(Radio Iowa) – The Hamilton County Supervisors this (Tuesday) morning approved a resolution objecting to eminent domain for the Summit Carbon Pipeline that will be coming through the county. Rick Young of Jewell read a portion of the resolution and says using eminent domain for a carbon pipeline for private benefit is not appropriate and should never be done.

“People in Iowa work way too hard for their to earn their money, to pay for their property, to have somebody come along and say, I want to use it. I want to dig it up and damage your property just because I want to put a pipeline through,” he says. Young says the pipeline will do other damage as well. “With all the drainage we have in our county, you go for the pipeline through and think that you’re not going to hurt drainage, you’re going to hurt drainage because it’s all going to settle differently,” Young.

Hamilton County Supervisor Jerry Kloberdanz  shared his opinion on the rejection of eminent domain. “Hamilton County Boards of Supervisors objects to the use of eminent domain for private economic gain and urges the Iowa Utilities Commission not to grant Carbon Solutions and their affiliates the use of eminent domain for this project,” he says.

Summit Carbon Solutions is holding informational meetings on the expansion its project in Titonka today (Tuesday). Summit has information meetings scheduled in Butler and Floyd Counties for Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – A salmonella outbreak linked to recalled eggs has sickened at least 65 people in 24 states, including Iowa. A map on the Centers for Disease Control website shows up to three Iowans were among those linked to the outbreak by the end of last week. The eggs — which have been recalled — came from an egg operation in northeast Wisconsin. The eggs were sold in stores under the brand names Milo’s Poultry Farms and Tony’s Fresh Market eggs and also distributed to restaurants in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Doctors say you can feel sick within 12 hours or up to three days after eating food that has salmonella. Symptoms can last up to seven days. At least two dozen people linked to the recalled eggs from Wisconsin were so sick they were hospitalized, but no deaths have been reported.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Enrollment is open for Cass County 4-H, and the active, learn-by-doing approach is now more accessible to Iowa’s youth than ever. Cass County ISU Extension County Youth Coordinator, Katie Bateman says “4-H is a year-round program for youth in grades kindergarten through 12. Enrollment is free in Cass County thanks to support towards our Cass County 4-H Endowment Fund. Research has shown that young people in 4-H are nearly four times as likely to contribute to their communities and are twice as likely to engage in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) programs during after school time.”

4-H is uniquely poised to help youth develop life skills such as public speaking, self-motivation, healthy lifestyle choices, emotional intelligence, conflict management, and negotiating. These skills may be a key indicator of future career success when paired with the hard skills often taught in academic settings.

Members will join a 4-H that that has monthly meetings to complete community service, recreation, along with a 4-H business meeting to talk about upcoming 4-H events offered in the county. Families are encouraged to attend meetings with their kids to enhance their learning and sense of belonging in the group. “When you join 4-H, you become part of the Cass County 4-H family. Youth make friends in their own club and across the county at different events!” shared Bateman “Having the whole family participating in club meetings makes it easier for youth members to get involved and gain all the learning benefits 4-H has to offer.”

Cass County Clover Kid Graduates – 2023

Youth may join 4-H at any time in the year, however a new program year begins in September. We recommend that you enroll early in the year to have the maximum experience possible. Workshops, camps, ad special events happen throughout the calendar year. To get enrolled in Cass County 4-H visit us at 805 W 10th Street in Atlantic, call 712-243-1132 or check out the website, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/join-4-h.

If you have questions, or your child is interested in joining 4-H, please contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or visit the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

Cass County 4-H has more than 300 4-H youth and 100 volunteers involved in the program.

(Crawford County, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a wastewater bypass at the City of Denison in Crawford County. Officials at the Iowa DNR Field Office in Atlantic received a call today (Monday) from Denison Municipal Utilities (DMU) regarding a wastewater bypass due to a lateral service line that had become plugged.

The discharge was discovered around 7:40 a.m. at the Denison Country Store located at 1108 4th Avenue S. in Denison. It is estimated that up to 300 gallons of sewage flowed onto the ground and a portion of it flowed into a storm sewer which outlets to the Boyer River.  DMU staff were able to remove the blockage and officials say the discharge has stopped.

