Plymouth County crops “doing well” during growing season
With the official arrival of summer this past Sunday, growing season in northwest Iowa is well underway. ISU Extension field agronomist Leah Ten Napel told KLEM that crops in Plymouth County are currently doing well.
Ten Napel says the current cooler temperatures help with stress on the crops, but also slows down growth.
She advises growers to be scouting their fields for insect damage and disease.
Ten Napel says there is a free Field Day planned for July 8th at the Northwest Research Farm near Calumet.
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Plymouth County to change limits on several county roads to 60 mph
During the Plymouth County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, the Board approved raising the speed limits on several county roads from 55 mph to 60 mph.
The changes come after Iowa governor Kim Reynolds signed Senate File 378 into law on June 1st, which raised the state’s default speed limit on most two-lane highways and roads from 55 to 60 mph effective next Wednesday, July 1st. In Plymouth County, 17 speed zones will be raised to 60 mph, including zones on county roads C-12, C-44, C-60, K-18 S, K-22 N, K-30, K-42, and K-64 that are currently set at 55 mph. The law doesn’t affect U.S. Highway 75 in Plymouth County or any other U.S. Highway or interstate in Iowa.
The new limits will become effective as soon as new signs are placed. The Board is scheduled to hold their next meeting on Tuesday, June 30th inside of the Plymouth County Courthouse.
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Small blue signs at rail crossings can help save lives
Small blue signs are posted at thousands of rail crossings in Iowa and those signs can be lifesavers if there’s trouble on the tracks. The Iowa Department of Transportation’s rail safety team is working to raise awareness about what are known as Emergency Notification System, or ENS, signs, with today designated as ENS Sign Awareness Day. Iowa DOT rail director Amanda Martin says most people don’t pay attention to the signs, or even notice that they exist.
Each blue-and-white sign has an emergency telephone number along with another number that identifies that individual rail crossing, and they’re both vital.
If your vehicle is hung up on the tracks or you spot another vehicle that’s stuck, calling that 800-number could provide the railroad enough time to get an approaching train stopped and prevent disaster.
In an emergency situation, you might be conditioned to call 911, but Martin says if the emergency is near a railroad crossing, the first call should be to the 800-number on the sign.
If you don’t see a sign and there’s a problem on the tracks, Martin says to call 9-1-1.
(Story via Radio Iowa)
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