(Atlantic, Iowa) – Firefighters in Atlantic will be posted around the Atlantic City Park in downtown Atlantic, Saturday, asking for donations to the MDA’s (Muscular Dystrophy Association’s) “Fill the Boot” campaign. Pedestrians, motorists, customers and others passing, are asked to donate when they see a firefighter in their turnout gear, this Saturday, from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m., during AtlanticFest. 
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — NOTE: this story contains graphic details. Some readers may find disturbing.
Council Bluffs police said a man was arrested this week for torturing his dog. 29-year-old Marshon Johanson, a convicted felon in Nebraska who was not allowed to own a handgun, was charged with animal neglect resulting in serious injury or death, animal torture and felon in possession of a firearm. According to online court records, Johanson, of Council Bluffs, remains held in the Pottawattamie County Jail on a $7,000 cash-only bond. His preliminary hearing was set for August 18th.
According to KETV CBPD animal control officers was called to a home near 34th and Avenue G around Aug. 7th for a man who was bitten by a dog and, in return, shot the dog. Police said they were told it may have happened weeks ago.
A court affidavit said Johanson believed it was around the Fourth of July that the dog bit him, he hit it in the chest with a pick-style axe weapon causing an injury, then got the gun and took the dog to the basement to try and shoot it to death.
CBPD said the man who answered the door of the home was uncooperative when they went to check the welfare of the dog. Witnesses told police the man was bitten two weeks before the call, and the dog was shot but alive in the home.
Officers and animal control said they got a warrant to search the home and tried to serve it on Aug. 9.
CBPD said an unrelated person and their 3-year-old child were at the home on Aug. 9, and allegedly, the 3-year-old tried to touch the dog, possibly at the site of the gunshot wound, and the dog bit the 3-year-old. Police said the owner then hanged the dog after the child was bit, and as officers showed up to serve their warrant, they found the dog hanging from rafters in the basement.
According to an affidavit, Johanson had adopted the dog around four months ago, and it had bitten him in the past. The court document said Johanson admitted to dragging the dog to the basement. Officers found the handgun, as well as the dog hanging from a rope in the basement.
The court document said Johanson told them it took 45 minutes to successfully kill the dog by hanging it. Johanson is a convicted felon in Nebraska and is not allowed to own a handgun.
(Washington, D-C) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is beginning to issue cost-share assistance payments through the Emergency Grain Storage Facility Assistance Program (EGSFP) for approved and funded applications that have met the requirements for partial or final payment. FSA first announced $20 million for this program in March to help producers affected by eligible disaster events from Dec. 1, 2021, through Aug. 1, 2022, that damaged or destroyed large commercial grain elevators in eight Midwest states. Due to the high volume of program applications received, FSA has amended the original Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) to increase the initial funding amount for EGSFP to $80 million in cost-share assistance.
The unprecedented outbreak of tornadoes and derechos impacted numerous counties in Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Tennessee. Significant damage or destruction to local, commercial elevators left many grain producers with limited storage capacity for harvested commodities and with no or limited marketing options. This support is being made available under the Commodity Credit Corporation, which allows USDA to act quickly to help agricultural producers navigate significant and unpredictable challenges.
Even with the $80 million in support for EGSFP– quadruple the original funding allocation – this program will not be able to meet the needs of many producers who are still experiencing storage deficits due to these disaster events. For this reason, FSA has secured an additional $40 million in reallocated CCC funds to provide much-needed help to producers and is exploring options outside of EGSFP to do so. Details will be announced in the coming weeks.
To be eligible for EGSFP, producers must have both:
• Eligible grain production.
• Demonstrated a need for additional on-farm grain storage in an affected county impacted by an eligible disaster.
Approved EGSFP applicants who meet the requirements for payment will receive cost-share assistance for the construction of new or renovated grain storage capacity and equipment required to meet drying and handling needs to support the orderly marketing of commodities in counties affected by these disaster events. FSA will not be able to approve and fund all eligible applications that have already been received by FSA even with the increase in initial funding. Therefore, the original application deadline has been modified to Aug. 7, 2023. For additional information on eligibility and payments, please refer to the initial NOFA for EGSFP that was published in the Federal Register on March 16, 2023.
