Johnston, IA – The Iowa National Guard (IANG) recently received three Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, a new series of military vehicles designed for survivability and tactical mobility in combat environments. IANG received its first vehicle in January 2023, and two additional vehicles in June. Weighing in at around 14,000 pounds, the vehicle sports a futuristic exterior with advanced computer technology integrated throughout its structure that makes it uniquely capable to handle heavy loads and protect service members from outside attacks. The JLTV has a touch screen display for maintenance troubleshooting, making it easier for National Guard troops to monitor equipment malfunctions.

The JLTV’s were provided to the Iowa Ordnance Training Center located at Camp Dodge to educate Active Duty, Reserve and National Guard Soldiers in maintaining these vehicles. The technical school offers a variety of sustainment and skill qualification courses, including the seven-week Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic transition course which now includes a dedicated week of instruction on the JLTV. “The capability of this truck is far beyond anything that we’ve had,” said Sgt. 1st Class Bradley Meyer, an IOTC instructor. “It’s fun, it’s exciting to see.”

A Joint Light Tactical Vehicle rests at low suspension while on display at the Camp Dodge Summer Concert Series in Johnston, Iowa, on June 29, 2023. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse)

The introduction of the technologically advanced JLTV into the Army and other U.S. armed forces, including the Marine Corps, is just one indicator of the large-scale modernization efforts taking place throughout the Department of Defense. The vehicle will be operated in addition to the “Humvee,” or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, which the Army has used in training and combat since the 1970s. The Humvee proved to be vulnerable to IED attacks during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars.

The U.S. Army’s Combat Support and Combat Services Support office said the Humvee is suited for its original purpose as a light utility truck and provides useful payload and mobility, but “was never intended to be a combat vehicle.” The Iowa National Guard unveiled the JLTV to the public at the final Summer Concert Series event at Camp Dodge on June 29. Iowans had the opportunity to get a close-up look and learn about the vehicle. The JLTV’s powerful suspension system, viewpoint cameras, automatic fire extinguisher and heated windshield were just some of the features highlighted as people took turns climbing into the driver’s seat.

A community member from nearby Camp Dodge sits inside a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle during a display at the Camp Dodge Summer Concert Series in Johnston, Iowa, on June 29, 2023. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tawny Kruse)

(Iowa DNR News) – Preserve the memory of your child or grandchild hooking their first fish this summer with a special certificate. Print the certificate yourself from an electronic file posted online or request a printed certificate. Apply for a first fish certificate online at www.iowadnr.gov/firstfish. It’s easy and free to participate. There are no size, species or age requirements – only that it is the very first fish the angler has successfully landed.

Family and friends can join in on the celebration by viewing the first catch photos of their kids and other budding anglers on the First Fish webpage once the entry is approved. Give your kids a lifetime of BIG memories this summer. Follow the simple tips for taking kids fishing on the Iowa DNR website at https://www.iowadnr.gov/idnr/Fishing/Fishing-Tips-How-Tos/Taking-Kids-Fishing.

AMES, Iowa – The application window is opening July 17 for the fall 2023 Master Gardener training cohort, which will be offered in 55 counties or extension regions. The training will benefit Iowans wanting to deepen their understanding of gardening and horticulture. Area counties offering fall training include: Adams, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Mills, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor and Union.

Iowans wishing to complete Master Gardener training choose a county to complete training through, participate in online learning modules and attend at least four in-person training sessions organized by the county office. After completing the 10-week training, trainees put their knowledge to work with a 40-hour internship in their training county. Applicants have from July 17 to Aug. 18 to apply for the fall session. Training for the fall session begins Sept. 5. Learn more about the program online or through your county extension office.

Alicia Herzog, Master Gardener statewide coordinator with ISU Extension and Outreach, says “Many people have misconceptions about what the Master Gardener program truly is. The Master Gardener training program is about more than just learning how to grow your best garden, although you will learn that as well. Trainees use knowledge gained in training to grow food for those in need, partner with area organizations to design green spaces and present programs in their local communities.” Master Gardeners are volunteers who use research-based information to educate people and coordinate projects that promote healthy communities.

