(Iowa DNR News) – The Iowa DNR is working with hunters again this gun season to collect deer tissue samples to test for chronic wasting disease. So far this year, tissue samples from eight individual deer are suspected positive for the always fatal disease. Hunters interested in participating in the surveillance effort are encouraged to contact their local wildlife biologist to arrange for sample to be collected. If the sample quota has filled, the DNR will assist them in submitting their sample through the hunter submission system, in partnership with Iowa State University. Submitting a sample through the hunter submission system comes with a fee of $25.

Chronic wasting disease has been found in 16 Iowa counties, including Fremont, Greene and Woodbury, in the western part of the State. If hunting in an area where chronic wasting disease has been found, hunters are encouraged to hold the deer meat separately until the test results are available. Hunters can check the results online at the Iowa CWD dashboard at www.iowadnr.gov/cwdresults. If a hunter’s deer tests positive, the DNR will contact them to offer to collect the meat and any other parts of the animal for proper disposal.

Hunters in areas where the disease has been found need a plan for carcass disposal. The DNR recommends a trash service or landfill that accepts deer carcasses. If that’s not possible, they recommend leaving the deer carcass on the property where it was harvested. The idea is to avoid accidentally transporting the disease to a new area, and responsible carcass transport is the best way to prevent it.”

Virtual meeting

The Iowa DNR is hosting a virtual public meeting on chronic wasting disease on Nov. 29, at 7 p.m., when staff will provide an update on the science of the disease, its status in Iowa, and current management efforts. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and staff will answer as many as time allows. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. Interested individuals can register through the link https://bit.ly/IowaDNR-CWD.

(Iowa DNR News) – Iowa’s most popular hunting seasons are less than two weeks away when more than 100,000 blaze orange clad hunters will be walking, posting, sitting and standing in Iowa’s timber and field edges hoping to tag an Iowa deer. The first deer gun season is Dec. 2-6; the second deer gun season is Dec. 9-17. The good news is, that Iowa’s deer population is stable to slightly increasing across much of the state, with the exception of certain parts of northwest, west central and southwest Iowa. Jace Elliott, state deer biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says “The gun seasons are the most popular of all of our hunting seasons, a lot of great tradition and memories are made during this time. These two seasons also play an important role for our deer herd management with more than 50 percent of the total harvest typically occurring during these 14 days in December.”

In 2022, hunters reported harvesting 109,600 deer and Elliott is predicting a similar harvest this year. So far in 2023, more than 25,000 deer have been harvested, which is slightly higher than each of the last two years’ harvest up to this point. While hunter success in earlier seasons has been good, Mother Nature can play a role when hunting opportunities are much shorter. Cool weather with snowfall on opening day leads to higher harvest; warm weather with rain leads to lower harvest. The way too early forecast calls for above normal temperatures.

Method of take for the gun seasons

Over time, the type of firearm allowed in the gun season has expanded from the original shotgun-only, to include muzzleloaders, handguns and, most recently, rifles. Rifles shooting expanding type bullet with a maximum diameter of no less than .350 of an inch and no larger than .500 of an inch with a publish or calculated muzzle energy of 500 foot pounds or higher are allowed as a method of take in the gun season. The hunting regulations has a list of allowable cartridges that has generated the most questions. Based on the recent deer hunter survey, the method of hunting during the gun season is split nearly 50-50 between hunters who prefer drive hunting (pushing deer towards hunters on post) and those who prefer stationary hunting (sitting in a tree stand, ground blind, etc.).

Changes to deer seasons

• The antlerless deer quota has been adjusted in 24 counties.
• The Population Management January antlerless-only season will be offered in Allamakee, Winneshiek, Decatur, Appanoose, Monroe, Lucas and Wayne counties if the number of unsold antlerless licenses on the third Monday in December exceeds 100 tags. This season allows the use of any legal method of take, including shotguns, handguns, muzzleloaders, bows, crossbows, and center-fire rifles .223 and larger.
• The Excess Tag January antlerless-only season will be held in any county that still has unsold county antlerless tags by January 10. Only centerfire rifles .223 caliber and above are allowed during this season.
• A new requirement for hunters who harvest an antlered deer is reporting the length of the main beam of each antler.

Phone use while hunting

Reminder to hunters that the use of cellphones, one or two-way radios to communicate the location or direction of game or furbearing animals or to coordinate the movement of other hunters is prohibited. Outside of very few and specific exceptions, modern technology, including social media and instant messaging apps, is not allowed to assist with the hunt. Hunters are encouraged to keep their phone on their person and not in a backpack for safety reasons.

Be sure to report your harvest

Hunters who harvest a deer are required to report their harvest by midnight on the day after it is tagged or before taking it to a locker or taxidermist. The hunter whose name is on the transportation tag is responsible for making the report. If no deer is harvested, no report is necessary. Successful hunters have the option to report the harvest by texting the registration number to 1-800-771-4692 and follow the prompts, through the Go Outdoors Iowa app, online at www.iowadnr.gov, by phone at the number listed on the tag, or through a license vendor during their regular business hours.

