CROP CONDITIONS IMPROVE
The U-S-D-A’s weekly report on Iowa crops shows 61 percent of the state’s corn is rated good or excellent, a slight improvement from last week and soybean conditions rose to 53 percent good or excellent. The southern third of Iowa had above average rainfall last week. Topsoil moisture levels statewide are 17 percent very short and the subsoil ratings are even drier. Last Thursday’s Drought Monitor shows parts of two counties in northwest and southwest Iowa are in extreme drought and in southeast Iowa, extreme drought conditions are reported in all or parts of seven counties.
RAW MILK SALES
The new law allowing the sale of raw milk went into effect on July 1st, but it is unclear how much of the unpasteurized product will be sold here. Iowa State University Extension Dairy Specialist, Fred Hall, says they’ve been getting questions since the law passed.
Milk sold in Iowa was required to be pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria before the new law. Hall says it’s unlikely the large-scale dairy producers will sell raw milk because it can’t be delivered to stores for re-sale.
The new law allowing the sale of raw milk went into effect on July 1st, but it is unclear how much of the unpasteurized product will be sold here. Iowa State University Extension Dairy Specialist, Fred Hall, says I-S-U will present a webinar on raw milk in conjunction with the Iowa State Dairy Association. It will take place on July 12th from 6 to 9 p-m. Hall says they will have an expert on the webinar who can answer some of the questions.
They will also have an expert on handling the milk.
Hall says those who are thinking of running a raw milk dairy would have to be in a community that is large enough to have a viable market.
Those interest in the webinar on July 12th are asked to pre-register at least one hour before it starts. Go to www.extension.iastate.edu to find the link.
ROAD PROJECTS COMPLETED
A Plymouth county paving project east of Hinton has been completed, and the road has been reopened. 2.5 miles along C60 east of the US Hihgway 75 Junction has been repaved, to just east of Juniper Avenue. The Plymouth County Road Department says the detours have been removed, and the road is now open to traffic.
The Road Department says a culvert repair project along C38, just east of the Cherokee County line has been completed, and is also open to traffic.
PENCE VISIT NORTHWEST IOWA
Former Vice President Mike Pence visits Le Mars today. Pence and US Representative Randy Feenstra of Hull will meet voters in three northwest Iowa communities. The two will be at the Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor at 11 a.m. The two will start the day with a visit to Casey’s Bakery in the Sioux Center Centre Mall at 8-30. Later today, the two will appear at the Pizza Ranch on Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City at 5 p,m. Pence is one of a number of presidential candidates seeking the GOP nomination. He intends to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties during his campaign. Pence visited Ukraine late last week and he told Ukraine’s president the U-S will support his country until victory over Russia is achieved. Pence says the Biden Administration has been slow in providing the tanks and fighter jets Ukraine needs for its fight to repel Russia.
TURKINOVS CELEBRATE 4TH IN LE MARS
A family from Ukraine that now lives in Le Mars took part in the community’s Fourth of July celebration. The Turkinov family walked and rode in the patriotic 11 a.m. parade amid raindrops and a large crowd lining the streets.
During events at the Plymouth County historical museum, Nataliya Turkinov told KLEM that she is proud about the United States, and she feels good to be part of this nation, especially on the Fourth of July.
Nataliya Turkinov lives and works in Le Mars, along with her husband, three children, and mother-in-law.
The Turkinov family moved to the United States before the war began in Ukraine.
LE MARS COUNCIL CORRECTION
A story this morning indicated the Le Mars City Council meets this afternoon. That is incorrect. The council meets on Thursday, July 6.
HUMANS AND AUTOMATION
An expert at the University of Iowa’s Driving Safety Research Institute says automated driving will work the best when the strengths of humans and automation are used together. Institute deputy director, Omar Ahmad ,says tasks that are redundant are one example. Ahmad says humans are not great at doing the same thing over and over — our minds wander –and automation is well suited to repetitive tasks. Automation has to rely on what has been programmed into it, however, so he says unique situations cause problems and humans are better at making decisions about new things they encounter. He recently completed work on a study of how to make an automated vehicle safely navigate on Iowa’s rural roads. Ahmad says it will take some time to work out automated travel on the country’s roadways.
USS IOWA FUNDRAISER
Fundraising is underway to outfit the U-S-S Iowa submarine. The warship was christened last month and is now undergoing sea trials for the next year before it’s cleared for active service. Tom Hudson is executive director of the U-S-S Iowa’s commissioning committee and he says they’ve raised 300-thousand dollars so far. A little over half of that has been spent to bring officers and sailors who’ll serve on the ship to Iowa to build connections here. The committee’s goal is to raise another 200-thousand dollars over the next several months, before the U-S-S Iowa is commissioned.
