THIS IS NATIONAL FARMERS MARKET WEEK
Iowa has more than 220 certified farmers markets and many of us know they’re a great place to find a wide variety of produce, to interact with local growers, and to support the community. U-S-D-A Undersecretary Jenny Lester Moffitt says farmers markets offer Iowa’s small producers what’s known as a low-barrier entry point, where it’s affordable to sell directly to consumers.
This is National Farmers Market Week and Moffitt says communities in Iowa and across the country are celebrating the role farmers markets play in supporting local agriculture.
She says Iowans who are on SNAP or other nutritional programs can use their benefits at many farmers markets. The markets are also known for offerings like local honey, giant heirloom tomatoes, and fresh-baked pies and pastries.
Even in an agricultural state like Iowa, people can forget where their food comes from, so farmers markets are a perfect way to rediscover our roots.
There’s a Farmers Market in Le Mars, every Saturday morning. This Saturday, they will be at a new location – the Olson Center downtown, from 9 to noon. This will be their location for the remainder of the season.
REMSEN WILL TAKE PART IN 40TH ANNUAL NIGHT OUT
Dozens of Iowa communities will hold ice cream socials, hot dog cook-outs, and community picnics tomorrow night as part of the annual National Night Out. The events are usually held on the first Tuesday in August and this marks their 40th year. Le Mars does not observe National Night Out until October. Remsen has planned activities for tomorrow night. This is Remsen’s fifth National Night Out. The goal is to help bring the community together and build up a partnership between law enforcement and the general public. There are 46 communities across Iowa that will be observing National Night Out on August 6th. Learn more at “natw.org” or by contacting your community’s police department.
COVID-19 NUMBERS ARE SLOWLY RISING THIS SUMMER
While some states are reporting a tremendous summer surge in COVID-19 cases, the numbers are slowly rising in Iowa and are still considered moderate. Megan Meller, an infection preventionist at Gundersen Health System, says the Midwest has been spared any significant outbreaks, but new cases -are- being diagnosed at system facilities. Meller says the region is seeing an increase in COVID cases, on the outpatient side, but also in hospitalizations. A new strain of booster shots will come out this fall, and unless you’re immuno-compromised, she says you might want to hold off on getting another shot until then. If you’re showing symptoms, Meller says it’s a wise move to take an at-home COVID test, though check the expiration date on the box, as some of those dates have been extended.
JULY CONTINUES TURNAROUND FROM DRY WEATHER
D-N-R Hydrologist Tim Hall says it looks like July will end up slightly wetter than normal once the final numbers are in. He says it continues the string of normal or above normal months that has pulled Iowa out of the drought.
The latest map from the National Drought Monitor shows a clear map with no drought areas. Hall says while the colors indicating drought areas quickly washed off the map, the process was slow and steady.
Hall says water flows are back to normal on most waterways.
The drought had cities putting water use restrictions in place and Osceola has been looking at a plan to recycle wastewater. Hall says we’d be wise to not stop thinking about water use plans.
But he says the drought will come back sometime and it’s best to be prepared and take steps that can help minimize the impact when it does.
10 IOWA DISTRICTS TO OPERATE FOUR-DAY WEEKS
When school starts in less than a month, students in 10 Iowa districts will go to school just four days a week. Iowa Senate President Amy Sinclair says it’s happening because of a recent change in Iowa law. It lets schools choose to calculate the required amount of classroom instruction each school year by the total number of days or just over a thousand hours.
Over 16-hundred districts in 24 states have opted for a four-day week and most offer child care on the other weekday. Sinclair says research shows parents depend upon schools for child care.
There’s been some pushback in other states on a four-day school week. A bill introduced in Louisiana sought to ban four day school weeks and legislators in Missouri and Texas have considered limiting which districts can switch to four days a week.
(The following Iowa school districts will have four-day weeks: Cardinal Community, East Union, Highland, Martensdale-St. Mary’s, Mormon Trail, Moulton-Udell, Murray, North Iowa, Saydel and Waco.)
IOWA LOTTERY TO HOLD GAME SHOW ON OPENING DAY OF THE STATE FAIR
The Iowa Lottery is hosting a game show on the opening day of the Iowa State Fair. Lottery spokeswoman, Mary Neubauer says the game show is part of their first ever scratch ticket is linked to the Fair.
Some 67-thousand people who didn’t win a prize on a State Fair scratch ticket entered them to be chosen as one of the 20 who are competing on the game show.
She says they will also have prizes for people watching the game show.
The live game show is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p-m on the Grand Concourse of the Iowa State Fairgrounds on opening day (Aug 8th). The contestants will gradually be eliminated through a series of games until just one remains. The last time the lottery held a live game show was in 2012 on the final day of the Iowa State Fair, and the top prize was one million dollars. Among the 20 contestants are Christine Tatman, Orange City.
