(Radio Iowa) – A University of Iowa environmental engineering professor says it will take ten BILLION dollars to address the state’s water quality issues and reduce the likelihood of flooding. Larry Weber conducts research on flooding AND water quality. “If we could spend $200 million a year and divide $200 million into $10 billion, that’s 50 years,” Weber says. “So like we’ve changed the way soil comes off the land in the last 50 years, we could change the way water and nutrients come off the land in 50 years, but we need the political will to do it.”

Weber says the 2023 Farm Bill could include rules to reduce farm run-off that would apply not just to Iowa farmers, but to all U-S ag operations. “We’ve had a lot of talk,” Weber says. “The talk has been going on now for a decade or more and we’re just simply not making the progress that Iowans should expect to receive.”

Weber says the drought in much of Iowa will have an impact on water quality, too, since corn and soybean plants in dry soil are not absorbing as much of the commercial fertilizer and manure that’s been applied to fields. “When we do get rain and the water starts to flow and our tiles flow again, we will likely see a real large movement of nitrates coming out of our farm system,” Weber says.

Some Iowa utilities that provide drinking water use surface water from rivers, but about 75 percent of Iowans get their drinking water from underground supplies. “That water has taken tens of thousands and in some cases millions of years to accumulate in those deep aquifers, but it too will be stressed,” Weber says. “Those resources, although ample today, will not be endless. We will have to start thinking about what we will do at the end of the turn of the century, especially as these floods and droughts become more prevalent in our state.”

Weber made his comments this weekend on “Iowa Press” on Iowa P-B-S.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board will meet 5:15-p.m. Monday, at the Cedar Park Shelter (204 Cedar Street). On their agenda under action items/new business, are updates with regard to:

• The Sunnyside Park Bandshell
• Schildberg Waterless Restroom
• Sunnyside Pool Update
• Summer Programs update
• Recreation items
• Cedar Park Update
• and Walkability Maps.

In his report to the Board, Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen will provide:

• A staff update
• Information on the Schildberg Water Fountain
• Invasive species
• and on volunteer work from the Royal Neighbors, Atlantic Rising & Trees Forever.

A traffic stop in Shenandoah, Sunday, morning, resulted in the arrest of the driver of the vehicle, on drug & other charges. According to Shenandoah Police, officers stopped a vehicle driving recklessly at around 2 a.m., in the 100 block of North Fremont Street.

An investigation resulted in the arrest of 33-year-old Kyle Jacob Campbell, of Shenandoah, for possessing contraband, OWI — second offense — driving while suspended, reckless driving and no insurance. Campbell was being held in the Page County Jail on a $7,000 bond.

At least two area school district boards of education will hold their separate, regular monthly meetings, Monday, with the Atlantic School Board set to hold a brief meeting Tuesday morning.

The Griswold Board of Education will meet at 5:30-p.m., Monday, in the Conference Room. Action items on their agenda include but are not limited to:

• Personnel matters,
• Approval of a bid to remove tennis and sand volleyball courts
• Approval of the bus sales
• Approval of a continued School Business Officer contract
• Approval of Fuel bids and Tech Support bids
• and, Approval of a John Baylor Test Prep Program contract.

The Audubon School Board will meet in the High School Board Room at 7-p.m., Monday. Action items on their agenda include but are not limited to:

• Approval of Student Fees for Fy22
• Approval of Personnel matters, including the resignations of School Board Secretary John Roberts &  Board member Joni Madsen.
• The appointment of a new Board Secretary and salary.
• Approval of a Resolution of Intent to appoint someone to fill the Board Vacancy
• Approval of Summer Launch contracts, and a Teaching contract for MS/HS Art.

The Audubon School Board will receive updates on building projects and the upcoming school elections during their meeting Monday, as well. And, the Atlantic School Board will meet 9-a.m. Tuesday, June 22nd in the High School Media Center (& via YouTube), to take action on: The resignations of Stacie Schwaller – Asst. Technology Coordination, & Derek Hall – 9th Grade Boys Basketball Coach. They will also act on approving contract recommendations for: Rob Astuni – HS English/Language Arts Teacher; Rebecca Bird – MS Social Studies Teacher; Jon Peterson – MS Language Arts Teacher; & Jesse McCann – HS Special Education Teacher.

