The EPA announced Thursday it will lift seasonal restrictions on the sale of fuels with higher ethanol content in eight Midwestern states starting in the summer of 2025, fulfilling a request from governors two years ago. The decision, in the form of a final rule, marks only a partial victory for biofuel groups that had asked the EPA to let the change go into effect this summer. Instead, those groups are awaiting a possible emergency waiver from the Biden administration that could make the 15 percent ethanol blend called E15 available this summer across the country. The Renewable Fuels Association,…
Author: Cecil Larson
Iowa is likely to see more hot days reaching as high as 106 degrees over the next 30 years, according to a new study that shows a Midwest heat zone projected to dominate the forecast.The judges extreme heat model created by the First Street Foundationand released Monday, studies the future of climate change in the United States and “identifies the property-level impact of warming and how the frequency, duration, and intensity of extremely hot days will change over the next 30 years under a changing climate.” .In the study, “extreme heat days” are defined as when the temperature exceeds 125…
Evansville-based Shoe Carnival announced Tuesday afternoon that it plans to buy a Midwestern shoe chain, which will grow the company to nearly 430 stores.According to a company press release, Shoe Carnival will pay $45 million, all in cash, to buy Rogan Shoes, which is described as “a 53-year-old work and family footwear company with 28 store locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Illinois.”Shoe Carnival officials described the acquisition as part of a strategy to evolve into the nation's leading family footwear retailer. It brings the company's total workforce to around 6,000.”The acquisition brings (Shoe Carnival's) store count to an all-time high…
The historic rainfall that flooded millions of acres of farmland in the Midwest this spring dealt a blow to an already struggling farm economy. They also delivered bad news about the climate. Scientists predict that all that water has pumped massive amounts of fertilizer and manure into waterways, triggering a potentially unprecedented season of algae blooms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted that the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico — a massive overgrowth of algae — could become the size of Massachusetts this summer, approaching a record set in 2017, and that an algal bloom in…
The 65th annual meeting of the Midwest Junto for the History of Science will be held March 22-24, 2024, at Illinois State University. For more than six decades, the Midwest Junto has fostered an informal, convivial environment where students, faculty, independent scholars, and other research professionals can gather to discuss their research. We welcome submissions for 15-minute presentations on any aspect of the history of science, technology or medicine, as well as related STS fields. Graduate students from the Midwestern History of Science and STS programs are especially welcome to participate. Throughout the day on Saturday, there will be 15…
Davenport Flooding 2019: Mississippi River floods downtown DavenportA flood dam broke on April 30, 2019, allowing Mississippi River waters to spill into downtown Davenport.Des Moines RegistrationThe flooding that broke levees, inundated farms and inundated homes and businesses in cities and towns across Iowa, Nebraska and other Midwestern states two years ago is part of a climate change-driven weather phenomenon that, according to scientists happens more often.A new University of Iowa study says rising greenhouse gas concentrations caused by human activity are causing an increased frequency of a weather phenomenon researchers call the “Midwest waterspout.”The Midwest water plume pulls moisture from…
The final countdown to legal sports betting in Iowa has officially begun.The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved final rules for the state's initial path to taking bets at a special meeting Tuesday in West Des Moines. Included in those rules is the big date to circle on your calendars: August 15 at noon.That's when the lid comes off for placing bets on pro, college and some fantasy sports.”There's an excitement, just that kind of atmosphere,” said Wes Ehrecke, president and CEO of the Iowa Gaming Association. “We have another entertainment option to enjoy watching sports by betting on it,…
Regional natural gas prices rose last week and averaged $3.27 per gallon of regular fuel on Monday, from last week's price of $3.10 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.The average price of gas in the Midwest has risen about 36 cents since last month. According to the EIA, natural gas prices across the region in the last year were as low as $2.77 on January 8, 2024 and as high as $3.77 on August 14, 2023.A year ago, the average price of natural gas in the Midwest region was also at $3.27 per gallon.>> INTERACTIVE: See how…
2019 has proven to be an extreme weather year here in the Midwest – from the extreme cold in January, the bomb cyclone in March and tornadoes in April to the widespread rains and subsequent flooding in May and June. Midwest states are no strangers to disaster. As we look back on this young year, the Midwest Climate Hub would like to take a moment and focus on disaster preparedness resources and what this means for producers in a changing climate. The Fourth National Climate Assessment reported that “communities in the Midwest are becoming more vulnerable to the effects of…
VIDEO: Licking Valley lacrosse rebounds to beat NewarkLicking Valley picked up its first win Saturday, defeating Newark 9-1.Kurt Snyder, Newark AdvocateGabby Stare continued her impressive play at the collegiate level this winter.The Newark graduate earned second-team All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference honors in as many seasons after being a standout for the Ohio Dominican women's basketball team. Stare was named to the G-MAC second team for the second straight season.Stare, who was still officially a freshman due to the free season of eligibility following the Covid-19 pandemic, averaged 16.1 points per game on an efficient 51 percent shooting from the floor.…