DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa farmers are putting the finishing touches on the harvest as worries grow about the possibility of a dry 2012. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in the weekly crop report on Monday that nearly all the corn and soybeans have been harvested. Grain moving from farm to elevator is slow, but storage on and off the farm is adequate. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says the lack of moisture is a concern as farmers look ahead to next year. Much of Iowa, except the northwest, had snow last week. The report says over half of northwest Iowa is now considered very short of topsoil and subsoil moisture. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says the statewide average precipitation was about an inch, marking the wettest week in 11 weeks.

Members of the Adair County 4-H organization were honored during an event held Sunday. The Adair County Extension office reports Halee Wallace, of Creston, and Riley Lonsdale, of Greenfield, were named the Top Junior 4-H’ers during an awards ceremony. Halee is the daughter of Doug and Julie Wallace, and is a member of the Richland Royals 4-H Club. Riley is the daughter of Marty and Maureen Lonsdale, and belongs to the Adair County Wing Walkers 4-H Club.

The Top Intermediate honors went to Shelby Soper, of Adair, a member of the Summit Super Stars. She’s the daughter of Clint and Mindy Douglas. Also receiving Top Intermediate honors, was Alyssa Christensen, of Stuart, member of the Jefferson Pioneers, and daughter of Chad and Lisa Christensen.

The Top Senior 4-H member honors went to Lisa Marnin, of Greenfield, and Zach Jorgensen, of Adair. Lisa is the daughter of Allen and Susan Marnin, and a member of the Summerset Citizens. Zach is the son of Paul and Jeanette Jorgensen, and a member of the Summit Super Stars. Both Lisa and Zach have served on the Adair County 4-H Youth Council.

A complete listing of all the 4-H Awards Honorees and photos are available on the Adair County 4-H and Youth Program’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adair-County-4-H-Youth-Programs/278972105717

Area residents and others interested in recreation, wellness, trails and tourism, are invited to attend the next meeting of the Nishna Valley Trails association, on Monday, November 21^st from 6-to 7-p.m., at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church (1101 E. 13^th Street), in Atlantic. During the meeting, there will be updates on the development of trails in Cass County and Atlantic, along with reports on work with city and county partners.

A special item on the agenda will be a presentation by Cass County Wellness Coordinator Denise Coder. Everyone is invited to bring your good ideas and interest in community development, to the session.

(DES MOINES) -On Monday, November 14, 2011, Gov. Terry Branstad will extend a proclamation to allow the transportation of overweight loads of soybeans, corn, hay, straw and stover.  The  proclamation takes effect November 14, 2011, and expires after 14 days. “Many Iowans’ livelihoods depend on a smooth, efficient harvest season,” said Branstad. “I am pleased to extend this proclamation, which will continue to allow the movement of Iowa’s commodities and help Iowa farmers during harvest.”

The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa, excluding the interstate system, and which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code section 321.463 paragraph “5.b”, by more than twelve and one-half percent (12.5%), do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

The action is intended to allow vehicles transporting soybeans, corn, hay, straw, and stover to be overweight, not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight, without a permit, but only for the duration of this proclamation.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is directed to monitor the operation of this proclamation to assure the public’s safety and facilitate the movement of the trucks involved.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the state’s first dove hunting season in nearly a century attracted about 22,000 hunters. The 70-day season began Sept. 1 and ended Wednesday. Dove hunting had been outlawed in Iowa since 1918 but was legalized by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Terry Branstad this year. Efforts to allow the hunting of doves has been emotional in past years, and in 2001 then Gov. Tom Vilsack vetoed a measure approved by the Legislature because he said most Iowans opposed the change. The DNR says it will conduct a survey of the more than 22,000 people who registered as hunters to determine how many actually took part in the hunt and how many doves they killed.

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The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will stock trout in Council Bluffs on Nov. 9, near Spencer on Nov. 12, near Fort Dodge on Nov. 16, in Sioux City on Nov. 17, in Ames on Nov. 18 and in Mason City on Nov. 23. The DNR will release 1,000 rainbow trout in Big Lake at Council Bluffs, 1,500 in Scharnberg Park Pond at Spencer, 1,500 in Mooreland Pond at Fort Dodge, 1,500 in Bacon Creek at Sioux City, 2,200 in Ada Hayden at Ames, and 1,500 in Blue Pit at Mason City. 

The stockings are part of the DNR’s cool weather trout program that brings trout to areas that cannot support them during the summer months.  Trout will be released at 2 p.m. in Big Lake, between 12 and 1 p.m. at Scharnberg Park, 1 p.m. at Moreland Pond, 1 p.m. at Bacon Creek, noon at Ada Hayden and 11 a.m. at Blue Pit.

Anglers will need to have a valid fishing license and pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout.  The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10. Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit.  The child can purchase a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit.

(DNR Press Release)

Lower pheasant numbers are not only hurting the efforts of hunters to find the birds, they are also putting a damper on the economic impact of hunting. D-N-R wildlife technician, Mark McInroy, says sureveys shows hunters spend an average of 125-dollars each day they are out. McInroy says that’s one of the most unfortunate things about the drop, as he says lower bird numbers mean “only the most passionate hunters keep involved” and he says that impacts grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, motels are impacted. Hunting clubs are one alternative for those who want tobe sure they get a bird during their hunt.

Curt Sandahl brings in birds from the Dakotas to stock the Winterset Hunt club. He says it gives the hunters the experience they’re looking for. Sandahl says every day is opening day because the birds haven’t been hunted before and they act like opening day birds. Sandahl also sees an impact from the lower bird numbers, as Iowa’s position as a top pheasant state drops. “Twenty-years ago, every small town hotel was booked for the first three weekends (of the pheasant season) from people from out of state,” Sandahl says. He says South Dakota now has those people from all over the country going to their state to hunt pheasants.

(Radio Iowa)