(Radio Iowa) – The first human case of a dangerous, flesh-eating parasite has been confirmed in the United States, in someone who recently traveled to El Salvador, and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins warns the “New World Screwworm” could devastate cattle herds if it reaches the U.S. “The New World Screwworm is a real threat to America…The last time it really hit our shores was in the ’50s and ’60s. It took 30 years for our cattle industry to recover,” Rollins said at a press conference during the Iowa State Fair. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is building a facility in Texas, near the southern border, to produce and release hundreds of millions of sterile flies in hopes of eradicating the pest in Mexico before it reaches the U.S. “The last case of the screwworm that was an isolated case, but nevertheless a case, was found about 370 miles south of the Texas border,” Rollins said.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins spoke at a news conference before participating in the Governor’s Charity Steer Show at the 2025 Iowa State Fair. (RI photo)

In July, the Mexican government announced it was building a $51 million facility that will also produce and release sterile flies in hopes of pushing the screwworm population further south to the border between Panama and Colombia. Rollins said teams of USDA employees will be dispatched to Mexico, too. “We are staffing up in the hundreds to get down into Mexico so we can trust, but verify the data they’re giving us,” Rollins said. “That’s part of the problem. We’re relying on Mexico which has some significant cartel issues, significant funding issues, so we’re really grateful for their partnership, but we’re going to trust, but verify with our own teams down there.”

The U.S. government has stopped imports of live cattle from Mexico and the USDA is training dogs that will be able to detect screwworm infestations in animals at U.S. border crossings.

(Radio Iowa) – Even the recent chilly morning lows in the 40s weren’t cold enough to kill mosquitoes, so Iowans are being warning to take more precautions after the state’s first reported case of West Nile virus this year. State medical director Robert Kruse says as Iowa enters peak mosquito season, people should watch for the symptoms and seek immediate medical attention if they’re showing signs. “Stiff neck or weakness beyond what they may typically experience,” Kruse says, “confusion, any sort of severe headache or high fevers or any kind of new neurological symptoms.”

Mosquito-USDA-photo

Kruse says just about one in five people will experience symptoms, but certain groups are more likely to have severe complications. “For those individuals that are older age, or certainly have immunocompromised systems where their immunity is not as great,” he says, “they’re more likely they have complications related to the infection.” Speaking on the Iowa Public Radio show, “River to River,” Kruse says Iowans should use mosquito repellent with DEET and avoid standing water to lower their risk of getting the virus.

The state confirmed its first West Nile case of the year in northern Iowa last week. There were 21 cases confirmed statewide in 2024, with one death.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Another Produce In the Park event in Atlantic heads your way this Thursday, August 28th. Get ready for some spicy fun, as the theme this week is “Salsa Night at Produce in the Park!”  Watch guest chefs in a Chopped-style salsa showdown, then taste their creations. Bring your dancing shoes for salsa-style Jazzercise (all welcome!), plus a salsa-themed kids scavenger hunt and “Blind Date with a Book” with the Atlantic Public Library Friends & Trustees.

Live music will be provided by Jenna Nevins. Vendors this week will be offering fresh produce (peppers, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, and more), local meats, farm-fresh eggs, honey, baked goods, arts and crafts, fresh flower bouquets, handmade soaps, and more. Zipp’s Pizzaria is bringing their food truck to the downtown Atlantic City Park, for Produce In the Park, and visiting community organizations will have booths set up, including: Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services, Cass Health, Atlantic Public Library, and others.

Thanks to August Sponsors: Zion, Cass Health, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, City of Atlantic, 1st Whitney Bank, Cass County Tourism, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA.

For more information and to apply to be a vendor at our farmers markets visit https://www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Ark9pVsyG/

(Radio Iowa) – Harvest projections for corn and soybeans are up while the prices for those commodities are remaining low. Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says continuing to expand markets is one way to deal with that situation. The Republican from Marion says she recently talked with commodity groups at the Iowa State Fair.

(as said)”I sat down with the folks from Iowa Corn, they definitely want to see these trade deals come to fruition. So they were thankful for the provisions, we were able to get in the one Big Beautiful Bill act that are are now law. Obviously to help expand market access, making sure those resources are there for foreign market development,” Hinson says.

She says the U-S needs to keep working on deals like the ones secured with Great Britain, Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea that provide opportunities for our farmers

(as said)“Ultimately that’s what they want. They don’t want another handout or or another check, they want to be able to sell their products and make sure that demand is there,” she says.

Hinson says it will help Iowa tremendously if more markets can be opened up.*

(as said)”There’s amazing potential there if we can continue to advance these trade deals and continue to provide our farmers access to new markets,” she says.

Hinson says another example is a soybean crush plant she recently visited in her district that is supplying the South Pacific with fish food.

