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Women Managing Farmland Program in Atlantic September 3

Ag/Outdoor, News

August 20th, 2024 by Jim Field

Four Women Managing Farmland Forums and Annie’s Project 20th Anniversary Celebrations will be offered across the state the first week of September. Cass County Extension will host the Southwest Iowa location on Sept. 3 in Atlantic. Other dates and locations include Sept. 4 in Iowa City, Sept. 5 in West Union and Sept. 6 in Storm Lake. All events are FREE to attend and feature a complimentary meal and full day of education. Pre-registration is required for meals and materials.

Targeted to any women involved in the agriculture industry, these one-day regional forums are a valuable opportunity to refresh your conservation, leasing and estate management skills while networking with other women in agriculture. Topics will include soil erosion and water management, landowner responsibilities and the economics of farmland, as well as trusts, taxes and succession planning.

Women of all ages make important decisions about land leasing, conservation practices and transition and estate plans. The forums are designed to help attendees meet their long-term farmland management goals. By combining strategies, women can create equitable farmland leasing, adoption of conservation practices and efficiencies in transitions to next generation farmers.

Well over 3,000 Iowa women have completed Annie’s Project or Annie’s Inspired multi-session farm management courses since 2004. Nearly 1,000 women participated in Women in Ag Leadership conferences since 2017. The changes these women made not only benefited their families, farms, and agribusinesses, but also contributed to a stronger Iowa agricultural system through financially stable businesses, improved conservation practices and closer community networks.

The forums are a thank-you to all those who made Annie’s Project a successful program in Iowa and a welcome to all those who haven’t yet participated. Over the noon hour, there will be a pictorial slide show celebrating and honoring the contributions and milestones of Iowa women in agriculture over the past twenty years.

Did you know …

  • The number of Iowa women farmers counted in the USDA Census of Agriculture increased from 27,258 in 2002, to 50,263 in 2022?
  • The percentage of women enrolled in Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences increased from 43% in Fall 2003, to 59% in Fall 2023?

Each regional forum will be slightly different. Doors for the Cass County event on September 3 open at 9:30 AM. We will start our morning with refreshments, time for networking, and resource tables for participants to visit while they connect. Over the lunch hour we will celebrate 20 years of Annie’s Project and Women in Ag programming in Iowa. Wrap up the day with fun door prize giveaways and leave refreshed with new information and new connections in ag!

Registration is free and required so that everyone has a chair and a lunch. Local agendas and online registration can be found at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag.  Sign up today and save your seat at this fun and informational event to celebrate and connect local women in ag!

This program is financially supported by a USDA NIFA Critical Agriculture Research and Education grant (2021-68008-34180) and a Farm Credit Services of America gift through the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag program.

Pre-Season IATC Cross Country Rankings Released

Sports

August 20th, 2024 by Jim Field

The Iowa Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches 2024 pre-season rankings of individual runners is out.  Here is a look at area runners who open the season in the ratings.

GIRLS CLASS 1-A

  • 5. Kylie Rochholz, Panorama
  • 9. Ava Campbell, AC/GC
  • 12. Madison Sporrer, Logan-Magnolia
  • 22. Allysen Johnson, Logan-Magnolia
  • 30. Hannah Wilson, Fremont-Mills

GIRLS CLASS 2-A

  • 5. Raenna Henke, Clarinda
  • 8. Hailey Egbert, Shenandoah

GIRLS CLASS 3-A

  • 2. Lindsey Sonderman, Harlan
  • 4. Grace Berglund, Glenwood
  • 17. Lola Mendlik, Denison-Schleswig

GIRLS CLASS 4-A

  • 26. Delayna Reese, Lewis Central

BOYS CLASS 1-A

  • 6. Gunner Wagner, Woodbine
  • 8. Parker Heisterkamp, St. Albert
  • 17. Dane Gorham, Boyer Valley
  • 19. Gavin Sloss, AC/GC
  • 22. Brennan Boden, Tri-Center
  • 24. Brody Henderson, Riverside

BOYS CLASS 2-A

  • 5. Kyle Wagoner, Clarinda
  • 20. Emmanuel Grass, Red Oak

BOYS CLASS 4-A 

  • 13. Kevin Coots, Lewis Central

Iowa DOT to spend $8M to fix a NW Iowa trail that was washed out by flood

News

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Emergency repairs are underway to stabilize a flood-damaged pedestrian trail in the Sioux City metro area. Jessica Felix, an engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says the agency plans to spend about eight-million dollars to make repairs to the trail along the Big Sioux River and Interstate 29.

She estimates flooding caused 22-million dollars damage to the primary roadway system in northwest Iowa, which doesn’t include county or city costs. Felix says the rugged terrain makes work on this project very challenging.

The emergency repairs are expected to be finished this fall, and Felix says part of the trail could reopen for pedestrians next year. With flooding throughout northwest Iowa, she says people need to stay out of construction zones and not go around barricades. Violators could face a $10,000 fine and jail time.

GARY BERGSTROM, 81, of Lincoln, NE, formerly of Griswold (8-24-2024)

Obituaries

August 20th, 2024 by Jim Field

GARY BERGSTROM, 81, of Lincoln, NE, longtime former Griswold teacher and coach, died Wednesday July 31, 2024 at his home.  A celebration of life for GARY BERGSTROM will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Griswold Community Center in Griswold.

