(Radio Iowa) – The latest U-S-D-A report on Iowa crop conditions indicates corn and soybean fields have responded well to recent rain, but more moisture is needed. Last week hail and high winds did damage some Iowa crops last week, but the damage was scattered and not widespread according the U-S-D-A. Under half of Iowa pastures are rated good to excellent and some farmers are feeding their livestock hay to supplement dwindling grazing opportunities.

Topsoil moisture levels are now rated adequate or surplus in 67 percent of the state. The growth of corn and soybeans are ahead of the five-year average, with corn conditions rated 68 percent good to excellent. Soybean condition are rated 66 percent good to excellent.

The U-S-D-A reports hay production is behind normal and the second cutting of alfalfa hay is 63 percent complete statewide. The oat harvest has started in about quarter of the state. Last year Iowa farmers harvested five-point-six MILLION bushels of oats.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Dept. Board of Directors met Monday evening at the Sunnyside Park Kiddie Korral Shelter. During the meeting, Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen reported work is expected to begin within the next couple of weeks to repair the trail washout at the Schildberg Recreation Area, along Iowa Avenue (the southwest corner of Lake #3). Leftover cement from the hospital parking lot renovation project will be used to help stabilize the bank and repair it. That section of the trail will be closed while work is underway. The washed out asphalt portion of the trail will be replaced with longer lasting concrete, once the bank is stabilized.

Bryant said also, the department is trying to incorporate more programming for young adults and adults. One of the new activities planned for this Saturday at the Trevor Frederickson Softball Field at Sunnyside Park, is Adult Kick Ball. The venture is a partnership between Atlantic Rising, the Chamber of Commerce and Parks and Rec, to have a “pick up-style” game at 5-p.m.  Teams will be divided-up once the number of participants is known. You don’t have a team of nine or 10 people, you can show-up by yourself and they will add you to a team.

Another Adult Activity, is “Art in the Park,” set for August 4th at 7-p.m. The adult version of the popular kids’ Art in the Park, called “Creation Vacation” take place in the lower center shelter at Sunnyside Park. The paint and canvas will be available for those who show up to paint on, and step-by-step instructions will be made available for those who want it. The main idea is just to have fun and by free-style creative. Bring your own drink and munchies if you wish.

Rasmussen reports the Summer Programs saw many participants: 53 kids signed-up for Tennis; 47 kids went out for Swim Team, and there is an average of 25-to 30 kids for the Art in the Park program that takes place every Wednesday. He said also, as previously mentioned, Cass County applied for a grant to install water fountains at four different locations. One is currently in-place at the Schildberg Rec Area bathhouse. That has a water bottle filling station and a lower water bowl for pets to use.

The City of Anita was supposed to get a water fountain, but they can’t, so the grant will be moved so a fountain can be installed at the Little League Sports Complex trailhead gazebo. The site already has a bike repair station and signage. Before the fountain can be installed, Bryant said they need to find someone to trench a water line about 200-feet to the gazebo. He’s working toward a solution with the Nishna Valley Trails group. He’s also been working with AMU, to get water from a well between fields five and seven. The site would allow the water to be shut-off before winter to prevent a freeze-up of the fountain.

In other business, cracks at Sunnyside basketball court will be sealed in preparation for use as an ice skating rink in the Winter, and cracks along the Eastridge and Schildberg Trails will be sealed to prevent any additional degradation. And finally, he recommends you stop by the Wildlife Refuge Area along Iowa Avenue, which features many vibrant flowers and plants, including black-eyed peas and milkweeds. Those plants and native grasses will hopefully draw monarch butterflies, some of which they hope to tag and release before they make their way to Mexico.

Iowa Avenue can be found between Buck Creek Road and Chestnut Street, north, off of State and Commerce Streets (as you head toward the Schildberg Campground Area).

ELLIOTT— Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report that on Sunday night, a broken axle caused a truck driver to lose control and enter the Tarkio River about 3 miles east of Elliott, in Montgomery County. Diesel fuel leaked into the river from about 7 to 10:45 p.m. when the semi was pulled from the river. Decker Trucking of Fort Dodge estimates there were 160 gallons of diesel in the fuel tanks. It’s unknown how much fuel was lost, but it could be 80 gallons plus other engine fluids.

The Elliott Fire Department responded to the accident Sunday evening. They placed absorbent booms at multiple places in the river to collect the fuel. After drywall is removed from the ditch, DNR will evaluate the soil to determine if it must be excavated. DNR will monitor the cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement action.

Atlantic– The Cass County office of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host their annual Farmland Leasing Arrangements meeting on Thursday, August 12th, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the Cass County Community Center at 805 W. 10th St. in Atlantic, and will last approximately 2 ½ hours. Tim Christensen, farm and agriculture business management specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, will be the host and presenter of the meeting. The annual meeting is offered to address questions that land owners, tenants or other interested individuals have about leasing farmland, and is open to anyone interested in learning more about these topics.

As Iowa agriculture looks ahead to 2022, farmland leasing meetings provide a base for decisions in rental arrangements for both tenants and landowners. Discussion at this year’s program will focus on land values and cash rent trends, cost of production, methods for determining a fair 2022 cash rental rate, the latest legal updates that impact farm leases and land ownership (such as carbon credit contracts), and the importance of good tenant/landlord communications. Emphasis will be placed on recent returns to Iowa cash rented land and the 2021 Iowa Cash Rental Rate Survey.

Pre-registration is requested at least two days before the meeting and a registration fee of $20/person, or $30 per couple if sharing a leasing resource book, is payable at the door. All registered participants will receive a 100-page leasing resource book and meeting handouts designed to assist landowners, tenants and other agri-business professionals with issues related to farmland ownership, management, and leasing arrangements.

Contact the Cass County Extension office at (712) 243-1132 with questions or to pre-register by Tuesday, August 10th. Additional meetings in the area include Oakland (East Pott.) on July 28, Greenfield (Adair) on August 3, Villisca (Montgomery/Page) on August 4, Elk Horn (Audubon/Shelby) on August 17 and Guthrie Center (Guthrie) on August 18. Contact the county Extension office listed behind each meeting for details and registration information.

For a complete list of all meetings statewide, visit the ISU Ag Decision Maker website at www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/info/meetings.html or check the ISU Extension calendar for a meeting near you. The Ag Decision Maker leasing section also provides useful materials for negotiating leases, information on various types of leases, lease forms and newly updated Decision Tools.

(Radio Iowa) – Vermeer Corporation is planning a 44 million dollar expansion in Pella. Vermeer makes ag and industrial equipment that’s sold worldwide. The company plans to build a new parts distribution facility in Pella and convert an existing building for product and field training. Once the project’s completed, Pella expects to hire 100 more employees.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority Board has approved state tax breaks for the project.

Champion Commercial Heifer – Taylor Yates, East Sunrisers

Reserve Champion Commercial Heifer – John Peterson, Red Oak FFA

Grand Champion Overall Breeding Heifer – Briar Fisher, East Sunrisers

Reserve Grand Champion Overall Breeding Heifer – Karsyn Poston, East Sunrisers

Grand Champion Cow/Calf Pair – Delaney Yates, East Sunrisers

Reserve Grand Champion Cow/Calf Pair – Tonna Damewood, Southwest Valley FFA

Grand Champion Feeder Calf – Delaney Yates, East Sunrisers

Reserve Grand Champion Feeder Calf – Tonna Damewood, Southwest Valley FFA

Grand Champion Bucket/Bottle Calf – Kennady Adams, Grant Spitfires

Reserve Grand Champion Bucket/Bottle Calf – Victoria McFarland, Stanton Strivers

Champion Beginner Market Beef – Jackson Fisher, East Sunrisers

Champion Market Heifer – Delaney Yates, East Sunrisers

Champion Home Raised Market Beef – Cloie Bruce, Stennett Panthers

Reserve Champion Home Raised Market Beef – Jackson Fisher, East Sunrisers

Champion Purchased Market Beef – Cloie Bruce, Stennett Panthers

Reserve Champion Purchased Market Beef – Lainey DeVries, Independent 4-H

Grand Champion Overall Market Beef – Cloie Bruce, Stennett Panthers

Reserve Grand Champion Overall Market Beef – Lainey DeVries, Independent 4-H

Grand Champion Rate of Gain – Taylor Yates, East Sunrisers

Champion Beginner Showman – Jackson Fisher, East Sunrisers

Champion Junior/Intermediate Showman – Jolee Fisher, East Sunrisers

Champion Senior and Grand Champion Overall Showman – Lainey DeVries, Independent 4-H

(Radio Iowa) – A barn collapsed in rural Black Hawk County over the weekend, killing two people. Cedar Falls public safety officials were dispatched to 9702 Viking Road Friday around 6:30 p.m. When they arrived on scene halfway between Cedar Falls and Dike, authorities learned that there were two people inside the structure when the collapse occurred and neither of the male subjects had exited the barn. Authorities searched the rubble and discovered the two bodies. Public safety officials determined that both victims died instantly.

