CASEY – The DNR investigated a fish kill in an Adair County private pond south of Casey Monday afternoon. About noon Monday, the pond owner reported hundreds of dead bluegill in his farm pond. When the DNR arrived on scene, ammonia levels were highly elevated according to Keith Wilken, DNR environmental specialist.

The DNR traced the source of ammonia to a holding pond used by the Casey office of Agriland FS of Winterset. The holding pond normally collects runoff at the site.

However recent heavy rainfall filled the holding pond. An employee opened a gate on the holding pond to prevent it from overtopping which allowed runoff to flow about
one-fourth mile downstream to the farm pond.

The DNR will conduct a fish kill count and continue the investigation Tuesday morning. The DNR will follow up with Agriland FS to prevent future problems and take
enforcement action as appropriate.

(DNR Press Release)

The 4^th Annual Western Iowa No-till (WIN) Demonstration Field Day is planned for June 14 at the Carstens 1880 Farmstead just south of Shelby, Iowa. Registration and vendor displays will open at 8 a.m. on the 14^th; with speakers beginning at 9 a.m. Topics at this year’s field day will include creating an effective weed management program for no-till, an overview of emerging technology in no-till equipment, planter settings and an update on grain marketing. Lunch will be provided free of charge to all in attendance, including steak sandwiches grilled by the East Pottawattamie County Cattlemen.  Ernie Nelson, a no-till farmer from Moville, will deliver the keynote address after lunch. The afternoon will also include a special feature on precision agriculture equipment and data utilization, as well as a weather outlook from Elwynn Taylor.

Anyone with an interest in soil stewardship, from long-time no-till producers to those who are interested in learning more about no-till, is encouraged to attend this daylong educational event.  Over 200 ag producers and ag professionals attended the 2010 event, learning about residue management, crop rotation, fertilizer management and other considerations for a successful no-till program. In addition to the educational sessions at the 2011 WIN Field Day, there will be plenty of time for farmers to visit informational displays, vendor exhibits and network with other producers. CCA Credits will also be available for Certified Crop Advisors needing additional continuing education units this year.

There is no charge to attend this event, but pre-registration is required by June 9^th.  Registration can be completed by e-mailing csgorham@iastate.edu or by calling the Harrison County Extension Office at 888-644-2105. Registrations may also be faxed to 712-644-2100 or be mailed to: ISU Extension Harrison County, 304 East 7^th St., Logan, IA 51546.   The complete schedule and registration form are posted on the Web at www.extension.iastate.edu/harrison, or can be picked up at your local NRCS or ISU Extension Office in Harrison, Pottawattamie or Shelby County.

The field day is brought to you by NRCS, ISU Extension and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) in Harrison, Pottawattamie and Shelby Counties.  Sponsors for the day include Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Shelby County State Bank, Brokaw Supply Company, United Bank of Iowa, the Iowa Soybean Association, A&M Green Power, Titan Machinery, K & K Enterprises, The Farm Service Company, Heartland Technology Solutions, Sorensen Equipment Company and Heartland Ag.

USDA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.  USDA, SWCD and Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability.  Persons with disabilities who require accommodations to attend or participate in meetings/events/functions should contact Robert Lawson at (712) 755-2417 (Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339), or Robert.Lawson@ia.usda.gov by June 11.

(Press Release/Shelby County Extension)

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An official groundbreaking ceremony will be held Wednesday afternoon in Atlantic for a $23.5-million dollar expansion and renovation project at the Cass County Memorial Hospital. CCMH Administrator and CEO Pat Markham says planning for the project actually began not long after the last major project was completed, in 1994. She says as the changes in health care have occurred over the years, especially the transition from in-patient to out-patient care, the hospital realized the need to consolidate the in-patients services and expand upon their surgery and the out-patient services.

Markham says CCMH Board of Directors began working on the financing and budgeting process for the expansion and renovation last Summer. When complete, the facility will feature a new, state-of-the-art Emergency Room and O-R surgery services, along with same-day surgery, which will be on the first floor of the new addition. Markham says all of the in-patient services will consolidated into the second floor of the addition. 

Following that, a renovation will occur in a number of areas at the hospital, including the outpatient clinic, expansion of the oncology and cardiology and cardiac rehab areas. All of the facility’s rehab services will then be moved to what’s currently the surgery and O-B areas. The three in-patient wings at the hospital will be demolished, which is the last piece of the project.

Just about a year ago, the facility added a new Home Care Hospice center, which will be demolished as part of the current renovation project. Markham says that’s because since it was built, the hospice services have been transitioned to Iowa Health Home Care, and is no longer under the auspices of the Cass County Health System. 

She says it was only intended to serve as a temporary location to develop the service and gauge the communities’ response to such a service. Markham says it was not the “ideal situation,” and the service providers and staff preferred to see it in a totally separate location, with a more “residential” feel.

Markham says Wednesday’s brief, groundbreaking ceremony for the new addition and renovation, will take place at 1-p.m. in the east parking lot at CCMH.

Two people were injured during a rollover accident Sunday afternoon, in Page County. Sheriff’s officials say the driver of a minivan, 18-year old Elyane Anderson, of Chicago, IL, and her 20-year old passenger, Antonio Ray Putnam, of Essex, were transported to the Shenandoah Medical Center following the crash at 150^th Street and “B” Avenue, at around 3:15-p.m., Sunday.

The pair were traveling east on 150^th when Anderson lost control of the 1997 Dodge mini-van. The vehicle slid off the road at the intersection with B Avenue and knocked over a stop sign, entered the east ditch and rolled over onto a fence before coming to rest on its wheels.

Anderson and Putnam suffered possible, unknown injuries. Authorities say they were wearing their seatbelts. Authorities cited Anderson for Operating without a valid license, failure to maintain control, and having no proof of insurance.

The van was totaled in the crash. Other damage, including to the stop sign and fence, amounted to $850.