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Family requests donations be made to the Griswold Sports Boosters at Griswold High School, 20 Madison St, C/O Sports Boosters, Griswold, IA, 51535.

NOEL THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENT OF THE JACK TRICE ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP

Sports

August 20th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State senior wide receiver Jaylin Noel is this year’s recipient of the Jack Trice Endowed Scholarship.

The scholarship has been awarded annually to a Black student-athlete on the football team who is entering his senior year. The recipient, selected by head football coach Matt Campbell, is a student-athlete who portrays courage, character, selflessness, leadership, dedication to the community, and academic/athletic achievement, all traits of Trice.

“It is an honor to receive this year’s Jack Trice Endowed Scholarship,” Noel said. “This honor does not only represent the work I have put in to become the leader I am today, but it shows the support and continuous care this university and football program have given to allow me to become the man I am today. To be able to represent a person like Jack Trice, who has opened pathways for young men like myself, is a true blessing. This scholarship represents courage, leadership, character and selflessness. All being traits I will continue to uphold my whole life just as Mr. Trice did!”

Noel, the third recipient of the scholarship, is majoring in communications. He earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2022 and is a three-time member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll in addition to being one of the league’s most reliable receivers in 2023 on his way to earning Second Team All-Big 12 accolades.

The Kansas City, Missouri, native had 66 receptions for 820 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior in 2023. In his career, Noel was the third-fastest player in school history to 100 receptions and he enters his final season with 165 catches and 10 receiving touchdowns.

Jack Trice Endowed Scholarship Recipients

2021 – Anthony Johnson Jr.

2022 – Anthony Johnson Jr.

2023 – Gerry Vaughn

2024 – Jaylin Noel

Iowa State’s T.J. Otzelberger on expectations

Sports

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State basketball coach T.J. Otzelberger says his players are prepared to handle massive expectations heading into next season as they return to campus. The Cyclones return their top four scorers from last year’s team that won the Big 12 Tournament title and made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

Otzelberger says progress during the season was a key for that team and it will be again.

Otzelberger says reaching a team’s potential is a mix of patience and a sense of urgency.

Expansion plans for baby formula factory in southern Iowa

News

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The co-founder of the company operating a baby formula factory in southern Iowa says there’s an opportunity for significant growth in production capacity and the workforce at the plant in Allerton. Ron Belldegrun is C-E-O of ByHeart, which bought the DairiConcepts plant in Allerton after using the facility in 2019 during trials of its new recipe for baby formula.

Baby formula recalls and subsequent shortages in 2022 highlighted the fact that three companies controlled 90 percent of the market. ByHeart’s production of baby formula began in March of 2022. It bought the Allerton plant in 2023.

ByHeart uses whole milk from grass-fed cows and other ingredients in the powder that’s currently produced in Allerton, but canned and packaged at a facility in Pennsylvania. Belldegrun says ByHeart invested very heavily in the Allerton plant to make it a state of the art baby formula factory and there are now 100 people employed at the facility.

ByHeart, which owns plants in Pennsylvania and Oregon as well, currently produces enough formula to feed half a million babies a year. Belldegrun says the company has a big vision for what’s next in Allerton.

ByHeart engineers are drawing up plans to add packaging and canning to the Allerton plant and Belldegrun says he’s had productive discussions with government officials, university researchers, farmers and other ingredient suppliers about creating what he describes as an ecosystem around the southern Iowa facility.

One in 10 Iowans has unclaimed money in ‘Great Iowa Treasure Hunt’

News

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith says it’s not just individuals who may find money in the “Great Iowa Treasure Hunt” managed by his office. By law, unclaimed assets in Iowa are to be turned over to the State Treasurer’s office.

Smith went to the Des Moines Community Playhouse Monday afternoon to present some unclaimed property to the non-profit.

David Kilpatrick, executive director of the Des Moines Community Playhouse, accepted the 316 dollars.

Kilpatrick says the unclaimed funds came from a school district that set aside money for students to attend a performance at the Playhouse, but somehow never paid for the tickets.

Smith says the state treasurer’s office returned 34 million dollars in unclaimed property last year.

Smith says about one in 10 Iowans has some unclaimed property in the state treasurer’s office.

Iowan at Democratic National Convention lauds Biden’s foreign policy

News

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – One of the Iowa delegates at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago says her friends in other countries are paying close attention to the presidential race. Janice Weiner, a state senator from Iowa City, joined the U-S State Department in 1987 and had assignments in seven foreign countries.

Weiner says one reason she wanted to be a delegate at this week’s convention was because of President Biden’s foreign policy initiatives.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says for the past two weeks she’s been thinking about Biden’s convention speech and how it would solidify his legacy.

Iowa delegates on the floor of the Democratic National Convention on August 19, 2024. (Iowa Democratic Party photo)

Skyscan Forecast for Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Weather

August 20th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: A slight chance of showers late afternoon showers, otherwise partly sunny. High near 75. E/SE winds 5-10.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/a slight chance of showers & thunderstorms after midnight. Low around 62.
Tomorrow: A 10 percent chance of showers & thunderstorms before 7am. Partly sunny. High near 78. S/SE @ 10-20.
Tom. Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. SE @ 10-20.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 82.

Monday’s high temperature was 84 degrees and our low this morning 52.  This day last year the high was 92 and the low 68.  The record high is 100 degrees set in 1947 and the record low is 36 set in 1897.  Sunrise this morning is 6:33 am and sunset is 8:12 pm.