(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is planning to reintroduce paddlefish into the Iowa Great Lakes. D-N-R Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins says paddlefish are native to the area. “We have good historical record of these fish being caught within the lakes region,” Hawkins says. “Unfortunately…around 1919 the last paddlefish was seen here and we think that their numbers dwindled shortly after the dams were put on the Little Sioux River, which prevented some of the fish migration upstream.”

Paddlefish eat microscopic plants and animals called plankton. They thrive in slow-moving, deep freshwater and Hawkins says paddlefish could grow quite large in the Iowa Great Lakes. “Around 1916 there was a report in the Spirit Lake Beacon of a 180 pound paddlefish being caught and then two weeks later in the Beacon it was reported a 210 pound fish was caught,” Hawkins says. “If those records are true, those would have been the largest paddlefish ever caught in the world.”

Paddlefish look a bit like a shark with a gray body and a blade-like snout.  “Paddlefish just have a really cool structure on their head, which is what they get their name from — this long paddle…and they don’t have any scales,” Hawkins says. “They have a smooth skin to them.” The head of a paddlefish is covered with pores that can detect electrical signals in the water and Hawkins says that’s how they find the plankton they feed on.

Paddlefish catch(DNR-photo)

The D-N-R has acquired paddlefish from Missouri and they’re being raised at the state fish hatchery at Lake Rathbun. About 19-hundred will be stocked in the Iowa Great Lakes in the next month or so. “We know that not all of them are going to make it to adulthood. They are about 10 to 12 inches in size, so we hope a bunch of them do,” Hawkins says. “Then we’ll do the biology thing and start figure out what kind of a maintenance stocking would be necessary to sustain a small population in the lakes.”

While Paddlefish have been absent from Iowa’s largest natural lakes for over a century, the D-N-R says Paddlefish can be caught in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers that form the west and east borders of Iowa AND near the points where the Des Moines, Iowa and Skunk Rivers drain into the Mississippi.

(Iowa News Service) – Results of a poll by the Save the Children Action Network show that voters of all backgrounds are struggling with the cost of living and want the government to do more to address these needs. Iowa mirrors the national numbers. The poll shows a large, bipartisan majority of voters want help affording food and grocery prices, and child-care costs. Tiffany Welch, with the Save the Children Action Network’s Iowa chapter says these issues are especially crucial in rural parts of the state, and that overall in Iowa, food banks and assistance programs are seeing record-breaking numbers of people in need.

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Save the Children executive director Christy Gleason says the group is calling on lawmakers to expand SNAP benefits and other policies that affect kids in the Farm Bill, and says the survey shows that voters are making their decisions based on those issues, even during a time of intense polarization.

The latest Farm Bill, which has already been extended for a year, remains stalled in Congress.

• KJAN, Atlantic  .54″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .4″
• Massena  .36″
• Elk Horn  .24″
• Corning  .32″
• Neola  .3″
• Clarinda  1.05″

(Radio Iowa; UPDATED) – While we’re in the season of state fair corndogs and cotton candy, soon enough, the wicked winds of winter will blow into Iowa, and the new edition of the Farmers’ Almanac isn’t boding well for the seasons to come. Almanac editor Sandi Duncan says their forecast for what lies ahead is under the headline “Wet Winter Whirlwind,” and it predicts Iowa and the rest of the Great Plains states will be facing lower-than-normal temperatures.

“We do see a lot of cold, not freezing cold, it’s going to be overall cold,” Duncan says. “We do see a stormy start to winter in December. January doesn’t look too bad, but then the snow and the wetness and the whirlwind really comes in February in your neck of the woods, with some major storms coming at the beginning as well as the end of the month of February.” Since 1818, the almanac has been using a proprietary formula to forecast the weather, based on historical and celestial factors. In addition to the cold, Duncan says they’re calling for an Iowa winter with average snowfall.

“The whirlwind comes from the idea that looking at both December and February, we do see some back-to-back storms with both snow, rain, sleet, you know, the fun stuff,” Duncan says, “but definitely some snow in February, but nothing too major. Overall, it doesn’t look too bad as far as precipitation goes, but you just expect some snowy days.” The almanac contains 16 months of weather forecasts, including for the Summer of 2025. In recent months, Iowa has emerged from a four-year drought, and the almanac predicts the heat will be back on a year from now.

