(Radio Iowa) – Nominations are now being taken to recognize Iowa farmers who go above and beyond to conserve resources and the environment. The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation is in its 73rd year of awarding the Iowa Conservation Farmer of the Year, which honors Iowa farmers committed to environmental stewardship and conservation. Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson says while Iowa is well known for its production capabilities, the award is a chance to highlight the conservation work. “We actually lead the nation in so many different conservation practices, and a lot of that is born on the farm directly, through innovation provided by farmers to implement new ways of conserving their resources and the environment around them,” said Johnson. “They’re doing a fantastic job, and there are so many good stories to tell.”

One nominee is selected from all 99 counties and will be considered for nine regional awards. Those nine individuals would then vie for “Conservation Farmer of the Year.” Johnson notes they are also looking for individuals who have continued innovating their conservation practices. “Those folks who have been involved in conservation practices for a long time, trying some new things and figuring out what works and what doesn’t work — making those tweaks and advancing in those areas,” Johnson says. “Those are the types of people whose stories we are looking to share with other farmers — those who have that ‘lead-by-example’ kind of mentality.”

The winner of this year’s award — announced at the Iowa State Fair in August — will also receive free use of a John Deere 5-M Series utility tractor for up to 12 months or 200 hours. Over the years, Johnson says he has heard of various ways farmers go about preserving the land and their resources. “I’ve heard of farmers using CREP water lands where they’ll use tile to fill up a pond and then rewater those acres so there’s water circulation,” he said. “There’s various different types of structures being put onto farms to help with water flow or soil erosion and then you can talk about buffer strips, bio-reactors, and terraces. There are so many good stories that are being implemented out there.”

Nominations are due May 10th, and forms are available at cdiowa.org/awards. The prize, valued at over $12,000, was donated by Van Well Equipment of Perry and John Deere.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Master Gardeners have a busy month planned in May! On Saturday May 11, the group will host their annual Spring Plant Sale on the Cass County Fairgrounds. A few weeks later, on Wednesday May 22, the annual Master Gardener Bus Trip will leave from the fairgrounds for a day of education, garden exploration and plant nursery shopping. Any interested member of the public is invited to both events to help kick off the start of the gardening season!

The Plant Sale begins at 8 AM on May 11 , and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic. The event promises to have a wide variety of perennials available for gardeners to add to their landscape this year, as well as lawn tools, décor, and gardening books. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best selection. All items will be sold for a free will offering, with all proceeds used to support Master Gardener community grants, scholarships, and other projects around the county. A resource table with information on gardening topics and local projects will also be available.

For the annual spring sale, Cass County Master Gardeners offer a variety of perennial and annual plants from their own gardens, as well as plants dug from gardens in the local area. The Atlantic FFA chapter and horticulture students will again be set up at the plant sale, offering food plants and flowering annuals for sale. All FFA plants will be sold at a separate booth and individually priced. Information will also be available on student plant sales from other Cass County schools. Community members are welcome to donate plants to this event, and members may even help you dig! If you are dividing perennials in your yard this spring and have extra plants to donate, please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale.

The annual Bus Trip on May 22 features a full day of garden visits, educational activities, and a chance to explore and shop specialty plant nurseries. The trip heads north this year, and includes stops near Wall Lake, Odebolt, Auburn and Lake View. The bus departs the fairgrounds in Atlantic at 8 AM and returns around 6:30 PM. The trip is coordinated by the Cass County Master Gardeners but is open to everyone.  Registrations are taken on a first-come basis, so register soon and be sure to reserve your spot on the bus! The cost is $65 for the day, which includes transportation, a meal and snacks. Registration forms are available at the Cass County Extension office and can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at www.exension.iastate.edu/cass. A full itinerary is on each registration form.

The goal of the Master Gardener program is to provide community service and education in horticulture.  The Cass County Master Gardeners utilize funds raised from their annual spring and fall plant sales for local community projects, include maintaining community garden spaces around the county, providing education programs to youth and adults, and providing financial support to local horticulture projects. Other upcoming events from the Master Gardeners include a local garden walk at the end of June and the fall plant sale on September 14. Master Gardeners will also be providing education to community members at events throughout the summer and offering the opportunity to train as a new Master Gardener beginning later this summer.

For more information about the plant sale, bus trip, and other Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.  In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/master-gardener-program to keep up with local events and tips for gardening and learn more about becoming a Master Gardener in Iowa!

