BIRD FLU FOUND IN O’BRIEN COUNTY DAIRY HERD
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have detected a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in O’Brien County, Iowa.
The affected farm is a dairy herd, and this is Iowa’s first reported case of HPAI within a dairy. To date, there have been over 80 cases of bird flu in dairy herds in other states, including South Dakota.
The Iowa Department of Ag says genomic sequencing of the virus that was detected at the Sioux County farm reported May 28 was determined by the NVSL in Ames to be consistent with the variant identified in affected dairies in other states. Sequencing is not yet completed on the virus detected at a turkey flock in Cherokee County or the dairy in O’Brien County. Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to try to determine how the virus was introduced into the flocks and herd.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says. “Poultry producers and dairy farmers should immediately take steps to harden their biosecurity defenses, limit unnecessary visitors, and report symptomatic birds or cattle to the Department.”
WIDA POSTPONEMENT
Avian flu is causing an area dairy organization to postpone a Dairy Month open house.
The Western Iowa Dairy Alliance, based in Orange City, had scheduled the open house at Roorda Dairy in Granville. But due to bird flu, the open house is postponed to next year, at the same location.
GOLDSTAR MUSEUM FEATURES IOWANS WHO WERE PART OF D-DAY
It is the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Europe. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports on some of the soldiers from Iowa who took part.
FEENSTRA ANTICIPATES FARM BILL PASSAGE
Congressman Randy Feenstra says based on what he’s heard over the past week, he’s optimistic a new Farm Bill will get through the House AND Senate by September 30th.
Feenstra is a member of the House Ag Committee and the so-called “mark up” is the prelude to presenting the bill to the full House for a vote. Last fall, congress had to extend the Farm Bill that passed in 2018 because work on a new five-year plan was stalled.
Earlier this week Feenstra emerged as the winner of the G-O-P Primary in Iowa’s fourth congressional district. Feenstra says voters sent a clear message that they want a conservative in the fourth district seat.
VOTER TURNOUT LOW IN TUESDAY’S PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Just eight percent of registered Iowa voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s Primary Elections. Secretary of State Paul Pate — Iowa’s top election official — says it was a quiet election and that may be because there was no statewide primary. The last time that happened was in 2012. Plymouth County’s turnout was consistent with the statewide count, at 8.1% Woodbury County was at 7.9%. Surrounding counties had higher turnouts: 18% in Sioux, 17% in O’Brien, 23% in Cherokee, and over 30% in Lyon. Pate says primary results give the winning candidates insight into what worked and what didn’t — and whether voter fatigue may be an issue. The General Election is 153 days away.
FARMERS MAY GET A DRY WINDOW TO FINISH PLANTING
The U-S-D-A crop report says farmers were only able to get into the fields four of seven days last week due to wet conditions. State climatologist Justin Glisan says the outlook for early June shows the run of wetter than normal days could drop off.
The crop report shows about seven percent of the corn is left to be planted — which is almost two weeks behind last year and five days behind the five-year average. Eighty-four percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, which is 12 days behind last year. The southwest and south-central regions have the most corn and bean planting left as both are just below 90 percent complete for corn and below 80 for beans. Glisan says it’s not certain if the drier conditions will continue through the whole month of June.
May saw rainfall that was around two-and-a-half inches above normal, keeping the wet spring trend going.
Glisan says we are in the midst of a switch in weather patterns that may make for a warmer than normal summer.
The crop report says 81 percent of the corn that’s planted has emerged — which is six days behind last year. Corn condition rated 73 percent good to excellent. Sixty percent of the soybean crop has emerged, one week behind last year. The first soybean condition rating of the season showed 59 percent rated good, and 14 percent excellent.
INJURY ACCIDENT
One person was injured in a two vehicle accident northeast of Hawarden in Sioux County Monday. The Sheriffs Office says an SUV vehicle driven by 19 year old Jesus Fernando of Hawarden was driving north on K18. A vehicle driven by Justin Mills, 30, of Orange City, was eastbound on B46. Mills failed to stop at the intersection, and struck the Fernando vehicle. Mills was transported by the Hawarden Ambulance to Hawarden Regional Healthcare for treatment of his injuries. Mills was cited for failure to obey a stop sign. Fernando was operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license. The sheriff’s office was assisted by the Hawarden Fire Department and Hawarden Ambulance.
TEEN WINS PRIMARY FOR SUPERVISOR
In Mills County A southwest Iowa native who graduated from high school last month won a competitive primary for a seat on the Mills County Board of Supervisors in Tuesday’s primary. Eighteen year old Jack Sayers is one of three Republicans seeking two at-large positions on the board. Unofficial results in Mills County show he got nearly 37 percent of the vote, finishing ahead of two incumbents. Sayers says he thinks people overwhelmingly want change. Sayers grew up on a farm near Malvern, a town of one thousand residents that’s about 20 miles west of Red Oak. Sayers graduated from East Mills High School on May 19th.