“We do see scorching temperatures with average rainfall, so hopefully, you won’t have to go into some type of drought, especially with the kind of wet seasons before that,” Duncan says. “It looks like average rainfall for next summer and hopefully you won’t get back into any type of drought conditions, since you guys need a little break, for sure.” Iowa’s had a rough spring and summer, with widespread flooding in many areas that followed severe storms, along with a record 130 tornadoes. Some point to climate change as the root cause, and Duncan says you’d have to be blind to say the climate isn’t changing.

“Definitely there’s something going on and things are changing, so we are trying to adapt to the ever-changing environment that we all live in,” Duncan says. “I would say that, unfortunately, this change that’s going on is bringing some more extreme weather, so we’re trying to adjust as we can and try to give people an idea of what may come so they can be prepared.” The Lewiston, Maine-based almanac boasts a forecast accuracy rate of 80% to 85%. The prognosticating formula was developed more than two centuries ago, based on factors including sunspot activity, planet positions, and the effect the Moon has on the Earth. Besides long-term weather predictions, the Farmers’ Almanac also contains a wealth of information on gardening, cooking, home remedies, folklore, managing your household, living in harmony with nature, and more.

FarmersAlmanac.com

Des Moines, IA – Butter sculptor extraordinaire, Sarah Pratt, on Monday bestowed State Auditor Rob Sand with the honor of naming the 2024 Iowa State Fair Butter Cow. Without hesitation, Sand paid homage to his cow-naming predecessor, Brogan Malcolm who grew up in Truro, Iowa. “Brogan named the butter cow for 10 years and her story can inspire all of us,” said Sand. “So, it makes perfect sense that this year’s butter cow be named after her.”

Malcolm, born without sight, made a tradition of attending the Iowa State Fair with her grandfather, who at the time, called Pratt with a special request. “He called and asked if there was a way that Brogan could have a hands-on experience with the butter cow,” said Pratt, who immediately agreed to allow her into the refrigerated unit housing the butter cow and her companions. “Being a special education teacher, I wanted her to feel the sculpture, to smell the butter, and it became a tradition that was just so lovely.”

Sand and Pratt with Butter Cow

Brogan with Butter Cow

Malcolm, now 20 years old, says she distinctly remembers the smell of the butter, which is recycled year after year. “It smelled old,” said Malcolm jokingly. The decade-long, Iowa State Fair pastime solidified the bond between Malcolm, Pratt, and Pratt’s two daughters who have helped sculpt the 600-pound butter bovine on and off since their mother took over the job in 2006.

Malcolm currently interns at a daycare center where she reads to children from books written in Braille, and will soon graduate from Des Moines Public Schools’ Secondary Transition Employment Program (STEP).  “Brogan teaches us an important lesson,” said Sand. “What some might view as a disability, is really just a different way of experiencing the world.”

(Radio Iowa) – A long-anticipated connection between two of Iowa’s most popular bike trails opens this weekend. The trail extension from Woodward to Perry creates a nearly-continuous 120-mile paved loop for bikers, runners and walkers on the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail. Andrea Boulton is the trails and community conservation director for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, one partner behind the nine-mile project that’s been years in the making.

“There’s so much excitement to see this project finally come to fruition,” Boulton says. The new segment links two iconic and nationally-recognized trails, and makes the network a destination for Iowans and out-of-state visitors. To mark the opening, the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association has organized a bike ride and ribbon cutting on Saturday and Boulton says there are more trails to come.

The High Trestle Trail (Natural Heritage Foundation photo)

“We’re not done yet as a state,” she says. “We’ve got a very big vision.” Linking Lake Red Rock to Saylorville, Eldora to Marshalltown, and filling in gaps across the Great American Rail-Trail are part of that vision. Boulton says developing long-distance, destination trails gets more people outdoors. “As they’re doing that, they’re discovering new places, new restaurants, new stores, new parks, and places that they’ve never been to before,” she says, “and they’re realizing they can make a whole vacation out of it.”

