w/Kate Olson.
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(Radio Iowa) – The environmental group American Rivers lists two waterways that either border Iowa or flow through the state on its annual list of the nation’s ten most endangered rivers. Olivia Dorothy, director of the group’s Upper Mississippi River Basin, says the 2019 flooding on the Lower Missouri River brought massive levee breaches. It’s concerning, she says, because the river is too constricted and there’s not enough room for water that comes downriver during floods. “We need to take strategic action to set back levees,” Dorothy says, “to give the river a little bit more room to flood so that we know the water is going to basically go into areas of the flood plain where people and critical infrastructure aren’t located.”
This is the second year in a row the Lower Missouri River has made the group’s most-endangered list. “We are again calling on Congress and the states along the Lower Missouri River to work together to set up a framework to prioritize areas where levees can be set back and where we can do critical habitat restoration which is much needed for a lot of species, including the pallid sturgeon,” she says. That fish is threatened, she says, in part due to a lack of access to quality habitat. The Raccoon River is on this year’s most-endangered list for the first time. Its three forks run for 226 miles across western and central Iowa.
Dorothy says the Raccoon is most threatened by pollution due to agricultural runoff, which she attributes to “industrial agriculture.” “In the Raccoon watershed, we have a lot of confined feeding operations, we have a lot of confined factory farms,” Dorothy says. “They spread manure in excess across the watershed on farms for fertilizer. A lot of times, that fertilizer is running off and getting into our drinking water.” It’s forced cities like Des Moines to install expensive nitrate removal equipment, while she says it’s continuing to threaten the drinking water in rural areas, especially for people who use wells. Dorothy says nitrogen is particularly toxic to children, infants and pregnant women.
“We are calling on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to step in in Iowa and step up their enforcement actions,” she says, “and really start regulating these factory farms that we know are being installed in excess throughout the state of Iowa but especially in the Raccoon watershed.” The full report is online at AmericanRivers.org. Dorothy encourages Iowans to log on and learn more, and find links so they can contact federal agencies and officials to demand action to protect our rivers — and people.
The CAM School Board, Monday, voted to approve both the 2021-2022 Budget and 2021-2022 School Calendar. Their action followed two public hearings held just prior the regular meeting. According to CAM School District Superintendent Paul Croghan, the 2021-22 School Calendar is similar to the current calendar. With the first day of school on August 23rd (2021) and the last day of school May 25th (2022). Still up in the air, is a decision on virtual snow days. That will be adjusted after the Iowa legislature makes a determination on that issue. Senate File 467 passed out the Senate on March 26th. It would’ve allowed schools to use five virtual snow days starting next school year. The bill, however, failed to make it out of the House. Once Governor Reynolds’ Proclamation ends, there will be no online learning.
The CAM Board of Education also approved the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget. Croghan says the tax rate is similar to last year, with the tax levy $10.5101 per $1,000 assessed valuation, compared to $10.50 currently.
The CAM School Board, Monday, also:
Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 7:35-p.m. Tuesday, of 23-year-old Page Pettis, of Red Oak. Pettis was taken into custody in the 1300 block of N. Broadway Street, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.
Today: **FROST ADVISORY until 8-a.m.** Partly cloudy & breezy. High around 54. NW @ 10-20.
Tonight: P/Cldy. Low 27 w/widespread frost possible, mainly after 1am. Low around 27. NW @ 5.
Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High near 57. NW @ 10.
Friday: Mostly cloudy w/a chance of light showers in the afternoon. High near 50.
Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a chance of morning showers. High 48.
Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 54. Our Low this morning, 27. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 46 and the Low 16. The Record High on this date was 89 in 2003. The Record Low was 11 in 1907.
(Radio Iowa) – Three legislators have given emotional speeches in honor of the Iowa State Patrolman who was shot to death Friday during an armed stand-off in Grundy Center. Senator Craig Johnson knew Sergeant Jim Smith personally. “The last time I spoke with Jim he was sitting down to give blood and was dressed as the trooper he was. I remember thinking at that moment: ‘What more is this guy willing to give?'” Johnson said, his voice cracking as he continued. “That is Jim Smith.” Johnson’s and Smith’s daughters played volleyball together in Independence and will graduate in a few weeks.
“Jim Smith will be remembered by me as a friend, loving husband and dad who just adored his children,” Johnson said. Johnson had to pause briefly to compose himself as he read aloud from the Facebook post he wrote this weekend after learning Smith had been shot to death. “I cannot guess what he’d like me to say,” Johnson said, “but I’ll do my best and tell you how much he loved his Savoir and family and how much he enjoyed the wonderful experience of serving Iowans as an Iowa State Trooper.” Johnson described Smith as a man with a good heart and a quick mind.
“My family is blessed to know Jim and his wife and children,” Johnson said. “His annual Christmas letters were exceptionally funny and brought their family outings and Jim’s humor front and center.” Representative Chad Ingels of Randalia represents Smith’s hometown of Independence. Ingels told his House colleagues he did not know Sergeant Smith, so he began by reading Senator Johnson’s Facebook post in tribute.
“Sergeant Smith sounds like friends and acquaintances that we all have who serve in our communities. We can never sufficiently express our gratitude to those men and women that volunteer every day to run toward bad situations while the rest of us run away. I cannot imagine the guts and faith it takes to leave your home, ready and willing to help and protect others at what could be the expense of your own health or life. I will always be humbled by them,” Ingels said, choking up as he finished his speech.
