(Radio Iowa) — Farmland values across the region fell by one-percent during the second quarter compared to a year ago but they rose one-percent in Iowa, according to a report from the Chicago Federal District. Sam Funk is director of ag analytics and research for the Iowa Farm Bureau.

“If anybody out there thought that land values would maintain and sustain as strong as they have, I think that would’ve been a shock for most people to think anything else than maybe a little weakness,” Funk says, “just because of general economic conditions we’ve seen across the district and across the primary commodities that we have in the Midwest.”

Funk says Iowa’s farmland values are in better shape than in the rest of the region. “The fact that they haven’t fallen any more than they have I think is a very good sign of the strength that we have in the underlying asset value with land,” Funk says. The biggest factor for farmland values was lower commodity prices, which he says was caused partially by weather extremes this year.

“Iowa actually had stronger appearance of good crop conditions relative to some of our neighbors in Illinois or Indiana,” Funk says. “That’s been seen in several USDA reports and other factors where we got more of our crop planted and it does look better generally than in some of our neighboring states.”

The Chicago Fed District Survey covers all of Iowa and parts of Illinois and Indiana as well as southern Wisconsin and the lower peninsula of Michigan.

Sheriff’s officials in Cass County report that on Sunday, August 18th, deputies arrested 47-year old Clayton Eugene Henry, of Cumberland, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury. Henry was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

And, on Wed., August 21st, Cass County deputies arrested 27-year old Seth Robert Hart, of Atlantic, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 1st Offense. Hart was booked at the Cass County Jail and released today (Thursday), on his own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) — After a phoned-in threat from someone in Iowa, the U-S-D-A has pulled its staff from an annual tour of midwest farm fields that develops yield estimates. According to a report from Reuters, “an angry farmer” called in the threat against a U-S-D-A official who was on the privately-organized ProFarmer tour.

Farmers have been upset with the higher-than-expected official yield estimates released by the U-S-D-A 10 days ago, as corn prices fell dramatically on the news. The Trump Administration’s decision on August 9th that granted ethanol waivers to big oil companies has fueled frustration in farm country, too.

A spokesman for Farm Journal, the parent company of ProFarmer, said “this is clearly a stressful time” and precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of those who will participate on the tour’s final leg today (Thursday). That final leg starts in the Spencer area. A statement posted on the ProFarmer website says the threat came “from a person in Iowa who was not affiliated with the event.”

The annual Pro-Farmer event, in its 27th year, features scouts taking day-time tours of fields along with evening meetings with local farmers. Things reportedly got heated at the tour stop in Grand Island, Nebraska earlier this week and police at the next stop in Nebraska City were dispatched to the tour’s evening event there on Wednesday. The tour wraps up in Rochester, Minnesota tonight (Thursday).

The Creston Police Department reports one arrest and one citation issued on Wednesday.

Allen Long

At 11:59am Officers arrested 35-year-old Allen Scott Long of Prescott at the Southern Prairie YMCA in Creston on a Union County Warrant for Lascivious Acts with a Child. He was taken to the Union County Jail and held on a $10,000 cash only bond.

At 2:45pm Creston Police issued a citation to 35-year-old Brandi Lynn Atkins for Allowing Animal to Run at Large.

A Red Oak man was arrested on Wednesday night. At 10:34pm Red Oak  Police arrested 29-year-old Dylan Thomas Griffith of Red Oak in the 300 block of East Market Street for Interference with Official Acts. Griffith was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

A two-vehicle non-injury accident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Montgomery County. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the accident happened at 12:30pm on Highway 34 near Dogwood Avenue.

A 2019 Chevy Trax owned and operated by 46-year-old Jermey Snipes of Red Oak was stopped at an eastbound bridge construction traffic light on Highway 34. A 2018 Chevy Cargo Van owned by Plibrico Company LLC in Omaha and driven by 20-year-old Michael Bland of Omaha approached from behind and did not stop in time. The van struck the rear of Snipes’ vehicle causing $1,200 damage to the Trax and $600 damage to the van.

No injuries were reported and no citation were issued. The investigation is complete.

w/ Chris Parks

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The new Elementary School addition to the Griswold Middle School/High School building is officially open. Griswold School Administrators hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday afternoon for the 33,000 square foot addition.

The new building will house two classrooms per grade level and have an area for Special Education and Preschool. The building also has a multipurpose area which will serve as an auditorium, gymnasium, and cafeteria. The new addition also includes new administrative offices, with the previous offices being converted to classrooms.

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JEFFERSON—DNR is onsite investigating a fish kill in Hardin Creek about two miles east of Jefferson in Greene County at 5 p.m. today.

Local USDA Service Center staff noticed the dead fish while stream sampling in the area.

DNR has little information yet. While the fish differ in size and species, and the affected area is at least three miles long, the source and extent of the fish kill are still under investigation.

Downstream livestock producers may want to consider using another water source for their animals until the pollutant has been identified. Residents should keep children and pets out of the stream for 24 to 48 hours after the pollutant is gone.

DNR will continue to investigate.

DNR asks anyone seeing a fish kill or an obvious pollutant to notify the local field office or call the 24-hour spill line at 515-725-8694. The earlier DNR is notified, the easier it is to trace the pollutant source.

The Cass County Democratic Party recently completed their school supply drive by dropping of supplies to area schools. The drive yielded ten large plastic tubs plus several sacks of supplies. The donations were distributed prior to the school year starting so that the children would have their new back packs and supplies, ensuring their new school year started off right.

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle said, “I want to thank the community for their generosity. And, of course, thank you to the businesses that agreed to be drop-off sites in their communities for the donations. Without their help, the drive would not happen. Thanks also to my volunteers who helped pick up the donations from the drop-off sites.”

Sandy Sothman, Vice-Chair, Cass County Dem Party; Sherry Toelle; and Larry Hunt, Principal for CAM South Elem and CAM Middle School

Sherry Toelle; Katie Elwood, MS/HS Principal; Nigel Horton, PreK-5 Principal