A 2012 study found cyclists and trails generate over 360-million dollars in direct and indirect economic impacts on the state. A new study is underway.

(Rachel Cramer, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Officials in the City of Okoboji have made temporary changes to a key ordinance to assist property owners dealing with significant erosion along the shore of West Lake Okoboji. City Administrator Michael Meyers says it usually takes at least a month to get a lakeshore landscaping permit. but requirements for a public meeting and other administrative steps are being waived. “In the City of Okoboji we had between 10 and 15 just catastrophic lakeshore collapses,” Meyers says. “…Recognizing the emergent situation that we were in, the city made a decision that having a month long process was just too long.” Property owners will still be required to get an engineer’s evaluation of the project and follow other zoning rules.

“Those are all still intact, so it’s not necessarily a blank slate for folks to do whatever they want, but it is an opportunity to make things go a heck of a lot quicker because for some of these landowners, time is not necessarily in their favor,” Meyers says. Lake-adjacent properties in the City of Okoboji are in a zone where landowners are to follow landscaping methods allowed in the ordinance.

“The intent of the City of Okoboji’s lakeshore landscaping ordinance is really to make shorelines appear as before any of us were here,” We’re really promoting native shoreline restorations, deep-rooted plants and just making sure that these lakeshores are really set up for success in the long term.” The shoreline of both West Lake Okoboji and East Lake Okoboji are within the city limits of the City of Okoboji, but Meyers says the majority of intense flood damage has been along the West Lake Okoboji shoreline.

AMES, Iowa – In another record-breaking year, officials with Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council, said today (Monday), the 42nd annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show continues to elevate the bar, raising $568,000 for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. The figure was a significant jump from last year’s record of $501,000. Including this year’s donations, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer is inching close to $6 million in donations since its inception in 1983.

All money raised benefits the three independent Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa located in Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux City. These three houses have served over 55,000 families from all 50 states and many foreign countries. Families from all 99 counties in Iowa have benefited from the Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa.

The Governor’s Charity Steer Show would not be possible, officials say, without the sponsors, youth exhibitors and their families, celebrities, and buyers. Their impact through volunteering, donations, and dedication created another successful show and fundraising outcome. This year, more donations and support were collected in advance of the event than ever before.

There were also two exhibitors that exceeded the threshold of the most dollars raised throughout the event from donations and the sale of their steer. Baylen Brink raised $71,354 and Jacob Ringkob raised $58,211, which topped the previous record of $48,000.

Not only was Pioneer Pavilion packed for the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show, but more than 4,000 people watched online. The 42nd Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show was held on August 10 in Pioneer Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. Winners in four categories were recognized in the show ring – Community Hero, Grand Champion Showman, People’s Choice, and Judge’s Grand Champion. This year’s event hosted 24 sponsored steers, shown by their youth exhibitor and a local celebrity.

The Community Hero Award recognizes the youth exhibitor who goes above and beyond collecting non-monetary donations and creating awareness for the event. This year’s winner of the Community Hero Award was Layne White from Blakesburg. Iowa. Layne collected 175 pounds of pop tabs and a lot of nonperishable items for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Layne was sponsored by the Davis County Beef Promoters and showed with celebrity, Mercedes Northup, who was on The Bachelor.

The showmanship contest was judged by Brad and Drake Hook. Their focus was on the partnership between the celebrity, youth exhibitor, and the steer. While we had some excellent celebrity showmen in the ring, who had done their homework, Drake awarded Cheyenne Houk also from Blakesburg, Iowa, and her celebrity showman, Mark McCully, CEO of American Angus Association, as the Grand Champion Showman. Their steer was The Business and they were sponsored by the Monroe County Cattlemen and Supporters.

A fan favorite, the People’s Choice Award, gives the audience and team supporters a voice in the competition as they help select the winner of this event. This year Brad Hook helped judge this award and as he worked the ring, he had the crowd roaring for their favorites. In the end, it was two-time NCAA champion wrestler, David Carr, and his youth partner, Kate Totemeier from Columbus Junction, Iowa, along with her steer, ZZ, who took the award! David, Kate, and ZZ were sponsored by the District 20 Cattlemen’s Associations.