SIGOURNEY, Iowa — Authorities in eastern Iowa say four people were injured at a family farm near Sigourney. KCRG reports that the explosion happened at about 4 p.m. Friday near the 18000 block of Highway 92. Authorities said three of the victims were children ages 14, 11 and 8. One victim was identified as Patrick Otte, 60. The victims were transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with severe burns.

The cause of the explosion is unknown. Multiple law enforcement agencies are assisting with the investigation.

A suspect was taken into custody following a stabbing incident early Sunday morning, in or near Glenwood. According to scanner traffic, the incident happened sometime after 12-a.m. K9 officers and their partners, along with a drone were dispatched to help with the search for the suspect, who was apprehended at at gunpoint around 12:30-a.m., and after apparently being shot with a Taser.

Additional details are currently not available.

Police in Red Oak, Saturday, arrested a man wanted on various southwest Iowa county warrants. 33-year-old James Thomas Hume, of Sidney, was taken into custody following a traffic stop Saturday night, near the intersection of Highways 34 & 48, in Red Oak. Hume was wanted on active warrants out of Fremont County, for Violation of Probation on an original  charge of Domestic Abuse, which carries a $5,000 bond.

He also had active warrants out of Mills County, for Violation of Probation and an OWI-1^st Offense charge. Red Oak Police transported Hume to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held while awaiting extradition to Fremont and Mills Counties.

(Atlantic ) – Officials with Cass County/ISU Extension and Outreach report applications are now being accepted for anyone interested in the Iowa Master Gardener training, which will be offered 100 percent online in the fall. The training is available to anyone with computer access and includes 17 online modules.

The move to online means that Iowans can participate in the full training from the comfort of their home, or anywhere a reliable internet connection is available. As the training is self-paced, participants can work through the book chapters and online materials at their own pace, on their own time, making the training more accessible to local residents with busy schedules.

A total of 17 educational modules will be offered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, on topics that include houseplants, pollinators, vegetables, and perennial flowers. Each course module includes a book chapter, lecture video, online discussion board and a quiz. Through the online discussion board, trainees can connect to share ideas about how they plan to volunteer and what they are learning about different topics.

The Master Gardener program in Cass County is looking for people who are passionate about volunteering and gardening. No previous garden knowledge is required. The program equips participants to grow in knowledge about gardening best practices. After the training, Master Gardeners volunteer in their community, making contributions such as donating vegetables to food pantries, leading community beatification projects and maintaining demonstration gardens at local parks and county fairgrounds.

Iowa State has offered Master Gardener training since 1977, engaging more than 15,000 people in learning about gardening best practices. This year, the course is being offered online via the Canvas online learning system. In addition to the online workshops, Cass County Extension plans to offer several hands-on workshops for trainees throughout the fall so they can meet other local class members and gain hands-on experiences with class topics.

Applicants for the 2021 training must apply by Thursday, July 1. The online class begins in mid-August. Participants registering online will receive materials in the mail prior to the start of the course. Apply and learn more about the program online at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

The fee for the training is $195 and covers all class materials. Because Master Gardener volunteers work with many community partners, applicants will also be required to successfully pass a background screen before being accepted into the program. At the end of the course, there is one open-book test that participants will need to pass to complete the course and receive their certificate.

After completion of the MG Training, participants have 13 months to complete 40 volunteer hours. Annually, Master Gardener status can be maintained with 20 volunteer hours per year and ten hours of continuing education. Cass County has an active Master Gardener group that participates in many projects throughout the year, so opportunities to learn and volunteer are plentiful! Examples of local Master Gardener volunteer projects include educational workshops and seminars, maintaining community parks and demonstration gardens, and donating fresh produce to food pantries.

