LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Farmers in Nebraska and Iowa whose cropland has been covered all summer by Missouri River floodwaters can get help dealing with the damage to their land. Experts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and Iowa State University Extension are planning a Sept. 12 workshop for farmers. The event from 9:30 a.m. to noon will be broadcast to 14 different locations along the river in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota that day.

Some flood damage, like erosion and sand deposits, will be obvious once the floodwaters recede. But some damage to the soil won’t be so easy to see or repair. Experts from both universities will offer advice on dealing with flood damage, and farmers will have an opportunity to ask questions. Details are available online at http://flood.unl.edu or http://bit.ly/qBTnfF .

CLOVIS, N.M. (AP) – With a surplus of hay in Iowa and a shortage in the southwest, a Clovis, New Mexico, pastor is working to bring hay to area farmers and ranchers in need. Pastor Bonita Knox with the Trinity Lutheran Church says they’re gauging the need. Knox says the issue of moving surplus hay to shortage areas came up when an Iowa farmer was seated next to a Texas rancher during a mid-August nationwide gathering of Lutherans in Florida. The conversation grew to a plan, now known as “Hay Lift.”

Knox says she jumped at the chance to include the Eastern Plains in the relief effort. Now Knox is putting out a call to the community to tell her how much hay is needed so that she can report back by Tuesday morning.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Council Bluffs has reopened its entrance to a pedestrian bridge over the Missouri River to Nebraska. The city closed off access to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in early July due to safety issues. The Missouri River was at a record flood level for weeks but has been receding. The bridge was reopened at the Iowa side on Saturday. The 3,000-foot bridge’s entrance in Omaha has remained open.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Authorities have reopened stretches of the Missouri River in South Dakota, Nebraska and Missouri to boat traffic. The Coast Guard announced Saturday that the river is open from just below Gavins Point Dam in Yankton, S.D., to the southern border of Ponca State Park in Nebraska. The river is also open to boats from St. Louis to about 10 miles upriver from Kansas City, Mo. The river has been closed to boat traffic for months amid record flooding.

The Coast Guard warns that the river remains high and boaters should use caution, particularly near levees.

The Council Bluffs entrance to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge and major portions of the Council Bluffs Trails System will reopen to the public at 8:00 a.m., Saturday, September 3^rd.  These areas have been closed due to flooding.  To ensure these and other sections can be safely used by the public, the City is closing its trails at dark and advising users to be especially cautious when using the trails. 

Although the majority of these trails are in excellent condition, visitors should remain alert to their surroundings and the trail’s surface.  The trails along the Missouri River, Indian Creek and Mosquito Creek were especially impacted by the flood.  Users of these trails may find sections to be worn and uneven.  In other locations, trail users will encounter pipe crossing.  These are necessary to accommodate the pumping which will continue along the levee for some time.  Bicyclists and pedestrians are advised to proceed slowly and with caution in these areas. 

Additionally, the ongoing security, maintenance, inspections and potential construction activities associated with the levees will significantly increase the normal vehicle traffic on the levee trails.  As a result, users must be alert to encountering vehicles along the trails. Although the majority of the Council Bluffs trails will reopen on Saturday, some sections cannot be opened to the public until the river level recedes.  The trail sections that remain closed are: 

• The Riverfront Trail from Harrahs to the Western Trail Center
• The Manawa Trail from Redtail Road to the Iowa West Trail Head Park
• The Big Lake Trail

For further information, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 712-328-4650.

Cass County: Corn $7.35, Beans $13.87

Adair County: Corn $7.32, Beans $13.90

Adams County: Corn $7.32, Beans $13.86

Audubon County: Corn $7.34, Beans $13.89

East Pottawattamie County: Corn $7.38, Beans $13.87

Guthrie County: Corn $7.37, Beans $13.91

Montgomery County: Corn $7.37, Beans $13.89

Shelby County: Corn $7.38, Beans $13.87

Oats $3.09 (always the same in all counties)

A farmer from Pottawattamie County was elected President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Thursday. The ICGA and Iowa Corn Promotion Board says Kevin Ross of Minden, was elected to the top executive position for the organization. and

Ross is corn, soybean, and cow-calf producer and has been a member of the ICGA Board since 2008. During his tenure on the board, Ross has served on a number of committees ranging from ethanol to animal agriculture to membership and check-off.

Officials with the USDA report the Atlantic Food Pantry and Hamburg area will receive a total of 1,176-pounds of non-perishable goods, thanks to the efforts of the local  FSA, NRCS and Rural Development area offices. Cass/Audubon County Management Unit District Conservationist David York says half of the food collected (588-pounds) will go to the Atlantic Food Pantry, the other half will be delivered to the Hamburg area by Rural Development Employees. Those items will be distributed to victims of the Missouri River flood.

The goods were collected as part of the recently concluded “Feds Feed Families” event. USDA agencies across the nation were asked to participate in the event and collect non-perishable food items to donate to their local food pantries. Items collected include non-perishable food items such as fruits and vegetables, baby food, personal care items such as shampoo and soap, diapers, and bottled water.

Monica Robinson, program technician with FSA, and Kara Conn, RH technician with Rural Development were the leaders of this effort.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a brutally hot July and a relatively dry summer have caused a moderate to severe drought in about a third of Iowa and have lowered expectations for the state’s corn crop. Crop yield predictions are down, and some lawns, particularly in southeast Iowa, have yellowed without adequate rain. The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicted early last month that Iowa would average 177 bushels of corn per acre, down from 182 bushels in 2009 but higher than the 165 bushels per acre last year. But the continued lack of rain has prompted some private forecasters to drop the projection for Iowa’s corn yields to as low as 164 bushels per acre.

WASHINGTON (AP) – Ten companies are recalling 2 million bottles and jugs of the gel fuel used in outdoor decorations known as firepots because of the risk of serious burns. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the gel fuel has been linked to several dozen injuries when users could not tell whether the flame was extinguished. Pouring more gel on a burning pot can lead to dangerous flares or burns.

The companies recalling gel fuel are: Bird Brain Inc. of Ypsilanti, Mich.; Bond Manufacturing of Antioch, Calif.; Sunjel Company of Milwaukee; Fuel Barons Inc. of Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Lamplight Farms Inc, of Menomonee Falls, Wis.; Luminosities Inc. of St. Paul, Minn.; Marshall Group of Elkhart, Ind.; Pacific Decor Ltd. of Woodinville, Wash.; Real Flame of Racine, Wis.; Smart Solar USA of Oldsmar, Fla.