Senator Annette Sweeney of Alden also gave brief remarks, calling Sergeant Smith’s death a tragedy. Smith’s funeral is schedule for Friday in Independence.
(Radio Iowa) – A plan emerging from the Iowa House would provide 750-thousand dollars in grants to help small meat lockers with fewer than 50 employees expand. In addition to the money, a bill that’s passed the House would set up a task force to study creation of an artisanal butchery program at a community college or Iowa State University. Representative Phil Thompson of Jefferson says the pandemic highlighted the need for small-scale, local meat processing.
“Many of us remember walking into our grocery stores, only to find empty meat cases,” Thompson says. “…We saw outbreaks and closures of some of our larger meatpacking plants and a supply chain that struggled to keep up with demand.” The proposed state grants could be used to buy more space or equipment, like refrigerators and freezers, for meat lockers. The money is included in a separate bill for the Iowa Economic Development Authority — the state agency that would hand out the grants.
Representative Chris Hall of Sioux City says there’s a definite need, since many Iowa meat lockers aren’t taking orders until 2022 or 2023. “Past that, I think that it speaks to a greater interest in our state and many other places the where people are looking to find a connection to local agriculture,” Hall says, “and to know where their food comes from.” Representative Chad Ingels, a farmer from Randalia, is the bill’s sponsor.
“It came from a lot of discussions with farmers that wanted more opportunities to sell directly to consumers and consumers that wanted more opportunities to buy directly from farmers,” Ingels says. “These conversations were happening before 2020. Last year just kind of brought it all to a head.”
Nebraska’s legislature is considering a different route to expanding consumer access to local protein. Nebraska’s bill would let consumers buy shares in live animals, the livestock would be slaughtered and processed by a custom butcher and the meat would not be subject to federal inspection.
Large Class Team Scores
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1
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Davis County
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145.50
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|
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2
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I-35 Boys
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134.00
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|
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3
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Clarke
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132.50
|
|
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4
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Albia
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104.00
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|
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5
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Creston
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87.00
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|
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6
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Pella
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78.00
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|
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7
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Chariton
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43.00
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Small Class Team Scores
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1
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Southeast Warren
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146.00
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|
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2
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Cardinal
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132.00
|
|
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3
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Moravia
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115.00
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|
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4
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Martensdale St. Marys
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110.00
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|
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5
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Wayne
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64.00
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|
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6
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Twin Cedars
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30.00
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Full results HERE.
Girls Team Scores
Tri-Center’s Peyton Pogge won the 800M and the 3000M. Nodaway Valley’s Maddax DeVault won the 100M Hurdles and the Wolverines won the Shuttle Hurdle Relay. Harlan’s Ashley Hall won the Long Jump and the Cyclones won the 4x200M Relay and Distance Medley. Mady Kelsey of ACGC won the Shot Put.
Full results HERE.
Boys Team Scores
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1
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ACGC
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133.00
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2
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Van Meter
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129.00
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|
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3
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Des Moines Christian
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96.00
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|
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4
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Earlham
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89.00
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|
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5
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South Hamilton
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67.00
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|
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6
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Mount Ayr
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64.00
|
|
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7
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Coon Rapids-Bayard
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40.00
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7
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West Central Valley
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40.00
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9
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Nodaway Valley
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35.00
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|
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10
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Ogden
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34.00
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|
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11
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Grandview Christian
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2.00
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11
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Panorama
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2.00
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ACGC got wins from Cael Hoing in the Discus, Shuttle Hurdle Relay, Sprint Medley and Distance Medley.
Full results HERE.
Here’s a look at all of the other area spring sports results outside of our featured pieces.
BOYS SOCCER
Riverside 1, Logan-Magnolia 0
St. Albert 4, Treynor 3
Sioux City North 1, CB Abraham Lincoln 0
GIRLS SOCCER
CB Abraham Lincoln 2, Sioux City North 0
Glenwood 10, Denison-Schleswig 0
Kuemper Catholic 6, Carroll 0
Treynor 10, Nodaway Valley/WCV 0
BOYS GOLF
Audubon 180, Griswold 227. Medalist: Jay Remsburg, Audubon, 41
Wayne 184, Mount Ayr 223
West Monona 187, Missouri Valley 188. Medalist: Ryan Russman, Missouri Valley 44
GIRLS GOLF
Denison-Schleswig 218, Boyer Valley 219, IKM-Manning 243. Medalist: Kiley Powers, 46.
Griswold 222, Audubon NTS. Medalist: Jenna Reynolds, Griswold, 52.
Missouri Valley 247, West Monona 254. Medalist: Henley Arbaugh, Missouri Valley, 55.
Mount Ayr 204, Wayne 241.
Westwood 221, Woodbine 254
Winterset 199, Creston 211, Clarke 222. Medalist: Jaya West, Winterset, 45.
BOYS TENNIS
Ballard 9, Clarke 0
Red Oak 5, Audubon 1
Southwest Valley 8, Clarinda 1
GIRLS TENNIS
Clarinda 7, Southwest Valley 2
Clarke 5, Ballard 4
Lewis Central 8, Harlan 1
Red Oak 9, Audubon 0
St. Albert 5, Shenandoah 4
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