Finally, the most prestigious award of the show, the Judge’s Grand Champion, was selected. Ross Havens from Nichols Farms in Bridgewater, Iowa, had the hardest task of working through and judging the stellar lineup of steers and showmen. Whopper and his youth exhibitor, Emma Norman of Searsboro, Iowa, and celebrity showman Jeff Angelo, a radio personality, received the honor. The team was sponsored by the Iowa Bankers Association.

Following the show, a live auction was conducted to raise funds through the sale of each steer and additional value-added items donated by industry supporters and celebrities. These funds were added to the donations received by each youth participant, resulting in the $568,000 donation going to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of thousands of Iowans hit the Iowa State Fair at least once a year, but very few go as many times as Connie Taylor of West Des Moines. Taylor and her daughter, Stephanie, will make a pilgrimage to the fairgrounds all 11 days this year, and they’ve attended at least seven days of every state fair, every year, for the past 19 years. Taylor writes about their daily exploits online and has amassed a wide audience, especially when it comes to her fair food reviews.

“The best corn dog is from the Coney Corner by the Horse Barn. It’s owned by Campbell’s, and they use Nathan’s hot dogs, and they go through 24,000 pounds of batter and two semi loads of corn dogs every year,” Taylor says. “Another always go-to is a gyro, we always share one of those. The secret to eating at the fair is share everything.” For all of the tasty fried concoctions they may wolf down, the mother and daughter also burn plenty of calories as they stroll the Grand Concourse. When they were a bit younger, Taylor says they used to walk seven to eight miles a day at the fair, but now average five or six.

“We sit more now than we used to,” Taylor says, laughing, “but you know, to do the fair, you’ve got to walk. Part of it is, we always park about six blocks away, so there’s 12 blocks right there, just to and from our car, but it doesn’t seem like walking — you’re just wandering the fair and then it just adds up.” How many times has Taylor been to the fair? Well over 130, over two decades. Some people may have a hard time grasping what makes the Iowa State Fair worthy of so many visits over so many years, but Taylor says she always manages to find new things to see and do, or new ways to enjoy what’s already familiar.

Connie Taylor (left) and her daughter, Stephanie, are sporting state fair earrings — blue ribbons and butter cows.

“The fair changes every minute, every minute,” Taylor says. “We’ll be like, ‘Yeah, we’ve seen the Butter Cow a million times,’ but it’s different. She always has something different with it. And when you go in the Ag Building to see it, they have different exhibits. I have looked at the fruits and veggie displays in there. I think they are beautiful and I love them every time I see them.” Her latest column is titled after something her granddaughter said — “What’s the best smell in the world? Pig poo and donuts.” Taylor says her daughter actually started the online state fair dairy but passed the blogging baton to her mother after having twins. It’s continued to grow in popularity, Taylor says, just like the fair.

“You never know what you’re going to see at the fair,” she says. “Like yesterday, we were sitting and someone won a giant panda and hung it from a branch in a tree, and we just looked at it like it was normal. And then I thought, I’ll take a picture of that, because other people don’t think that’s normal.”

Read about Taylor’s adventures at Substack.com under her column, “The Life and Times of a Midwestern Girl.”

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — In 170 years of the Iowa State Fair, no day has drawn more visitors than Saturday. According to the fair, Saturday’s attendance was an all-time single-day record — 128,732. That broke the previous all-time daily record of 128,298 from 2022. It’s also more than 1,500 over the record for the first Saturday and 10,000 more than the same day last year. This year’s total through three days is 329,408, nearly 23,000 ahead of last year’s pace, which became the second-biggest fair ever with 1,133,958 people. The all-time attendance record of 1,170,375 was set in 2019.

This year needs to average 106,398 per day to break that record. Through three days, this year’s fair is averaging 109,803. Friday’s attendance was 109,854. That’s 8,677 more people than Day 2 last year when 101,177 went through the gates — but 5,849 shy of the Day 2 record.

Thursday’s attendance was 90,822. That’s 3,442 more people than Day 1 last year when 87,380 went through the gates — but more than 10,000 shy of the Day 1 record.