(Radio Iowa) – The C-E-O and manager of the Iowa State Fair is retiring. Gary Slater is a Missouri native who served as manager of the Missouri State Fair and the World Pork Expo before taking the top job at the Iowa State Fair 21 years ago. During his tenure, the Fair topped the one million attendance mark, saw multiple upgrades and changes to the buildings on the grounds, and led it through the pandemic cancellation in 2021.

Slater released a statement saying it has been “an honor of a lifetime to lead the Iowa State Fair.” Slater says his retirement comes with the Fair in a good place, having returned to pre-pandemic revenue levels, and he looks forward to spending more time with his family.

Gary Slater near the end of the 2022 Iowa State Fair. (RI photo)

(Radio Iowa) – The corn and bean harvest moved ahead quickly last week. The U-S-D-A report shows the beans in the bin went from 26 percent two weeks to 55 percent last week. The bean harvest had been one day behind the five-year average, but is now nine days ahead of that mark. The amount of corn pulled from the fields more than doubled from 11 percent two weeks ago, to 23 percent this past week.

The corn harvest is three days behind average. The corn condition rose slightly to 63 percent good to excellent.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation is hosting their 7th Biennial Lighted Halloween Campground, on October 22nd. The event takes place from 7-until 9-p.m., at Cold Springs Park in Lewis. The Lighted Halloween Campground is meant to be a great. non-scary, Family Friendly and FREE, drive into the night!

Prizes will be for the top three voted sites, and for some special categories. Prizes are donated by event sponsor, Cappel’s Ace Hardware. The LHC event will be cancelled if there is inclement weather.

Fall colors are starting to pop!  Jim Field shares information from the Iowa DNR Fall Colors Report.

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• KJAN, Atlantic  .44″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .26″
• Massena  .41″
• Elk Horn  .3″
• Anita  .27″
• Audubon  .44″
• Bridgewater  .4″
• Villisca  .29″
• Corning  .41″
• Oakland  .39″
• Red Oak  .48″
• Carroll  .39″
• Clarinda  .4″
• Creston  .32″

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Supreme Court has heard more tha two hours of legal arguments over a California law that would impact Iowa farmers raise pigs. A California law approved in 2018 would require that bacon, ham and other pork products sold in that state come from operations that provide at least 24 square feet of space for every pregnant sow. The American Farm Bureau and the National Pork Producers Council sued to block the law. The groups say nearly all sows are kept in pens that do not comply with California’s standard.

Justice Neil Gorsuch asked whether it’s the job of the courts to balance the concerns of Iowa’s farmers against the moral concerns of Californians. Justice Samuel Alito suggested California was bullying other states because of its large population. The Biden Administration’s representative before the court told the justices California’s law is an unreasonable restriction on interstate commerce because it regulates animals that are not in California.

(Radio Iowa) – Tyson CEO Donnie King was in Dakota Dunes this afternoon to address employees at that facility after the company announced they are closing the Dunes corporate headquarters in the next few months.

Workers must decide if they will move to Springdale, Arkansas to work at the company’s main headquarters or leave Tyson. Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott and chamber president Chris McGowan say they were not given access to speak with King about the decision.

Scott said at the end of Monday night’s Sioux City council meeting the move is tough for the Siouxland area.”It’s going to have a terrible impact. To lose 580 employees in this area is really tough to swallow,” he says.

Scott hopes the tri-state governors will try to intervene in Tyson’s decision. “I would like to think that we have three governors whose communities are going to be terribly, adversely affected by this — that they would get together, and go see the people at Tyson, write letters, do whatever,” Scott said. “But take the lead on this, because they are not going to listen to local communities, and it’s terribly important that we don’t lose those jobs.”

A Tyson statement says that details of what King told the employees at a 1:30 p.m. meeting would not be released. News media were not allowed access to the Tyson CEO during his visit.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering a comprehensive program to teach skills needed to hunt upland game. This program is geared towards women 18 years of age and older who have had little to no upland bird hunting experience. The workshop is also an excellent opportunity for women looking to return to the field and build a network of female upland hunters.

The program includes a classroom portion and a field portion. The classroom portion is scheduled for Nov. 18, from 6-8 p.m., at the Olofson Shooting Range, in Polk City. Participants will learn about the proper equipment, places to hunt, safe shooting practices, and how to field dress, butcher and cook pheasants. The event also includes mentored hunts on Nov. 19 and Dec. 10, at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, near Prairie City. “For women interested in the challenge of upland hunting as a means of sourcing their own protein, this program provides the opportunity to learn the skills and knowledge it takes to do it all yourself,” said Jamie Cook, program coordinator with the Iowa DNR.

The cost for the program is $45. Participants will receive a hat, vest and a Pheasants Forever membership provided by the Northern Polk Pheasants Forever Chapter. Space is limited so early registration is encouraged. For more information and to begin the registration process, go to http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=dep4qyuab&oeidk=a07ej9evnm1668f8d0b

The program is provided through a partnership with the Iowa DNR and Pheasants Forever. It is part of a national effort to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters due to the overall decline in hunting and outdoor recreation.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Eighteen lakes across Iowa are gearing up to receive trout this fall. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will release between 1,000 to 2,000 rainbow trout at each location as part of its cool weather trout program that brings trout to areas that cannot support them during the summer months.  “Grab your neighbors, friends and kids and try trout fishing this fall,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR Fisheries Bureau. “It’s time well spent. The fish are here, easy to catch and good to eat.”

The fall community trout stockings are a great place to take kids to catch their first fish. A small hook with a night crawler or corn under a small bobber or small simple spinners such as a Panther Martin or Mepps is all you need to get in on the fun. Bringing trout to cities and towns offers a “close to home” option for Iowans who might not travel to northeast Iowa to discover trout fishing. A family friendly event is often paired with the stocking to help anglers have success and fun while fishing.

The popular program is supported by the sales of the trout fee. Anglers need 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.

2022 Fall Community Trout Stocking Schedule

Oct. 19, Heritage Pond, Dubuque, 3 p.m.

Oct. 19, North Prairie Lake, Cedar Falls, 3 p.m.

Oct. 20, Moorland Pond, Fort Dodge, 1 p.m.

Oct. 20, Sand Lake, Marshalltown, 1 p.m.

Oct. 21, Liberty Centre Pond, North Liberty, 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 21, Ottumwa Park Pond, Ottumwa, 10:30 a.m.

Oct. 22, Discovery Park, Muscatine, 9:30 a.m.

Oct. 22, East Lake Park Pond, Mount Pleasant, 10 a.m.

Oct. 22, Wilson Lake, Fort Madison, 11 a.m.

Oct. 24, Bacon Creek, Sioux City, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 27, Lake Petocka, Bondurant, Noon

Oct. 27, Terra Lake, Johnston, Noon

Oct. 28, Triumph Park West, Waukee 11:30 a.m.

Oct. 28, Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake, Ames, Noon

Oct. 28, Big Lake, Council Bluffs, 2:30 p.m.

Nov. 5, Scharnberg Pond, Spencer, 12:30 p.m.

Nov. 18, Prairie Park (Cedar Bend), Cedar Rapids, 10 a.m.

Nov. 23, Blue Pit, Mason City, 11 a.m.

Find more information about trout fishing in community lakes on the DNR trout fishing webpage.