Page 7 - Clear Lake Mirror Reporter E-Edition 10-21-2015

Ag./BusinessClear Lake Mirror-Reporter
Northey:
Farmers
making good
progress in
dry weather
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
Bill Northey commented Monday on
the Iowa Crops and Weather report
released by the USDA National Agri-
cultural Statistical Service. to pain medications through the ER. This partnership is a vital piece in the counties prevention efforts to reduce the
“The warm dry weather has al-
lowed farmers to make good progress
and now 83 percent of soybeans and
52 percent of corn has been harvested. corner of the page and selecting Ca-
Corn harvest is now on pace with the
five-year average after previously lag-
ging behind,” Northey said. search, students and any visitor to the
Warm, dry, and windy condi-
tions allowed Iowa farmers to har-
vest nearly one-quarter of the State’s
corn for grain during the week end-
ing Oct. 18. Statewide there were 6.9
days suitable for fieldwork, the most
this season. Reported concerns for the
week included field fires due to the
dry, windy conditions, and stalk qual-
ity with a few reports of wind damage.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 4
percent very short, 22 percent short,
70 percent adequate, and 4 percent
surplus. Subsoil moisture levels rated
2 percent very short, 13 percent short,
80 percent adequate and 5 percent
surplus.
Virtually all of the corn crop
was mature or beyond this week, one
week ahead of last year, and two days
ahead of the five-year average. Fifty-
two percent of the corn for grain has
been harvested, nearly two weeks
ahead of last year, and equal to the
average. Moisture content of all corn
being harvested was 17 percent, down
2 percentage points from the previous
week. Ninety-seven percent of soy-
beans were dropping leaves or beyond,
two days behind normal. Eighty-three
percent of the soybean crop has been
harvested, 10 days ahead of last year,
and two days ahead of average.
Behne attends
Sandals Resorts
luxury workshop
Carol Behne of Destination Trav-
el Services, Clear Lake, recently par-
ticipated in an intensive travel agent
workshop administered by Unique
Vacations, Inc. (UVI), an affiliate of
the worldwide sales and marketing
representative for Sandals, Beaches,
and Grand Pineapple Beach resorts.
Each workshop offered detailed
information on Sandals Resorts In-
ternational extensive portfolio – com-
prised of Sandals Resorts, Beaches
Resorts, and Grand Pineapple Beach
Resorts – as well as an overview of new
developments, services and amenities.
All who participated in the workshop
are eligible to become Certified San-
dals Specialists (CSS), an elite group
of travel agents recognized by the
travel industry as experts in the worlds
only Luxury Included® Resorts.
According to Behne there is a se-
rious job at hand, understanding the
nuances of each brand within the San-
dals Resorts portfolio which is critical Friday morning with a minimum of
to her customers.
“My clients rely on me to help
them make the best vacation choices
so that every hard-earned dollar they
spend is giving them true value,” said
Behne. “I am thrilled to have been a
part of this workshop. I have come
away with a wealth of knowledge. My
clients want to feel confident that the
information they receive is based on
expert knowledge and now, my Cer-
tified Sandals Specialist designation
does just that.”
Hancock Country Health Systems honored
In honor of National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month, on Oct. 14, Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention (A.S.A.P)
recognized the Hancock County Health Systems Emergency Department in their efforts to reduce access and availability
misuse and abuse of prescription drugs. Although the ER providers are committed to treating acute patients at HCHS,
they say that for patient’s safety, it is best that chronic medical conditions are handled with patient’s primary care physi- at www.niacc.edu and clicking on
cian. -Submitted photo
Alliant breaks ground on
new MC operations center
A project to construct Alliant
Energy’s new operations center in
Mason City, Iowa kicked off with a
groundbreaking on Monday, Oct. 5.
Work is already underway on the new
67,000 square foot building that will
be located at 1035 43rd St. SW, in
Mason City.
Dry weather continues:
Unseasonably warm gives
way to cold, then warm again
by Harry Hillaker
State Climatologist
Iowa Department of Agriculture
& Land Stewardship

Iowa experienced another very
dry week with nothing more than
sprinkles anywhere in the state over
the past week. Normal precipitation
for the week is 0.56 inches.
The reporting week began with
unseasonably warm weather with high
temperatures reaching 78 degrees at
Burlington and Donnellson on Mon-
day (12th). Temperatures from Tues-
day (13th) through Thursday (15th)
averaged slightly above normal with
highs mostly in the low 60s north
and east and low 70s west and south.
However, there was a freeze over parts
of northeast Iowa on Wednesday
(14th) morning with temperatures
down to 30 degrees at Cresco, Deco-
rah, Elkader and Stanley.