Cleanup efforts have begun. Residents are advised to avoid the area. Water samples have been collected for testing. No dead fish have been observed at this time. The Iowa DNR will follow up with the city for further assessment.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

(Radio Iowa) – A group of northern Iowans, including landowners along the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline route, plan to host a meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) in Titonka. Bud Jermeland of Forest City says they’ll discuss the options people have when they’re contacted by Summit.

“To know what’s currently happening with the pipeline, to know legal wise what they need to know — if they need to seek legal counsel,” Jermeland says, “questions they need to have answered, options as far as letting their land go to eminent domain and what that process entails.”

In late August, Summit began holding informational meetings in areas where the original pipeline route would be expanded if regulators approve extending the route. Summit will host a meeting in Kossuth County next Monday and in Hancock County this Friday. “It’s an individual choice,” Jermeland says, “but we just want them to know there are options out there.”

Summit will host an informational meeting tonight (Monday) in Buchanan County. Meetings are scheduled for Tuesday in Fayette and Bremer Counties. On Wednesday, Summit’s information meetings will be in Butler and Floyd Counties.

Summit’s project would be the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world and the company’s executives say the pipeline will expand economic opportunities for ethanol producers and for corn farmers.

(Here’s the link to when and where Summit’s informational meetings are being held: https://summitcarbonsolutions.com/iowa-utilities-commission-approves-public-information-meeting-dates-for-summit-carbon-solutions-expansion-counties/)

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board held a youth fishing derby at Cold Springs Park on Saturday, September 7^th 2024. Prizes were awarded for the most overall weight: 1^st Addyson Freerksen, 2^nd : Gavin Dougherty, 3^rd : Sabyr Johnson.

Awards also given for heaviest single fish and longest single fish: Cillia Shinkle, and shortest single fish: River Peterson. The Conservation Department thanks all those that donated items for the event: Weirich Welding for the trophies, Cappel’s Ace Hardware, and Scheels for prizes.

From left to right: Sayber Johnson; Gavin Dougherty; Addyson Freerksen; Cillia Shinkle, and River Peterson.

(Radio Iowa) – Kossuth County officials are advancing a temporary moratorium on permits for construction of solar farms. Kyle Stecker, chairman of the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors, read the resolution during a board meeting this week. “Kossuth County has recently been approached by several entities interested in constructing several large-scale solar energy systems in the county,” he said. In early August, the Kossuth County Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the no permits be issued for large scale commercial solar arrays in the county for nine months, to give officials time to consider the impact of solar farms would have in the county.

The resolution Kossuth County supervisors have initially approved notes large arrays of solar panels require above and below ground transmission lines. “The installation of said systems necessarily impacts the county’s infrastructure, including roads and drainage facilities,” Stecker said as he read from the document. The supervisors voted for the moratorium this week, but a second and third round of voting is required before the moratorium would take effect. Luke Seaberg of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach met with Kossuth County officials in August to discuss his federally-funded research to explore the benefits and drawbacks of large scale solar at the county level. He was part of a public hearing this week before the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors voted on the ordinance.

The Grinnell College Solar farm, the largest privately owed solar farm in the state of Iowa May 19, 2022.
(Photo by Justin Hayworth/Grinnell College)

“The goal of the project is to help communities make more informed decisions regarding solar energy planning and ensure that if any projects do get built in your community that those projects reflect those communities’ values,” Seaberg says. Other counties are considering or have adopted rules for solar farms. In February, Pottawattamie County’s Board of Supervisors adopted an updated set of regulations for both wind and solar projects in the county.

A couple of years ago Linn County officials debated and ultimately approved a permit for a large scale solar farm at site of a former nuclear power plant near Palo. A nine-thousand panel solar array in Grinnell generates about a third of the electricity used on the Grinnell College campus.

Meyer said now is the time to do some final crop scouting and think strategically about which fields to harvest first.

While some areas of the state are concerned about pod fill in soybeans, Meyer said the fields in his region have looked very full and healthy.

On top of practicing proper machine maintenance and safety habits, Meyer said it’s important for farmers to maintain their own bodies and get plenty of rest during harvest.

For more information, visit beckshybrids.com.