(Radio Iowa) – Another dry week allowed farmers to spend a lot of time planting. The U-S-D-A report shows the corn planted jumped from 76 to 91 percent in the last week. That’s 12 days ahead of last year and four days ahead of the five-year average. The north-central region, with 97 percent, and the northwest, with 96 percent, lead the way in corn planting. Soybean planting moved from 64 to 84 percent complete, eight days ahead of last year and six days ahead of normal.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The warmer weather is giving people the itch to, get outside and have fun. The Cass County Conservation Department has several things you can do, to get back to nature. Naturalist Lora Kanning says their kayak and paddle-boarding programs this Memorial Day weekend, are one way you can get some fresh air and stay cool.

Paddle-boarding, she said, provides a core workout for your hips and thighs.

The Conservation Department will provide you with a life jacket for the 45-minutes you’ll be on the paddle-board, if you don’t have one. Since paddle-boarding is mostly done on calm water, if the wind is strong, the event may be canceled. Lora Kanning said registration for the paddle-boarding and kayak spots are done online, at mycountyparks.com. Kayaks are available in the sit-in or sit-on-top versions. The programs for both are designed to be introductory, for those who have never experienced paddle-boards or kayaks. Children must be 16-years-of-age or older, and paddlers must weight less than 250-pounds. For the kayaks, users must weigh less than 395-pounds.

Paddle Boarding

The Cass County Conservation Board is also hosting a “Movie in the Park” this Friday, and again the weekend of Labor Day, both at Cold Springs State Park.

The movie “Dog Man” is about when a dog and a police officer are injured together on the job, a life-saving surgery changes the course of history. Half dog, half man, Dog Man is sworn to protect and serve as he doggedly pursues his arch-nemesis: the feline supervillain Petey the Cat. The movies begin at dark, or generally around 9-p.m. You do not have to be a registered camper to attend the showing, and in the event of rain, the movie will be rescheduled.

For more information, call 712-769-2372.

Cass County: Corn $4.15 Beans $10.03
Adair County: Corn $4.12 Beans $10.06
Adams County: Corn $4.12 Beans $10.02
Audubon County: Corn $4.14 Beans $10.04
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $4.18 Beans $10.03
Guthrie County: Corn $4.17 Beans $10.07
Montgomery County: Corn $4.17 Beans $10.05
Shelby County: Corn $4.18 Beans $10.03
Oats: $2.93 (same in all counties)

(Iowa News Service) – Rural Iowans are asking lawmakers to be more aggressive in fighting for cleaner water in the state’s notoriously dirty rivers, lakes, and streams. Advocates from across the country gathered in Des Moines this month to exchange ideas on how to address the issue.

People from as far away as Maine and Arizona gathered at the Rural Policy Action Summit in Des Moines to address health care costs, a labor shortage in rural America, declining funding for public schools – and manure runoff from large ag operations polluting the state’s waterways.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement’s Executive Director Lisa Whelan said ag pollution keeps many lakes closed for recreation in the summer. “We need clean water,” said Whelan. “We are facing a real water crisis here – not only about quality, but also about quantity.”

Lake Okoboji is a popular Tourist Area known as the Great Lakes of Iowa

Corporate ag operators contend they consistently look for ways to be more environmentally conscious, but are often cited for ground and surface water pollution. Beyond clean and healthy water, Rural Democracy Initiative Communications Director Michael Chameides said there was also consensus at the summit on addressing concerns about worker safety, especially in Iowa’s rural towns.

“And so, we saw this concern for agricultural communities where there can be really harsh conditions for farm workers or for workers who are working in meat processing plants,” said Chameides, “but also other small factories, for people sort of needing a safe work environment.”

Chameides said people at the summit also expressed frustration about corporate consolidation and the undue influence of special interest groups in Washington, D.C. having an outsize influence on policies that affect rural Americans.

(Radio Iowa) – Groups representing corn growers and the ethanol industry are urging Governor Kim Reynolds to veto a bill that would put new restrictions on carbon pipelines. House Speaker Pat Grassley says House Republicans who’ve passed several pipeline-related bills over the past few years are extremely happy the Senate finally passed one this week.

Grassley, as House speaker, is required to sign each bill that passes the House. In a rare move, Grassley held bill signing ceremony with fellow House Republicans on Wednesday night.

Grassley said “…It’s something that we would really have a high expectation of the governor to sign.” Grassley made his comments during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S. The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association and the Iowa Corn Growers Association say the bill will effectively ban carbon pipelines in Iowa. Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer from Primghar who’s a past president of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, was at the Capitol this week to lobby against the bill.

