The Cass County Conservation Board will begin a paving project at Cold Springs Park on Monday September 28, 2020. The Board asks all campers, camping the weekend of September 26-27 to please vacate the park by 5:00pm on Sunday September 27. The park will be closed to traffic/use for a couple days, pending weather, to complete the project.

The CCCB says “We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but are excited to have the project completed to offer a better experience in the park. If you have any questions please call our office at 712-769-2372.”

(Radio Iowa) – The health of the ethanol industry has been a staple of Iowa campaigns for years and 2020 is no different. This month, the Trump Administration denied 54 waivers that would have exempted oil refineries from blending ethanol into gasoline. In addition, Trump himself announced the E-P-A will let states decide new pumps aren’t necessary and gasoline that’s 15 percent ethanol can be dispensed from existing E-10 pumps. “That saves tremendous amounts of money for the people in the ethanol industry,” Trump says.

During a recent conference call organized by Joe Biden’s campaign, former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack questioning the election year timing of these announcements. “I think farmers are justified in being suspicious and concerned about what may happen after an election,” Vilsack said. So, what’s the economic impact of these recent ethanol pronouncements? Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says 40 percent of U.S. ethanol plants were temporarily shut down this spring.

The pandemic was the main driver of that, but Goss says the administration’s dithering over ethanol waivers for the oil industry didn’t help. “I won’t say it’s too late, but it certainly should have been earlier,” Goss says of the waiver announcement for 2011 through 2018 waivers. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says getting retailers to sell a higher blend of ethanol seems to be the industry’s aim. “Originally it was E85, but a lot of the concentration now has been on E15 and getting that expanded nationwide,” Hart says.

President Trump announced a year ago that E-15 could be sold year-round. During a trip to Iowa last month, Trump’s ag secretary, Sonny Perdue, promised any future oil industry waivers would not reduce the federal ethanol production mandate of a net 15 billion gallons. “That’s an important consideration,” Perdue said. Iowa plants produce nearly a third of the U.S. ethanol supply.

The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department Board will meet 5:15-p.m. Monday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. During their session, the Board will hear from Parks & Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen, with regard to:

• The Mascot Challenge
• Mollett Park (Walking path completed by the Atlantic Street Dept.)
  

  Mollet Park paved walking path (Atlantic Parks & Rec photos)

• The Walkability Maps
• Nishna Park washout
• Online Shelter Reservations, and…
• A Park Video.

In his regular report, Ramussen will update the Board on:

• The Schildberg Rec Area Campground – which is full
• Nesting Boxes
• Painting of playground equipment
  

  One of the many pieces of playground equipment has received a fresh coat of paint.

• Bandshell painting (Members of the Atlantic 1st Church of Christ worked on the project).
  

  Sunnyside Park Bandshell painted

• Bull Creek washout issues addressed
• Vandalism
• and Grants.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has relaxed the fishing regulations at Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend in Monona County. Low water levels in the Missouri River have trapped fish in these areas and water levels are continuing to drop.

Anglers with a valid sport fishing license may harvest all sizes and unlimited quantities of any species of fish from Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend, with the exception of Threatened or Endangered Species. Any number of fishing poles or jug fishing is allowed. Anglers must remain in sight of these lines at all times, and follow all other fishing regulations and area rules. Trot lines will be allowed (name and address must be attached), however lines may not be set across the entire water body.

Liberalized fishing regulations for Upper Decatur/Tieville Bend and Louisville Bend will be in effect through Oct. 31. Note: Blue Lake is not included in these liberalized regulations.

Dynamite, poison, electric shocking devices, or any stupefying substances are not allowed. It is illegal to sell fish or stock captured fish into public waters.

(Radio Iowa) – President Trump has announced another round of federal assistance to farmers who continue to see prices for commodities dip due to the pandemic. Iowa State University ag economist Chad Hart says the spending was authorized by the so-called CARES Act that passed congress this spring. “This has been telegraphed for some time,” Hart says. “It’s about $13-14 billion dollars of support here…to help producers that are still suffering from price losses from earlier.” Producers of livestock, dairy and eggs as well as so-called fish farms are eligible to apply for these new payments. Farmers who raise corn, cotton, beans, wheat and specialty crops like fruits and nuts are eligible, too.