(Radio Iowa) – Seven people have died on A-T-Vs and U-T-Vs in Iowa so far this year, with dozens hurt, prompting a healthcare professional to offer some safety reminders about the powerful machines. Megan Anderson, a trauma injury prevention coordinator at Emplify Health by Gundersen, says the vehicles can be unstable on pavement or concrete, as they’re designed primarily for off-road use.

(As above) “We want people to stick to the trails or off-road when they can,” Anderson says. “Wearing a helmet and a seat belt helps a lot. Being sober when you’re operating, and then following appropriate speeds, and if you can, take a rider safety course that can help with that hands-on component. That might be really helpful.”

Iowa DNR photo

A University of Iowa study finds the state’s averaging more than 200 A-T-V and U-T-V crashes every year, with a total of 20 deaths in Iowa last year. Anderson says it’s especially tragic when children are killed.

(As above) “We really want to think about safety for them in terms of wearing the appropriate gear and then operating an ATV or UTV that’s the appropriate size for them, for their age and their development,” Anderson says. “And following those manufacturer recommendations, lots of them are printed right on the machine — the safe age for operation.”

Utility terrain vehicles are rapidly gaining in popularity in Iowa. The D-N-R says there were about 39-thousand U-T-Vs registered in the state in 2022, while last year, that number rocketed above 57-thousand, an increase of almost 50-percent. Anderson says the machines can be a lot of fun, but they can also become dangerous if they’re overloaded.

(As above) “Many of them are made just for one operator,” she says, “and that increases the risk of injury when we have multiple passengers on those single rider machines.”

The Iowa D-N-R offers what it calls the Off-highway Vehicle Reference Guide, available free online, along with an online safety course. Riders between 12 and 17 are required to complete an A-T-V safety course and carry their certificate with them while riding on public land.

Emplify Health by Gundersen has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

(Radio Iowa) – County supervisors in Shelby and Story Counties have voted to seek U-S Supreme Court review of their ordinances for hazardous liquid pipelines, like the one Summit Carbon Solutions plans to build. Summit has argued both state and federal laws pre-empt local regulations and, in June, a federal appeals court ruled in Summit’s favor. Lisa Heddens is chair of the Story County Board of Supervisors.

Heddens and other officials in the two counties say their ordinances address safety issues by establishing no-go areas around homes, hospitals and other structures.

Property owners opposed to the Summit Carbon Solutions Pipeline rally at the Iowa Capitol in March. (RI file photo)

Former Shelby County Supervisor Steve Kenkel, who’s now the county’s liaison on pipeline issues, says economic development areas on the outskirts of Iowa towns for new homes and businesses need to be protected.

The ordinances set emergency response requirements if there’s a pipeline rupture.

And Kenkel says since the federal appeals court ruled a federal agency, not local governments, have jurisdiction over pipeline safety, the case could nullify state law.

The counties have hired a D-C law firm and Shelby County has capped its expenses at 60-thousand dollars. Shelby County’s insurance company is covering part of the costs and the rest is coming from what’s left in pandemic relief funds officials set aside three years ago to fight’s Summit’s legal challenge of Shelby County’s pipeline ordinance. Summit argues any county ordinance that attempts to control pipeline routes and regulate the construction or operation of the pipeline is pre-empted by state law.

Written by Andrea Welchans (ISU Extension & Outreach)

AMES, Iowa – Mandy Maher has accepted the position of regional director for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach serving Pottawattamie (east and west offices), Cass and Adair counties in western Iowa. She begins the position Sept. 29, 2025. As regional director, Maher will provide administrative leadership to county extension office staff and guidance to county extension councils.

Maher has been the county director for ISU Extension and Outreach in Fremont County since 2012. In this role, Maher supervises county staff to cultivate a positive, high-performing work environment. She provides strategic guidance to the extension council, ensuring legal compliance while advancing personnel, financial and programmatic goals. She adheres to organizational policies and procedures and works closely with the regional director to manage the annual budget. She connects local audiences to research-based education, amplifying impact through targeted marketing and resource development. A civic engagement champion, she strengthens volunteer networks and delivers data-driven reports that highlight program outcomes and inform future initiatives. Her active representation of ISU Extension and Outreach in key local organizations reinforces the institution’s presence and deepens community trust.

“Mandy is an outstanding communicator. She excels at connecting people and fostering meaningful relationships with her staff and community networks making her an excellent fit for the role of a regional director,” said Andrea Welchans, assistant vice president for ISU Extension and Outreach. “We congratulate her and welcome her to her new position with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.”

Maher received her bachelor’s degree in business administration and communications from Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, S.D.

ISU Extension and Outreach is part of the federal Cooperative Extension Service—a network of more than 100 land-grant institutions, including Iowa State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture serving communities and counties across the United States. Every county in Iowa has an elected extension council that decides how to support ISU Extension and Outreach educational programs at the county level.