USDA fines National Beef $32,500 civil penalty WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Federal regulators have fined National Beef Packing Co. $32,500 as part of a consent agreement stemming from its practices with livestock sellers. The USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration on June 18 also announced cease and desist orders to the Kansas City, Mo.-based company over the allegations.
The agency ordered the company to give livestock sellers an accurate accounting of the cattle purchased and to correct freight charge deductions. It also ordered National Beef to tell sellers about data errors that affect prices paid for cattle, and to stop using an inaccurate scale for determining carcass weights. National Beef said it values its relationship with cattle suppliers and regrets the isolated incidents. It said it fully reimbursed cattle suppliers and reviewed procedures to prevent the issues in the future.
Alpena Co. dairy herd tests positive for bovine TB ALPENA, Mich. (AP) — Officials say a medium-sized dairy herd in Michigan’s northeastern Lower Peninsula has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development announced the results Friday for the Alpena County cattle, following testing by the agency and the USDA. The state said a meeting is planned for July 12 at Alpena Community College to discuss the findings.
The Alpena County farm is quarantined. Federal officials have designated most of the Lower Peninsula as free of bovine TB. A high-risk zone remains in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency and Oscoda counties.
Iowa hog farmer gets 8 years for bank fraud CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa hog farmer who admitted defrauding a bank out of millions of dollars has been given eight years in a federal prison.
Prosecutors say 59-year-old David LeClere, of Coggon, pled guilty to one count of bank fraud. He was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. He must serve five years of supervised release when he leaves prison, and he was ordered to make restitution of nearly $8.3 million.
LeClere acknowledged that in order to borrow more money he gave Farmers State Bank in Marion falsely inflated information about the number and weight of his hogs and the amount of money packing plants owed him. He admitted illegally cashing checks more than once using a remote deposit scanning machine he’d gotten from the bank.
Minnesota man gets suspended sentence in Iowa hog heist
OSAGE, Iowa (AP) — A Minnesota man has been given a suspended 10-year prison sentence for stealing hundreds of hogs in Iowa and Minnesota.
The Globe Gazette in Mason City said 44-year-old John Arndt, of Hayfield, Minn., was sentenced on a theft charge earlier this month in Mitchell County. He was ordered to pay nearly $55,000 in restitution and placed on probation for three years.
The case against another man charged in the thefts, Greg Swenson, of Rose Creek, Minn., is pending. The thefts happened at hog confinement operations in northern Mitchell County and Minnesota between November 2010 and September 2011.
Officers shoot 3 cows after truck wreck on freeway CASEYVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A freeway in Illinois turned into the scene of a roundup after a cattle truck overturned. Illinois State Police said the livestock truck toppled about 1:30 a.m. June 18 on Interstate 64 near Caseyville after it collided with another vehicle.
Authorities said three of the 62 cows in the truck were shot after they got loose and began running into traffic lanes. Police managed to keep the rest of the escaped cows contained. The truck’s driver and an occupant of the other vehicle suffered minor injuries. |
