Broadcaster Press 5 August 16, 2016 www.broadcasteronline.com Freight Rail: South Dakota Depends On It By Sen. John Thune It doesn’t matter if you’re the farmer in the field who harvests the crops, the manufacturer in the factory who makes the goods, or the consumer at home who relies on the food and energy that’s produced, everyone in the United States benefits from efficient and reliable freight rail. It’s especially important to South Dakota because the state’s economy literally depends on it. And since three times as many rail carloads leave South Dakota compared to those that end up here, there’s a heavy reliance on freight rail to get all of our South Dakota-made products to markets around the country and the world. More products in the hands of consumers means our farmers, ranchers, small business owners, and entrepreneurs have more opportunities to create jobs and grow their businesses. In order to keep all of the trains running on time, we have to ensure that if and when there are disruptions in our nation’s rail system, all is being done to respond in the most efficient, effective, and timely way possible. Doing so requires a trustworthy and dependable federal agency at the helm. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has answered that call since 1996, but it hasn’t been without its challenges. In order to get this federal agency where it needs to be, I introduced first-oftheir-kind reforms that were adopted on a broad bipartisan basis by my colleagues in the House and Senate and were signed into law late last year. To get a sense for how these reforms are being implemented, I recently brought the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the committee I’ve chaired for the last 19 months, directly to South Dakota. Not only was the committee’s field hearing in Sioux Falls a good opportunity to track these ongoing reforms, but we were able to examine ways in which the new law could benefit South Dakota businesses too. And who better to hear from than the people who are directly impacted by the STB’s decisions? I was thankful that representatives from POET, the Missouri River Energy Services, the South Dakota Corn Growers, and CHS, Inc., spent part of their day sharing their stories with us. As a result, I’m convinced now more than ever the reforms we made to the STB are having a positive effect, but don’t take my word for it. Dan Mack, the vice president of transportation and terminal operations at CHS, told the committee that “The rail industry has changed a great deal over the past twenty years, and this law is helping to modernize the STB to better reflect this new reality.” The new law expedites rate review timelines and expands voluntary arbitration to better serve as an alternative to lawsuits, which will greatly improve the way rate cases are handled. It also increases proactive problemsolving and accountability by giving the STB the authority to launch investigations on its own. It makes the board’s activities more transparent and accountable by requiring them to track and report on service issues, and it creates a more functional and more collaborative board by expanding it from three to five members. Taken as a whole, America’s freight rail industry is in a much better position to deliver on the ever-expanding needs of the busy and hardworking people who call the USA home. Get your ad in the.. Classifieds Today! CALL 624-4429 ••• FAX 624-2696 ••• EMAIL classifieds@plaintalk.net ••• ONLINE BroadcasterOnline.com ••• DROP BY 201 W. Cherry, Vermillion Motorist Alert: School Starts Soon Cover Crops In A Dry YearFor Sioux Falls Public School students, summer draws to a close Sept. 6 and the classroom bells will be ringing. With thousands of those school children walking or biking to school, AAA warns drivers to be especially alert and watch for pedestrians during before- and after-school hours. The afternoon hours are particularly dangerous for walking children – over the last decade nationally, nearly one-third of child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. “More than 1,200 children lost their lives during after-school hours between 2000 and 2010 nationwide,” cautioned Marilyn Buskohl, spokeswoman for AAA South Dakota, “and although we’ve seen a steady decrease in the number of tragedies each year, it’s important to remember that it’s up to adult drivers to watch out for children walking and biking to and from school.” AAA offers six ways to keep kids safe this school year: 1. Slow down. Speed limits in school zones are reduced for a reason. A pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at 25 mph is nearly twothirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster. 2. Eliminate distractions. Children often cross the road unexpectedly and may emerge suddenly between two parked cars. Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing. Put down the phone. 3. Reverse responsibly. Every vehicle has blind spots. Check for children on the sidewalk, driveway and around your vehicle before backing up. Teach your children to never play in, under or around vehicles – even those that are parked. 4. Talk to your teen. Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens across the U. S., and more than one in four fatal crashes involving teen drivers occurs between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Get evidence-based guidance and tips at TeenDriving.AAA.com. 5. Come to a complete stop. Research shows that more than one-third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones and neighborhoods. Always come to a complete stop, checking carefully for children on sidewalks and in crosswalks before proceeding. 