COVID-19 Response: Prisons, Jail, and Lincoln Highway

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 05/06/2020
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Today's Local Talk show started with a conversation between Carolyn Raffensperger and Pat Schlarbaum about the meaning of neighbors in the natural world.  We moved on to exploring COVID-19 in prisons and jails.  Veronica Fowler reported on the ACLU's request to Governor Reynolds to release information about  overcrowding and cleanliness for inmates and staff in Iowa's prisons.  Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald came to us with an encouraging report about how successfully the prison population has been reduced at the Story County jail so that they can clean surfaces and maintain social distancing among their prisoners.  And finally Janice Gammon announced the National Scenic Byway Interpretation Award given to Prairie Rivers of Iowa for the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway Program.  She gave a history of the Lincoln Highway as well as a description of the most recent interpretive panel honoring  Lincoln Highway pioneer Henry Ostermann. 

 

May 5, 2020

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 05/05/2020
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Today's Local Talk featured Representative Ross Wilburn talking about Covid Response updates.  He included an upcoming LGBTQ conference at https://www.iowasafeschools.org/about-the-conference/. GivePulse leaders Dr. Greg Welk and Dr. Ashley Scudder discussed their translational research outreach from University researchers and Iowa community. Additional information can  be found at www.uturn.iastate.edu or www.news.iastate.edu/news/2020/04/27/givepulse.  Fire Chief, Rich Higgins reported on updates for Covid Response.  And Anna Banana topped off the hour with another great Heart to Heart messages. 
 

Reiman Garden Starts May Plant Sale & Warnings from the Medical World About Re-Opening Business and Social World

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 05/04/2020
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Dennis Hart gives a summary of Iowa news from the past week. 

Sarah Rummery, Manager of Horticulture explained that the the annual May plant sale at Reiman Gardens will occur beginning today, May 4 - only this year it will be on line. Plants will be picked up in the parking lot. Members can buy May 4 - 8 and the general public is invited to order from May 9-17. The gardens also have many features on their web site, from garden photos to virtual tours. The gardens currently remain closed; check the web site for announcements about when they will re-open.

Warnings from Researchers at University of Iowa's Department of Public Health, and Fort Dodge Infectious Disease Dr. MeganSrinivas are only some  from the medical arena who are warning against Governor Reynolds' announcement to open businesses, gyms, churches, malls, and other types of public areas. According to Reynolds, "we must learn to live with COVID virus activity without letting it govern our lives." Dr. Eli Perencevich, epidemiologist researcher at university of Iowa, tweeted that Reynolds ans state health officials "have made a tragic error." 

Dr. MarkAlain Dery, Infectious disease expert and public health expert, agrees with Perencevich's and the others warning against loosening restrictions. He explains this and critiques US public Health nationally as lacking a unified system for data, policy, and implementation, a weakness in our system that he also calls tragic.

Anna Banana brought Heart to Heart Messages. Send Anna your message to read on the air. Text it to 515-809-0077 or email it to khoiradio@gmail with Heart to heart in the subject line. 

 

May 1, 2020

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 05/01/2020
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Local Talk included another week in the news of  Ames Tribune recap by Dennis Hart.  Dr. Yunou Qiu Asst. Professor of Statistics at ISU discussed his research into Corona Virus modeling.  Susan Gwiasda invited Kellee Omlid Recreation Superintendent of Ames Parks and Recreation.  She discussed Park policies during Covid19 response  and opening of Homewood Golf Course. And a music tribute was presented to Donna DiBianca as she passed away this week. 

 

Story County Supervisors Chair Murken, US Senate Candidate Mike Franken, Ames Public Works Carry On with Upgrades

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 04/30/2020
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Chair of Story County Board ofSupervisors, Linda Murken discusses the state of Story County at this point of the Covid-19 crisis and explains why she thinks relaxing the current restrictions at this time is a misinterpretation of analysis of the progress of virus contamination in our area. She also describes how county services are open and continue online or by phone. However, adoption are currently suspended.

Iowa primary elections will be June 2. Numerous candidates are campaigning to be the Democratic candidate for US senate, to challenge US Senator Joni Ernst. Cal Halliburton interviews candidate Mike Franken.

Susan Gwiasda Ames Public Relations Officer and Justin Clausen, Operations Manager for Ames Public Works, describe upcoming city projects as city construction and maintenance, giving continuity and care regardless of the crisis. 

