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Moose spotted in northwest corner of Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 16th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A moose has been sighted in northwest Iowa. Chris Larue of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources says it’s likely the same moose spotted in Luverne, Minnesota on Halloween. “It apparently decided to wander down Main Street over there and a couple of days later it was sighted in Lyon County between Rock Rapids and Little Rock.” Rock Rapids, Iowa, is about 23 miles south of Luverne, Minnesota.

Larue says it’s not unusual for moose to make their way into Iowa. “It does actually periodically happen,” Larue says. “Since I’ve been here the last 20 years, this is probably the fourth or the fifth moose that kind of appeared in Iowa.” Larue is a biologist on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ wildlife management staff — working Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Sioux and O’Brien Counties, the five counties in Iowa’s northwest corner. Larue says the moose sighted in Lyon County is a young male.

“Sometimes these things are just typical wanderlust,” Larue says. “Otherwise they could maybe have a little bit of a health issue which gets them disoriented and they can just kind of get headed into a direction until they figure out to head back to the habitat they’re supposed to be in.” Moose typically stay near lakes, streams or swampy areas and they avoid warm climates. An adult moose can be 10 feet tall and weigh more than a thousand pounds.

“We do encourage folks to let us know where they are when they see one because we don’t want them to get into a location that would be dangerous — near a highway or something like that,” Larue says. “Obviously we do not encourage people to approach them because they are very unpredictable.”

The antlers of an adult moose can weight up to 40 pounds. Moose tend to have a heightened sense of smell and of hearing, but most moose have poor eyesight. A female moose was sighted in Plymouth County this past January.

Atlantic Parks & Rec “Turkey Hunt” begins Wednesday

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 16th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 17th), the City of Atlantic’s Park and Recreation Department will have nine wooden, painted “turkeys” hidden around parks in the City, for people to find and take selfies with. Take selfies with all nine turkeys when you find each one, and then leave them for others to enjoy.

Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen says “We lost our turkeys and we need help finding them all.”

 

New Atlantic Parks and Rec Board member sworn-in

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Park and Recreation Department Director swore-in the newest member of the Parks Board, Monday evening. Bryant Rasmussen administered the Oath of Office to Shirley Jensen, who was unopposed in her bid for the seat vacated by Stuart Dusenberry, and who won the election on Nov. 2nd.  Jolene Smith was nominated by the Board to serve as President, and Erin McFadden was nominated to continue serving as Vice-Chair.

Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen administers the Oath of Office to Shirley Jensen.

In other business, Rasmussen confirmed the park restrooms in Atlantic have been closed and prepped for the season. He said the final straw in deciding to close the restrooms was vandalism in the form of feces found smeared on the walls of the Camblin Addition restroom. Also related to the restrooms, Bryant said he would like to see the hand dryer fixed in the women’s restroom at Camblins, and add some hand dryers to the City Park. That would alleviate the problem of those towels being used to plug the toilets, and it would mean one less thing to clean-up. He said he’s working with local electricians to get a bid on how much it would cost to fix the hand dryer at Sunnyside and add the ones to the City Park.

Bryant said also, there were 13 applicants for the Assistant Parks and Rec position, including one person from Idaho, who was interviewed Monday. He told the Board he and Jolene Smith should be finished with the interviews by next Monday. Rasmussen said also, he received a bid of $5,470 from Resort Contract Furnishings, of Wyckoff, NJ, for the purchase of 10 11-foot fiberglass market umbrellas and 75-pound steel base with wheel. The Board approved moving forward with the purchase. Bryant said the City has the option to get multiple colors or combinations thereof. The umbrellas would take 12 weeks to ship, and will likely be requested for delivery later this Spring.

Bryant Rasmussen said also, the basketball hoop at Cedar Park was installed thanks to a donation from the Lion’s Club. All that’s left in the Spring is to line the court. The Atlantic Street Department put down the concrete for the court. The Parks and Rec Department is preparing for the Winter Sports season, with cross country skis, ice skates and sleds all ready to go. If the weather cooperates, Rasmussen said they can get the ice skating rink up and running. The basketball court was sealed so there shouldn’t be anywhere near the loss of water they experienced in years past.

In other news, the Parks and Rec Department is preparing for a “Turkey Hunt,” with wood cut-out turkeys hidden in the City Parks. Visitors can take a selfie with the turkeys and send them in, with the possibility of winning some “grab bag” prizes. Nine turkey’s will be hidden through the City parks, but Bryant won’t give any more clues as to where. And, the Scarecrow Contest in Downtown Atlantic raised about $200 for the Atlantic Food Pantry, he said.

On the heels of the recently completed Tour de Parks Bike Ride in Atlantic, Rasmussen said someone donated a tandem bike to the Parks and Rec Department on Monday. The bike will be inspected to make sure it’s oiled and ready to go. And, as we’ve previously mentioned, the Festival of Trees is a multi-day event, sponsored by the Cass County Unit of the American Cancer Society. It takes place December 2nd-5th of this year and will again be held at the Catholic Parish Center,105 West 5th Street in Atlantic. The Atlantic Parks and Rec Department will have a tree in the festival.

One other note: Rasmussen said the Harvest Market is coming up on Monday, Nov. 22nd. The Parks and Rec Department will have squirrel feeders for sale. “They’re little picnic tables,” Bryant said. Jolene Smith added, “They’re really cute.”

Still have leaf piles? Maybe it’s time to compost instead of bagging

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Mild temperatures this fall left leaves lingering on Iowa’s trees longer than normal, and after a cold, snowy weekend, the branches are now mostly bare. A predicted warm-up this week may afford the chance to rake up the last of those leaves, but if you get stuck with a pile, soil scientist Carl Rosen says it may be a great time to start composting. “I collect my leaves in the fall and I compost them through the following year,” Rosen says, “and then the following fall I’ll mix that in in the garden or the following spring before planting my vegetables.” Rosen says composting science is all about soil health, but for many that was not the original problem to be solved.

“The initial motivation however was more due to sending all those leaves to landfills,” Rosen says. Creating and maintaining a compost pile only requires a quick and easy checklist, he says, and it’s relatively simple. “Basically, water, air, oxygen and they need nutrients,” he says, “and if you have those in balance then that’s kind of the key to the composting process.” Learn more about composting at the Iowa D-N-R website:
https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/DNR-News-Releases/ArticleID/383/Tutorial-Learn-How-to-Compost-at-Home

Striking Deere workers to vote this week on new contract offer

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 15th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – As the strike at a dozen Midwest John Deere plants enters its second month, union workers are scheduled to vote Wednesday on a modified contract offer from the company. The U-A-W issued a statement late Friday, saying the company had made some modest modifications in its second contract offer and the union described the tentative agreement as Deere’s last, best and final offer. Neither side has disclosed details about the changes.

On November 2nd, the second tentative agreement between Deere and the U-A-W was rejected on a 55 to 45 percent vote by union members. More than 10-thousand John Deere employees have been on strike since October 14th.

The second tentative agreement would have provided an immediate 10 percent pay increase, with five percent pay hikes in the third and fifth years of the six-year-long contract. Deere executives had indicated that was the maximum the company would offer in terms of new costs.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board set to meet Monday evening

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 14th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board of Directors will hold their regular monthly meeting 5:15-p.m. Monday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. Action items and/or New Business on their agenda include:

  • Park restrooms
  • Assistant Park and Rec Interviews
  • Sunnyside Pool Shade
  • Cedar Court update
  • Winter Activities

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

  • The “Tour de Parks” bike ride
  • The “Turkey Hunt” and “Scarecrow Contest”
  • and the “Festival of Trees.”

Conservation Report 11/13/2021

Ag/Outdoor, Podcasts

November 13th, 2021 by admin

Chris Parks and Cass and Adair County Conservation Officer Grant Gelly talk about all things outdoors. This week includes discussion on waterfowl migration hitting its peak, proper deer sampling for CWD, deer stand safety, and more.

Play

Gov. Reynolds extends limits on transporting grain

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 12th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Today (Friday), Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an extension to the proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain. The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through November 30, 2021.

The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage and stover to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

This proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

Giant iron pig statue honors Iowa football trophy, real-life hog

Ag/Outdoor, News, Sports

November 12th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – When the Iowa and Minnesota football teams meet tomorrow (Saturday), the victors will take home the bronze Floyd of Rosedale Trophy. A larger-than-life iron sculpture of Floyd the Pig was dedicated in Fort Dodge this week. City council member Dave Flattery says that hog was raised on the Rosedale family farm in Fort Dodge decades ago. He says the statue aims to keep that story alive.

“If you were to go there now, there’s not a story plate yet,” Flattery says. “There is a donor wall, but we intend to — and it’s in the works — to put a plate or plaque to tell the story about Floyd of Rosedale, the pig, and all of the characters that were involved back in 1935.” The trophy stemmed from a bet between the governors of the two states who agreed to wager an actual pig over the game’s outcome. Back in Fort Dodge, Flattery says the giant metal pig was crafted by a sculptor from eastern Iowa.

“He’s out of Mount Vernon and his name is Dale Merrill and the company that he owns is called Liberty Iron Works,” Flattery says. “If you see his portfolio of work, he’s got a lot of good sculptures and artwork throughout eastern Iowa, through Cedar Rapids and that area, and we’re very pleased with the work that he did.” Flattery says they plan to install lighting and security cameras at the sculpture site.

Attendees at the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday included former Iowa Governor and Ambassador Terry Branstad, and the broadcast voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Gary Dolphin.

Harvest Market 2021 now accepting pre-orders

Ag/Outdoor, News

November 12th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Harvest Market 2021 is now accepting preorders at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. Market Manager Brigham Hoegh says preorders will be accepted through Friday, November 19th.  Harvest Market 2021 will also offer inperson shopping, but some vendorssuch as Miss NiNi’s Fine  Desserts and Claire’s Cinnamon Rollsare only offering preordered products.

Harvest Market 2021 will be held at the Cass County Community Center on Monday, November 22 from 37 pm. This fall farmers market is held the Monday before Thanksgiving, so shoppers can pick up premium local produce, local meats, delicious baked goods, and other local foods to enjoy at holiday celebrations. The market also offers locallymade craft products including seasonal candles, goat milk soaps, holiday decorations, and gifts.

Hoegh says preordering is an excellent option for customers who want to plan on a particular food item at their Thanksgiving meal (such as a Frenchsilk pie), customers who are short on time to shop at the market, and customers social distancing this holiday season. Produce in the Park thanks customers for masking and distancing at indoor markets.

Harvest Market Vendors Offering Preordering: Brun Ko Farm, Miss NiNis Fine Desserts, Kringle Man, Bridgewater Farm, Smudge, Erickson Foods, ATown SmokeShack, Harrisdale Farmstead, TerBear Honey, TJs Kitchen, Claires Cinnamon Rolls, The Pet Bistro, Sweet Sisters Vegan, Kingwood Farm, Johnna Joy Designs, and Noble Provisions.

Visit www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com to preorder by Friday, November 19. For the latest information on Harvest Market, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) or sign up for the Produce in the Park newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com.

Harvest Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Camblin Mechanical, Cass County Tourism, Cass County Farm Bureau, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Lindeman Tractor.