EGSFP Payment Calculation
For applications that have been approved and funded, FSA is using the producer’s self-certified cost of additional on-farm grain storage capacity or drying and handling equipment multiplied by the producer’s share of grain to determine the program payment amount. This amount is multiplied by the cost share rate of 75% or 90%. An eligible producer who certifies that they are socially disadvantaged, limited resource, beginning and veteran farmer or rancher by filing form CCC-860 Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, Beginning and Veteran Farmer or Rancher Certification with FSA will receive the higher 90% cost share rate.
Assistance for Producers Not Funded Through EGSFP
Producers in the geographic impact area who applied for EGSFP and do not receive funding through EGSFP will be contacted by FSA. In the meantime, for producers who may be interested, FSA’s Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) can provide low-interest financing for eligible producers who may not qualify for EGSFP but need on-farm storage capacity. FSA is also currently reviewing FSFL policies to determine whether certain flexibilities can be made, or waivers granted, to further reduce FSFL financial obligations for producers in need of immediate grain storage.
FSA will announce planned additional assistance in the coming weeks. To learn more about FSA programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – Atlantic FFA Advisor/Ag Instructor Eric Miller reports that on the first official day of the Iowa State Fair, Thursday, members of the Atlantic FFA Chapter continued to earn awards with their projects. The day began with Claire Schroder and her rabbits in the FFA Rabbit Show. In class 2 FFA Pin of Three Fryer Rabbits, Schroder placed 2nd earning a Purple Ribbon. She continued the show earning 3 Blue Ribbons along the way. Schroder said, “I think showing rabbits was a great way to experience my first year showing at the Iowa State Fair. Everyone is very helpful, and they know what they are doing. I encourage and support everyone to show rabbits at the state fair if they can!”
Claire Schroder
In the FFA Breeding Beef Show, three Atlantic FFA members participated. McKenna Sonntag placed 1st in her class, earning a Purple Ribbon and was in the running for Champion Simmental Beef. Brock Henderson also competed in the Simmental division earning a Blue Ribbon. Lola Comes also earned a Blue Ribbon in a very competitive Angus division. (Photos are courtesy Eric Miller)
Brock Henderson
Lola Comes
McKenna Sonntag
Finally to wrap up the day, Taylor McCreedy picked up right where she left off on Wednesday and continued her winning ways. McCreedy began the competition by placing 2nd in Western Riding, 4th in FFA Trail Class and was named Overall Halter Horse Champion. McCreedy, having won several divisions already, was also named Reserve Champion High Point Individual FFA Horseman.
Taylor McCreedy
In total points Taylor McCreedy and Colton Becker were named Reserve Champion FFA High Point Chapter. After the show McCreedy said, “The Iowa State Fair has always been my favorite place to show and to experience this type of success makes it even more special. FFA has provided me with some amazing experiences and I have made a lot of great friends through competition! I owe the FFA program a lot.”
Atlantic FFA members wrap up the week with the FFA Commercial Swine Show, FFA Photography and FFA Farm Crops results today (Friday). Next week several FFA members will also compete in the FFA Dairy Goat Show.
(Radio Iowa) – The butter cow at the Iowa State Fair usually has a lot of people waiting in line to get a look — but this year one of the companion sculptures is also getting plenty of interest. University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark is one of three athletes sculpted in butter. Sydney Greeney is a member of the North Scott F-F-A club, and says she doesn’t watch a lot of sports, but knows Caitlin Clark, and says “it’s really cool” see her in butter.
Butter Cow & Caitlin Clark in butter (RI Photo)
A group of four women from Colorado also were in line to see Clark and say they like the sculpture. They says they have heard a lot about her. The other two in butter along with Clark are from U-N-I and N-F-L quarterback Kurt Warner, and former I-S-U football player Jack Trice.
(Radio Iowa) – Today’s (Friday) date is August 11th or 8-11, the day you are reminded about the three-digit phone number you’re required by law to call before doing any digging on your property. Ben Booth is spokesman for Iowa One Call which is marking what it calls 8-1-1 Day in advance of the fall planting season. Booth says call 8-1-1 at least 48 hours before digging and Iowa One Call will have all underground utilities marked so you’ll know where -not- to dig.