Master Gardeners embody the slogan “Learn it. Grow it. Teach it.” in their various volunteer roles. Presenting public programs is just one way Master Gardeners impact their communities.

Local extension staff can help anyone with questions about joining Master Gardener training this year, including details of when and where in-person meetings will take place in their county or extension region. Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training for over 40 years, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices.

For more information, Herzog can be reached at 515-294-3627, or aherzog@iastate.edu.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Thursday, said they were notified on July 10th, of a fish kill on the lower Des Moines River. DNR staff from the Fisheries Bureau investigated and found an estimated 20,000 dead shovelnose sturgeon in a 60 mile river stretch from near Ottumwa to Farmington in southeast Iowa. Freshly dead fish collected on July 11 were submitted to Iowa State University for testing. The investigation began with determining the start and end of the fish kill. DNR fisheries staff collected water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels at nine locations along the fish kill path and sampled for ammonia. Using the American Fisheries Society (AFS) guidelines, staff started counting dead fish at bridge accesses and then expanded their count to free-flowing areas.

Mark Flammang, Iowa DNR fisheries biologist, said “We didn’t find low levels of dissolved oxygen or high levels of ammonia which is usually indicative of some sort of spill, so it comes down to high water temperatures coupled with the low flows that we are experiencing at present.  Water temperatures are in the upper 80s and exceed levels known to cause shovelnose sturgeon mortality. It was also limited to shovelnose sturgeon; no other species were impacted.”

Shovelnose sturgeon (IA DNR photo)

Shovelnose sturgeon are relatively abundant below Ottumwa, as many of these fish move from the Mississippi River into this section of the Des Moines River during the spring and summer. “Ottumwa has one of the largest populations of shovelnose sturgeon in the world,” Flammang said. The shovelnose sturgeon population is a unique resource in the Des Moines River. According to Flammang, “Many of these fish are over 40 years old. It will take several years to repopulate this long-living fish.”

The affected section of the Des Moines River has had sizable fish kills over the years caused by low water levels and high water temperatures, with the most recent in 2012.  DNR fisheries staff partnered with Missouri Conservation to research the cause of that kill and learn more about the effects to shovelnose sturgeon populations.

If you see dead or stressed fish at a lake or river, call the DNR’s 24-hour spill line at 515-725-8694 as soon as possible. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of a fish kill and potentially stop a fish kill in progress.

(Radio Iowa) – A professor of women’s and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa says she’s excited for next week’s release of the big budget movie, “Barbie,” that follows the iconic dolls Barbie and Ken as they transition into reality.

The U-I’s Naomi Greyser says she’s intrigued to see how Hollywood introduces Barbie to the real world. “I sort of love that the theme of the movie is she’s exiled from Barbieland because she isn’t perfect, which I feel like is this trend in movies right now, that we feel like we can identify with people’s imperfections,” Greyser says. “Barbie, for such a long time, was seen as too perfect in a way that people started to not identify with her, so it’s an interesting move for Mattel.”

Some early reviews criticize the film for reinforcing stereotypes about ditzy blondes, but others praise the movie for empowering girls and women — and Greyser says she’s fascinated by the pop culture impact. “I feel like they want to market it to people who are really earnest and enjoy the delightfulness of wearing pink,” Greyser says, “and also market it to people who are ironic and critical and want to nod and wink and enjoy Barbie in sort of over-the-top ways, so I feel like it’s kind of both.”

The color pink is prominent in the movie. Practically everything is pink, including Barbie’s clothes, shoes, house, car — and even the sand at the beach. Greyser says pink has meant many different things over the centuries, and color offers help in coding things from social class to values to identity. “Men wore pink to express masculinity in the 19th century, and at that time, pink was gender neutral,” Greyser says. “It was maybe due to the darker colors of military uniforms that darker colors started to be associated with masculinity, and then we saw pink and pastels become associated with femininity.”

