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By Staci DaSilva sdasilva@kcautv.com Anywhere from 3,000 - 4,000 Gallons of farm fresh milk travel through Burbach's Countryside Dairy every week. "We get comments like its closer to what they rememberMore>> The storage room now holds just 250 bottles when usually, there's 1,600.More>> By: Jessica Rae jrae@kcautv.com LiteForm has been building concrete safe houses for more than twenty years. It was not until recently that the company started receiving more calls to have safe housesMore>> By: Jessica Rae jrae@kcautv.com LiteForm has been building concrete safe houses for more than twenty years. It was not until recently that the company started receiving more calls to have safe housesMore>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News (AP) As the end of the 2013 Iowa Legislative session nears lawmakers scrambled to move several pending bills forward. The state House has unanimously approved an educationMore>> The state House has unanimously approved an education policy deal that would provide additional school funding. Republican Rep. Ron Jorgensen, of Sioux City, says the compromise plan would provide more basic school funding for the next academic year.More>> By: Jessica Rae jrae@kcautv.com If you ever wanted to grow your own garden, but maybe you didn't have the available land, well now you can thanks to Harvest Incorporated. It's a new non-profit organizationMore>> By: Jessica Rae jrae@kcautv.com If you ever wanted to grow your own garden, but maybe you didn't have the available land, well now you can thanks to Harvest Incorporated. It's a new non-profit organizationMore>> By: Hollie Hojek hhojek@kcautv.com For Kum and Go Gas Station clerk Jessica James, gas drive offs are becoming a weekly occurrence. She says people will fill up and drive off, stealing anywhere fromMore>> Kum and Go Gas Station on 14th Street Reports 15 Drive Offs So Far in the Month of May. More>> By: Diana Johnsen djohnsen@kcautv.com There are some smiling faces at Alta Aurelia Middle School. 26 teachers are splitting a $10,000 dollar Powerball Jackpot win, taking home about $270 dollars each.More>> 26 teachers at Alta-Aurelia get $270 dollars each after splitting $10k Powerball Jackpot win.More>> By: Diana Johnsen djohnsen@kcautv.com Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars will lose about $250,000 dollars this year because of a drop in Medicare reimbursements. Those federal cuts means some extra beltMore>> Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars will lose about $250,000 dollars this year because of a drop in Medicare reimbursements; those federal cuts means some extra belt tightening. More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com The Iowa Gran Fondo will hit the road July 20, and the route for the second annual ride is now official. The ride will take cyclists from the IBP IceMore>> The Iowa Gran Fondo will hit the road July 20, and the route for the second annual ride is now official.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com Investigators searching for a 15–year–old Iowa girl who was abducted this week have recovered her backpack along with one belonging to a 12–year–old whoMore>> Investigators searching for a 15–year–old Iowa girl who was abducted this week have recovered her backpack along with one belonging to a 12–year–old who escaped from the kidnapper.More>> By: Channel 9 Eyewitness News news@kcautv.com A rollover tractor accident near Albert City Tuesday night has left one man dead. According to Buena Vista County Sheriff, when they arrived on scene theMore>> A rollover tractor accident near Albert City Tuesday night has left one man dead.More>>
By: Scott Larson
slarson@kcautv.com
The renewable energy industry has received a shot in the arm with the president signing the Fiscal Cliff bill into law. The ethanol industry was holding its breath alongside those in the wind energy sector leading up to the Fiscal Cliff. As part of the sweeping changes, critical tax credits for the ethanol industry were due to expire. But the industry received a big break when the bill was passed including those tax credits.
While the new bill will help ethanol plants continue operations, it's providing little comfort for Eamoun Byrne, the CEO of Plymouth Energy in Merrill, IA. Eamoun says, "The common theme among all the bills was the temporary nature of all of them."
Plymouth Energy is looking at expanding into cellulosic fuels, but without long–term certainty, it makes for tough decisions. The equipment to expand requires a commitment in the range of one hundred million dollars. Eamoun points to the demand for ethanol fuels as an indicator for a bright future, saying, "Ethanol is here to stay. The fuel that you and I use on a daily basis contains ten percent ethanol. We're producing in the region of thirteen billion gallons on an annual basis. That's eliminating thirteen billion gallons of foreign imported oil."
But with the lack of long–term support, things remain up in the air. Eamoun says one thing that could really help them out is a good crop of corn – it would offer greater stability after last year's drought.