The state law was enacted in 1993, mandating that Iowans use the service before taking a shovel to dirt, and especially before using anything larger to dig. Learn more about digging on your property at Iowa One Call-dot-com.
(Radio Iowa) – The new U-S Drought Monitor shows the areas of Iowa with extreme and severe drought dropped following recent rains. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says a lot of farmers are thankful for the rains. “You know, you’d still say, and then the drought monitor will still say, that we’re dry. And you know, 100 percent of the state of Iowa is in at least abnormally dry. And you’ve seen persistent drought in some places like along western Iowa, southeast Iowa, there’s a pocket. But once again, this year, we’ve seen timely rain,” Naig says.
He says the impact of the drought has not been totally washed away. “We’ve got some places in the state that certainly will, we’ll see some yield reduction because of that persistent dryness,” Naig says. “But as I’ve traveled the state, there’s a lot of places that look really good. So now’s when you need rain, you still need to finish this crop off. And it’s good to see a more active weather pattern.”
IA AG Sec Mike Naig (RI photo)
Naig was at the Iowa State Fair for its opening ceremonies Thursday. He touted the new “Choose Iowa” program. “This is something that the legislature funded this past year, it’s time for us as a state to have a branded program for Iowa-made, Iowa-raised, Iowa-grown products,” he says. “So you know, it’s everything from a farmer selling beef direct to a consumer or a vegetable producer who’s working with a restaurant working with a chef.” Naig says consumers have been asking for and want to consider local when they are buying food. “I see a lot of exciting opportunities here. And I think too, for small and beginning farmers, just more market opportunities for folks to sell. And again, consumers are going to win in this whole thing,” he says.
Food, beverages and other agricultural products that are grown, raised or made within Iowa and meet or exceed minimum criteria can carry the “Choose Iowa” logo.
JESSIE MAE BATES, 80, of Irwin, died Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs. Funeral services for JESSIE MAE BATES will be held 11-a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023, at the Pauley-Jones Funeral Home, in Harlan.
Visitation at the funeral home is on Tuesday (8/15), from 9-a.m. until the time of service.
Burial is in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Kirkman.
JESSIE MAE BATES is survived by:
Her brothers – Sam (Mary) Caldwell, of Billings, MO; Rick Caldwell, of Conway, MO., and Larry (Sheri) Caldwell, of Mount Vernon, MO;
Her sister – Brenda (Pat) Bileyn, of Springfield, MO.
3 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, other relatives and many friends.
Today: Sunny, with a high near 88. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 63. West southwest wind around 6 mph becoming light and variable.
Tomorrow: Sunny, with a high near 88. North northeast wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tom. Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. North northeast wind around 6 mph becoming southeast after midnight.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 82. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Sunday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 58. Breezy.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 76. Breezy.
Thursday’s High in Atlantic was 83 and our low was 57. We received .15″ rain last night. This day last year the high in Atlantic was 91 and the low was 57. The all-time record High on Aug. 11th was 104 in 1894 and the record low was 40 in 1902. Sunrise is at 6:24 and sunset is 8:25.
(Learfield Sports) – It’s Media Day at Iowa where the Hawkeye football team takes lofty expectations heading into the season. The offense hopes to make major strides with Michigan transfer Cade McNamara at quarterback. Iowa finished 130th out of 131 teams nationally in total offense.
That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz who says McNamara has been a good fit.
The Hawkeyes have added some transfer receivers in the hopes of getting more explosive. Kaleb Brown is from Ohio State and Seth Anderson is from Charleston Southern.
After an 8-5 record in 2022 junior corner Cooper DeJean says the Hawkeyes have high hopes.
DeJean set an Iowa record by returning three interceptions for touchdowns last season. He also averaged more than 16 yards per punt return.
Iowa’s defense scored six touchdowns last season.
That’s Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins. The Hawkeyes were picked to finish second in the west division in the preseason poll.
Iowa opens at home on September second against Utah State.
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