About three miles of Summit’s pipeline route goes through Nieuwenhuis’s property. Nearly three years ago he signed a contract giving the company access to that section of his land.

Governor Reynolds has until mid-June to sign – or veto — all the bills that passed the legislature.

Cass County: Corn $4.16 Beans $10.10
Adair County: Corn $4.13 Beans $10.13
Adams County: Corn $4.13 Beans $10.09
Audubon County: Corn $4.15 Beans $10.12
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $4.19 Beans $10.10
Guthrie County: Corn $4.18 Beans $10.14
Montgomery County: Corn $4.18 Beans $10.12
Shelby County: Corn $4.19 Beans $10.10

Oats: $2.91 (same in all counties)

ADEL, IA – Organizers of the 11th annual, June 14th “Bacoon Ride,” that winds through several central Iowa towns along the Raccoon River Valley Trail, have announced a detour for the route, that would normally cross a key bridge east of Adel. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition says the Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) was impacted by a fire during the early morning hours of Monday, May 12th. As reported, the fire was allegedly caused by  three 19-year-old’s from Adel, who had built an uncontrolled fire that spread to the bridge. All three suspects were arrested and charged in connection with the incident.

Dallas County Conservation Director Curt Cable, said due to extensive damages, the bridge is currently unusable. The bridge was along a portion of the trail previously closed for a construction project. The Iowa Bicycle Coalition, the host organization for the ride, wants to assure riders and community members that the ride will still be taking place as planned, and has been coordinating with Dallas County Conservation, the City of Adel, Adel Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, and Iowa DOT to create a safe detour for riders to get out of Adel and back on the RRVT. The detour will stretch from S. 6th  St. in Adel to Prospect Ave., where cyclists would then rejoin the RRVT as they head east toward Waukee.

2025 Bacoon Ride detour route

The name “Bacoon Ride” is a play on words that combines “bacon” (a beloved food in Iowa) and “Raccoon” (the trail’s namesake). During the ride, cyclists stop at each town to indulge in bacon-themed food and drinks, making for a delicious and enjoyable experience. Additionally, the event supports local charities, making it both fun and philanthropic.

Iowa Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Luke Hoffman says, “Our hearts go out to the City of Adel as well as to Dallas County Conservation, who are showing tremendous leadership in this dramatic moment. We want both our registered riders, residents of the area, and the general public to understand that the Bacoon Ride will continue to support Dallas County Conservation with a portion of proceeds from ticket sales going directly to the county based on the number of registered riders. We are pleased to announce that, in cooperation with the Iowa State Patrol, The City of Adel, Adel Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation, that the ride will go on for its 11th year with an approved detour using Highway 6 in place that will be protected by the State Patrol and Coalition volunteers.”

Individuals can support Dallas County Conservation’s efforts to rebuild the bridge by donating directly to the organization, or by registering for the Bacoon Ride. A portion of the proceeds will go back to Dallas County Conservation.

• Bacoon Ride is the largest single day bike ride in Iowa

• Bacoon Ride has had participants from over 23 states in the country

• Bacoon Ride generates more than $500,000 in economic impact each year for the communities along the route, which include: Waukee, Dallas Center, Jamaica, Yale, Herndon, Panora, Linden, Redfield, and Adel.

(Radio Iowa) – A bale fire at the POET Bioprocessing plant in northwest Iowa has been burning since Monday night. It’s about a mile from the town of Emmetsburg where Patrick Degen is the mayor. “They’ve got it under control. I don’t think there’s any risk of that fire spreading anywhere. But I just want people to know that we’re going to work with POET to make sure that does not happen again,” he says. The bales are corn stover that is turned into ethanol. Degen says he recognizes the stress and inconvenience that the smoke has had on residents.

“It’s still smoldering, the bales are. I know our neighbors at POET have been working diligently to move as many of the unburned bales away from the bales that are burning to take some of the fuel away from the fire and hopefully get it to go out sooner,” Degan says.

This is the second fire at the plant this year. Another bale fire broke out in February. POET officials did not respond to inquiries about the fire.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer is reporting a significant dip in income compared to a year ago.Quad Cities-based John Deere reports second quarter net income of one-point-eight billion dollars, a drop from nearly two-point-four billion at the end of the same quarter last year. For the first six months of the fiscal year, Deere’s net income was almost two-point-seven billion, versus four-point-one billion a year ago.

Radio Iowa file photo

Worldwide net sales and revenues for the agricultural equipment maker were down 16 percent for the quarter and 22 percent for six months. Deere chairman and CEO John May says he’s proud the company’s employees and dealers are showcasing resilience in supporting customers amidst heightened uncertainty.