Sunday, February 27th
2 – 4 PM
American Legion Post #39
1008 12th Street, Belle Plaine, Iowa
Tickets available at Museum
Open Thursday – Saturday, 1 – 4 PM
or call: 319.434.2079
or 319.434.6093
$5 BEFORE February 26 or $8 AT THE DOOR
Tribute to Buddy Holly and all those Fabulous 50′s songs!
www.richieleeproductions.com
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING
February 1, 2011 at 8:00 a.m.
Benton County Board of Supervisors Room
1. 8:00 A.M. Call to Order
2. Review and approve minutes
3. 8:30 a.m. – FY12 budget work – Land Use/Public Health
4. 9:15 a.m. Marc Greenlee Re: Land Use hearing for Ian & Erin Flores part of SE ¼ Section 6-85-12
5. Acknowledge Receipt & Filing of Annual MMP for Swine Designs LC
6. Acknowledge Receipt & Filing of Annual MMP for Prairieview Hog Farm Inc.
7. 9:45 a.m. Sign farm lease agreement with Jim Fix
8. 10:00 a.m. Shellsburg Public Library Re: Discuss funding for FY2012
9. Discussion on compensation board recommendations for elected officials’ salaries for FY12
10. Discuss/appoint Wellness Committee Members
11. Discuss & sign union agreement between Benton County & Chauffeurs, Teamsters & Helpers Local Union 238 for fiscal year 2011-2012 representing the sheriff’s department
12. 10:30 a.m. Jerry Michael Re: Discuss & review law enforcement contract with the City of Urbana
13. Acknowledge receipt & filing of annual MMP for K & W Hogs, Wayne Ritscher
14. Acknowledge receipt & filing of annual MMP for Cedar Valley Farms LLC
15. 11:00 a.m. – Jerry Petermeier re: update on LEC construction and tour (1 Hour)
16. Supervisor Committee Reports
17. 12:00 p.m. – recess
18. 1:00 p.m. – reconvene
19. 1:00 p.m. – FY12 budget work – Conservation
20. 2:30 p.m. – FY12 budget work – Transportation
21. New Business/Public Interest Comments
22. Adjourn
Posted on January 10, 2011.
Preston's Service Station, Since 1923
With over 450 yard sale locations last year in Iowa alone, you will want to mark your calendars — even apply for vacation — for August 4, 5 and 6, 2011. That’s the weekend for the seventh Annual BUY-WAY Yard Sale along the Lincoln Highway in Iowa and other states. This is Iowa’s second year.
The dates are now established to be the “first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in August”
“We struggled with establishing this formula for our dates, due to all the early August activities, but are convinced this will please the most shoppers and communities.”
“To make the event more successful, people or groups interested in participating on an individual basis or as group effort for fundraising should contact Deb Rothmeyer as soon as possible. This way information can be distributed as planning continues, and listings of sales can be made available for shoppers to plan their stops.”
A Travelers Guide will be distributed to businesses along the corridor for pick-up by shoppers in late July.
“This event has not only introduced hundreds of thousands to the history of America’s first coast-to-coast paved road, but it provides an economic boost to the hundreds of communities that participate, and it serves the “thrifty” side of us all who shop.”
Deb Rothmeyer
Iowa Lincoln Highway Buy Way Yard sale Coordinator
712-263-835
HRABAK FUNERAL HOME
DedicateD service since 1892
Home | About Us | Obituary List | Contact Us | Resource Links | Older Obituary List | Obituary List | Obituary List | Obituary List | Obituary List
To contact us:
Phone: 319-444-2240
Fax: 319-444-3356
E-mail: HrabakFH@netins.net
Online Obituary
Everett James Jansen, 79, died Saturday, January 22, 2011 at the Vinton Lutheran Home following a sudden illness. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM Friday at the Hrabak Funeral Home in Belle Plaine by Rev. James Campbell. Burial will be in Union Cemetery, Hartwick, with Military Honors. Visitation will be after 9:00 AM Friday at the funeral home.
He is survived by: sisters, Joyce Mumby of Belle Plaine and Lucille Boyer of Tama; and brother, Leonard (Monica) Jansen of Toledo.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jerome and Rosa Donegan Jansen; sisters, Hazel Edwards, Josephine Flynn, and Judy Hale; and brothers, Franklin, Paul, and Earl.
RETIREMENT OPEN HOUSE
Jim Thompson, District Director Area 3 for the Iowa State FSA Office has announced his retirement from the FSA Agency after 26 years of service.
During the summers of his high school and college years (1960’s), Thompson was a temporary field man for the Benton County ASCS taking care of the old government bin sites. His duties included mowing the lawn and checking the bins. After college, Thompson went to work for Deere and Company in Vinton as a salesman and accountant and stayed with them for 10 years. In 1985, Thompson applied for the County Office Trainee program to become a manager and began his duties as County Executive Director in Winneshiek County the fall of 1985. In 1995, Thompson became the District Director for area 9 in SE Iowa and moved to Washington, IA. By November of 2002, Thompson was relocated to Decorah to serve NE Iowa for District 3. Thompson will officially retire on Feb. 25, 2011.
