Missing Illinois man found dead in cornfield
PANA, Ill. (AP) — A rural central Illinois man who was reported missing was found dead in a field about a half-mile from his home.
Christian County Sheriff Bruce Kettelkamp said 45-year-old Timothy Weddle of Pana was last seen early March 6. He was found dead the following morning. Police said Weddle was walking in a plowed cornfield where he was found in the mud.
Police said Weddle was walking through the field after a woman dropped him off a few miles from his home so she wouldn’t get lost on her way back to Pana. Pana is about 45 miles southeast of Springfield.
Authorities said an autopsy is planned in Springfield to determine how Weddle died.
Warrant out for Iowa woman in animal neglect case
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have issued an arrest warrant for a Cedar Rapids woman facing animal neglect charges.
Jennifer Wood was scheduled to be in court March 8 on charges of animal neglect and failing to dispose of animal carcasses. Iowa County Sheriff Robert Rotter said the warrant was issued after Wood missed her court appearance.
The charges were filed after authorities found the carcasses of three llamas and a potbellied pig on her farm near North English. Rotter says it appeared the animals had been dead for several months. Wood voluntarily surrendered seven dogs and two horses that were also on the property.
On Feb. 17, animal control officers seized 32 dogs, two cats and a parrot from Wood’s home in Cedar Rapids. No charges have been filed in that case.
Workers at failed Iowa business sentenced in fraud
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Employees of a failed farm equipment dealership in eastern Iowa have been sentenced in a financial scheme that authorities say bilked banks and farmers of more than $7 million.
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported 51-year-old Allen Scott, of Grundy Center, and 57-year-old Donna Zmolek, of Dike, were each sentenced to just over three years for mail fraud. They were also ordered March 4 to help their boss, Leon Walterman, pay $10.6 million in restitution.
Walterman owned Walterman Implement in Dike. The dealership filed for bankruptcy in 2005. Authorities said the company double-financed farm equipment purchases and submitted false contracts to lenders. Walterman was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Two other workers, 65-year-old Allen Wulf of Reinbeck and 46-year-old Gary Miller of Dike, were given probation for wiretapping.
Johnson praises passage of regulatory permit relief WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House Agriculture Committee on March 9 approved H.R. 872, the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2011, that relieves farmers of having to obtain duplicative permits for pesticide use.
According to Rep. Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), who was a cosponsor of the bipartisan bill, it would amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA) to clarify Congressional intent and eliminate the requirement of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for pesticides approved for use under FIFRA.
Johnson stated the legislation was necessary to address the negative economic consequences of the ruling posed by the case National Cotton Council v. EPA (Sixth Circuit, 2009). Under the ruling, pesticide users would have to obtain a duplicative permit under the CWA by April 9, or be subject to a fine of up to $37,500 per day per violation.
“Congress never intended to burden farmers with additional permit requirements,” Johnson said. “I commend the (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) in this instance for being helpful in clearing up some regulatory burdens that were created by an activist court decision. This legislation corrects an activist ruling that would have turned an already well-functioning regulatory framework on its head.”
The next step in the legislative process will be for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to consider the bill.
Indiana company fined for Asian carp possession
PERU, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana company has been fined $20,000 after trying to haul a load of live Asian carp into Canada.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources said the owner of Sweetwater Springs Fish Farm of Peru, Ind., pled guilty March 7 to possessing live invasive fish. The company forfeited more than 6,000 pounds of bighead carp. They were found in the company’s truck during an inspection at the Blue Water Bridge in Point Edward, Ontario.
Sweetwater Springs is the second importer within a week to be fined for attempting to bring Asian carp into the province, where they are prohibited.
Authorities are trying to prevent Asian carp from becoming established in the Great Lakes. Scientists say the large, hungry fish could starve out native species and endanger the $7 billion fishing industry.
Wind farm plan gives way to Ohio historic churches
ST. HENRY, Ohio (AP) — Developers are pulling plans to put a wind farm in an area of western Ohio known for its cross-tipped churches.
A Florida-based development company told The Lima News it will look to build elsewhere in the area after residents of Mercer County complained that the dozens of wind turbines would block views of the region’s celebrated Roman Catholic church spires.
The rural area near the Indiana state line and north of Dayton is home to dozens of Roman Catholic churches built in the late 1800s and early 1900s and now on the National Register of Historic Places. The churches soar high above the flat farm fields and are topped by crosses.
A development company official said it became clear the churches are important to the community.
Tennessee promoting community, school gardens
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Foundation are promoting community and school gardens by offering grants. The goal of the program is to establish sustainable gardens throughout the state.
Those applying for grants can include community groups, neighborhood associations, churches, public and private schools and farmers’ markets. They must show that they can coordinate educational programs, outreach and volunteers, special events, public relations, maintenance and security, local business contributions, finances and consistent community involvement.
The maximum grant is $2,500, with the minimum $500. The deadline for submitting applications is Sept. 1. Details are at www.tnfarmbureau.org/communitygardens |
