PLANTING CONDITIONS
It’s a sign that spring has not yet taken hold in the area. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Agronomist Leah Ten Napel says planting conditions are still not ideal, but should improve soon..
Cool weather has not slowed down some farmers.
There will be more moisture available in northwest Iowa fields this spring. A report from area agronomist Leah Ten Napel shows most reporting sites have moisture levels 1.5 to 3.25 inches below normal, but are much improved over the readings taken last fall. However, when compared to readings a year ago, almost all of Ten Napel’s data sites are showing up to 2 inches less moisture at the start of the growing season.
DRUG TAKE BACK DAY
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. It’s a time for people to remember to drop off their used prescription drugs. Sgt. Jeff Kramer with the Le Mars Police Department says his office has a year round drop off site.
Sgt. Kramer says it’s important to package the medications properly.
The department consistently receives unused prescription drugs throughout the year. There are four drop off sites in Plymouth County – at Floyd Valley Health Care, the Le Mars Police Department, and the Hy-Vee Pharmacy in Le Mars. There is also the Lewis Pharmacy in Kingsley. These are permanent drop off sites. You can find a site to take back your prescription drugs at TakeBackDay.com.
WOMEN IN SPORTS
U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra voted for the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. This legislation requires school athletic programs – which receive taxpayer dollars – to fully comply with Title IX protections for women and girls, including recognizing individuals’ gender at birth for athletic purposes. Feenstra is an original cosponsor. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill. The White House says President Biden will veto the bill, calling the bill discrimination against transgender students.
DRUG TAKE BACK DAY
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday from 10 a-m until 2 p-m. The D-E-A’s Emily Murray says the majority of people who have misused prescription medications in the past got them from family members or friends or they stole them from a family member or friend. Murray says. two-thirds of teens who have misused pain relievers in the past got those prescription medications from family and friends. There are four drop off sites in Plymouth County – at Floyd Valley Health Care, the Le Mars Police Department, and the Hy Vee Pharmacy in Le Mars. There is also the Lewis Pharmacy in Kingsley. These are permanent drop off sites. You can find a site to take back your prescription drugs at TakeBackDay.com.
PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL
Republicans in the House and Senate have agreed on a final version of legislation originally proposed by Governor Kim Reynolds. It bans instruction about gender identity and sexual orientation in elementary schools and parents must be notified if their child asks to be known by a different name or pronoun at school. Republican Representative Skyler Wheeler of Hull led debate as House members considered the G-O-P compromise.
Representative Heather Matson, a Democrat from Ankeny, voted against the bill.
The bill passed the House Thursday with the support of 57 Republicans. Four Republicans and 34 Democrats opposed it. The Senate passed the plan Wednesday on a party line vote.
IUB MEMBERS APPROVED
The Iowa Senate has confirmed two new members to the state board that will decide whether proposed carbon pipelines get built in Iowa. Attorney Erik Helland (HELL-lund), a former Republican member of the state legislature, was confirmed to serve as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board on a 39-to-11 vote. Some Democrats say Helland doesn’t have the right background for the post, while Republicans said Helland is a great fit who has reputation for being an efficiency driver during his work at state agencies in Alaska and Iowa. Sarah Martz, an engineer who’s spent her career working in the energy industry, was confirmed to the Iowa Utilities Board by unanimous vote. Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says Martz has superb qualifications and should actually be the board’s chair.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS
Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percent in March. Last month’s two-point-eight percent unemployment rate is half a percent lower than it was a year ago. The percentage of working age Iowans who have a job or are actively looking for one increased to 68-point-two percent. Iowa Workforce Development director Beth Townsend says it’s a sign people who quit a job or retired during the pandemic are returning to the labor market.