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests. Three people were arrested on separate charges last Friday:

• 45-year-old Arron Lee Kroner, of Kansas City, MO, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Bond $1,000).
• 19-year-old Jonathan Michael Young, of Glenwood, was arrested for Public Intoxication (Bond $300).
• Matthew Dakota Kerbo, of Malvern, was arrested April 19th at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, on a Mills County warrant for Failure To Appear. (Bond $5,000)

On April 21st, 35-year-old Deaneglo Octobobius Riley, of Red Oak, was arrested April 19th, for OWI/1st offense; Driving While Revoked/Denied; Assault on a Law Officer w/out injury; and Reckless Driving. (Bond $3,300).

And, on April 17th, 34-year-old Sandra Marie Martin, of Malvern, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order and Harassment in the 3rd Degree. She was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors have passed resolutions pertaining to a FY23-24 Budget Amendment and FY24-25 County Budget. (A link to the Budget Presentation can be found HERE.

Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert presented to the Board a 10-year, 28-E Agreement with Mills County, for the sharing of Portable Temporary Traffic Signals, which Mills County will pay for through a $60,000 Iowa Department of Transportation TSIP (Transportation Safety Improvement Program) grant.

Engineer Albert also updated the Board on current projects, including the L Avenue and 250^th Street Bridge projects.

She spoke also about the Highway 34 project that is currently underway. Construction crews, she said, have closed the southern half of the intersection of 34 and 4th Street, to prepare for the widening of Highway 34.

In other business, the Montgomery County Supervisors approved a merit increase of 63-cents per hour for Maintenance Director Dan Wright, and they set May 7^th at 8:45-a.m., as the date and time for a Public Hearing on vacating an unimproved alley in the unincorporated town of Stennett, between East Depot and Wayne Streets.

They also passed a resolution regarding elected officials compensation, with a 15% decrease in the Compensation Board recommendations as follows, effective July 1, 2024. Vice Chair Charla Schmid…

The Board’s next regular meeting is April 30^th at 8:30-a.m.

(Griswold, Iowa) – [UPDATED] Five people were overcome by the effects of natural gas this morning, in Griswold. A construction crew hit a gas line near the Griswold Care Center at around 8:45-a.m., prompting a call to MidAmerican Energy to shut the line off.  Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon told KJAN News, the patients affected were treated at the scene for light-headedness and nausea. None of the patients required transport to the hospital.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, by a vote of 4-to 1, passed a Resolution setting the Compensation Schedule for Elected Officials, as recommended by the Cass County Compensation Board. Supervisor Richter was the lone No vote. Their action followed a Public Hearing (during which there were no comments) on the proposed Fiscal year 2024-2025 Cass County Budget.

Board Chair Steve Baier read the resolution as passed:

The final salary adjustments for elected officials approved by the Supervisors, therefore, is as follows:

The Board then passed a Resolution Adopting the FY2025 County Budget and Certification of Taxes, and, following a Public Hearing, passed – by a vote of 4-to 1, a Resolution vacating a portion of Chicago Road west of 770^th Street, south of I-80 & north of Anita. Supervisor Mark O’Brien was the lone No vote.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports four people were arrested on separate charges, Monday. Late Monday morning, 48-year-old Timothy Linn Williams, of Creston, was arrested at his residence on a Union County Warrant for Maintaining a Drug House/and-or-Vehicle, Failure to affix Drug Tax Stamp, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Intent to Deliver Marijuana, and Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense. Williams was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $13,300 cash or surety bond.

Monday afternoon, 27-year-old Starla Murray, of Creston, was arrested on a charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. Murray was cited and released on Promise to Appear. And, 44-year-old Brenda Ellen Williams, of Creston, was arrested at her residence on a Union County Warrant for Keeping a premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance, Failure to affix Drug Tax Stamp, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and 2 counts Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana/2nd Offense. Williams was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on $14,300 cash or surety bond.

Monday evening, 45-year-old Brady Gale Richert, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County Warrant for Violation of No Contact/Protective Order-Contempt. Richert was taken to the Union County Jail and held without bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Farmers got the rain they’d been hoping for last week, but it cut down on the time they could be planting. The U-S-D-A crop report shows there were only three days suitable for fieldwork due to the weather. Corn planting hit 13 percent complete by the end of the week — up from four percent last week. That is three days ahead of last year and the five-year average. Eight percent of the bean crop is now in the ground, which is four days ahead of last year and six days ahead of the five-year average.

