CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Iowa Agribusiness Network!
CLICK HERE for the latest market quotes from the Brownfield Ag News Network!
Campers looking to reserve a campsite at an Iowa state park with electricity for Memorial Day weekend are nearly out of luck. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says to date, Clear Lake State Park has one site, Marble Beach has two and Pilot Knob has eight. Officials say the Wilson Island State Recreation Area near Missouri Valley, is open for day use only. Once construction begins, the DNR expects to close the park completely.
Kevin Szcodronski, chief of State Parks Bureau for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the Memorial Day weekend has traditionally been the kick off to summer with campgrounds filled to capacity. Campers without sites should arrive as early as possible and may want to have a back up park in case all the sites are taken. He said also that campers should plan to go through their equipment before hitting the park to prevent any surprises. It’s also good to review campground rules and etiquette, like getting firewood locally, watching the noise level after quiet hours and picking up after yourself.
Tips
· Keep track of the weather and have a plan in case of severe weather
· Plan to arrive as early in the day to set up the site, look for potential problems and avoid those areas
· Prepare ingredients for meals before leaving home for less time cooking and more time playing
· Bug spray, sun screen and a basic first-aid kit are must haves
· Check the registration kiosk for activities in the area
· Don’t burn trash
· Don’t bring fireworks
· Be a good neighbor. Observe quiet hours and pick up after yourself
Firewood
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood. The rules were added to prevent the spread of invasive species. The rules only apply to firewood sold and acquired in Iowa.
The rule also requires the Iowa DNR to collect firewood from campers that does not have a label.
Park Updates are available at:
www.iowadnr.gov/Destinations/StateParksRecAreas/ClosureInformation.aspx
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are warning spring paddlers to be wary of cold water and debris piled on by full streams. The state Department of Natural Resources says the water may still be ice cold despite the warm temperatures. They encourage paddlers to have a wetsuit and a change of dry clothes until the water truly warms up.
Recent rains have also caused streams near bank full. Water is flowing fast, and high water has collected debris like trees and limbs. They’ve been deposited at the base of bridge pilings and the outside of tight bends in the river. Officials say good boat control skills and navigation is important to remaining safe while paddling.
The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says NO OPENING BURNING is allowed in the County today (Tuesday, May 14th), due to the extremely dry and forecast windy conditions. Officials have bumped the grassland and field fire danger index into the “EXTREME” category for today. The fire danger rating was listed Monday, as “High.”
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for the listening area though late this evening. Officials say Red Flag Warnings are not common in the Midwest, therefore when one is received, the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency will put the Fire Danger index into the Extreme category, and no open burning is permitted.
If you see smoke please report it immediately so fire suppression can take place while the fire is small. For those that find themselves near a fire, explosive fire growth is expected – make sure you are in a safe location and report fires immediately.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa farmers hope to catch up on field work and get more corn and soybeans planted this week after several weeks of rain delay. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says in a report released Monday that only 15 percent of the corn crop is in the ground, which is well behind the five-year Iowa average of 79 percent. This is the first spring in 20 years that less than 20 percent of the corn acres were planted by May 12.
Just one-percent of soybeans acres are planted well behind the five-year average of 30 percent. The good news is soil moisture has been replenished with 95 percent of topsoil rated adequate or with a surplus. About 76 percent of Iowa’s subsoil has adequate moisture or a surplus.
COUNTIES: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE–
355 AM CDT TUE MAY 14 2013
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING FOR BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS…SOMEWHAT DRY FUELS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR MUCH OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND SOUTHWEST IOWA. THE FIRE WEATHER WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* WIND…SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO AROUND 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 25 MPH OR HIGHER THIS AFTERNOON.
* HUMIDITY…SEVERAL HOURS OF WITH RELATIVE HUMIDITY BELOW 20 PERCENT IS POSSIBLE.
* IMPACTS…ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A RED FLAG WARNING MEANS THAT CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EITHER OCCURRING NOW…OR WILL SHORTLY. A COMBINATION OF STRONG WINDS…LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY…AND WARM TEMPERATURES WILL CREATE EXPLOSIVE FIRE GROWTH POTENTIAL.
The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers to help plant flower beds in the downtown City Park and downtown area. The Atlantic Beautification Team is set to plant flower beds this Thursday, May 16th, at 4 p.m. with the help of their new Adopt-A-Bed Partners and many additional volunteers. Steering committee member Emily Kennedy says they have secured nearly 20 businesses, organizations, 4-H Clubs and individuals to adopt the flower beds and help volunteers to maintain them, but additional volunteers are still encouraged to sign up to help with the planting, as they have in the past.
If you would like to lend a hand, contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017, or e-mail chamber@atlanticiowa.com. Volunteers will be assigned a bed to plant, and will need to sign up in advance to find out the location for planting night. Volunteers are also needed to haul flowers, mulch and equipment during the day preceding the planting. Materials used will be preset at each corner, with help needed in getting those items to the proper location.
Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own shovels, gloves, rakes and any other equipment they like to plant with.
The National Weather Service in Valley, NE, says today’s Grassland Fire Danger Category in eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, is Very High.
The next two days will be hot and dry, leaving conditions for rapid fire development extremely high. If you plan to burn remember to plan ahead and take all necessary precautions as winds and low humidity levels will create conditions for fast and out of control fires.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS