On December 29, 1991, Garth Brooks was at #1 on the US country chart with his third studio album, “Ropin’ the Wind”. The album replaced his previous album “No Fences” at the #1 position, where it enjoyed a combined 18 weeks at the top of the charts.
Florida Georgia Line Join NYE Lineup
Florida Georgia Line will be ringing in the new year as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2018 on ABC.
The country superstars will perform their current single, “Smooth,” as well as two of their cross-genre collaborations — Bebe Rexha’s “Meant to Be” and Hailee Steinfeld’s “Let Me Go.” Florida Georgia Line’s set will be broadcast from the Hollywood Party in Los Angeles on Dec. 31. They join previously-announced country act Kane Brown as well as Kelly Clarkson, BTS, Fitz and the Tantrums, Khalid, Marshmello, Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth.
The event begins at 8PM ET on Dec. 31, shooting coast to coast from L.A. and New York’s Times Square.
FGL and Brown aren’t the only country singers who will appear. Sugarland — who recently announced their return as a duo with a new single “Still the Same” — will perform live from New York that night. Nick Jonas and Camilla Cabello have also been tapped to perform.
Florida Georgia Line are currently in the studio with the promise of new music in 2018.
Rose Hill Soybean Farmer Wins Legacy of Leadership Award
Rose Hill native and long-time conservation advocate Mark Jackson was recognized with the Legacy of Leadership Award by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) during its annual awards banquet earlier this month in Ankeny.
Sponsored by Stine Seed Company, the award is given to an Iowa soybean farmer who has demonstrated a passionate and relentless commitment to growing the soybean industry in Iowa.
Along with his wife JoAnn and son Mike, Jackson grows soybeans and corn and manages a wean-to-finish swine operation on their Mahaska County farm. Jackson has served ISA since 2003 on various committees including research, market development and legislative efforts. Jackson is also past president of the Iowa Soybean Association and served nine years as a director with the American Soybean Association. He is also past chairman for the county Farm Bureau and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and a past director on the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board.
“It’s about leadership, passion and commitment,” said Jackson. “I’m surrounded by leaders who are dedicated to making the soybean industry better and I’m humbled that peers would recognize the small role I’ve played in that pursuit.”
Bill Shipley, ISA president, and David Thompson, Stine Seed Company, presented the award. For more information on the Iowa Soybean Association, visit iasoybeans.com.
Iowa Corn Provides Farmers Insights at Burlington Crop Fair
JOHNSTON, Iowa – December 27, 2017– In the tradition of providing farmers the latest industry insights, the Harrison County Corn Growers along with the Iowa Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) will host a crop fair in Burlington, Iowa on Friday, January 5, 2018 from 8:55 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Comfort Suites at 1708 Stonegate Center Drive.
“The crop fairs give Iowa corn farmers access to information they might not get elsewhere,” explained Larry Buss, an ICPB director and farmer from Logan who chairs the Iowa Corn Grassroots Network, Membership & Checkoff (GNMC) Committee. “Crop fairs are customized to include topics that fit each region of the state, with opportunities for farmer-to- farmer learning and a chance to interact with subject area experts on a variety of topics including legislative policy, water quality, market development and risk management.”
Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided at noon to attendees.
9:00 a.m. Crop Weather Outlook 2018 – Elwynn Taylor, Extension Climatologist
10:00 a.m. Dicamba: Moving Forward in 2018 – Mike Owen, Iowa State University Extension Weed Management Specialist
11:10 a.m. Crop Market Outlook 2018 – Chad Hart, Iowa State University Extension Ag Climatologist
12:00 p.m. Lunch
R.S.V.P. to Pam Moore at pamm@merschmanseeds.com or by calling (319) 837-6111, ext. 2313.
“Through the power of your membership we are able to advocate at both the state and federal level for issues which directly impact your bottom-line. If you aren’t a member, I encourage you to join us today to have your seat at the table and get engaged on issues impacting your farm,” said GNMC committee
Vice Chair Roger Wuthrich, an ICGA director and a farmer from Bloomfield. Crop fair sponsors include Burlington Crop Advantage, Merschman Seeds, Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board.