A pink triangle, for example, was used in Nazi Germany to identify homosexuals, but it’s since been rebranded by the larger LGBTQ community as a symbol of pride. In the 1950s, pink for girls, blue for boys became popular across Americana, but then morphed and was monetized a few decades later. “Gender color coding took off once prenatal testing let people detect the sex of their babies before birth,” Greyser says. “In the 1980s, people started shopping for babies by gender, and it was a way for people to feel like they were personalizing their nurseries and also a way for companies to make more money by selling millions of different versions of things in different colors.”

She says “real men wear pink” is still a prevalent creedo in some social circles, but the color is also being used by corporations as a point of sale for women, what she calls the “feminization of pink.” “There’s this thing called the Pink Tax, where if you buy the same exact razor in pink instead of in blue, people pay more for it, for some reason, because people pay more for women’s products,” Greyser says, laughing. “So it definitely is not just about the color. It’s also about how corporations and marketers popularize it and spread it and it’s become a much bigger thing.”

Greyser says yes, she played with Barbies as a girl, but her fondest memories of the practice are more about sewing Barbie clothes for the dolls with her mom, and she adds, “My Barbies did -not- end up looking like the Barbies in the movie.”

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) — A Pottawattamie County woman says her toddler tested positive for fentanyl. The suspects include her fiance’s brother and his girlfriend. 18-year-old Megan Harris, from Council Bluffs, told KETV in Omaha that she knew 20-year-old Charlie Stokes and her boyfriend, 22-year-old Alejandro Hernandez, Jr., were recovering drug addicts, but she thought they had gotten clean. Instead, the two are facing felony charges of Child Endangerment, to which they have pleaded not guilty.

Harris said she worries her 1-year-old may have permanent damage. The doctors aren’t sure if the boy will have long-lasting effects from the drug. Her baby, “Junior,” was born early and was in the NICU. Hernandez, Jr., and Stokes are set to appear in court again, next month.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Fair is underway through Monday, in Harlan. Today’s schedule of activities/events include:

7:00 a.m……………………All Exhibitor Breakfast by Agriland FS
7:45 a.m……………………Swine Exhibitors Meeting
8:00 a.m……………………Judge 4-H/FFA Swine
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m….Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
12:30 p.m………………….Rabbit Agility Exhibitor’s Meeting
1:00 p.m……………………4-H Rabbit Agility – Tent
2:45 p.m……………………4-H Working Exhibitors’ Meeting
3:00 p.m……………………4-H Working Exhibits – Tent
3:00 – 6:00 p.m…………..Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
4:00 – 4:30 p.m…………..Strolling Act – ‘The Flying Debris Show’
4:00 p.m……………………Carnival
5:00 – 5:30 p.m…………..Strolling Act – ‘The Flying Debris Show’
6:00 p.m………………….Double S Extreme Bull Riding (horse arena)
8:00 – 8:30 p.m…………..Strolling Act – ‘The Flying Debris Show’
8:30 p.m………………….Concert – ‘Casey Muessigmann’
Dark……………………….Fireworks Show – Shooting off North of Grandstands
4-H & Open Class Buildings open 10:00 AM.- 9:00 PM

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon County Fair is currently underway. The Fair wraps-up Sunday. There are still many activities and events taking place the next few days. Today’s schedule includes:

7:30 AM Clover Kids Swine Show
4-H/FFA Swine Show
9:00 AM Judging Open Class Static & Antiques Entries
10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horse Show
3:00 PM Cornhole Tournament-Livestock Pavilion
4:00 PM-9:00 PM Inflatable Attractions
5:00 PM Clover Kids Rabbit Show
4-H/FFA & Open Rabbit Show
5:00 PM Pork Feed – Hoop
7:30 PM Figure Eight Races

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Fair continues through Sunday. Here’s a look at today’s schedule of events/activities: