(Ames, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, this week, said swimming is not recommended at beaches at 10 separate Iowa State Parks due to high levels of E.Coli (fecal) bacteria. Sources of E. coli can include untreated human sewage, failing septic tanks, livestock agriculture, pets, wildlife, and illegal connections from home sewer systems to surface water. When E. Coli exceeds the permissible level in recreational water, it results in the closing of beaches, ponds, lakes, and swimming and fishing areas.

The bacteria standard for Iowa’s recreational waters consists of two components:

• A geometric mean standard based on 5 samples in a 30-day period (126 colony-forming units of E. coli bacteria per 100 mL of water).
• A one-time maximum standard based on a single sample (235 colony forming units of E. coli bacteria per 100 mL of water).
  

  Swimming is not recommend for Beaches/Parks w/yellow dots; Blue dots indicate insufficient data; Red indicates closed; Green is OK for swimming.

In our area, the last, single sample taken from Prairie Rose Beach in Shelby County (July 6), was well above the one-time standard, coming in at 310/mL, and a mean of 122.67. Lake Manawa State Beach in Pottawattamie County was tested (July 6) at 110/ml in the last five-sample, with a Geometric mean of 130.7. And, the Lake of Three fires near Bedford in Taylor County, is temporarily closed to swimming, but the Lake of Three Fires State Park is still open. The DNR said last week a swimmer from Missouri may have contracted a rare brain-eating amoeba from the water.

The most commonly reported symptoms of E.Coli are stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and low-grade fever. More information about beach monitoring, including an interactive map, can be found at the Iowa DNR website here.

Des Moines, Iowa – A man from south-central Iowa was sentenced Wednesday to prison for assaulting law enforcement officers with a firearm. According to the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, a judge sentenced 31-year-old Nathan Mason Nosley, of Montezuma, to 92 months (7.6-years) in prison.  Nosley’s sentencing followed his earlier guilty plea to the offense.

The assault occurred on November 20, 2020, when officers attempted to arrest Nosley for unrelated child pornography crimes. As the officers tried to take Nosley into custody, he pulled a loaded handgun from his waistband and fought with officers as they tried to get control of the firearm. During the struggle, Nosley bit an officer’s hand, causing the officer to bleed. The officers ultimately were able to secure the gun and take Nosley into custody. Nosley’s gun contained a loaded magazine and a live round in the chamber. A search of Nosley’s person revealed additional ammunition in his pocket.

Nosley was later convicted at trial of the child pornography offenses and was sentenced to 140 years in prison in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. The 92-month sentence for assaulting the officers was imposed consecutively to Nosley’s sentence in the child pornography case.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The 2022 Shelby County Fair is underway, in Harlan. There are lots of activities and exhibitions to view, along with the livestock. Here is the schedule for today and tomorrow (July 14-15)…

THURSDAY, JULY 14
9:00 am……………..Judge 4-H/FFA Cats & Small Pets
9:00-9:30 am………Enter Bottle Animals – All livestock is to unload at dock and be inspected by a Veterinarian.
9:30 am……………..Judge 4-H/FFA Feeder Calves, Beef Cow/Calves, Breeding Beef, and Dairy Cattle
10:00 am-1:00 pm..Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
10:30 am……………Pie & Muffin Baking (Check Green Book for your scheduled time.)
12:30 pm……………Bottle/Bucket Calf and Bottle/Bucket Calf Plus One Exhibitor Meeting
1:00 pm……………..Judge 4-H/FFA/Clover Kids Bottle Bucket Calf Show
2:30 pm…………….Open Class Bottle Show
3:00-5:00 pm………Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
4:00 pm……………..Carnival
6:00 pm…………….Shelby County Fair PARADE – ‘New Beginnings, Lasting Memories’
7:00-7:30 pm………Strolling Act – Amazing Arthur
7:30-9:00 pm………Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
8:00-8:30 pm………Strolling Act – Amazing Arthur
8:00 pm……………..Show Ring: Crowning of 2022 Shelby County Fair Queen and Hall of Fame Recognition
9:00-9:30 pm………Strolling Act – Amazing Arthur
4-H & Open Class Buildings open following judging to 10:00p.m.
Nishna Valley Model Railroad Building open from 4:00p.m. – 9:00p.m