An open house is being held in his honor at the Winneshiek County FSA Office, located at 2296 Oil Well Road, Decorah between the hours of 1 and 4 PM on Friday, Feb. 25, 2011.
For Immediate Release
January 18, 2011
Contact:
Robert Dodds, Regional Extension Education Director, 319-835-5116, redodds@iastate.edu
Amber Bisinger, External Relations Specialist, 319-377-9839, bisinger@iastate.edu
2011 Tri-State Agriculture Summit slated for February
Farmers, landowners, agri-businesses and local processors are invited to spend a morning with some of the most knowledgeable agriculture experts in the Midwest. Iowa State University Extension, University of Illinois Extension and University of Missouri Extension are pleased to join forces and present the 2011 Tri-State Agriculture Summit on Wednesday, February 16 at the Holiday Inn Express (4th and Main) in Keokuk, IA.
The 2011 Tri-State Agriculture Summit will provide an outlook of land values, grain markets, technology and inputs. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with the program starting at 9:00 a.m. CEU credits will be offered for certified crop consultants.
The program includes four highly-regarded agriculture experts. Melvin Brees, University of Missouri Extension agricultural economist, will provide insight into the volatile grain markets of 2010-11, the impact of world grain supplies, trade conditions and potential shifts in 2011 planting intentions. Gordon Roskamp, well-known for his expertise with weed resistance and integrated pest management at the University of Western Illinois, will share his thoughts on new herbicides and weed resistance to help you make the most of crop input dollars. ISU Extension economist, Mike Duffy, will share the findings of the 2010 Iowa land value survey and highlight some of the historical data related to land value trends. The program will conclude with remarks from Keith Fuller, president of Fuller Fertilizer, with recommendations for interpreting yield maps, and using the data generated for maximum yield and return.
Cost of the program is $15, which includes lunch, refreshments and meeting materials. To register for the program, please call the following Extension offices by Friday, February 11. In Iowa: Lee County 1-800-211-9328; in Missouri: Marion County 573.769.217; in Illinois: Adams County 1-217-223-8380 or Hancock County 1-217-357-2150.
Sponsored By: Roquette America Inc., AC McCartney Farm Equipment Inc., First Community Bank(Keokuk and Carthage), and Merschman Seeds.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, Belle Plaine will host the first round 1A Regional Girls Basketball game with Springville @7:00. We are looking for 2 admissions people for this game.
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Grassley, Harkin Honor Medal of Honor Recipient from Hiawatha, Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta
WASHINGTON – Senators Chuck Grassley and Tom Harkin, along with the rest of the Iowa Congressional delegation, held a ceremony presenting Hiawatha native Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta with a Concurrent Resolution honoring his incredible valor and courage on the battlefield.
Giunta, a native of Hiawatha, was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military honor, by President Barack Obama on November 16, 2010 for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty in Afghanistan on October 25, 2007. Giunta is the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War. Giunta was also a guest in First Lady Michelle Obama’s box for President Obama’s State of the Union address last night.
“Staff Sgt. Giunta is a selfless and courageous hero that all Iowans can be proud to call one of their own,” Grassley said. “He is truly deserving of the highest honor given to an American service member. May God continue to bless him and all those in the armed services protecting our nation.”
“In recent years, Americans have woken up to the truth that our real heroes are not on our movie screens or in our sports arenas,” Harkin said. “Our real heroes are serving our nation in uniform with enormous professionalism, sacrifice, and courage. I have listened very closely to Sergeant Giunta’s previous remarks about his actions on that fateful day in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan. He is uncomfortable about being singled out. He said: “If I am a hero, every man that stands around me, every woman in the military, everyone who goes into the unknown is a hero.”
“I can’t disagree with Sergeant Giunta. And I respect his Iowa brand of modesty, which is totally genuine. And I see in him other qualities that we prize in Iowa, including his powerful sense of purpose and duty. But Sergeant Giunta’s actions on that day stand out as truly extraordinary and exemplary. The state of Iowa has a right to be very, very proud.”
Production Lines
by
Jeff M. Brown
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” - Anatole France
“I’m awake.” - Jeff Brown
Jessica’s Cat
Daughter: Are you my pookie wookie? Are you my kitty witty? I wuv you kitty.
Father: (Overcome with nausea.) Oh good grief, Jessica, will you put that kitten down and stop the baby talk?
Daughter: I love my kitty. (Holds fuzz ball up to her cheek.) He loves me too.
Father: We’ve only had the cat for an hour. It doesn’t even have a name yet.
Daughter: Yes he does. I named him “Waterfall.”
Father: Did he pee on the carpet?
Daughter: No, of course not.
Father: Then why did you name him Waterfall?