Much colder air moved through
Iowa late Thursday and persisted
through Saturday (17th) night. A
freeze was recorded over much of the
northwest one-third of the state on
27 degrees at Spencer with scattered
frost in valley bottom locations else-
where. However, the coldest weather
of the week arrived on Saturday morn-
ing with a hard freeze over most of the
northeast one-half of the state.
Stanley in Buchanan County re-
corded the lowest temperature with a
19 degree reading Saturday. Another
freeze occurred across the north and
east on Sunday (18th) morning but
readings were generally not as cold
as the previous night. Much warmer
air made a rapid return to western
Iowa on Sunday with Logan reaching
73 degrees. The growing season has
Around 70 employees will work
from the new facility when it is com-
plete in late 2016.
“We’re looking forward to the ef-
ficiency that will come from having all
our local staff and equipment housed
in the same building,” said Doug
Kopp, President of Alliant Energy’s
ended now over most of the northeast
one-half of Iowa. However a freeze
has yet to occur over much of south-
western and south central Iowa with
the exception of some colder valley-
bottom locations.
Temperatures for the week as a
whole averaged from a degree or two
below normal across the east to two
to three degrees above normal over the
far west with a statewide average of 0.3 able to point to Alliant Energy’s pres-
degrees below normal. Soil tempera-
tures as of Sunday (18th) were averag-
ing in the upper forties northeast to
the middle fifties southwest. However
much warmer weather will push these
soil temperature averages well into the
fifties northeast and sixties southwest
by Monday.
Iowa utility, who was on hand with
other Alliant Energy and local leader-
ship to turn dirt at the groundbreak-
ing event. “With recent economic
development successes in the region,
we’re glad to also be investing in the
North Iowa Corridor.”
The 19.8 acre site will accom-
modate all the equipment necessary to
quickly respond to outages in the area.
The new construction replaces three
different facilities in Mason City, in-
cluding the current operations center
on Second Street, which has been in
service to the community for 89 years.
The move to 43rd Street SW puts
the new facility next to Mason City’s
new industrial park. Alliant Energy
was a partner in the effort to get the
industrial park certified by the state as
being ready for development.
“We see great benefit in having
Alliant Energy open up their facility
adjacent to our industrial park,” noted
Chad Schreck, President and CEO of
North Iowa Corridor Economic De-
velopment Corporation. “As we take
prospective businesses on a tour of our
certified shovel ready site, we will be
ence as a huge advantage of locating at
the site, and in our region.”
The new $15 million facility has
been designed with energy efficiency
in mind and will be consistent with
LEED standards.
Oct. 21, 2015 • Page 7
NIACC launches online
tool to explore careers
North Iowa Area Community If a career doesn’t look like the
College (NIACC) is pleased to an- right fit, individuals can search for
nounce that it has launched Career similar jobs and see the largest skill
Coach, a free online tool that allows gaps to fill to move to that career. They
students and community members to can also search for careers based on the
explore potential careers. college’s top training programs — or
Career Coach can be accessed by the program or major they are inter-
visiting https://niacc.emsicareercoach. ested in.
com/ or by visiting NIACC’s website Career Coach includes a built-in
resume builder to help students and
Quick Links in the upper right hand jobseekers quickly and efficiently put
together an updated resume with key
reer Coach under Resources. skills and job experience highlighted.
Through a simple keyword This workforce solution is fund-
ed by the IHUM Consortium which
College’s website can learn about the is 100 percent financed through a
employment prospects of careers they $15,000,000 grant from the U.S.
want to research. The real-time infor- Department of Labor’s Employment
mation is customized to the College’s & Training Administration. IHUM
geographic region and includes de- offers resources to the public specifi-
tailed wage estimates and up-to-date cally targeting those eligible for Trade
job postings associated with any ca- Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for
reer. Users are directed to the College’s workers, unemployed/underemployed
programs when searching for specific Iowans and U.S. veterans.
jobs.
REITs Tom Alexander
Financial Consultant
Securities America
Member FINRA/SIPC
641-357-7106
888-357-7106
Located at Clear Lake Bank & Trust
322 Main Ave • PO Box 8, Clear Lake
[email protected]
www.investmentcenterclearlake.com
Not FDIC/NCUA Insured. May Lose Value. No Bank Guarantee
Not a Deposit. Not insured by any Federal Government Agency.
Securities offered through Securities America Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, Tom Alexander, Representative.
Investment Center and the Securities America Companies are unaffiliated.
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Scratch Curbside
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Wednesday, Oct. 28th • 11 - 2
SCRATCH CURBSIDE IS COMING TO
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Scratch Cupcakery will be at Country Meadow Place Assisted
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[email protected]
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