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PM News Stories 12.11.19

South Sioux City Police

Authorities say a Nebraska man has been arrested in a cold-case killing of a Salt Lake City woman in her apartment.

The South Sioux City Police Department said 55-year-old Bryan Reed awaits extradition to face Utah charges of murder and aggravated burglary in the Aug. 18, 1982 killing of 72-year-old Wilhelmina Reid.

Police said investigators  first interviewed Reed in December 2018 and at that time served a search warrant for his DNA.

According to police, the DNA results and fingerprints linked Reed to the killing. Police said Reed was 17 at the time of the killing and moved to Nebraska soon after. Online case records in Utah don't list an attorney for Reed who could comment on the allegations.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced a public service campaign to address increased vaping by Iowa teenagers.

The campaign announced Wednesday will focus on social media and information programs for parents and students.

Reynolds says increasing awareness and education on the known risks of vaping will help prevent young people from suffering nicotine addiction and health problems.

The campaign will feature videos targeted at teens on SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Hulu and other sites. Reynolds says she won't sign an executive order to ban the sale of flavored vaping products because such moves have been blocked in the courts in other states.

The annual survey of Iowa’s farm land values shows a stable market, despite the challenges of low commodity prices, an ongoing trade war and other headwinds.

That’s according to Iowa State University economist Wendong Zhang who conducts the survey. He says while that’s good news for most farmers, he doesn’t want to overlook those who aren’t doing as well. An increase in farm bankruptcies suggests tougher times for some.

“On average, the farm sector should be fine, we’re not likely to see a replay of the 1980 farm crisis, but people on the tail are rising in numbers.”

Zhang says ISU Extension is monitoring financial stress and its impact on communities and on individuals’ mental health. Northeast Iowa, close Wisconsin’s beleaguered dairy industry and home to many of Iowa’s milk producers, is the only area that saw a decrease in farmland values in this year’s survey. 

This year’s record rainfall and devastating flooding are forcing tough decisions about the future of farming in the face of climate change.

Farmers who lost billions of dollars in grain, livestock and equipment must decide whether to continue to gamble on fertile bottomlands, as federal officials determine how many damaged levees can and should be rebuilt.

Many farmers now believe heavier rains are the new normal _ even those skeptical that human activity is a factor.

With the ground still soggy heading into winter, experts say the stage is set for more flooding next spring.

State officials are hoping a new social media campaign will stop more teens from vaping.

According to the Iowa Youth Survey, 1 in 4 high schoolers vapes. Among 11th graders, 29 percent say they vape every day.

The state Departments of Education and Human Services will promote videos on platforms like Twitter, YouTube and SnapChat showing that vape can contain high levels of nicotine and cause lung damage.

The Centers for Disease Control have tied vaping to an outbreak of lung illnesses across the country.