Daughter: I think it’s a beautiful name. (Jessi cradled the cat in her arms and nuzzled it with her nose.)
Waterfall definitely was Jessica’s cat, and I’m sure he knew it. Nobody call me a “cat person.” I’m not a dog person. I’m not a fish person. I’m not a hamster, snake, weasel, or hairless rat guy either. When it comes down to the cold hard truth, I have to admit that I’m not very crazy about animals, especially when it comes to them living in my house. I believe humans first created the “indoors” so they wouldn’t have to be exposed to the dangerous creatures (and their poo) that live outside.
My first inkling that the cat might be (how shall I put this?) difficult to live with happened when I got home from work one evening. Scattered on the kitchen floor were little black pieces of rubber. I didn’t know where they came from until I cleaned the supper dishes. It seemed my 12-year-old’s new kitten had ripped the garbage disposal rubber out of the sink.
For the next eight years it was just the three of us living in the same little house. Even though Waterfall had a tendency to get on my nerves, (he’d wake me up every night with a hearty “MEEOWWWRRR,” although he was “fixed,” he sprayed the carpet regularly, and the coffee table seemed to be his favorite place to throw up) he kind of grew on me. For instance, I enjoyed taking him outside in the evening during the summer months. I’d drink a beer. He’d eat some grass. This is how we spent quality “guy time” together.
Waterfall was still Jessi’s cat, though. He followed her around, slept on her bed, and chewed on her Barbie doll’s head. Things went along pretty well until last spring when I was going to do some laundry. I was shocked to find Waterfall sitting inside the washing machine. “What are you doing in there?” I asked as I picked him up. Then I noticed he lost some weight, so I took him to the veterinarian.
Doctor: I have some bad news. His blood work shows that his kidneys and liver are failing.
Jeff: What’s wrong with him?
Doctor: His symptoms are consistent with a virus cats can get at his age.
Jeff: Is there anything we can do?
Doctor: The virus, I’m afraid, is untreatable.
Jessica and I did treat him, though. We showered him with attention and, since he seemed to feel more secure in the washing machine, we put out a smorgasbord of food on top of the clothes dryer. Our laundry area was transformed into a four star restaurant for our sick kitty. The menu included his regular food, two kinds of soft cat food, and tuna. All in all, I think I spent more money on cat food than I did on people food. To our amazement, Waterfall rallied and got better.
Months went by. When Jessica and her fiance rented a house last summer, Waterfall went with her. I admit that I missed him, (I swore for weeks that I could hear the bell that he wore on his collar) but Waterfall was happier than ever living with Jessica. That’s where he belonged.
Shortly before Thanksgiving, Jessica mentioned Waterfall was hanging out in her washing machine. That’s not good, I thought. We took him back to the vet and got more bad news. His kidneys were indeed failing. Determined to nurse him back to health again, we re-opened the restaurant/laundry room at Jessica’s house. This time, however, Waterfall didn’t rally. Days and then weeks went by without him eating until he was just skin and bones. It got so bad that we were afraid he’d break when we picked him up.
One gray, blustery, December morning I showed up at Jessica’s house. My daughter and I took a few pictures of our nine-year-old kitty and drove him to the vet. Euthanizing Waterfall was one of the hardest decisions we’d ever made. Over the years, Waterfall cost me a lot of money and a lot of sleep. He tested my patience almost daily with his eccentric antics, but I loved that cat, and I told him so as I watched the light go out in his eyes.
Yeah, Waterfall was difficult to live with, but I miss him every day. Goodbye old friend.
Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
Grassley Joins Legislation to Cut Tax Paperwork Requirement for Small Businesses, Farms
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation to repeal a burdensome tax reporting requirement on small businesses and farms enacted as part of the health care overhaul law last year.
“I had constituent meetings in 24 Iowa counties last week and heard employers say they need relief from costly mandates and regulations that undo any benefit they’re supposed to get from the federal government, especially in rural America,” Grassley said. “The tax reporting requirement included in the health care law will cause a lot of hardship for small businesses and farmers when they need to focus on job creation instead.”
Grassley signed onto legislation from Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) to repeal the tax reporting paperwork mandate, known as 1099 after the form taxpayers have to submit. The Small Business Paperwork Elimination Act was introduced on the first day to introduce legislation in the new Congress. Of the 55 senators co-sponsoring the bill, 14 are Democrats in indication of strong bipartisan support. The President also highlighted the need to repeal what he called this “flaw” in the health care bill in his state of the union address, a significant indication of support for repeal. An identical measure introduced last year received 61 Senate votes.
The Small Business Paperwork Elimination Act would repeal the health care law’s Section 9006, which expands the requirement to submit 1099 tax filing forms for business expenses to include all transactions that total $600 or more per vendor per year. The provision would impact businesses, family farms, churches, charities and local governments. Numerous groups including the Iowa Farm Bureau and the National Federation of Independent Business, representing small businesses, are urging repeal.