 

COVID-19 Response: Ecological Change and Family Farms

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 04/29/2020
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Carolyn Raffensperger and Pat Schlarbaum started our show with a discussion of Ecological Change -- and how a small change in one species or location has unintended consequences elsewhere.  Our Roundtable of Iowa Farmers Union members responded to the crisis caused by COVID-19 in Meat Processing Plants in Iowa.  Aaron Lehman, Chris Petersen, and John Gilbert described the food distribution system before the "Get Big or Get Out" era of Industrial Agriculture and gave us some ideas about how to adapt it to the 21st century and shared the alternatives that they themselves are implementing. Cornelia Flora ended the program by describing historically, how America developed from being a colony exporting raw materials to developing regional self-sufficiency to returning the colonial model of growing on a few crops and animals feeding into farm value chains controlled by a few large corporations -- leaving our food system vulnerable to attacks -- human or crop diseases or weather.  The decline of local control and the change in rules and regulations at the state and federal level increased the vulnerability of family farmers and we need to use this crisis to try to increase the resilience of our farming systems and rural communities. 

April 28, 2020

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 04/28/2020
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Carin Forbes Legal Aide to Story County talks about Renter's Rights during Covid 19 Response, Ron Edwards Animal Control Officer discusses pets during Covid 19 Response.  And Anna Bananna provides another wonderful Heart To Heart messages. 

 

StoryBooks Read by Ames Police on KHOI, Trimming Your Hair at Home, Osprey Bird-Cam

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 04/27/2020
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On Fridays at noon, Ames Police CommunityResource Officer Kruger now reads children’s books on KHOI. Officer Kruger introduces himself and explains how the Ames Police Force is actively finding ways to put an approachable and human face on the police force, especially during the Covid-19 crisis. He tells us that his own children pick the books he should read on the air but feel he should “stop reading storybooks and get back to work!”

Pat Schlarbaum, KHOI naturalist and Local Talk host, reports on a pair of Ospreys who are nesting next to Wells Fargo Bank in DesMoines. There is a bird-cam for watching their progress.

Morgan Feltner, owner of the organic hair salon, Wild-Root, located in Nevada, gives tips on how to cut hair yourself for a spruce-up in the absence of professional hair appointments. Morgan also explains why she specializes in organic hair products and explains how she and other local businesses are offering gift certificates to buy now for future use, to help tide businesses over while they are closed.

Anna Banana brought Heart to Heart Messages. Send Anna your message to read on the air. Text it to 515-809-0077 or email it to khoiradio@gmail with Heart to heart in the subject line. 

Earth Day, Your Input Sought for Spending Extra CARE Funds for Ames, Small Business During Covid-19

Listen Here NowOriginally broadcast 04/23/2020
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Naturalists Pat Schlarbaum, Mike Havlick, John Stavers, and Chris Atkins discuss the history and meaning of Earth Day.  

Stacey Dryer Associate State Director at Iowa SmallBusiness Development Center, the business-consulting branch of the Small Business Administration, describes how they are counseling small businesses, funding they are accessing and the future of funding support for small businesses suffering losses from the Covid-19 crisis, and ways to support small business as customers.

Vanessa Baker-Latimer, Housing Coordinator with Planning& Housing Department; Ames received more than $350,000 in additional funding as part of its annual Community Development Block Grant funds. Vanessa is taking public comments on eligible activities the community would like to see funded, anywhere from money for testing, clinics, education, to support for individuals to help with rent and utilities. To give input, write to Vanessa at cdbgcares2020@cityofames.org or call hotline 515-239-5380.

Anna Banana brought Heart to Heart Messages. Send Anna your message to read on the air. Text it to 515-809-0077 or email it to khoiradio@gmail with Heart to heart in the subject line. 

 

COVID-19 Response: Webster City, Ballard, ECO Fair

Listen Here Now

Originally broadcast 04/22/2020
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After an inspirational Earth Day message from Carolyn Raffensperger, we took a ZOOM road trip to revisit towns from our listening are we haven't heard from recently.  First we spoke with Kathy Vaughn, the new director of All Cultures Equal in Webster City.  We learned how COVID-19 has affected the food supply and businesses of the town -- from community gardens at ACE, to restaurants, to food pantries, and restaurants providing take-out orders. Moving to south Story County, we spoke with Ottie Maxie the superintendent of the Ballard Community School District about their unique efforts during the school closures to meet the educational and nutritional needs of students in the towns of Cambridge, Huxley, Kelley, and Slater, as well as the rural areas around them. Pat Schlarbaum ended the Earth Day Program with a preview of the KHOI broadcast of the ECO Fair as well as news of the 2020 ECO Scavanger Hunt. 

 

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