FRIDAY, JULY 15
7:00 am………………..Exhibitor Breakfast by Agriland FS for all exhibitors
7:45 am………………..Swine Exhibitors Meeting
8:00 am………………..Judge 4-H/FFA Swine
10:00 am-1:00 pm…..Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
12:30 pm………………Rabbit Agility Exhibitor’s Meeting
1:00 pm……………….4-H Rabbit Agility – Tent
2:45 pm……………….4-H Working Exhibitors’ Meeting
3:00 pm……………….4-H Working Exhibits – Tent
3:00-6:00 pm………..Little Hands on the Farm Exhibit
4:00-4:30 pm.……….Strolling Act – Amazing Arthur
4:00 pm……..…..…..Carnival
5:00-5:30 pm………..Strolling Act –  Amazing Arthur
6:00 pm………………Double S Extreme Bull Riding
8:00-8:30 pm.……….Strolling Act – Amazing Arthur
8:30 pm………………Concert – ‘Finding Dixie’ (Grandstand)
Dark…………………….Fireworks Show – Shooting off North of Grandstands
4-H & Open Class Buildings open 10:00a.m.- 9:00pm
Nishna Valley Model Railroad 1:00-9:00 pm

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon County Fair is underway through Sunday. Here’s the schedule for today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday)…

THURSDAY, JULY 14
8:00- 9:00 AM 4-H/FFA Sheep & Goat check in
9:00-10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Beef check in
9:00 AM-6:00 PM Commercial Exhibit set-up
9:30AM-11:00 AM 4-H/FFA/Open Class Rabbit/Poultry check in
11:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horses must be stalled
11:30 AM Farm Bureau Meal – Hoop
Agriland Ice Cream
1:00 PM 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Meeting
6:00 PM Open Class static must be entered
6:30 PM 4-H Style Show followed by Queen Contest-Grandstand
8:00 PM Open Class exhibits must be in place
FRIDAY, JULY 15
7:30 AM Clover Kids Swine Show
4-H/FFA Swine Show
9:00 AM Judging Open Class Static & Antiques Entries
10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horse Show
2:30 PM Livestock Judging Contest Sign up
3:00 PM Livestock Judging Contest
4:00 PM-9:00 PM Inflatable Attractions
5:00 PM Clover Kids Rabbit Show
4-H/FFA & Open Rabbit Show
5:00 PM Pork Feed – Hoop
7:30 PM Figure Eight Races

(Radio Iowa) – Separate search efforts are underway this (Thursday) morning on waterways in central and eastern Iowa for girls who went missing on Wednesday. Des Moines police say the search is back underway on the Raccoon River for an 11-year-old girl. She’s presumed drowned after rafting with friends on the river last night (Wed. night). Police say the girl got off the raft, went underwater and didn’t surface.

Another girl is believed to have met the same fate at Palisades-Kepler State Park in Linn County. Witnesses say the girl was struggling in the water mid-afternoon and vanished in the Cedar River. A helicopter and drones were being used in that search.

WASHINGTON – As historic numbers at the U.S.-Mexico border continue to rise, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) will join a delegation of her Senate Republican colleagues led by John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on a trip today (Thursday) and Friday to the Rio Grande Valley to survey the current state of the Southern border. The senators will be briefed by the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS), Texas National Guard, local law enforcement, landowners, and others.

In a statement issued Thursday morning, Ernst said “Month after month we continue to see complete chaos at the Southern border under this administration. With our Border Patrol agents more overwhelmed than ever, we need serious action to restore law and order at the border. I’m looking forward to meeting with the men and women on the frontlines of this crisis and bringing back potential solutions to my colleagues in the Senate.”

During the trip, the delegation will:

Participate in a night border tour with law enforcement.
Partake in a CBP aerial border tour.
Meet with local landowners to discuss the impact of the open border on Texas communities.
Receive briefings from the NBPC and CBP about the challenges these agencies face.
Receive a briefing from the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety about state efforts to secure the border, known as Operation Lone Star.
Hold a press conference to discuss the state of the U.S.-Mexico border.

