Shelby County will host a Fumigation Continuing Instructional Course for commercial pesticide applicators on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013. The program will be shown at locations across Iowa through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Pest Management and the Environment program.

The local site for the Nov. 19 CIC is 906 6th St., Harlan. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. followed by sessions from 9 to 11 a.m. The registration fee is $35 on or before Nov. 12 and $45 after Nov. 12. To register or to obtain additional information about the CIC, contact the Shelby County Extension and Outreach office in by phoning 712-755-3104.

The 2013 course will provide continuing instructional credit for commercial pesticide applicators certified in categories 7C (Fumigation) and 10 (Demonstration and Research). The course will cover topics including safe handling of phosphine, pest identification, effective grain fumigation, and laws and regulations.

Additional information and registration forms for this and other courses offered through the PME Program can be accessed at www.extension.iastate.edu/PME.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa tourism officials are using the Internet to help determine the cover of the state’s next travel guide. The Iowa Tourism Office says people can vote between three cover options on the department’s Facebook page. The photos were chosen from more than 600 images submitted by people. The guide is Iowa’s trip-planning publication. It lists from more than 700 attractions, 750 hotels, 200 bed and breakfasts and 350 campgrounds.

The covers either show one destination or several. They range from an image of motorcycling in the Loess Hills to an image of tubing on the Mississippi River. People have until Friday to vote. The winning cover will be announced on Nov. 12. The new guide will be available in early 2014.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers finally caught up this week as favorable weather for harvest put them ahead of the normal for the first time this growing season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says 75 percent of corn in Iowa is now harvested, 4 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Some corn has higher moisture content than desirable for storage and farmers are leaving it in the field to allow it to further dry. Drying corn with propane-powered dryers increases cost and cuts into profits.

Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says limited propane supply also is creating challenges. The soybean harvest is 95 percent complete, four days ahead of normal. Nationally, 73 percent of corn is harvested, better than 71 percent average and soybeans are at 86 percent, which is near the average.

Members of all 15 4-H Clubs in Cass County will gather Sunday afternoon at the Cass County Community Center, for the County 4-H Convention. The annual awards program begins at 2-p.m., and is being organized by the 2012-2013 4-H Youth Council and Youth Action Committee.

At County Convention, members and leaders of the 4-H clubs in Cass County will be presented on stage to receive recognition. Record book projects will be announced and recognition given to those members who did outstanding work. In addition, local club leaders will be honored for their service to the 4-H program, with special recognition being given to 4-H clubs for outstanding community service projects and other activities.

Parents, relatives and friends are invited to attend the event for Cass County 4-H members and leaders, during which the final activity for the day will be the installation ofthe  2013-2014 Cass County 4-H Youth Council. Current members of the Council include Hannah Ankenbauer, Katie Aupperle, Stephanie Freund, Luke Frisbie, Emily Jacobsen, Heather Reyna, and Haley Schmidt.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released the latest version of its Water Summary, a look at drought conditions, precipitation values, and stream flows. Officials say rainfall during the month of October was slightly above normal, at 2.79 inches, as compared to normal October precipitation of 2.61 inches. However, more months of consistently above normal rainfall are needed to reduce drought conditions before the 2014 growing season.

The most significant groundwater concerns are in a band through the middle of the state with the driest areas in Boone, Calhoun and Webster counties. The lowest streamflow conditions are in the Skunk and Chariton River watersheds. With the exception of a swath of area stretching southeastward from Carroll through Guthrie, Madison, the eastern half of Adair and Union Counties, most streams in the KJAN listening area are at normal flow, according to the DNR.

Precipitation across southwest Iowa was at or above normal for the month, with the exception of a few counties to the south of Cass, where it was 50-to 75-percent below normal. Here in Atlantic, we received 3.95-inches for the month of October, which was well above the normal 2.76-inches.

The latest Drought Monitor from the National Drought Mitigation Center shows with the exception of central and western Pottawattamie County, most counties in the KJAN listening area either still abnormally dry, or in a moderate drought. In Atlantic, we’re still about 5-inches shy of normal precipitation for the year-to-date. Shallow groundwater across the area is at or near seasonal lows.

************

For graphical maps of the drought situation, surf to http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/geology/10.31.13%20WSU2.pdf

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Thursday, authorized County Engineer Charles Marker to work with County Attorney Dan Feistner, to draft a Resolution it’s hoped will put a little more “bite” into a State law penalizing those who use 4-wheel drive vehicles to tear up County dirt roads after it rains.

Supervisor Chuck Rieken is upset about the condition of the dirt roads, which are primarily used by farmers to transport the crops from their fields at harvest time. The roads are often torn-up by off-road vehicles soon after it rains. He first asked Engineer Charles Marker if there was anything the County could do about the acts of vandalism. More specifically, he asked if there was any way the County could create a resolution that would make the culprits pay a stiff fines for destroying roads the County has to spend time and money on by grading once the roads dry out.

Marker said the Code of Iowa allows Counties to take action against persons who intentionally destroy County property. He said there is a statute on the books about damage to a county or public road, that allows fines to be levied, but citizens who see such acts occurring need to be willing to report those incidents and be willing to testify to what they saw.

Rieken said seeing a vehicle traveling through town covered in mud is not enough evidence to prosecute those individuals. Someone must see the act taking place, take down a license plate and report it immediately to the authorities. Sheriff Darby McLaren said a Resolution from the County would help in prosecuting those responsible, once they are caught. He said it would be difficult to prosecute them using the State statute alone. A County resolution of support he said, would add more clout to the State law, and show the County is serious in making those responsible pay for the crime.

Iowa Congressman Steve King — one of the negotiators in congress trying to strike a final Farm Bill deal — is pushing for that deal to include one of his ideas. The so-called “King Amendment” would bar one state from imposing production standards on agricultural products that come from another state. “California passed a law…that mandates that beginning 2015 no eggs be brought into or sold in the state unless they are laid by hens that are raised in facilities that are effectively double the infrastructure costs to our producers,” King says.

That California law, passed as the result of a statewide referendum in 2008, requires cages to be large enough to allow egg-laying hens to stand and spread their wings. Iowa is the nation’s top egg-producing state and, according to King, California’s law would effectively prohibit Iowa eggs from being sold there.  “The commerce clause in the constitution prohibits trade protectionism between the states,” King says. Some states have or are considering regulating the size of the pens or crates in which pigs and calves are raised and King’s proposal could deal with those as well.

Critics, like Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader, say the “King Amendment” violates state’s rights. “Another state from outside of your jurisdiction, your home state, can basically decide to low-ball you, do all sorts of hybrid practices that can harm your community economically, maybe public health wise and you have no recourse,” Schrader says. California Congressman Jeff Denham says state laws that regulate the sale of raw milk or how diseases in livestock herds are managed could be nullified by the “King Amendment.”

“The amendment takes away important authorities from states and gives them exclusively to the federal government,” Denham says. “The 10th amendment of the U.S. Constitution firmly establishes states’ rights.” King says his proposal ensures there is “free trade” among the 50 states. “We need to draw the line now, while we still can,” King says. The Senate version of the Farm Bill that passed on a bipartisan vote in June does not include King’s proposal and the chair of the Senate Ag Committee opposes it, too.

Groups representing fire fighters object to King’s amendment, saying it could prevent state regulation of cigarettes since tobacco is an agricultural product. King counters his idea will protect the nation’s farmers from an emerging patchwork of state regulations.

(Radio Iowa)

Andrea Farrior and Chris Parks talk about the latest information from the Atlantic Animal Shelter.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

w/ Dr. Keith Leonard

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

w/ Denny Heflin

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS