During the Shutdown...What happened, Wild Birds Unlimited, Abortion Ruling, Ames Comprehensive Plan 20140

Dennis Hart gives a summary of the week's local news from the pages of the AmesTribune.

On January 22 the Polk County District Court  Polk ruled that Iowa’s 6-week abortion ban violates Iowa’s state constitution and issued a permanent injunction. Veronica Lorson Fowler, Communications Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, explains what happened and what happens now.

Reports come in from federal facilities that were closed during the government shutdown. Lyndsay Cole, Assistant Director for Public Affairs for the USDA explains the animals were cared for and labs in Ames were able to continue research disease events. 

Rod Rovang, Resource Manager for the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds National Monument Park reports on bat research that was interrupted during the shutdown.

Karen Viste-Sparkman, biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Neil Smith National Wildlife Refuge near Prairie City in central Iowa, near Des Moines, reports on how that natural reserve fared during the shutdown.

The new owners of Wild BirdsUnlimited Nature Shop in Ames, Todd and Stephanie Burras, describe their passion for birds and nature and how that led to their purchase of this business.  They will hold a bird feeder building workshop on January 25 at the store.

Susan Gwiasda, Ames Public Relations Officer and Kelly Diekmann, Ames Planning and Housing Department Director describe the Ames Comprehensive Plan 2040 process, beginning this month. The last Ames Comprehensive Plan was made in 1997. Public input is being sought by the city.

 

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Originally broadcast 02/01/2019
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