LITTLE LEAGUERS A special section with team photos from the Creston little league softball and baseball programs can be found inside today’s paper. The section can also be viewed on our e-Edition at www.crestonnews.com.
GRAVLIN PLACES
Creston’s Emily Gravlin places 10th as all-around cowgirl at National High School Finals Rodeo last week in Rock Springs, Wyo. Read more about Gravlin and Creston’s Brooke Thelen on SPORTS, page 8A. >>
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USDA: Bird flu vaccine works on chickens
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DES MOINES (AP) — Scientists have developed a vaccine strain that has tested 100 percent effective in protecting chickens from bird flu and testing is underway to see if it also protects turkeys, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told the House Agriculture Committee at a hearing on Wednesday. If it does, the agency plans to quickly license it for widespread production and is seeking funding from the Office of Management and Budget to stockpile it nationally. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get a lot of folks working collaboratively together and we stockpile enough so that if this does hit and hits us hard we’re in a position to respond quickly,” Vilsack said. Developing a vaccine targeted to the H5N2 virus that has killed 48 million birds since early March in ■ Testing is 15 states, including hard- underway to est-hit Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska, is one aspect of see if vaccine planning for a potential re- protects turcurrence of the bird flu, Vil- keys. The bird sack said. Scientists believe the vi- flu has killed 48 rus was spread through million birds in the droppings of wild birds 15 states since migrating north to nesting grounds. They’re concerned March. it could return this fall when birds fly south for the winter or again next spring. While this year Midwest turkey and egg farms were hit hardest, the industry that raises chickens for meat in the southern and eastern states including Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia is worried it could spread there. Still not all poultry producers are on the same page when it comes to using vaccine to fight an outbreak. Turkey producers tend to favor vaccination to protect flocks because turkey immune systems appear more vulnerable to viruses. Some egg producers and farmers who raise broilers — chickens produced for meat — often resist vaccination programs because of the possible impact on export markets. U.S. producers export nearly $6 billion worth of poultry and egg products yearly with about $5 billion of that chicken meat. “There are many unanswered questions that must be addressed before any strong consideration is given to a vaccination program,” said Tom Super, a spokesman for the National Chicken Council, which represents producers of 95 percent of the U.S. broilers sold. “Two concerns of several are the effectiveness of the vaccine
DROP OFF
Catholic church’s new rerun shop to open Aug. 7 in Creston. ■
By KELSEY HAUGEN
CNA staff reporter khaugen@crestonnews.com
Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Creston is down to the finishing touches on its new $450,000 rectory rerun rummage shop located directly north of St. Malachy School. Clothing donations will be accepted beginning Aug. 1, and the store will officially Halbur open Aug. 7, according to The Rev. Ken Halbur. “The whole purpose of the building is social outreach and raising some money for the school,” Halbur said. “It’s about helping those in need.” Originally, the project was to cost $400,000, but switching from gravel to concrete for the parking lot was nearly a $50,000 upgrade. The building also has geothermal heating and cooling to
Top: This is the exterior of the new $450,000 Catholic church rerun shop. Above is the proposed layout for the inside of the rerun.
make it as energy efficient as possible. With several anonymous grants and special donations, Halbur said the rerun has been paid for in full with no funding from the church itself. “We’re thankful we’ve had some very motivated people willing to help out,” he said. The new, handicap accessible rerun building is 7,200 square feet – more than twice the size of the previous location, a 3,500-square-foot
house. Halbur said the extra space in the new rerun will be beneficial for the store but will also provide storage for St. Malachy School. An addition to the rerun store will be a religious goods section selling brand new items, including Bibles, crucifixes and books – products mainly geared toward Catholics or Christians in general. The church is working with a retailer to supply these items. The retailer will
provide catalogs to order from as well, so there will be more products available than what is in store. “One of the big concerns with the new location is that we’re going to raise our prices, but that’s not going to happen,” Halbur said. The church will begin to move everything from the old rerun to the new location starting Aug. 1. It has not yet been decided what will be done with the old building.
Please see BIRD FLU, Page 2A
Union County Fair champions Grand champion:
Mikaela Downing smiles and holds up her trophy for winning grand champion market hog Monday at the Union County Fair in Afton. Downing’s hog had originally won champion home raised market barrow. CNA photo by IAN RICHARDSON
CNA photo by BAILEY POOLMAN
Grand champ: Tyson Tucker shows off his winning grand champion market animal
while beef show judge Brad Mabry holds the trophy after the show Wednesday at Union County Fair in Afton.
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Copyright 2015
Volume 132 No. 39
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