(Pottawattamie County, Iowa) – Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department today (Thursday), said “Since our last Speed Enforcement Project on 4-29-2022 we have received several more complaints of speeding and red light traffic violations, in the area of I-29 and 9th Ave. The efforts to make motorists conform to the posted speed limit began Nov. 8, 2021, when the Iowa D.O.T. closed Northbound Interstate 29 between 9th Avenue and Avenue G and then opened the Northbound Frontage Road to accommodate that Interstate traffic. This section of road includes four separate traffic lights and a posted speed limit of 35mph. In addition to speeding there have been several accidents and complaints of semis using engine brakes.” On Wednesday, July 13th, Traffic Officers conducted another Speed Enforcement Project in the same area. The project involved six officers in fully marked cruisers; two of the six officers were on motorcycles.

Authorities say Officers began the project at 8:00 AM and concluded at 11:00 AM. They focused on excessive speed, which on Wednesday ranged from 61-to 81-mph in a 35-mph speed zone, “It means these people are traveling at least 30mph over the posted speed limit,” Police said. Included in the excessive speeds were two separate semis clocked traveling at more than 70mph. Police say 70 citations were issued including for no insurance and no registration. Authorities warned, “After [Wednesday’s] project results we will be stepping up our daily enforcement.”

On Wednesday, Traffic Officers focused their Special Traffic Enforcement on vehicles traveling 20-mph or more over the posted speed limit of 35mph. The top speed was checked at 80mph.  Council Bluffs Police say they “will continue to step up speed enforcement in this area. Always be aware of your speed.”

The Red Oak Police Department today (Thursday) said Thomas Oscar Anderson, age 62, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4-p.m. Wednesday. Anderson was wanted on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense. He was being held for Mills County on a $25,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The Nature Conservancy in Iowa is offering home and business owners in the state a crash course in solar power. Patrick Snell, the organization’s climate and external affairs associate, says the Grow Solar program is in its fourth year of helping Iowans navigate a course toward finding an affordable source of renewable energy. “It’s hard to know what to look for in solar, how to work with your utility, how to work with your municipality and figuring out all the right questions to ask,” Snell says. “What this program does is really put all that in front of them in a 30-minute educational series to get all those questions answered.”

Grow Solar is underway this summer in Polk County, after successful runs in Dallas, Warren, Linn, Jackson and Johnson counties. There’s also a longer program, the Solar Power Hour, where people can learn the basics of solar energy, along with some of the financial aspects. “The program is a limited group buy purchasing program, so anybody that wants to participate in the program, we basically do a bulk purchasing of individual solar systems,” Snell says. “We usually see about a 10% reduction in the price of solar for those individual homes or businesses.” The program aims to connect Iowa home and business owners with local, reputable installers, while warning them about the predatory tactics of some out-of-state solar companies.

“Good solar companies have a headquarters or an operation in the state, that’s a big one for us,” Snell says. “One other thing we look at is the number of installations they’ve done. There’s a lot of companies that will come in to just try it out, and you’ll end up paying for a lot of headaches both for that resident, as well as their local utilities.” Just because you see something on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true, and this applies to the solar industry as well. Snell says people may want to steer clear of some companies that advertise on social media about the benefits of solar power.

“It’s something that can be good for someone’s pocketbook and good for their heart, and unfortunately from that altruistic side, we do see a lot of actors have misleading ads,” Snell says. “I would say there’s a lot of good players, there’s a lot of not-so-good players in the industry, so yes, there’s some ads to be wary of.” The Solar Power Hours are being held virtually and in-person to help equip Iowans with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions. Learn more at: https://www.growsolar.org/polk-county/

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University analysis shows rural households are being disproportionately impacted by rising inflation. The study finds disposable income for rural residents is down 38 percent — compared to 17 percent in cities. I-S-U researcher Dave Peters says that means rural communities have less of a safety net for unexpected costs. “A healthcare issue that costs extra money, you get a reduction in your hours. Big home repair that you didn’t plan for. So, any kind of these unexpected expenses, that’s only six-thousand dollars to cover that,” Peters says. He says rural households are using more gasoline to travel and fuel to heat their homes – – which are both surging in price.

And Peters says wages in small towns are growing more slowly than in other places. Peters says he’s most concerned with how long these communities can withstand inflationary costs. “If they’re for the long term, then this becomes a big crisis for rural households, you know, that disposable income cushion makes them really vulnerable to debt and bankruptcy,” he says. Peters says low-income and older residents are at even greater risk of being impacted.