Oskaloosa, Ottumwa Declares Snow Emergency
A Snow Emergency has been declared for the City of Oskaloosa effective Thursday, December 28, 2017 at 12:00 midnight. The ordinance shall remain in effect until 5:00 pm Friday, December 29, 2017.
According to Oskaloosa Municipal Code, Chapter 10.48, Article II – Snow Emergency, all vehicles must be removed from city streets to allow crews to remove snow throughout and after the snow event. Vehicles parked on city streets during this time will be ticketed and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
As a reminder, all property owners are responsible for clearing the sidewalks along their property twenty-four (24) hours after the snow has stopped falling as required by Oskaloosa Municipal Code 12.12.140 – Cleaning snow, ice and accumulations. Property owners can be ticketed and/or charged a fee by the city for failure to clear their sidewalks. A fee may also be charged if the city clears your sidewalks
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The City of Ottumwa’s Snow Emergency Ordinance will be placed into effect at 3 PM on Thursday, December 28, 2017. Residents are reminded that while the Snow Emergency is declared, no parking is allowed on streets designated as “Snow Routes” until the emergency is lifted. Snow Routes are marked with square blue signs showing a white snowflake.
Parking on non-snow emergency route streets rotates sides on a daily basis. On the even numbered days, parking is allowed on the even numbered side of the street. On the odd numbered days, parking is allowed on the odd numbered side of the street.
The Snow Emergency will remain in effect until further notice. While the Snow Emergency Ordinance is in effect, all vehicles parked out of compliance with the Ordinance are subject to being towed and impounded and a citation will be issued and fee charged for towing and impoundment.
During snow storms, City Public Works crews focus on keeping the snow routes and major streets open through the duration of the storm. This allows essential and emergency travel around town even in the worst of conditions. Once the snow stops, the focus shifts to clearing the side streets and residential areas.
During winter storms, City, County and State snowplows work hard to make roads passable. All motorists should be mindful that plow drivers cannot see directly behind their trucks and often stop or back up. Staying a safe distance behind a snowplow will protect you from possible injury and protect your car from sanding material that plows spread on slick roadways.
Newton Resident Arrested, Charged with Theft and Felon in Control of Firearm
Owners of a rural farm residence northwest of Newton reported a burglary with multiple items missing, including a skid-loader and ATV on Tuesday, Dec. 26.
While deputies were investigating the incident, the owner reported seeing their skid-loader and ATV parked at a residence located at 1954 W 32nd Street N in Newton, IA.
Deputies made contact with a resident, identified as 34-year-old Matthew Bakalar of this residence. A subsequent investigation and search warrant at the property allowed deputies to recover suspected additional stolen property. Included in these items was a truck reported stolen to Newton Police Department on Dec. 21, and a handgun reported stolen from Marion County. Additional firearms were also recovered.
Investigation continues in this case. Deputies charged Bakalar with:
- Theft First Degree (property valued in excess of $10,000) Class C Felony
- Felon in Control of a Firearm- Class D Felony
- Possession of a controlled substance- (3rd or subsequent offense) = Class D Felony
- Theft Fourth Degree – Serious misdemeanor (handgun)
Bakalar was transported to the Jasper County Jail and is currently being held on $41,000 bond.
All criminal charges are merely allegations and the subject should be considered innocent until proven guilty.
Shania Twain Marries First Husband
On December 18, 1993, Shania Twain married music producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange. The couple divorced in 2010 after Lange allegedly had an affair with Twain’s best friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud. On December 20, 2010, Twain’s manager confirmed that Twain was engaged to Frédéric Thiébaud (the Swiss ex-husband of her former best friend). She later wed Frédéric on Jan. 1, 2011.
Twain’s latest music (from July 2017) includes a dig at her ex-husband in Life’s About to Get Good. In the video, Twain grabs a black and white photo of her and Lange as she sings, “It was time to forget you,” and turns it upside down as Lange falls out of the shot.