6. Watch for bicycles. Children on bikes are often inexperienced, unsteady and unpredictable. Slow down and allow at least three feet of passing distance between your vehicle and the bicycle. If your child rides a bicycle to school, require that they wear a properlyfitted bicycle helmet on every ride. AAA has loaded its website with lots of useful, free information to help keep children safe. Visit www.AAA.com/Safety. With an Aug. 17 opening date, Vermillion Public Schools are one of the first in South Dakota to return to the classroom. Here are a few other start dates for South Dakota public school districts: • Aug. 22 – Pierre, Yankton • Aug. 23 – Aberdeen, Brookings • Aug. 24 – Brandon, Mitchell • Aug. 27 – Watertown • Aug. 31 – Rapid City • Sept. 6 – Sioux Falls, Huron AAA’s School’s Open – Drive Carefully awareness campaign was launched in 1946 in an effort to prevent school-related child pedestrian traffic crashes – helping kids live fulfilling, injury-free lives. Is Your Lawn and Garden BirdFriendly? To Plant Or Not To Plant? By Sara Berg, SDSU Extension With small grain harvest wrapping up across the state, many growers are considering cover crop options. Mild to severe drought conditions across much of the state are causing many concerns including cover crop planting and establishment (droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Home.aspx). Cover crops are planted for a variety of reasons across South Dakota but two of the most prominent purposes include long term soil health benefits and fall forage grazing opportunities. Benefits and Risks According to SARE (www. sare.org), cover crops manage soil moisture, promote soil structure/increase soil fauna diversity, provide N for the following cash crop, enhance residue and nutrient cycling, increase organic matter, and suppress weed germination. Cover crops can offer many benefits to your overall production system, but as most farming practices do, the benefits come at a risk. Cover crops are merited with soil moisture management, but planting timing and specie selection are an essential part of accomplishing this, especially during a dry year. Considerations Regardless of seed choice, some topsoil moisture is needed to enable germination of any crop. Smaller seeded cover crops shouldn’t be planted exceptionally deep, but generally require less moisture to germinate than larger seeds. Therefore, important selection factors (StatePoint) Birds are more than just beautiful visitors to your lawn and garden, they are an important component of a healthy local ecosystem. Making your property a safe haven for birds will beautify your garden and is the right thing to do. Here are a few simple steps to take to keep birds safe. Offer Food and Shelter Many birds will simply be using your yard as a rest stop on a long migration. Keep this in mind and fill your yard with native species of trees, shrubs and flowers to provide shelter and food. You can supplement this nourishment with strategically located bird feeders that will prevent birds from striking your home’s windows. Ideally, bird feeders should be located within three feet of a window or more than 30 feet from a window. Prevent Bird Strikes Ninety-eight million birds are killed annually in the U.S. when colliding with windows, according to Western EcoSystems Technology estimates. Stem the loss of life by exploiting the keen vision of birds. “When windows are visible to birds, they will enjoy a safer migration,” says Spencer Schock, founder of WindowAlert, a company that offers decals and UV Liquid that is visible to birds but not people. Products from WindowAlert are proven to effectively alter the flight path of birds and prevent window strikes. An easy weekend project to complete this season is applying decals to your home’s windows and using UV Liquid to fill the gaps in order to form a visual barrier for birds. The ultraviolet reflecting coating will look like etched glass to humans, but be quite visible to birds. The coating can fade over time, so remember to periodically replace decals. More best practices can be found at windowalert.com. include: • Seed size • Drought tolerance • Economics • Intended purpose If your intended 2017 cash crop is corn, a broadleaf cover crop mix should be considered; however, if you are planting soybean next year, grasses are ideal. With fall quickly approaching, a cool season blend may be more beneficial and provide more growth than warm season grasses. Crops to Plant Barley, wheat, and cereal rye are examples of some cool season, drought tolerant grasses; mustard and rapeseed are relatively drought tolerant cool season broadleaf crops, and field pea, vetch, and white clover may be good legume options- all appropriate for late dry July/ August plantings when anticipating some improvement in topsoil moisture. For a full list of details see www.sare. org and click on ‘cover crops’. Once plant establishment occurs, the soil is better protected from drying and erosion and the growing plants are conducive to a ‘living soil’ environment. In turn, water retention is often improved. However, remember that if moisture does not reach a planted seed, germination won’t occur, regardless of its drought tolerance abilities. The management lines are rarely black and white in production agriculture, and this decision is no exception, but proper research and decision making are key in making the best decision for your farm. Turn Yo ur Clutter i nto Cash! Advertise your Garage Sale to thousands of readers! 