March 2023

In today’s challenging farm economy, it is essential to understand farm finances. How well the farm finances are managed significantly impacts both the profitability of the farm business and the well-being of the farm family. According to Charles Brown, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist, “Profit margins are thin and competition for farmland is greater than ever. Farmers need to know the financial side of their business as well as they know the production side.”

Theresa Frary, a December 2022 graduate of Peru State College, is the first student to complete the Career Scholarship Program. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration-Management.

A 2017 study published in the journal The Lancet examined images of part of the brain involved with fear and stress and found links between stress and cardiovascular disease episodes. Various situations can induce stress, but work-related stress tends to be especially common among adults, and that stress isn’t always due to workload. For example, Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that researchers have found that people who are worried about losing their job are almost 20 percent more likely to have heart disease. Perhaps even more surprising is the link between stress and enjoyable events, as Johns Hopkins also notes that one study found heart attacks more than doubled in one German city when the national team was playing in the World Cup. All of this points to the importance of corralling and managing stress, whether it’s caused by work or leisure activities.

Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports the following arrests: Feb. 3: Brandon Serrano, Council Bluffs, suspicion of contraband in a correctional facility.