Jim Field speaks with Cass County Conservation Executive Director Micah Lee about their Intro to Ice Fishing program this weekend at the Outdoor Classroom near Massena.
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Jim Field speaks with Cass County Conservation Executive Director Micah Lee about their Intro to Ice Fishing program this weekend at the Outdoor Classroom near Massena.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (7.0MB)
Subscribe: RSS
(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a special session Tuesday morning, in Harlan. During their session, the Board held a public hearing on a proposed Shelby County Stream Mitigation ordinance. Auditor Mark Maxwell noted in his minutes of the meeting that no public comment made in-person, or had previously been received by the Auditors office. Maxwell explained the intention of the ordinance is to make it allowable for Shelby County to sell flood mitigation credits and recognition of that practice possibly being in competition with private entities. The Ordinance was unanimously approved as written.
The Shelby County Supervisors also held a Public Hearing with regard to a proposed Resolution declaring Emergency Medical Services (EMS) an essential service in Shelby County. The Resolution allows for voter approval of a Local Option Income Surtax and an “Ad Valorem property tax not to exceed 75-cents per $1,000 of assessed value on all taxable property within the county,” to be imposed after an election, during which 60-percent of those voting on the question of imposing the tax or combination of taxes, vote in favor of the question. The Resolution specifies the establishment of an EMS System Advisory Council comprised of several members from law enforcement, the Mayor and/or Council, and others.
Auditor Maxwell says several people spoke during the hearing. Among them was:
A motion to adopt the Resolution was passed as presented. Discussion and explanation of a waiver to be considered was then heard. The waiver allows attorneys from the same law firm to work, if necessary, on a law enforcement agreement between Shelby County Iowa, and the City of Harlan. The waiver is needed in the event Attorneys from this firm are needed to complete any discussion or agreements in the future between these two parties in this exploratory matter. A motion to allow the Chairperson to sign the waiver was seconded and passed unanimously.
Auditor Maxwell says the proposed pipeline interests of Shelby County were presented, dates are closer to being set for litigation. Some schedule Iowa Utility Board rulings are expected soon. Kossuth County has joined the joint representation agreement with other counties expected to join. He said also that Chairman Kenkel notified the public that Shelby Counties Zoning Ordinance has been in effect since November 11th and that anyone entering into agreement with a hazardous pipeline company in Shelby County must get a conditional use permit from the Shelby County Zoning Commissioner, Tony Buman.
Kenkel also brought up that in 2002 the County had the Public Measure to go to a 5 member Board of Supervisors, the measure failed with it receiving only 26% of the vote in favor.
JOANN NIELSEN, 79, of Audubon died Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at The Friendship Home in Audubon. Funeral services for JOANN NIELSEN will be held on Friday, January 13th at 10:30 a.m. in the Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Audubon. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.
Friends may call on Thursday, January 12th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon.
Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemtery in Audubon.
JOANN NIELSEN is survived by:
Husband: Thomas R. Nielsen of Audubon.
Children: Carla (Jeff) Swank of Spencer. Jeffrey (Trisha) Nielsen of Audubon.
Sisters-in-law: Sharon Vonesh of Exira. Mary Nielsen of Pittsburgh, TX.
Brother-in-law: Carle (Sarah) Nielsen of Hyattsville, MD.
5 Grandchildren
2 Great-Grandchildren
Nieces, Nephews, other relatives, and many friends.
Landowners/tenants with land registered with the Iowa DNR in one of the 21 counties open to the January antlerless season are eligible to participate on the farm unit in the open county. The January antlerless season is Jan. 11- 22. Licenses will be available beginning Jan. 11, from license vendors in the open counties.
The January antlerless season is open in Adair, Adams, Allamakee, Appanoose, Clarke, Clayton, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Fayette, Jefferson, Lee, Lucas, Madison, Monroe, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Wayne and Winneshiek counties. Landowner/tenant licenses are not subject to county quotas.
Due to the compressed timeline, these licenses will not be available online. Only antlerless deer may be taken during this season. Only centerfire rifles .223 caliber to .500 caliber with a published or calculated muzzle energy of 500-foot pounds or higher are allowed in the excess tag January antlerless season. The excess tag January antlerless season was approved by the Iowa Legislature during the 2022 session.
The Iowa State Patrol reports two people died in separate crashes on opposite sides of the State, Tuesday. The first happened in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County at around 11:25-a.m. The Patrol says traffic on Interstate 380 northbound had slowed and started to back up, while a towing operation was underway at mile marker nine. A 2002 Volvo driven by *37-year-old Eric Taylor, of Cedar Rapids, rear-ended a trailer pulled by a 2018 Peterbilt semi at mile marker seven. Taylor died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the semi, 46-year-old Mark Fensterman, of Dubuque, was not injured.
The second fatal crash occurred at around 6:04-p.m. in northwest Iowa’s Sioux County. The Patrol reports a 2008 Chevy Impala driven by 18-year-old Emma Nibbelink, of Luverne, MN, was traveling south on Highway 75, went the car drove onto the west shoulder, which was covered in snow and ice. Nibbelink over-corrected, causing the vehicle to cross the center line of the road, before her car was struck broadside in the center lane, by a northbound 2018 Chevy pickup.
Following the impact, both vehicles entered the east ditch and came to rest. Authorities say Emma Nibbelink died at the scene. She was wearing a seat belt. The driver of the pickup, 25-year-old Dylan Taylor, of LeMars, was not injured. Hull Fire and Rescue assisted at the scene.
(Radio Iowa) – The American Farm Bureau has reached an agreement with John Deere that will allow farmers to repair their own equipment, or take it to independent repair shops. The director of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center, Jennifer Zwagerman, says it is a good solution for both sides. Zwagerman says Deere needs to protect the investment it has made in developing high tech systems to run tractors and other equipment. “If you can limit who can repair your products, you maintain not just the market, but you also ensure more privacy and more secrecy,” She says. “What we’re really I think seeing companies most concerned about are trade secrets.”
She says the computerized systems, programming or technology that’s used in the equipment is more important than the equipment itself. “From a legal standpoint, the more you allow people to have access to information, you’re starting to limit your ability to protect those trade secrets,” Zwagerman says. “And so I think that’s something that is very valid, that they wanted to maintain access and control over, but at the same time, was not fully recognizing or meeting the needs of their customers.” The agreement voluntarily makes available manuals or parts to vehicles or equipment.
“And that’s something that’s important to remember as well that they have voluntarily agreed to do it. And so there’s a big question about what this is actually going to look like, moving forward? Who’s going to enforce it? What sort of limitations will they put on it,?” she says. Farmers had been able to do their own repairs or have them done without concern before tractors and other equipment started to involve much more technology. “And so that’s definitely something that farmers are really pushing for — and have been very, very loudly. I think it says a lot that Deere listened,” Zwagerman says.
Zwagerman says John Deere has a long history in agriculture and working with farmers and the company wants to maintain that relationship into the future. Zwagerman says there are still some outside factors that could impact the agreement. “Either party can withdraw from this agreement at any time, particularly if any state or federal legislation tied to this is either introduced or enacted. And so it really in some ways is an effort to try and keep it voluntary like this,” she says.
Zwagerman says there have been a lot of states and the federal government looking at this type of right to repair legislation — and this agreement would keep it out of the government’s hands and out of that type of regulation. She says the Deere agreement will extend beyond that company’s products — as the memorandum of agreement says the Farm Bureau is looking to enter into these types of agreements with other companies as well.
(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston, Tuesday, arrested 26-year-old Tiffany Jo Scott, of Creston, for Harassment in the 1st Degree. She was taken into custody at a residence in the 300 block of N. Pine Street in Creston, at around 3:25-p.m., and transported to the Union County Jail. Scott later posted bond, and was released.
(Stanton, Iowa) – A collision in Montgomery County, Tuesday morning, between a semi tractor-grain hopper trailer, and a pickup pulling a grain vac, caused $14,500 damage, but no one was injured. The accident happened at around 10-a.m. west of Stanton, on Highway 34 at the intersection with Nature Avenue. Upon arrival, Deputies saw a 1998 Chevy K2500 pickup driven & owned by 78-year-old John L. Poston, of rural Villisca. The vehicle was facing southeast on Nature Avenue. Attached to it, was an AFI Rem grain vac, owned by Keast Enterprises, of Henderson (IA). It was overturned onto its right side.
Also on the scene, and located on the south shoulder of Highway 34 to the east of the pickup/grain vac, was a 2022 Kenworth W900 semi tractor and a hopper-bottom trailer. Both are owned by Kaiser Trucking out of Winning, SD. The semi was driven by 62-year-old William L. Assarsson, of Bassett, NE.
Authorities say as a result of their investigation, it was determined that the pickup pulling the ag equipment was traveling west on Highway 34 and slowing to make a left-hand turn onto Nature Avenue. A non-contact car behind the pickup heading westbound slowed to prepare for Poston’s turn. As the semi approached from the rear, Assarsson saw the vehicles ahead of him were slowing. He tried to avoid hitting the vehicles, by entering the eastbound lanes while still westbound. As the pickup & grain vac were turning, they were struck by the semi on the left side, causing the grain vacuum to overturn and come to rest on its side.
Assarsson drove the semi onto the shoulder of the road and parked it, to minimize the danger to other motorists. The semi sustained $2,500 damage. Damage to the pickup was estimated $5,000, and the grain vac sustained $7,000 damage. There were no citations issued.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold their first regularly scheduled meeting of the New Year, this evening, at in the High School Media Center. Their session begins at 5:30-p.m. Action items on the agenda include approval of two resignations: Lisa Krogman, K-1st Reading Support (at the end of the 2022-23 school year), and Mark Andersen, Assistant Boys Soccer Coach. The Board will act on several of Superintendent Steve Barber’s Contract Recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment, as well, including those for:
Other action items include Resolutions: To consider participation in the ISL (Instructional Support Levy), and the setting of a Public Hearing. By passing the Resolution, the District may receive $748,572 for FY 2023; and a Resolution re: Public Purpose Expenditures in the amount of $3,000 in addition to $5,000 that was approved in Aug., 2022. The Board will act on approving a two-year Driver’s Education Contract with Deluxe Driving Academy, at a proposed rate of $350 per student, and $335 for individuals who qualify for free and reduced lunch.
The Atlantic School Board will also act on Fall 2023 Coaching Contracts for:
And, they are expected to approve an application to the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) Allowable Growth in the amount of $519,614, for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention. The funds are used to help fund the District’s CCEOC Alternative program, and to allow support services for students at all levels. Superintendent Barber says the work that is done in the college and career readiness are enhances with these funds. In other business, the Board will act on approving a $15,000 Architect/Engineer Contract with Snyder and Associates, to complete the scope of work outlined in a proposal for a High School Storage Shed.
@ Griswold
Red Oak 12, Denison-Schleswig 0
Red Oak 6, SWAT 0
Southwest Iowa 3, Red Oak 0
Southwest Iowa 18, Denison-Schleswig 0
SWAT 42, Denison-Schleswig 30
(SWAT Winners: Haley Armstrong, Jazz Christensen, Ady Lundquist, Quincy Sorensen, Lilly Johnson, Grace Britten, Ellen Gerlock)
Pella Tournament
Martensdale-St. Marys had three winners at the Pella Tournament. Zoey Donehoo at 130B, Rylie Parker at 190C, and Makenna Fetters at 235B.