(Radio Iowa) – A new study by the Iowa Food Bank Association finds more than 27-million pounds of food was “rescued” last year by the six Feeding America food banks that serve Iowa. Annette Hacker, spokeswoman for the Des Moines-based Food Bank of Iowa, says an astounding amount of food is wasted and chucked into landfills daily, so they work with grocery and convenience stores, manufacturers, growers and restaurants to rescue that food and get it to people who need it. “It might be a pasta manufacturer who says, ‘These pasta noodles are just an eighth of an inch shorter than we normally make to put on the shelf and sell, so we’re going to donate this pasta,'” Hacker says. “It might be a dairy that says, ‘This particular batch of cottage cheese had slightly less salt in it than meets our standards,’ but it’s still perfectly good.”

A report from the U-S-D-A says up to 40-percent of the U-S food supply is wasted every year, so Hacker says food banks rely on retail rescue to meet the growing, record need for food assistance.  “We have recently had pallet after pallet of Triscuits marked organic, but guess what? They weren’t organic,” Hacker says. “So that was a great volunteer project, to go through every Triscuit box and mark out the word ‘organic,’ still perfectly good, fresh crackers inside that box, but they were not able to be sold because they were not labeled correctly.” Hacker says food banks strive to divert perfectly good food from landfills and get it onto dinner tables for Iowans who face food insecurity.

Food rescue visit at Catholic Charities in Des Moines, Iowa on February 7, 2024.

“Food Bank of Iowa distributes more than 22-and-a-half million pounds of food every year, so our portion, a little over seven-million pounds, about a third of what we’re distributing is food that has been rescued from retailers, manufacturers, grocery stores,” Hacker says. “It’s absolutely critical. Food rescue is the reason food banking began in the first place.” Many Iowans will throw out food just because it’s past the “best by” date on the label, which Hacker says is something that’s largely misunderstood.

“There really are no such things as expiration dates, except for baby formula and baby food,” she says. “Other than that, the dates that you see on food are often either a ‘sell by,’ a ‘best by’, or a ‘use by’ date and those dates speak to optimal quality, not food safety.” Hacker says food banks adhere to very strict guidelines for food handling, temperature and storage of rescued food.

foodbankiowa.org

(Radio Iowa) – Teens as young as 14 and a half could get a permit to drive to and from work if a bill headed to the governor becomes law. It would be similar to school permits that let 14 and 15 year olds legally drive to and from school as well as to school activities. If the bill becomes law, any teen under the age of 16 with a permit for work, school or farm work who’s caught driving elsewhere would lose their driving privileges for three months — and when they turn 16 they won’t be able to get an intermediate permit for three months.

Senator Adrian Dickey, a Republican from Packwood, led development of the bill.  “Some real teeth to the permits to highly discourage youth from operating on these permits outside of their allowed designations,” Dickey says. A 14 or 15 year old with one of these “special minors restricted licenses” would only be able to drive an hour before work or a school event and get home within an hour of their work shift or the end of the school activity. Once they’re at work, they won’t be able to drive. Dickey says that means they cannot be asked to be delivery drivers.

“Mechanisms put in place to make the roads safer for the people and these youth,” Dickey says, “so they’re not driving to the mall or to a friend’s house, but they’re driving within the certain criteria that’s in the permit.” Teens under the age of 16 who have a permit for farm work will have a little more driving freedom as current rules are preserved, letting them drive to pick up parts, for example. Senator Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says having young teens drive for work early in the morning or late at night isn’t a good idea.

“We are talking about 14 and a half year olds driving,” Taylor said. “That’s kind of my problem with it. Some are ready, sure. Some are not ready.” Representative Mary Madison, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says letting inexperienced drivers drive themselves to work increases the likelihood they’ll be involved in an accident. “Child driving is not the solution to our workforce shortage,” Madison said, “and it never will be.”

Representative Elinor Levin, a Democrat from Iowa City, says letting 14 and 15 year old drive to and from work as well as school will increase the number of very inexperienced drivers on the road.  “In Iowa, our teen drivers are already among the youngest and the least experienced in the U.S.,” Levin says, “with independent driving allowed at 14 and a half and no minimum hours of supervised driving practice.”

Representative Brent Siegrist, a Republican from Council Bluffs, says the proposed 25 mile radius for each trip made by young drivers going to work or school makes sense. “Having less veteran drivers drive has some risks with it, but I don’t that its enough that we shouldn’t provide this opportunity for our students to get to school activities, work activates or farm activities,” Siegrist says.

A temporary 10-member conference committee was convened to resolve an impasse between House and Senate Republicans on some sections of the bill and the committee’s agreement won final legislative approval at 3:30 a.m. Saturday.