Main beam antler length added to harvest reporting requirement

Beginning this year, Iowa deer hunters who harvest a buck will have a quick, additional piece of information to report as part of the harvest reporting requirement – the length of the main antler beam. Specifically, hunters will be asked if the main beam length is below or above 14 inches, but will not be required to provide the exact length. This information will provide buck age structure to the DNR’s harvest data, producing a better overall picture of Iowa’s deer herd from year to year.

Online hunting atlas

Hunters have an online tool that may improve their in-field experience, even before opening day. The Iowa hunting atlas is an interactive map that shows all available public hunting land that is managed by the state, county or federal governments. The atlas is online at www.iowadnr.gov/hunting. A mobile version is also available. A click on an area will show basic information like size, habitat type and likely species available.

Deer donation program

The Iowa DNR, the Food Bank of Iowa and 34 meat lockers are participating in the Help Us Stop Hunger program for 2023. Hunters are encouraged to contact a participating locker before they harvest a deer to see if the locker has any additional drop off instructions. Hunters may also sign up as a deer donor with the Iowa Deer Exchange at www.iowadnr.gov/deer then scroll down to Iowa’s Deer Exchange Program link. There, donors can provide their information on what they are willing to donate. The database creates a map and table with information deer donors and deer recipients can use to get connected.

There are currently 23 hunters registered who are willing to donate deer, and 287 registered recipients wanting venison. Hunters and recipients who had previously registered for the Deer Exchange Program should review their information to make sure it is still accurate and active. There is no cost to participate. It is illegal to sell wild fish and game in Iowa.

(Fort Dodge, Iowa) – Officials with the Fort Dodge Police Department, Friday evening, reported on social media, that at at around 11:25-a.m., Friday, November 24th, 2023, the Webster County Telecommunications center received a call from a resident in the 800 block S 16th St. stating that they could hear someone yelling for help in the 800 block of either S 16th or S 17th St.

An officer with the Fort Dodge Police Department arrived in the area and located a woman being attacked by three dogs in the 800 block of S 16th St. The officer attempted to scare the dogs away to stop them from attacking the woman, but the dogs would not stop. The officer on scene then drew his duty weapon and shot all three dogs multiple times to stop the attack.

The Fort Dodge Fire Department was called to the scene to render aid to the female victim as a result of her serious injuries. The victim was then transported to Unity Point Trinity Regional Medical Center by ambulance. As a result of her serious injuries sustained during the attack, the woman was ultimately transported by Life Flight to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. As of the time of this release her condition is unknown.

At this time investigators are working to determine exactly what took place to include exploring all avenues as to how this incident unfolded. The female victims name will not be released at this time until we have made contact with her immediate family. All three dogs are deceased.

Investigators with the Criminal Investigations Division are continuing to follow up on this incident. Anyone with information on this incident is encouraged to contact the Fort Dodge Police. Information may also be submitted anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

The Fort Dodge Police Department was assisted by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Webster County Attorney’s Office, and the Fort Dodge Fire Department

(Radio Iowa) – The Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission has proposed steps to help reduce gun violence in the city. Councilman Jonathan Grieder (Gry-der) headed the commission and he says the goal is to identify underlying factors.

The Commission spent that time exploring eight possible plans that include partnering with energy providers to increase the number of streetlights and establishing a violence intervention program. The commission is also looking at creating a coalition of community leaders to meet once a month to get at the underlying problems.

Seven people were killed by gunfire in Waterloo last year, up from four in 2021.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a new online portal for Iowans to pay next year’s state income taxes. It’s called Gov Connect Iowa (GovConnectIowa)

That’s Iowa Department of Revenue director Mary Mosiman (MOZE-man). Iowans can make estimated state income tax payments up to a year in advance through the new portal.

Taxpayers with questions may also send a message through the portal to the Iowa Department of Revenue.

The new Gov Connect Iowa portal replaces what was called the “e-file and pay” system. Mosiman is urging Iowans who file a tax return as an individual and Iowans who are married and file a joint state income tax return to check out the portal.

The portal is part of a five year plan to modernize the state system for handling all taxes paid to the state. State sales taxes and corporate income taxes are now part of the updated system.

There had been over 20 stand-alone computer systems for each of the major taxes paid to the State of Iowa — and it cost 18 MILLION dollars a year to maintain those networks.

Next year, state tax distributions to local governments will shift to the centralized system, In the final year of the upgrade, license fees and other payments to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division will be included. The agency is the state wholesaler to more than two-thousand privately-owned businesses in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) – Tomorrow (Saturday) will mark 60 years since the funeral for President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated on November 22nd of 1963. Dick Anderson, of Webster City, was in the U-S Coast Guard at the time and was called upon to march in the funeral procession through Washington D-C. Anderson says their long march started at the U-S Capitol and went to St. Matthew’s Cathedral.

Anderson says he’ll never forget the simple, solemn beat of the drum all along the procession route.

Photo from U.S. National Archives

Anderson says it was considered a great privilege to be singled out to march in that procession, as the slain president was being laid to rest. He says they repeatedly practiced all of their moves to make sure everything went smoothly.

A guidon (GUY-don) is military term for a flag bearer. It’s estimated that one-million people lined the route of the funeral procession that morning.

(Radio Iowa) – A second Republican on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors is calling on another board member to step down. Earlier this week Jeremy Taylor’s wife, Kim, was convicted of 52 counts of voter fraud when her husband’s name was on the ballot in 2020 and the chairman of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors called on Jeremy Taylor to resign.

Taylor lost in a Republican Primary race for a seat in the U-S House, but won a seat on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in 2020. Fellow Supervisor Daniel Bittinger is the lead pastor at Crosspointe Church in Sioux City.

Bittinger says if Taylor doesn’t resign, he should at least take a leave of absence from the board.

According to Taylor’s biography on Woodbury County’s website, Taylor is currently an energy and environmental specialist for Sioux City Schools and an Iowa National Guard chaplain. He was first elected to the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors in 2014.

(Radio Iowa)  – The preferred design for new Interstate-80 bridges in the Quad Cities has just two lanes for both directions of traffic. Steve Robery (ROH-ber-ee) of the Illinois D-O-T says when his agency and the Iowa D-O-T started the planning process, the expectation was there would be three lanes on both sides.

However, Robery says what he calls an auxiliary lane is part of the plan — along the entire span of both bridges — and to accommodate traffic merging onto or exiting I-80.

The I-80 bridge over the Mississippi opened in 1966. (Photo courtesy of Iowa & Illinois Departments of Transportation.)

The bridge replacement project will cover six miles on I-80, as the interstate passes over the Mississippi River. Construction is projected to start in 2028 or 2029.

(Ames, Iowa) – We’re in the midst of a busy holiday travel season. It is a wonderful time to share meals with loved ones. Often that means sharing the road to get to and from those festive gatherings. The Iowa Department of Transportation says to be as safe as possible, it’s important that we all share a common understanding of basic driving rules. Driver’s education for our kids is great, but for some of us, it’s been a few years since we’ve had that kind of instruction.

One basic rule, and a law in Iowa, says that you should drive on the right side of the road with a few exceptions, like when passing another vehicle. It sounds simple, but drivers moving slowly in the left lane is one of the pet peeves we hear the most about and it can also be dangerous. Keep the peace this holiday season and choose the right lane unless you are passing.

So far this year in Iowa, 330 people have been killed in traffic crashes. That’s an increase of five since last Nov. 17th. In Iowa in 2022, there were 338 traffic-related deaths.

And, with Thanksgiving having come and gone, the Iowa DOT offers-up the Top 10 table manners, to ensure you’ll be invited back next year – https://emilypost.com/advice/top-10-must-know-table-manners

(Des Moines, Iowa via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – State, city and county food inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including insects, moldy salads, and beef that was hauled to a restaurant in buckets from a questionable out-of-state slaughtering operation. One restaurant agreed to close due to the “heavy presence” of cockroaches, and for the 11th time in the past 29 months, state inspectors cited a Des Moines food store for the same violation: failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff to ensure the safe handling of food.

Among the restaurants inspected in western Iowa, was:

• Lincoln’s Pub, 157 W. Broadway, Council Bluffs – During a Nov. 2nd visit, a state inspector cited the eatery for failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff. In addition, there were no date markings on cut lettuce and tomatoes in the pizza kitchen, and no date markings on the meatballs and cream sauce in a walk-in cooler. Also, the interior of the jars holding pickled eggs were adulterated by what appeared to be mold, and so the eggs were discarded. In addition, the interior of the microwave oven was encrusted with food debris, and the inspector observed “what appears to be deceased cockroaches on the floor in the pizza kitchen and dry-storage area near the prep kitchen.” The inspector also reported a buildup of grease and food debris on the exterior of the fryer, the reach-in freezer, the shelves and pizza-preparation table. There was also a buildup of dust and food debris on the floors, walls, and ceilings in the food-preparation kitchen, cook line and pizza kitchen.
• McDonald’s, 912 W. Highway 30, Carroll – During an Oct. 26 visit, a state inspector observed an employee washing their hands without soap, and saw an employee taking out the trash and coming back to the food-preparation line to begin handling food without first washing their hands. One employee returned to the food-preparation area after a visit to the restroom and began helping a customer without first washing their hands. Inside a cooler, the inspector found commercially processed ham that was measured at 56 degrees and commercially processed eggs that were measured at 54 degrees. Both food items were discarded. In addition, the inspector noted that several items on the food-preparation line had no time stamps to ensure freshness. Those items included cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. Several items — including sliced tomatoes and shredded lettuce – inside a cooler were marked with a use-by date of 6:20 a.m., Oct. 25 – although the person in charge stated the items were assembled at 10 a.m. that morning, Oct. 26. The inspector also made note of what appeared to be encrusted food debris inside the “clean” ice cream machine. The inspection was in response to a complaint from a person who alleged they became ill after eating at the restaurant. The inspector deemed the complaint unverified.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level, at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks. The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a “snapshot” in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment.

For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing website.