Iowans who want professional development training for their job and who do not plan to volunteer can participate in the ProHort option, for a fee of $550. No background check is required for this option.

For more information, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardner Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. Online program registration can be completed at www.extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.

(Omaha) – Officials with the Nebraska/Iowa Regional Red Cross report, as the number of trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries rises and depletes the nation’s blood supply, the American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage. While many people return to pre-pandemic activities and resume travel to visit loved ones, the Red Cross asks the public to remember the needs of patients this summer.

Over the last three months, the Red Cross has distributed about 75,000 more blood products to meet these needs, significantly decreasing our national blood supply. All blood types are needed, particularly type O, as well as platelets. With less than half a day supply of type O blood in recent weeks, there is an emergency need for type O donors.

Right now, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits, as well as overdoses and resulting transplants. In comparison to 2019, the Red Cross has seen demand from trauma centers climb by 10% in 2021− more than five times the growth of other facilities that provide blood transfusions.

Patients need the help of the American people. Schedule an appointment to give blood now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

In most cases, those who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can donate. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility.

Red Cross Offers Tips to Stay Safe this Summer

The American Red Cross wants everyone to have a safe summer and offers tips and resources for the entire family.

Water Safety

Before going in, on or around the water, every family member should become “water smart.” This starts with learning to be safe, making good choices, and learning to swim to at least achieve the skills of water competency. To help keep everyone safe, the Red Cross offers these tips:

• Prevent unsupervised access to water. Fence pools and spas with adequate barriers and keep a constant eye for any water dangers such as portable splash pools/slides, buckets and bathtubs.
• Adults should actively supervise children and stay within arm’s reach of young children and new swimmers. Kids should follow the rules. Designate a “water watcher” to keep a close eye and constant attention on children and weaker swimmers in and around the water until the next water watcher takes over.
• Always wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket when on a boat and if in a situation beyond someone’s skill level.
• Swim as a pair near a lifeguard’s chair — everyone, including experienced swimmers, should swim with a buddy even in areas supervised by lifeguards. Always maintain constant attention and actively supervise children even when lifeguards are present.
• Download the Red Cross Swim app, sponsored by The ZAC Foundation, for safety tips, kid-friendly videos and activities, and take the free Water Safety for Parents and Caregivers online course.

Grilling Safety

Grilling food is so popular that more than three-quarters of U.S. adults have used a grill — yet, grilling sparks more than 10,000 home fires on average each year. To avoid this, the Red Cross offers these grilling safety tips:

• Always supervise a barbecue grill when in use. Don’t add charcoal starter fluid when coals have already been ignited.
• Never grill indoors — not in the house, camper, tent or any enclosed area.
• Make sure everyone, including pets, stays away from the grill.
• Keep the grill out in the open, away from the house, deck, tree branches or anything that could catch fire.
• Use the long-handled tools especially made for cooking on the grill to help keep the chef safe.

Heat Safety

In recent years, excessive heat has caused more deaths than all other weather events. Be safe when temperatures go up by following these tips:

• Be aware of both the temperature and the heat index. The heat index is the temperature the body feels when the effects of heat and humidity are combined.

• Know those in your neighborhood who are elderly, young, sick or overweight. They are more likely to become victims of excessive heat and may need help.

• If you do not have air conditioning, choose places you could go to for relief from the heat during the warmest part of the day (schools, libraries, theaters, malls).

• Get trained in First Aid to learn how to treat heat-related emergencies.

• Ensure that your animals’ needs for water and shade are met.

• Never leave children or pets alone in enclosed vehicles.

• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids even if you do not feel thirsty. Avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol.

• Eat small meals and eat more often.

• Avoid extreme temperature changes.

• Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day.

• Postpone outdoor games and activities.

• Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors.

Accidents and Emergencies Happen

The Red Cross has several resources to help people learn how to treat bee stings, burns and heat emergencies including online and in-person training courses, a free First Aid app and a First Aid Skill for Amazon Alexa-enabled devices.