Count engineer tracks down Dodge

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IN LOCAL, B7

BMOEAERTDTCHAENSDCIDHAOTOELS TH100UBRLOSCKDO5FA:S0YO0,U-T8AH:U0CO0GUPRUMT SST.TOTT1U7MWthA

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

IN LOCAL, A6

BEACH RENTAL RATES GOING DOWN

Showers

save some

soybeans

More rains

needed at

crucial time

JEFFREY LECHNER Courier staff writer

AGENCY -- Recent rains may have saved some local crops, for now. But more rain is still needed if it's going to have a lasting impact.

"It's definitely a savior to the soybeans," said Colin Johnson who farms near Agency. "We're at a crucial point with the pods filling out; more importantly it will add some weight to the pods," said Johnson. The rains arrived in time to stop further aborting of pods but the moment but the reprieve could be short-lived. "If we continue to get some more moisture we have the potential to be and average bean crop," said Johnson with the exception of some fields that were planted late and had various pest problems.

Even with the soybeans saved, Johnson doubts that he'll be profitable this year. According to Johnson the rain is too late for most of the corn crop that is too far along to be impacted much. Johnson doubts he'll be able to break even with

Please see SOYBEANS, Page A4

County engineer tracks down

TRAIN DELAYS

Mark Newman/The Courier

Trains crossing the place where Quincy Avenue and Blackhawk Road meet can be up to two miles long. A Canadian Pacific train Tuesday crosses the intersection pretty quickly.

IDOT describes ways to get help with blocked traffic

By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer

The county has not forgotten the concerns raised by a rural couple: Stopped trains are only supposed to block an intersection for 10 minutes under most circumstances. Where Quincy meets Blackhawk, however, the wait can be 25 minutes to an hour.

"And it's only going to become more of an issue as traffic increas-

es at that crossing," said Wapello Engineer Brian Moore said he met

County Supervisor Brian Morgan. with the Iowa DOT. First, giving

That increase will come because the engineer a ticket is not really

of improvements made to the

effective, said the DOT.

road.

"We've knocked on a few loco-

"When we pave a road," said motive doors," said Sheriff Mark

Supervisor Greg Kenning, "it's an Miller. "You talk to the engineer,

invitation to more folks to use that you explain things, and the next

road."

day, it's a different engineer."

That belief adds to the idea the The DOT representative sug-

county must at least try to estab- gested instead the county send

lish cooperation between itself and a letter of concern to specific

the railroad.

railroad personnel.

On the county's behalf, County

Please see TRAINS, Page A4

Dodge

will do

350 miles

per hour

By WINONA WHITAKER Courier staff writer

OTTUMWA -- Neal Darnell has a Dodge truck unlike any other. It'll do 350 miles per hour.

"It's a single engine, 12,000 horsepower," said Darnell. "The engine came out of a Navy fighter jet."

The Flash Fire jet truck will be on display at Vaughn Automotive Friday, Aug. 25 from 2-5 p.m. before Darnell takes it to Ottumwa Regional Airport for Fly Iowa's weekend shows.

"We have three trucks," said Darnell. "The truck we're bringing is a Dodge. We're going to have our entire rig [at Vaughn], the tractor-trailer with the jet truck." Darnell will be giving away free photos.

Darnell's entire team will consist of himself and his wife, Marilyn. "These jet trucks are pretty easy to maintain," he said.

Having a jet engine in a truck "works out pretty good," Darnell said. "I'm still alive after 15 years. We've got a perfect safety record."

"My background is in

Please see FLASH Page A8

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)$506

Stories presented by: Al Martin Real Estate & Auction

&RPPXQLW\VW&UHGLW8QLRQ RJ Performance

Owners have award-winning past

By WINONA WHITAKER

Pleasant and works for U.S. Gypsum. Son

Courier staff writer

Matthew lives in the Chicago area.

The Straits were given a Century Farm

OTTUMWA -- Marvin and Doris Strait live about halfway between Douds and Keosauqua. About a half mile away is 160 acres that have been in the family since 1907.

No one lives on the land. It's been planted at various times with hay, alfalfa and beans and served as pasture to sheep and cattle.

Today, Marvin farms the land with his sons Philip, a trucker who lives about

designation in 2013. The certificate is framed and displayed prominently on a shelf in the Strait living room. "[We] saw it advertised and knew some of them had got it around here," said Strait.

The 160 acres are just a part of the total 620 acres the family owns.

Garfield and Willa Strait were the first in the family to own the Van Buren County

two miles away, and Les, who lives in Mt.

Please see FARM, Page A8

Winona Whitaker/The Courier

Though not located on the century farm, this sign recognizes the Strait family and its love of farming.

TWO-DAY FORECAST

Today ... 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4 p.m. Mostly cloudy with a high near 86. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch. Tonight ... 70 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy with a low around 68. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch. Thursday ... A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. Partly sunny with a high near 84.

Weather, Page A8

INDEX

A2, A3, A4, A6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local A5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .OpinioN A7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Business A8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weather B1-B4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sports

B5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Comics B7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Local B8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Features C2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Features C3-C5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Classifieds

Weather Wednesday



A8, Wednesday, August 16, 2017

National weather

Forecast for Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Bands separate high temperature zones for the day.

H

L

Fronts

Cold

Warm

Stationary

Pressure

HL

High Low

Showers

Rain

T-storms Flurries

Snow

Ice

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