The Future of Farming and Church Basement Ladies

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 07/05/2017
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We brought together three visionary farmers to discuss the issues that will face farmers in the decades to come. Fred Kirschenmann, former director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture talked about the two cultures of agriculture – the model based on dominance of the landscape compared with that of treating land and water as sacred, and working with nature to provide a self-regulating system. Aaron Lehman, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, announced the opening of their membership drive; for each new membership an anonymous donor will provide matching funds for the farm experiments conducted by the Leopold Center. Then Aaron explained the history and philosophy of this organization that fosters cooperative action among farmers. Aaron has been working joint experiment with David Weisberger, a graduate student in the Sustainable Agriculture Program at Iowa State University.

Turning to entertainment, we spoke with Wil Groves, director of the musical comedy Church Basement Ladies, which is being produced by the Webster City Community Theatre. It is opening this weekend.

Birds, Medicine, Ames City Council

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 07/03/2017
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Jennifer Knox from the ISU Department of English and founder of Iowa Bird of Mouth, the crowd-sourcing poetry site that celebrates Iowa birds, introduces the meadowlark. She also reads some of June's poems about the bluebird, last month's featured bird.

Jason Karimi, executive director of Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana, explains the new medical marijuana laws that went into effect on July first, sat down with Local Talk reporter Greta Anderson on Saturday, to talk about recent developments, which opens up the use of medical marijuana to Iowa patients suffering from 9 different conditions. Conditions include Parkinson's disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, seizures, AIDS or HIV, and Crohn's disease, as well as most terminal illnesses that involve a life expectancy of less than one year and non-treatable pain.

Pots-and-Pans July 4 Parade,Senior Health Care

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 06/30/2017
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Pat Schlarbaum gives a report on how butterfly season is peaking and what to look for.

Quincy Grittmann, president of the United Native American Student Association, organized a contingent of Native American drummers, singers, and dancers for the Ames July fourth parade. Her brother, Dawson Davenport, described the meaning and spirit of the songs and dances and the delegation of Meskwaki Native Americans honoring the Ames parade.

Susan Franzen spoke with Sue Dinsdale, Director of Iowa alliance for Retired Americans, about how the senate bill to undo the Affordable Health Care Act shifts costs to states and threaten health coverage for 200,00 Iowans, particularly rural and elderly citizens.

Bands, Heritage, and Inclusive Ames

Originally broadcast 06/28/2017
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Dr. Michael Golemo, Director of the Ames Municipal Band, told us about the unique history of Iowa Municipal Bands, featuring the way the pre-shows at the Thursday band concerts in Ames include visiting bands and other musical groups. The Ames Municipal Band will be an important part of Ames 4th of July Parade, but there will be music farther down the parade route thanks to the collaboration between KHOI and the Main Street Cultural Distinct for the boombox Star Spangled Band and a diversity of dancers, drummers, and musicians including the ISU United Native American Student Association. Then we turned Louise O'Donnell, secretary of the Slater Area Historical Society, telling us about the exhibition Slater and Story County in the Great War, which will open the 1,800 sq. ft. addition to Heritage Hall as part of the Slater 4th of July.

Our program ended with Barb Wheelock, representing Inclusive Ames' Safe Communities Committee. After telling of the work of the committee, she described their All Are Welcome Here yardsign, written in many languages.

Birds, Bells and Fireworks

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 06/26/2017
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We opened our show today with a phenology report from Pat Schlarbaum about the house finches that have made their nest on the speaker above the door at the Pantorium. Then we turned to Charles Kniker whose song "Ring the Bells" was recorded by the Adult Choir and the Bell Choir of Bethesda Lutheran Church in celebration of the 4th of July especially for this program. Then we talked with Philip Thompson and his father, the Rev. Charles Thompson, about the LCpl. Ben Carman Academy, a charity that will be the recipient of profits from the sale of fireworks in Nevada. Then we talked with Jeremiah Terhark who manages the Iowa Fireworks Company. We discussed safety rules and local regulations, as well as tips for keeping dogs calm during fireworks displays. We ended with a discussion of the Reiman Gardens Fireworks in Ames on July 3, and the various July 4 celebrations in Ames and the surrounding area.

Affordable Housing, Crestview Trailer Park, Refugees

Originally broadcast 06/23/2017
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This show focuses on affordable housing in Ames, and on welcoming two refugee families to Ames. Jan Flora and Jason Paull, representatives the of A A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS) discuss the problem of finding affordable housing and look at solutions, including the establishment of a Housing Trust Fund for Story County.

Margaret Jaynes, Director of the Department of Environmental Health for Story County, explains the problems that led to the decision to close Crestview Trailer Park.

Heather Withers and Jan Baron, representatives of Interfaith Refugee Alliance (AIRA) look forward to the welcoming of two refugee families to Ames.

Jewell, Lincoln Highway, DeLon Thompson

Originally broadcast 06/21/2017
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Gina McAndrews joined Susan Franzen in a Road Trip to Jewell. Dick Steffen, local Jewell historian took us on a tour of the new Jewell historical museum and Jewellsworth Trail from Jewell to Ellsworth. He also told us how JADE (Jewell Area Development Enterprises) has refused to let Jewell “fade into the shadows” like some small towns. Melissa Rothler then joined us to describe how a town of 1,200 has created a positive business environment and a bustling Main Street. Marlene Austin added the perspective of her family who moved to Jewell for its quality of life.

Jan Gammon, of Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) told us about the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway and its upcoming conference. We closed out the show with the songs and story of Roland native DeLon Thompson.

Bakken Flotilla, Primary Health Care, Koshu City

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 06/19/2017
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On Saturday, June 17 the second annual flotilla protest was organized by the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition, on the Des Moines River, crossing the spot where the Dakota Access Pipeline now pumps crude oil under the river just north of the County Highway E18 bridge. Activists give their reasons for participating in the flotilla. Three days prior, a federal court in Washington DC gave hope to the protesters by ruling that the environmental impact study at Standing Rock in North Dakota, upon which the Iowa permit was approved, was incomplete.

At a press conference held at the flotilla, Carolyn Raffensperger, Chair of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club and Executive Director of the national Science and Environmental Health Network, explained legal action to stop the pipeline Iowa, in Iowa and elsewhere.

Linda Hansen, clinic director of Primary Health Care in Ames, describes this nonprofit community health clinic, aiming to make health care available to all residents of Story County. Kaitlin Haimley certified nurse mid-wife at the clinic, describes their new comprehensive program for prenatal care.

Lauren Frandsen, from the Ames Chamber of Commerce went recently to Ames' sister city, Koshu City, in Japan as part of an Ames Delegation.

Sentencing Guidelines, Beads Unbound

Listen Here Now Originally broadcast 06/16/2017
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Judge Robert Pratt, Senior Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa gives his view of the new sentencing and prosecuting guidelines recently issued by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Lecia Brooks, Outreach Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, talks about varied possibilities of litigation against extremist hate groups, and about how ordinary citizens can combat intimidation and harassment, including online harassment.

Youth volunteer award-winner Katarina Bradley, together with her father Andy, talk about her award-winning work against human trafficking and the founding of her non-profit organization Beads Unbound.

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