Last weekend’s showers dumped up to seven inches of rain on parts of Iowa, while many areas stayed dry, but even with the scattered downpours, drought conditions persist over wide sections of the state. Angie Rieck Hinz (REEK HINES) is an Iowa State University field agronomist and says that’s typical and it’s bringing a drastic variation in crop conditions statewide.

Rieck Hinz is touring parts of north-central Iowa to inspect crops and says the drought isn’t keeping insects away from the fields.

Soybean aphids are problematic for some growers, while soybean gall midges are being found for the first time this season in three more counties: Kossuth, Humboldt and Webster. Rieck Hinz says a few crop diseases are thriving in the heat.

A new report is expected later this (Thursday) morning from the U-S Drought Monitor. Last week’s map shows more than 60 of the state’s 99 counties in some form of drought, with 13 northwest Iowa counties in either severe or extreme drought conditions.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has selected 11 Iowa arts, culture, history and humanities organizations to participate in its first Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program.

The two-year program runs now through June 30, 2024, and is designed to help participants build leadership skills and increase organizational capacity in areas including operations, sustainability and programming. The program is jointly administered by two department divisions, the Iowa Arts Council and State Historical Society of Iowa, and will address challenges these organizations face by providing training, networking and technical assistance.

“We’re pleased to establish the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort as a skill-building program to help cultivate Iowa’s next generation of arts and cultural leaders,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “Our goal is to offer training and resources so organizational leaders can successfully run the museums, arts centers and other cultural institutions that drive tourism and experiential learning in their communities across the state.”

Although some of the participating organizations are in larger cities, the program will also help nonprofits in rural areas, where arts and culture can play an especially vital role in economic and community development.

Thirty-five organizations applied to participate in the pilot program, which is designed to primarily serve small and mid-sized organizations. The following 11 groups were chosen to participate:

Council Bluffs, Historical Society of Pottawattamie County
Des Moines, After School Arts Program
Forest City, Winnebago Historical Society
Fort Madison, Fort Madison Area Arts Association
Grinnell, Grinnell Area Arts Council
Iowa City, Public Space One
Maquoketa, Maquoketa Art Experience
Oskaloosa, George Daily Auditorium
Oskaloosa, Mahaska County Historical Society
Swedesburg, Swedish Heritage Society Foundation
Winterset, Madison County Historical Society

For more information about the Iowa Culture Leadership Cohort program, visit iowaculture.gov.

The Glenwood Police Department, Wednesday, said a woman was arrested Tuesday, for Driving While Barred. 42-year-old Sara Johnson, of Glenwood, was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

A man taking a dirt bike on a test ride at a high rate of speed Monday night in Guthrie County, and tried to jump over a farm terrace. In doing so, 19-year-old Sheldon Joseph Astley, of Coon Rapids, didn’t realize there was an ATV occupied by two females who were just on the other side of the terrace. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office said the dirt bike struck the ATV.

Astley and the ATV operator, 25-year-old Cristine Deanna Evans, of Coon Rapids, were ejected from their machines and collided in mid-air.  Astley was found underneath the dirt bike following the collision. Evans was near the ATV, on the ground. A passenger on the ATV, 17-year-old Chloe Einfred, of Coon Rapids, was checked by EMS personnel after she complained of neck and head pain. The accident happened near 1104 Grant Avenue, at around 8:10-p.m., Monday.

Astley and Evans suffered from suspected serious, incapacitating injuries. Authorities say the owner of the dirt bike transported Astley to the Guthrie County Hospital. He was later transported to Mercy One by LifeFlight. Evans was transported by ambulance to Bayard and then to Mercy One, by LifeFlight.

School bells will be ringing soon and many Iowa kids are already getting anxious or excited about returning to class. Anthony Wubben (WOO-ben), a social worker at Van Diest (DEEST) Medical Center in Webster City, suggests parents start readjusting their child’s internal clocks now to get them better prepared for early mornings.

Children who might be used to staying up until the wee hours during the summertime will have a difficult time catching the bus unless they start soon with an earlier schedule.

Wubben says it’s important that parents listen to their children after a day of classwork, as kids need a trusting adult with whom they can be open and honest.

He also suggests parents set up a meeting with the child’s teacher before school begins to get a firm grip on what to expect in the classroom.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says it’s time for the U.S. to provide more long range weapons to Ukraine.

In June, the U.S. shipped artillery rockets to Ukraine. Ernst supports sending more advanced guided missiles that can go longer distances.

