DROUGHT MEETINGS
As we approach harvest time, new concerns are rising about Iowa’s worsening drought conditions. A statewide virtual meeting is planned for next week to help address those concerns and to survey options. Field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe, with the Iowa State University Extension, says the online meeting is free for anyone to join.
There could be health concerns for livestock as there can be higher nitrate levels in lower portions of the corn stalk. There will be several field agronomists in the virtual meeting, along with beef specialists, a farm management specialist, and representatives from the Farm Service Agency.
The meeting is scheduled for noon on Tuesday (August 23) and should last around 90 minutes. No pre-registration is required. To join the meeting, visit: https://www.aep.iastate.edu/drought/view
FLOYD ENCAMPMENT
The annual Sergeant Floyd Memorial Encampment is taking place this weekend in Sioux City. Floyd was the only member of the Lewis and Clark party to die during the exploration of the land acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. Dan Whitlock is a member of the Sergeant Floyd tri-state chapter, which recreates what was known as the Corp of Discovery Expedition.
The encampment Saturday coincides with the actual date of Sergeant Floyd in August of 1804. Whitlock says a painted rock patterned after the freedom rocks in Iowa will be dedicated as part of this year’s event.
Floyd was buried on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River where a monument to him now stands. Whitlock says the expedition rock is located further upriver.
The rock dedication is set for 10 a-m Saturday. A reenactment of Floyd’s burial will be held Saturday at 6 p-m at the Floyd Monument. The activities for the event are free on both Saturday and Sunday.
2022 STATE FAIR QUEEN
August has been a busy month for an 18-year-old from northern Iowa who’s also the reigning Iowa State Fair Queen. Mary Ann Fox of Osage was crowned the queen of the Mitchell County Fair on August Third and ten days later she won the 2022 State Fair Queen contest. Despite the double wins, she does not consider herself a pageant person — saying she just wanted to promote her county, her background, and agriculture. Fox graduated from Osage High School this spring. As state fair queen, she has been awarded eight-thousand dollars in scholarship money, which will come in handy when she begins classes Monday as a freshman at Iowa State University. Fox says she’ll be majoring in ag engineering. The crowning of Fox brings to an end the reign of the 2021 State Fair Queen McKenna Henrich of Akron.
DROUGHT EXPANDS
Despite widespread rainfall earlier this week, drought conditions are worsening across Iowa, according to the latest U-S Drought Monitor map. Field agronomist Rebecca Vittetoe (VIT-ah-toe), with Iowa State University Extension, says there’s a few more areas that are in D-3 — or extreme drought — compared to last week. Extreme drought is now shown in five western counties: Cherokee, Monona, Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury, while statewide, 67 counties are now in some form of drought, up from 64 counties last week. Vittetoe says Iowa’s two biggest crops, corn and soybeans, are suffering fairly equally in the drought.
PARK VANDALISM
The City of Le Mars and the city’s Crimestoppers Committee have combined to offer a reward of $1000 for information leading ot the arrest of whoever damaged a firepit in the city’s municipal park over the weekend. Anyone with information should contact Le Mars Police at 712-546-4113 or Cimre Stoppers at 712-548-4968
STREET CLOSED
This morning, 6th St WV, between Business 75 and the DQ ally will be blocked off until 10-30 am. Kellen Excavating will be taking down a tree.
HINTON ARREST
The Plymouth County Sheriffs Department made an arrest Thursday in Hinton. 43 year old Michael Timothy Fisher of Hinton was arrested on a Plymouth County warrant for violating probation. The original charge against Fisher was attempted burglary in the 3rd degree. He was booked into the Plymouth County Jail and held on bond.
ROCK VALLEY ACCIDENTS
There were two injury accidents in and near Rock Valley this week. Both occurred within hours of each other Wednesday. The first took place on 310th Street in Rock Valley, where a Rock Valley woman was rear-ended while turning into her residence on 310th St. Mary Schortzmen, 48, was taken to Hegg Health Center for treatment of her injuries. The other driver, Justin Soodsma, 40, of Orange City, was not hurt.
A second rear-end accident occurred around 90 minutes later, on US 18 a mile east of Rock Valley at Garfield Avenue. A pickup driven by 17 year old William Klein of Hull, was making a left turn when his vehicle was struck by a car driven by 17 year old Eric Nilles of Boyden. Nilles was taken to Hegg Health Center for treatment of minor injury. He was also cited for following too close.
QUILT DISPLAY
The Plymouth County Historical Museum will host a quilt display to remember the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 50 “Quilts of Valor” can be seen at the Historical Museum from September 1 through Oct 9. The quilts, which were given to Plymouth County veterans, will all be displayed in one place for the first time. The display marks the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The museum is open Thursdays through Sundays from 1 to 5 pm. Admission is free.
IOWA UNEMPLOYMENT
Iowa’s unemployment rate went down again in July — hitting two-point-five percent. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says it’s another positive jobs report.
July extends the string of months where unemployment has dropped.
She says more people are returning to work that had previously left the workforce, and employers creating more jobs.
The workforce participation rate held at 67-point-eight percent in July. Townsend says they’s still like to see it up around 69-and-a-half percent, but the number hasn’t been dropping like it did during the pandemic.
Townsend credits their re-employment case management system for helping those who lose their jobs to get back in the workforce.
There are more than 85-thousand jobs still available in the state. Some critics say the jobs don’t pay enough for people to live on. Townsend disagrees.
Townsend says nobody’s working for minimum wage these days. She says historically less than one to two percent of those in the workforce work at the minimum rate — and it is to be a rate for individuals at the entry level position.
AG SEEKS 11TH TERM
Democrat Tom Miller, the nation’s longest serving attorney general, says if he’s elected to an eleventh term, he’ll continue to pursue cases against companies that scam Iowans. Miller says consumer protection efforts in the office extend to farmers and the current investigation of sky-high fertilizer prices. Miller made his comments on the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Brenna Bird, the Republican running against Miller this year, spoke at the same venue earlier this week and vows that as attorney general, she would go to federal court to challenge Biden Administration policies.
