone was crying, people with heads in their hands, and they told me ‘there will be no closure for 9/11, but this helps with the healing – a real face and a real name, someone who was there and saw (Bin-Laden dead), there’s no conspiracy about it.’ That’s when I started to realize if I can help this many people in this room, I could help thousands,” O’Neill said.

In his book, “The Operator,” O’Neill wrote about the Bin-Laden mission and others he was involved in – including the 2005 rescue of Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell. O’Neill told the group in Sioux City the lessons learned in his combat training can be applied to business and everyday life.

“Even if I had a decision already made when I was a team leader, I would always ask for input from others anyway, to make sure they knew they were apart it,” O’Neill said. “I talk a lot about stress management and how stress is in your mind, it’s a choice and you can drop it anytime you want. You can only get as stressed as you allow yourself.”

O’Neill joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 19, one year after graduating from high school in Butte, Montana. He left the Navy in 2012 and now works as a public speaker.

(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)

Waterloo man charged with murder in drowning death of child

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A Waterloo man is charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of a young boy.

Waterloo police say 23-year-old Walter Cordell Williams called 911 in July to report the drowning of a child in a bathtub. An autopsy showed 4-year-old Jaheem Harris had been beaten to death.

Williams has been charged with first-degree murder. He is being held on $1 million bond.

(By Bob Foster, KCNZ, Cedar Falls)