President Biden released a billion dollars worth of military hardware to Ukraine this week. Ernst says without longer-range missiles, the war will drag on for years — and much of Ukraine will be destroyed.

Ukraine has been pushing for a shipment of U.S. missiles that can fly as high as 160-thousand feet and hit targets up to 190 miles away. President Biden has said the U.S. does not intend to provide Ukraine with weapons that could reach into Russian territory. Ernst says that’s risk averse and it’s time to take a more aggressive stance against Russia.

Russian forces occupy about 20 percent of Ukraine territory today, according to Ernst, and she says they’ll continue inching forward without a change in tactics. Ernst, a Republican who was in the Iowa National Guard, does not support sending U.S. troops into Ukraine, but has voted to provide the money so the U.S. remains the main supplier of weapons for Ukraine’s military.

The Corning Center for the Fine Arts will be hosting a natural basket weaving demonstration with artist Sandy Maxa on Saturday, August 20th. The demonstration will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and admission is free.

Sandy Maxa will show off some of the baskets she has created using materials gathered right here in Southwest Iowa. She was demonstrate one of the techniques that she employs to make a basket.

The Corning Center for the Fine Arts is located at 706 Davis Avenue in Corning.

ATLANTIC, IA – Produce in the Park is celebrating National Farmers Market Week Thursday, August 11, with one-dollar coupons for all kids age 12 and under who complete a farmers market scavenger hunt.

Coupons can be spent with any vendor at the park on August 11, including food trucks Little Green Trailer and Hungry Spartan Pizza. Little Green Trailer serves a variety of BBQ dishes along with Tropical Sno. Hungry Spartan Pizza will be serving single slices with various toppings, including special Double Cheeseburger.

Produce in the Park is funding the coupons to draw attention to the many benefits farmers markets provide communities. According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “For every dollar of nutrition
incentives spent on farm direct purchases, such as at a farmers market, it is estimated to result in a contribution of up to 3 dollars to the U.S. economy.” Farmers markets also spur entrepreneurship by serving as business incubators with low barriers to entry, and markets can increase produce consumption—a win for health.

Fresh, local produce at park this week includes tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet corn, onions,
garlic, eggplant, peppers, and more. As always, customers will enjoy free live music, games, and other
activities. Vendors will also be selling local meat (chicken, beef, pork, and lamb), honey, farm-fresh eggs, popcorn, fresh-squeezed lemonade, pastries and desserts, and a variety of beauty products and crafts.

The Creston Police Department reports an arrest early Wednesday. At 12:14 a.m. Officers arrested 43-year-old Lela Ann Churchwell of Creston at her residence. She was charged with Public Intoxication 1st Offense and Interference with Official Acts and taken to the Clarke County Jail and held on $600 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Deidre DeJear, the Democratic candidate for governor, says it’s time for damage control to address the shortage of teachers, bus drivers and other staff in some Iowa schools. “It’s not just our teachers,” DeJear says. “It’s everyone that’s making that education ecosystem work being impacted by our failure to fund education.” DeJear says her opponent, Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, chose to focus this year on state funding to send 10-thousand students to private schools.

“Rather than meeting the needs of all of our public school students…she focused only on 2% of those students and so now is the opportunity for us to use this election cycle to put someone in office who truly believes in ensuring that every student throughout our state has access to a quality education,” DeJear says, “an education that’s preparing them for a limitless future.” DeJear says things like retention bonuses could help some schools keep veteran teachers in the classroom.

“We’ve got to get the workforce built back up,” DeJear says. “Part of that is not only investing in K-12, but part of that is also investing in our higher education institutions that have the ability to train the next teacher workforce, the next educators and that cost is getting more and more and more less affordable.” Governor Reynolds used federal pandemic funds to provide one-time bonuses of one-thousand dollars to teachers and this spring she approved a two-and-a-half percent increase in per pupil funding for public schools.

Reynolds and the Republican-led legislature also started a teacher apprenticeship program — but the state scholarships for private school students Reynolds proposed didn’t have enough support in the Iowa House. Reynolds says she will continue to press for the plan. Reynolds says when it comes to education, one size really doesn’t fit all — and some parents may want their children in a private school that conforms to their faith and moral convictions. DeJear says Reynolds has yet to agree to debates.

A spokesman for the governor’s campaign says Reynolds is happy to debate and details will be ironed out as fall approaches.