Iowa State University To Host Land Lease And Value Meetings
(Le Mars) — Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is hosting a series of meetings during the month of August focusing on land lease agreements and the value of land. Gary Wright serves as the Farm Management Specialist for northwest Iowa. He says nearly half of the Iowa farmland is on a lease.
Wright says most land-lease agreements begin on September 1st for the following crop year. The I-S-U farm management specialist says there often is not a direct correlation between land sales and land lease agreements. Wright says the trend for leasing farmland has increased slightly over the past couple of years.
Wright says property owners, and farmers interested in leasing ground, are asking about the trends for the upcoming year. The farm management specialist says the vast majority of Iowa farmland that is leased, is set up on a cash per acre basis, rather than a crop-share basis.
Upcoming meetings include next Wednesday evening at 6:00 p.m the Land Lease meeting will be at Le Mars at the Plymouth County Extension Office. Friday, August 13th, there will be two regional meetings. The first will be held at 9:00 a.m. at the Buena Vista County Extension office in Storm Lake, then at 2:00 p.m. Iowa State University officials will hold a land-lease meeting at the Woodbury County Extension Office in Sioux City. Wright says pre-registration is preferred. He says space distancing will be followed, and face masks are suggested.
Cardinal School Officials Join Reynolds During News Conference To Encourage In-Person Classes
(Des Moines) — Governor Reynolds invited school officials from the Cardinal School District to attend Thursday’s news conference. Cardinal School is a rural based school located in Wapello county in southeast Iowa. The superintendent, and a teacher appeared in person with Governor Reynolds, while a parent from the school district appeared on-line. All three individuals echoed Reynolds’ point to have students begin school with in-person classrooms. Joel Pedersen is the superintendent for Cardinal Schools for the past eleven years, and is the “Iowa School Superintendent of the Year.” Pedersen says 59 percent of the students qualify for reduced costs for school meals. He says the students need to be back in school for a variety of reasons.
Bethany Short teaches students with social and emotional problems at Cardinal School. She says she is anxious to see her students again.
Short says she has spoken with all the parents of her students and they are supportive of the idea of having their children attend in-person classes. Ellis Coatfield is a parent of two students within the Cardinal School District, a six-year old ready to attend first grade, and a three-year old who will be in pre-school. Coatfield says he understands why school was called off last March.
Coatfield says his son certainly needed the additional time in school that was lost due to the virus pandemic.
Coatfield says he will be sending his children back to school and believes they will be safe.
All three said they will need to remain flexible as they anticipate changes to occur as the school year progresses.
Education Department Director Says Schools Will Be Provided With Personal Protection Equipment
(Des Moines) — During Thursday’s governor’s news conference, Iowa Department of Education Director, Ann Lebo informed the media the state’s education department is working with other state agencies to insure each school district will be properly equipped with personal protection equipment (PPE’s) for the start of school.
As for on-line education opportunities, Lebo announced schools will be reimbursed for expenses associated with software programs, and other criteria to successfully coordinate broadband internet on-line learning.
Lebo says schools will be given more flexibility this year in terms of how they utilize federal funding, and she publicly thanked school nurses for their dedication and assistance with managing the pandemic with school districts.
Governor Reynolds was asked why teachers who become exposed to the virus, but don’t show any symptoms of the virus, are encouraged to continue to teach at the schools, while students may be asked to be in quarantine for 14 days? Reynolds responded by saying teachers are considered to be essential workers. She then relayed the question to Caitlin Pedati, the State Medical Doctor.
Reynolds says essential workers can return to work, providing additional preventative measures have been implemented.
649 New COVID-19 Cases in Iowa, 13 Additional Deaths
(Des Moines, IA) –– The state’s COVID-19 death toll now tops 900 after 13 more Iowans died of complications from the virus. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 649 more positive tests today (Thursday), increasing the statewide total to 47-thousand-141 cases. Two-hundred people are hospitalized with coronavirus, 68 patients are in intensive care units and 32 are on ventilators. More than 503-thousand COVID-19 tests have been completed in Iowa since the pandemic began.
Some Iowa Counties Move Into Extreme Drought Category
(Des Moines, IA) — While scattered showers are in the forecast for much of Iowa over the next several days, dry conditions have worsened. The latest report from the U-S Drought Monitor shows all or parts of 11 counties in west-central Iowa are now in the D-3 category, which means extreme drought. Last week, no Iowa counties were in D-3. The scale only goes up to D-4, which is exceptional drought, though none of Iowa has reached that level yet this year. The new report shows much of Iowa’s western half is under moderate or severe drought, while much of northern and east-central Iowa is considered abnormally dry. Only about 20 counties on the southern and far eastern borders are in normal territory.
Man Charged With Killing His Estranged Wife Taken Into Custody
(Fort Dodge, IA) — Authorities say a police dog helped them track a murder suspect Thursday morning. Justin Hurdel was wanted for the shooting death of his estranged wife. Police say Hurdel was taken into custody without incident. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries he had suffered before he was arrested. He will be charged with first-degree murder in the death of 38-year-old Maggie Hurdel. She was found suffering a gunshot wound in a garage Wednesday. One neighbor told police about seeing Justin Hurdel speed away from the home after hearing the gunfire.
Family Of Man Killed In Officer-Involved Shooting Now Suing Polk County Sheriff’s Office
(Des Moines, IA) — Relatives of a man shot to death by a Polk County deputy two years ago says they think the sheriff’s office is covering up some wrongdoing. Isaiah Hayes died in an officer-involved shooting after a car chase in Altoona on July 17th, 2018. Deputy Ryan Phillips said he shot Hayes after he appeared to have a gun in his hand when he got out of his vehicle. A grand jury declined to indict Phillips two months later, but Hayes family members say they have many questions about the incident that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office won’t answer. They have filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit.
Vice President Makes Return Trip To Iowa Next Week
(Des Moines, IA) — Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to make a return trip to Iowa next week. He will be trying to protect the slim lead polls suggest he and the president are holding onto in this state. Pence will deliver remarks next Thursday about the Trump administration’s agenda, then he will join a town hall to launch the “Fight for America” campaign. He will wrap up the day at an Iowa Republican Party state dinner. The Trump-Pence ticket holds a one-to-two point lead over former Vice President Biden in polls by Real Clear Politics. Pence visited Iowa in June.
Refusing To Serve Police Officer Costs Dunkin’ Doughnut Workers Their Jobs
(Des Moines, IA) — Refusing to serve a Des Moines police officer has cost two workers at a Dunkin’ doughnut franchise location their job. Police Sergeant Paul Parizek was turned away last weekend. Parizek says when he asked the woman behind the counter “what’s going on,” she replied that the store wouldn’t serve him and he needed to leave. The franchise owner fired the two employees and has contacted the police to offer an apology.