624-4429 Limit Other Hazards Pet cats can prove hazardous to birds. Keep cats inside or monitor their time outdoors in order to prevent attacks. Promote a natural food source for birds by avoiding the use of pesticides and fertilizers that kill off the insects that birds need to thrive. By taking a few important measures at home, you can SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2016 create a haven for migratory LOCATED: HARTINGTON, NEBRASKA - SKYLON BALLROOM birds right in your own backAUCTION STARTS @ 10:00 A.M. • LUNCH AVAILABLE yard. Auctioneers Note: Please make your plans to join us for this nice HOUSEHOLD & COLLECTIBLES AUCTION Carpentry, Install Doors, Windows & Siding, Refinishing, Drywall, Ceramic Tile & Decks two party Auction. Visit our web site WWW.CHJAUCTIONEERS.COM HOUSEHOLD & MISCELLANEOUS: Coronado Chest Type Freezer; Maytag Washer & Dryer Set; Oak Kitchen Table w/ 4 Chairs; Very Nice Dining Room Set w/ Oak Dining Room Table w/ 4 Chairs & Matching Oak Chairs; (2) Curio Cabinets; Rose Colored Lazy Boy Recliner; Rose Colored Swivel Rocker; Glider & Wooden Bench; (2) Gold Lazy Boy Recliners; 3 Piece Bedroom Set w/ Queen Size Bed, Large; Dresser & Chest of Drawers; 3 Piece Bedroom Set w/ Full Size Bed, Dresser & Chest of Drawers; Full Size Bed w/ Bookcase Headboard; Matching 2 Piece Dresser & Chest of Drawers; Formica Top Kitchen Table w/ 4 Chairs; Kimball Elec. Organ w/ Bench; Casio Electric Key Board; Life Style Tread Mill; Wet Pointe Dehumidifier; Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner; Bissell Whet & Dry Sweeper; Stoneware, Corellware, Drinking Glasses; Misc. Small Kitchen Appliances; Sewing Machine & Seasonal Decorations; 3 Sets of Golf Clubs; Shop-Vac; (3) Sets of Golf Clubs; Miscellaneous Hand Tools; Plus Many More Miscellaneous items too numerous to mention. MARY ANN HANSEN - OWNER HOUSEHOLD: Chest of drawers; Dresser; Glider rocker; Toshiba 18” flat screen tv; Panasonic stereo; Sylvania DVD/VCR; Floor lamp; Foot stool; Card table and chairs; Hutch; Desk; File cabinets; Cosco stool; Sears cabinet sewing machine; Several white pine storage cabinets and dressers; White metal storage cabinet; Floral hide-a-bed; Humidifier; Oreck upright vacuum w/attachments; Dirt devil; Oster kitchen center mixer/blender w/attachments; Kitchen utensils; Pots and pans; Assorted bowls, cookie sheets, cake pans; Sewing & knitting supplies; Fan; 2 bowling balls; Craft items; Suitcases; Rugs; Tv trays; Bedding towels, blankets; Books; Silver dishes; Toaster oven; Paper shredder; Tupperware; Jars; Crock pots; Anchor Hocking brown glass cookware; TV stand; Misc. toys GARDEN TOOLS AND SHOP ITEMS: Remington 14 “ chain saw; Snapper 19” self-propelled lawn mower; Snow Joe Ultra Model 622UI electric snow blower 19”; Skil saw 7 ¼”; Mantis tiller and thatcher; 17ft. Werner aluminum extension ladder; Wood step ladder; B & D cordless grass shear; Craftsman leaf blower; Skil jig saw; Palm sander; Saw horses; Schumacher 10 amp battery charger; B & D air compressor; Garden hose and garden supplies; 2 wheel barrows; Windmill; Fertilizer spreader; Weed boss gas weed eater (like new); Appliance cart; Lawn chairs; 18 volt cordless drill; Garden hose cart; Assorted hand tools; Vise; Scrub bucket; Cement bird bath; Sprinkling can; Shepherd hooks; Level; Horse shoes; Flower pots; Hoes, rakes, shovels and more; Mole trap; Grease gun; Oil cans; Shop vac; Lawn ornaments; Hot plate; Gas tank for grill; Luggage; Coolers; Pruners; Painting supplies; Hand sprayer; Extension cords; Electric pet pan ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES: Quilts; Material; Old maps; Watt apple grease bowl, pie plate and pitcher; Fancy work; Schwartz Elgrade milk filter disc; Toys, Legos games & puzzles; Marbles; Old kitchen utensils; Table cloths; Cigar boxes; Globe; Dresser lamps; Assorted stemware; Enamelware red/white coffee and pans; Blue enamel roasters; Tea pots; Pressure canner; Medicine cabinet; Old dust pan; Old bottles; Assorted pictures and Knick knacks; Indoor and outdoor holiday decorations. MARY ANN JANSEN - OWNER Carpenter Paper Co. Omaha, file box; Set of eight Fire King dishes; Cookie Jars including, x-mas Santa’s, Easter, Pumpkin and others; McCoy cookie jar; Pyrex nesting bowls; 2 Tied quilts; 3 portable color tv’s including Sanyo and Emerson; Corelle dishes; Comforters, bedding and more; Hand painted Prussia bowl and other; Green Depression dishes; Desk Lamp; Coleman coolers and more; Oxford & Hall pottery; Amber set of dishes; Large assortment of glassware; Stoneware set of dishes. Roger & Margaret Yates - Owners For complete listing visit our web site www.CHJAUCTIONEERS.com TERMS: CASH – OR BANKABLE CHECK – NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS OR THEFT AUCTION CONDUCTED BY: CREAMER HEIMES JANSSEN AUCTIONEERS & APPRAISER L.L.C. AUCTIONEERS: RYAN CREAMER 402-254-9753 - ALTON HEIMES 402-254-3315 ROGER JANSSEN 402-388-4409 THE HEART & VASCULAR SCREENS Screening saves lives Get Screened at Sanford Vermillion The Heart Screen™: For ages 40-75. The Vascular Screen: For those 40 or older. Type 1 diabetics should be screened at age 30 or older. Date: August 29 Heart & Vascular: 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Location: Sanford Vermillion – Main Entrance 102 S Plum Street, Vermillion COST: $25 EACH Call (888) 996-4673 to schedule an appointment. Learn more about our screenings at sanfordhealth.org, keyword: screenings. 0180027-00212 7/16