In August, the U-S-D-A estimated federal payments would account for 36 percent of farm income this year and these payments will push that share even higher. A recent report shows that in general, southern farmers are getting bigger checks from the U-S-D-A than Midwestern farmers. Hart says that’s because the payments are based on the Farm Bill.  “When you look back at previous Farm Bill packages, they tended to be more tilted to southern crops as well,” Hart says, “and so when we piggyback on previous programs, they tend to line up the same way.”

Hart made his comments this (Friday) morning during taping of “Iowa Press” which airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

U-S Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, today (Friday) designated 10 Iowa counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Buena Vista, Hamilton, Harrison, Ida, Madison, Monona, Pocahontas, Polk, Pottawattamie and Story counties who suffered losses caused recent drought may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA)
emergency loans. The natural disaster designation allows FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to producers recovering from natural disasters.

Emergency loans can be used to meet various recovery needs including the replacement of essential items such as equipment or livestock, reorganization of a farming operation or the refinance of certain debts. Producers in the contiguous counties listed below are also eligible to apply for emergency loans:
· Iowa: Adair, Boone, Calhoun, Cass, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Crawford, Dallas, Franklin, Guthrie, Hardin, Humboldt, Jasper,
Kossuth, Marion, Marshall, Mills, Montgomery, O’Brien, Palo Alto, Sac, Shelby, Union, Warren, Webster, Woodbury and Wright.
· Nebraska: Burt, Douglas, Sarpy, Thurston and Washington

The deadline to apply for these emergency loans is May 10, 2021. FSA will review the loans based on the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of additional programs to help farmers recover from the impacts of this disaster. FSA programs that do not require a disaster declaration include: Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Emergency Conservation Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Livestock Indemnity Program; Operating and Farm Ownership Loans; and the Tree Assistance Program.

Farmers may contact their local USDA service center for further information on eligibility requirements and application procedures for these and other programs. Additional information is also available online at farmers.gov/recover.

GREENFIELD, IOWA – September 17, 2020 – Ray “Bubba” Sorensen of Greenfield has been designated a “Friend of Agriculture” by the Iowa Farm Bureau Political Action Committee (PAC). Sorensen is seeking the House District 20 seat that includes Adair and Guthrie county and portions of Dallas and Cass county.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, (R) Rep. IA House District 21

Sorensen says “I always have been, and always will be, a friend. From showing in 4-H, to working in livestock advertising, to helping my dad out on his farm and getting started with my own small acreage. I’ve lived with and loved our rural life and values. I’m excited to get back to work on Ag issues and work through the struggles with the pandemic and weather. I’m looking forward to working with our farmers who are innovating and working on improving our water quality in the state.”

Accordingto IFBF Chair (and Clayton County farmer) Erik Oberbroeckling, “Candidates earn the Friend of Agriculture designation by supporting issues that directly impact Iowa’s agricultural economy. With one in every five Iowans employed in agriculture and ag-related industries, it is essential to have strong advocates for agriculture representing Iowa.”

The latest edition of the Iowa Drought Monitor show significant improvements in all categories. The report shows none of the state is currently in extreme drought, and this week, almost 17% more of the state has escaped drought conditions altogether. In western and west central Iowa, the Extreme Drought we’ve been facing for months, was reduced to Severe Drought status.

Officials say the dramatic drought improvement came to many areas in the form of a multi-day rain event. Measurable rain fell each day from September 6-12 in Iowa locations such as Dubuque and Davenport, totaling 7.46 and 7.76 inches, respectively. During the same 7-day period, Moline, IL, received 5.97 inches. Broad improvements were introduced where the heaviest rain fell, but some eastern sections of the Midwest remained dry and saw some development or expansion of abnormal dryness (D0). Extreme drought (D3) was erased from Iowa, with only patch of D3 remaining in eastern Nebraska. In contrast, September 1-15 rainfall totaled just 0.04 inch (3% of normal) in Indianapolis, Indiana, and 0.50 inch (32%) in Saint Louis, Missouri.