w/Kate Olson.

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• KJAN, Atlantic  .35″
• 7 miles NNE of Atlantic  .31″
• Massena  .27″
• Elk Horn  1.41″
• Avoca  1.1″
• Oakland  .4″
• Neola  .3″
• Missouri Valley  .41″
• Kirkman  1.25″
• Irwin  1.25″
• Manning  1.08″
• Woodbine  1.52″
• Logan  .64″
• Bedford  .11″
• Villisca  .25″
• Carroll  .84″
• Underwood  .41″
• Red Oak  .26″
• Corning  .14″
• Denison  .6″
• Clarinda  .12″

Warmer weather means more time outdoors and the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans to protect themselves against tick bites. Ticks can carry the organisms that cause diseases like Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid wooded and grassy areas, where ticks are usually found. If you do spend time in these areas:

• Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
• Walk in the center of trails.
• Use repellent that contains 20 percent or more DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on exposed skin for protection that lasts several hours.
  Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes and mouth.
• Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents, with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains protective through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and may be protective longer.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an online tool to help you select the repellent that is best for you and your family at https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-insect-repellent-right-you.
If you discover a tick on your body, remove it right away. Folk remedies, such as burning the tick with a match or covering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish, are not effective. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the following instructions for removing a tick:

• Carefully grasp the tick by using tweezers to grip the tick by its mouthparts, which are close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body.
• Pull steadily directly away from your skin. Because removing the tick’s body is your main goal, don’t worry if its mouthparts break off in the process.
• Clean the wound and disinfect the site of the bite.

The most common tick-borne disease is Lyme disease. Preliminary 2017 case counts show 254 cases of Lyme disease were reported to IDPH last year, as well as 24 cases of ehrlichiosis/anaplasmosis and 17 cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – all increases over 2016. Not everyone who gets Lyme disease will have the same symptoms, but the best and earliest sign of infection is a rash that may appear within a few days to a month, usually at the site of the tick bite. The rash will first look like a small, red bump, then expand until it begins to look like a bull’s eye, with a red center and a red ring surrounding a clear area. It is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you develop this type of rash or develop flu-like symptoms within a month of having a tick bite or being in an area where ticks are present.

For more information on Lyme disease, visit http://idph.iowa.gov/cade/disease-information/lyme-disease.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees reports the Yard Waste site near the Schildberg Rec Area, will re-open today (Tuesday) at Noon. Please do NOT pile anything on or close to smoldering debris, and observe any cones that are in place.

Dry and warmer weather has allowed a lot of Iowa farmers to finally get into their fields. The new USDA crop report shows, as of Sunday, 17-percent of the state’s expected corn crop has been planted. That’s still four days behind the five-year average, but ZERO-percent of Iowa’s corn was in the ground one week ago. Planting progress is much slower in northern Iowa where fields remain wet from melting snow. Meanwhile, in southeast Iowa, 44-percent of the corn is planted. Most of the state received no precipitation last week and temperatures climbed to as high as 79 in De Soto, Atlantic, Red Oak, and Shenandoah on the afternoon of April 27th.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa Secretary of Agricultire Mike Naig will make two stops in Pottawattamie County, Wednesday (May 2nd). Naig will stop at 22000 510th Street, in Walnut at 3-p.m. , and at 3:40-p.m., at Old Town Park (12515 385th Street) in Macedonia, as part of Soil and Water Conservation Week (April 29-May 6), to view work done by Hungry Canyons Alliance to address stream channel erosion and degradation of the deep Loess (Luss) soils region of western Iowa.

This year’s theme of Soil and Water Conservation Week, is “Watersheds: Our Water, Our Home.” More information about the activities that will take place this week, can be found at www.iowaagriculture.gov/conservationweek.asp. The Hungry Canyons Alliance works in a 23 county area of the deep loess soils region.

The Iowa Pork Producers Association has started accepting nominations for their 2018 best pork tenderloin contest. Any café, restaurant, or tavern that serves breaded or battered pork tenderloins is eligible to be nominated. The establishment must also be open year-round to win the contest, but seasonal restaurants can make it in the top 5. The top 5 restaurants from each of the IPPA’s districts with the most nominations will be judged. One person who nominates the winning restaurant will be entered into a drawing for $100, and the winning restaurant will receive $500, a plaque, and statewide publicity. In the 2017 contest, the IPPA received 3014 nominations between 271 different establishments. The Winner of the 2018 contest will be announced during National Pork Month in October. Nominations can be submitted up until June 5^th, via their website or by using the form in the May issue of the Iowa Pork Producer Magazine.

For more information about the Iowa Pork Producers and their contest, visit their website or call 800-372-7675.

Past winners from the Area:
2015: 2^nd – Three C’s Diner – Corning, Top 5 – The Office – Lenox

2014: Honorable Mention – B&S’s 529, Carroll, Menlo Café – Menlo

2011: Honorable Mention – The Rusty Duck, Dexter

2007: 1^st – Larsen’s Pub – Elk Horn

2006: 2^nd – The Links Restaurant & Lounge, Panora

2005: Honorable Mention- The Farmer’s Kitchen, Atlantic

2004 (Best GRILLED Tenderloin): 1^st– Darrell’s Place, Hamlin, Honorable Mention – Elm’s Club, Creston, Viking Lake, Stanton

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert reports the current weather conditions, and lack of rainfall have produced EXTREME Fire Danger conditions and will make any fires that do start, highly likely to spread very, very quickly. NO OPEN BURNING of any kind is recommended. Burn plans are required to be on file with Emergency Management, and, permission (signed burn plan) from the local Fire Chief are required during this time.

Relative humidity values are low and high winds in excess of 30 mph are forecast for today (Monday). Frontal Boundaries will provide an opportunity for winds shifts, making any fires, difficult to control and predict. If you have recently burned an area, please keep an eye on it for rekindle. Do not hesitate to call 911 and report any fires today.  Seivert says in addition, please be aware of the risk of severe weather over the next few days. It is probable that spotters will be deployed at some point.

The next Fire Danger Conditions update will be on Thursday, May 3rd.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said the Atlantic Yard Waste site near the Schildberg Recreation Area will remain closed today (Monday), due to the strong winds. McNees said “I cannot allow more fuel to be added, causing more fires and the potential spread to the River end Schildberg Recreation Area.” The Chief says it will re-open as soon as possible, once the danger has passed.

The yard waste site was closed Sunday afternoon.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees reports the compost/burn pile near the Schildberg Recreation Area is closed effective 2:45-p.m. Sunday (Today) until further notice, due to the strong winds and risk of embers. KJAN will let you know when the compost/burn pile is available for use.