While public safety officials have not yet released the victims’ names, Dike-New Hartford Schools Superintendent Justin Stockdale sent a letter to district families on Saturday identifying the deceased as Andy Kaufman and his son Beckett, who would have been a fourth-grader at Dike Elementary School this fall.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A reminder from the Nishna Valley Family YMCA and Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department: A community input session pertaining to the future of splash pad or aquatics facilities will be held 6-p.m. Tuesday, July 20th, at the Nishna Valley YMCA. The original meeting date was July 13^th but that date conflicted with several community meetings.

Anyone interested in future aquatics facilities is encouraged to join the public discussion and give input. In April, a variety of community projects were presented during a meeting, with those in attendance asked to rank the ideas in order of their preferred priority. Some of the top rated ideas included a splash pad and outdoor pool space.

For further information, you may contact the Parks and Recreation Office at 712-243-3542 or Dan Haynes at the YMCA, 712-243-3934.

The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Dept. Board of Directors is taking their monthly meeting to the great outdoors, once again. Last month they met in the shelter at Cedar Park. Monday evening (July 20), the Board will meet in the Kiddie Korral Shelter at Sunnyside Park, beginning at 5:15-p.m.

Action items on their agenda include:

• Updates on the Schildberg Trail and Summer Programs.
• Adult Kick Ball
• Adult Art in the Park
• Department staffing
• and an Aquatics meeting.

In his reports to the Board, Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen will discuss:

• The Trailhead water fountain
• National Park and Rec Month activities
• Tree Cleanup
• Sealing the Sunnyside Basketball Court & east Ride/Schildberg Trails
• and Wildlife Refuge Areas.

The meeting next month will take place at the City Park Shelter in downtown Atlantic.

Here are the results from the Pottawattamie Count Fair Swine Show held Sunday, July 18 in Avoca.

• Champion Purebred Berkshire Gilt:  Mallorie Sick  Reserve:  Marlie Sick
• Champion Purebred Duroc Gilt:  Ryan Conover  Reserve:  Jaxon Kadel
• Champion Purebred Hampshire Gilt:  Collin Harder  Reserve:  McKenna Sick
• Champion Purebred Hereford Gilt:  Ryan Conover
• Champion Purebred Poland China Gilt:  Owen Kadel
• Champion Purebred Spotted Gilt:  Addison Kadel  Reserve:  Jaxon Kadel
• Champion Purebred Gilt:  Mallorie Sick  Reserve:  Marlie Sick
• Champion Commercial Gilt:  Evan Harder  Reserve:  McKenna Sick
• Overall Champion Breeding Hog:  Mallorie Sick  Reserve:  Evan Harder
• Champion Market Gilt:  Collin Harder  Reserve:  McKenna Sick
• Champion Purebred Berkshire Barrow:  Marlie Sick  Reserve:  Tavon Moore
• Champion Purebred Duroc Barrow:  Jersey Hilgenberg
• Champion Purebred Hampshire Barrow:  Collin Harder  Reserve:  Evan Harder
• Champion Purebred Hereford Barrow:  Owen Kadel  Reserve:  Callie Schulte
• Champion Purebrd Spotted Barrow:  McKenna Sick
• Champion Purebred Yorkshire Barrow:  Pierce Johnson  Reserve:  Pierce Johnson
• Champion Purebred:  McKenna Sick  Reserve:  Pierce Johnson
• Champion Crossbred Barrow:  McKenna Sick  Reserve:  Collin Harder
• Champion Market Barrow:  McKenna Sick  Reserve:  McKenna Sick
• Overall Champion Market Hog:  McKenna Sick  Reserve:  Collin Harder
• Champion Pen of 3:  Jersey Hilgenberg  Reserve:  Evan Harder
• Champion Senior Showman:  Pierce Johnson
• Champion Intermediate Showman:  Tavon Moore
• Champion Junior Showman:  Mallorie Sick
• Overall Champion Showman:  Tavon Moore