Bash on the Farm

This is a big weekend. It is Bash on the Farm weekend. Three miles out south of our town on a farm, these folks have some 40 bands coming for Friday afternoon and night and all day Saturday and Saturday night. There is music to suit everyone. There is plenty of food, games for the kids too. Expecting over 3000 or more this year. This is the 10th year for the Bash. Don't miss it.

Missouri and Mississippi Rivers Converge

Well now it has happened. The two rivers, which are flooding, are converging in Missouri. The flooding was the very worst of all in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Now it is in Missouri and those poor people are sandbagging and it isn't doing any good. You just can't fight the water and there is more coming down the rivers. A number of roads, both highways and gravel roads are completely washed out in places. Railroad bridges are down and trains are changing routes and are limited in where they can go. If traveling in these states, be sure you check ahead. Your road may be gone and whatever you do, don't go around a road block or drive through water, you will probably be sorry and could lose your life.

Michigan Jumps Ahead on Primary Calendar

It seems to be a regular fight to see who can be first in the primaries for the next election. Iowa is always first and seems to be getting shoved into December, the busiest month of the year with Christmas. But Michigan officially crashed the early primary party on Tuesday, setting up showdowns with both political parties and likely pushing the presidential nomination calendar closer to 2007. Governor Granholm signed a bill moving both of Michigan's presidential primaries to Jan. 15, 2008 and Michigan's move threatens to set off a chain reaction that could force Iowa and New Hampshire to reschedule their contests even earlier than anticipated, perhaps in the first week in January or even December 2007.

Middle Eastern Group Bids on Packing Plant

Iowa Quality Beef Supply Cooperative meatpacking plant in Tama, Iowa, has been closed for awhile. But now an investors group from the Middle Eastern country of Qatar is in negotiations o buy the closed plant. Government statistics show the U.S. exported nearly $80 million in beef in the Middle East in 2003. Co-op members also said there is a high demand for high quality beef in Islamic countries. If the plant would re-open it would certainly be a very positive thing for the industry.