Catch the full video here:
Cheech the Hound
Cheech is a 1.5-year-old Treeing Walker Coonhound that was taken in as a stray at Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa. Shelter employees attest that Cheech would be a great fit for almost any person or home. In case you were wondering – yes – he did have a best friend named Chong. Unfortunately, when Cheech was recovered as a stray, Chong had been struck by a car and did not recover.
Cheech does not chase cats and he loves playing with other dogs. He is currently one of many great dogs available for adoption at the shelter, so stop in and see if he’d be a great fit for your home or family.
Pet of the Week is sponsored by Faux Paws Bakery in Pella. Thanks to Faux Paws Bakery, the lucky person who adopts Cheech will also receive a $10 Faux Paws Certificate. ????????
AAA Iowa Reports 144{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} Boost in Service Calls From Iowans on Tuesday
As temperatures fall, the number of problems with our vehicles often rises. Cold weather is especially hard on car batteries and when they die, your car is stuck. Many Iowans tried to go back to work on Tuesday morning after a long holiday weekend and discovered their engines wouldn’t turn over. Gail Weinholzer, at AAA Iowa, says the bitter cold snap took a toll.
“We saw a 144{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} increase in Iowa for service calls yesterday,” Weinholzer says. “The #1 issue was batteries, followed closely by lockouts and tire issues.” Many Iowans who made it to work without too much trouble went back to the parking lot at the end of the day to find their vehicles were dead in their tracks and they needed a jump — or a new battery entirely.
“Whether they just decided to head back to work and needed to start their car and even those folks who’d gone to work yesterday,” she says, “we had a significant bump in that late afternoon time frame as well.” Cars that were left outside during the holiday weekend were likely covered with snow and had frosty windows. While it’s natural to start the engine, flip on the heater and defroster, then go outside to scrape the windshield, that process can be a recipe for trouble.
Weinholzer says, “The other thing, along with checking your battery, you want to make sure when you warm up your car, you don’t actually lock your keys in it.” Dangerous wind chills are predicted for much of Iowa this Friday night and into Saturday, with indices plummeting into the 20s and 30s below zero.
Frigid Weather Sparking Furnace Issues
The steep drop in temperatures has exposed a lot of issues with furnaces that are now running constantly. West Des Moines Fire Marshal, Mike Whitsel, says his department noticed it right away when the cold snap hit.
“We have seen an uptick in calls for furnaces that may catch on fire or have mechanical issues,” Whitsel says. Whitsel says it seems the earlier mild temperatures made people forget about having their furnaces tuned up.
“A lot of people seemed to have delayed their annual service on those because we were in the 50s all the way up until about a week ago,” according to Whitsel. “So if there is a mechanical issue with them, now we are seeing these things are starting to run very frequently due to the cold weather. we’ve see several of them where maybe belts go bad or there is a mechanical issue that has caused the house to fill with smoke or small fires.” He says a fireplace can be also be dangerous if you have not maintained it throughout the year.
Whitsel says, “Never use your fireplace unless you have maintained that woodburning fireplace routinely and to what the experts say.” Many people are turning to space heaters to supplement their furnace. He says that’s okay as long as you take precautions.
“There are good space heaters and there also some that aren’t really good to use in the home,” Whitsel says. He says you need to get a space heater that is listed by a company such as U-L. Get one that is cool to the touch and will shut off automatically when it falls over. Also be sure the heater is plugged into an outlet that can handle it.
“If you use a space heater and it keeps tripping a breaker, that means that that outlet you have chosen is not compatible with the amount of draw that the space heater is using. So, be very careful of that,” Whitsel says. Whitsel says take some time to learn the best way to use the space heater.
“Whenever you open up a brand new box if you buy a new space heater — always look at the manufacturers instructions for what they recommend on how to use it,” Whitsel explains. He says space heaters need their space to prevent fires. Keep the areas around space heaters clear so there is nothing near them that can catch fire and they can effectively heat.