Farm Journal announced today that ‘AgriTalk,’ agriculture’s most-listened-to talk-radio program, will expand to a new two-hour format.

Beginning today, the company’s afternoon radio program, ‘Market Rally,’ becomes ‘AgriTalk After the Bell’.

‘AgriTalk’ will continue to air each weekday morning, with Chip Flory hosting both hours of the nationally syndicated talk show.

“Two full hours of national radio-talk focused entirely on news, policy and markets for agriculture will be unlike anything else in farm radio,” says Brian Conrady, Senior Vice President & General Manager of Farm Journal Broadcast.

“With Chip at the mic, the new afternoon edition of ‘AgriTalk’ will be a powerful  complement to the morning broadcast.”

The first hour of ‘AgriTalk’ airs from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. CST with a keen focus on the news and policy issues that matter most to farmers and ranchers.

‘AgriTalk After the Bell’ will air from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. CST, to build on the in-depth coverage of the commodity markets.

“’AgriTalk’ has a rich tradition as the open-mic for opinion-leaders, and the second hour of the program will continue to be the go-to source for banter with some of the brightest market analysts and risk-management specialists in the business,” Flory said. “Hosting both shows gives me the opportunity to connect the dots between farm policy and global events to the markets and the decisions farmers and ranchers make every day.”

“This new offering of ‘AgriTalk’ will allow clients better value and frequency for their radio buy,” added Mark DePrez, Vice President of Broadcast Sales. “The new ‘AgriTalk’ AM/PM combo features an affiliate network of more than 110 stations nationally, almost all in the key north-central states. This shift allows us to provide our customers with continuity and frequency.”

Following in the footsteps of Ken Root and Mike Adams, Flory is the third host in the 23-year history of ‘AgriTalk.’ A graduate of Iowa State University, Flory spent three years reporting from the floors of the Chicago Board of Trade and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

With Pro Farmer since 1991, Flory has long been a content leader for Farm Journal’s newsletter division, most recently serving as Editorial Director.

In addition, he serves as the Farm Journal Economist, has led the Pro Farmer Midwest Crop Tour and helped launch Market Rally radio in 2013. Flory is also a member of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters.

Over a 24-day period, The Scott County Sheriff and Scottsburg City Police issued 89 citations and made 11 arrests to make our roads safer for families traveling this Thanksgiving and holiday season. Federal highway safety funds administered by the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute supported overtime patrols for more than 230 law-enforcement agencies across the state.

“Why do we enforce traffic laws? There is only one reason – to save lives,” said Sheriff Dan McClain. “Anyone who responds to a severe crash, or notifies next of kin, simply wants you and your family to buckle up and drive sober this holiday season.”

In every state, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. In Indiana, drivers under 21 with a BAC of .02 or higher are subject to fines and a license suspension for up to 1 year.

Indiana has a primary seat-belt law, meaning that police officers may ticket unrestrained drivers or passengers, even if no other traffic violation has taken place. In addition, all passengers under age 8 must be in an approved car seat or booster seat.

For more information about impaired driving visit http://on.IN.gov/drivesober and for more information about seat belts visit http://on.IN.gov/buckleup.

Enforcement Continues

The Scott County Sheriff’s Office and Scottsburg City Police will continue to enforce seat belt, impaired driving and other traffic laws to ensure holiday celebrations are safe and festive.

The ICJI and Purdue University Center for Road Safety estimate that about 93 percent of Hoosiers buckle up. But the small amount of drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts made up more than half of Indiana’s fatal crashes in 2016.

In addition, Indiana law-enforcement agencies recently received 1,759 portable breath tests to establish probable cause when arresting drunk drivers. More information and list of recipient agencies is at www.in.gov/cji/files/Highway_Safety_PBT_release.pdf.

Sober driving tips

With all of today’s options for getting home safely, there’s no excuse for getting behind the wheel impaired, as it endangers you and everyone else around you. Law enforcement recommends these safe alternatives to impaired driving:

• Designate, or be, a sober driver.
• Use public transportation.
• Call a cab or a ridesharing service.
• Download the SaferRide mobile app on the Android Play Store or the Apple iTunes Store. This simple app only has three options: call a taxi, call a friend, and identify your location for pickup.
• Celebrate at home or a place where you can stay until sober.
• Throwing a party? Offer non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of food.
• Never provide alcohol to minors.
• Ask young drivers about their plans.
• Friend or family member about to drive? Take the keys and make alternate arrangements.

Impaired driving is three times more common at night than during the day. If you see an impaired driver, safely turn off the road away from the vehicle and then call 911.