The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says “Due to the winds today , lack of precipitation in the forecast, and a considerable amount of available fuels,”  the HIGH Fire Danger category will be in effect until at least Thursday. At that time authorities will issue another Local update. No outdoor burning is allowed without a permit from your local fire chief. Any fires that are lit are likely to spread out of control, rapidly.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources fall trout stocking program is underway. Northeast Iowa Regional Fisheries Supervisor, Mike Steuck (Steyek like bike) says they stock the trout in water bodies that are within 15 to 20 miles of the state’s largest cities. He says the goal is to be in the urban areas and create some excitement and get people out to go trout fishing. Steuck says they hope people will enjoy the trout and then use their trout stamp to fish some of the trout streams in northeast Iowa. Steuck says the trout thrive in the cool streams in northeast Iowa and that’s why they wait to stock them in other areas until the fall.”They can’t survive in temperatures higher than 60 to 70 degrees — so we wait until October or November or even through the ice to stock them — when the waters in those ponds are cold enough to support the trout,” Steuck says.

He says they have a complete list of the lakes and ponds that will be stocked on the D-N-R website. Steuck says many of the communities are hosting events in conjunction with the trout stocking, but he says if you miss an event, you should still be able to find fish. “We stock between 15-hundred and two-thousand fish,” he says. Steuck says you can fish for the stocked trout throughout the fall and even into the ice fishing season. “And it doesn’t take anything special to catch them either,” Steuck says, “any old ice rod, or if it’s open water, all you need is a little spinner and some line on your fishing pole. Cast it out there and you are going to catch trout.” The stocked trout are ready to bring home. “They’re 10 to 12 inches in size and so they’re going to be a half a pound a piece. They should be more than big enough to eat,” Steuck says.

You need a valid fishing license and must pay the trout fee to fish for or possess trout. The daily limit is five trout per licensed angler with a possession limit of 10. Children age 15 or younger can fish for trout with a properly licensed adult, but they must limit their catch to one daily limit. The child can purchase a trout fee which will allow them to catch their own limit.

(Radio Iowa)

CLARINDA—Staff from DNR’s Atlantic field office confirmed that cleanup is complete from a manure spill that occurred Oct. 24 northwest of Clarinda. Contractors worked Wednesday and Thursday to remove approximately 236 tons of manure-contaminated soil from a ditch near the Lee Brooke confinement site. The mix was land applied to crop fields. Commercial manure applicator Jason Sickles will continue to work with Page County to restore the ditch.

A stuck pump valve Tuesday evening caused about 7,000 gallons of manure to pool at the confinement site, and in roadside and drainage ditches that flow into an unnamed tributary of East Tarkio Creek. The DNR says it will consider appropriate enforcement action.

(12:40-p.m. News)

The Texas senator who won Iowa’s 2016 presidential caucuses has placed a hold on Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey’s nomination for a federal job. Texas Senator Ted Cruz is blocking a vote in the senate on Northey’s nomination to be an undersecretary in the U.S.D.A. Cruz is reportedly irked with the way Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst pressured the E-P-A Administrator to back off on a plan to reduce the federal biofuels mandate.

Cruz and eight other senators from states that have oil refineries are now asking for a meeting with President Trump. They want to discuss an overhaul of the Renewable Fuels Standard. This group of senators charge the R-F-S hurts jobs in their states. Thirty senators — including the two Republican senators from Iowa — were part of the coalition that pressed the Trump Administration to favor ethanol and biodiesel.

(Radio Iowa)

Every successful business has a business cycle, and eventually that business will need to transition to a new business cycle or begin to decline. A farm or ag based business with an effective plan for the future can have a positive start in the next business cycle. To help women involved in agriculture plan for a future farm transition, Shelby County Extension is offering Managing for Today and Tomorrow beginning November 2nd, in Harlan.

The course will be held on Thursday nights November 2, 9, 16, 30 and Dec 7, from 6-9pm at the Shelby County Extension office at 906 6th Street, Harlan, Iowa. Topics will include planning for a successful retirement, family and business finances, estate planning terms and methods of transfer. A light meal will be served before the program at 5:45pm. The cost for the course is $75.

Pre-registration is required. To register online, visit the event calendar on the Shelby County Extension website (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/shelby/). Registration forms are also available at the Extension office to register by paper mail. Contact the Shelby County Extension Office with questions by calling 712-755-3104.

Officials in Adams County have given notice that The County of Adams (“Seller”) will sell through the acceptance of sealed bids for the properties described below. Sealed bids shall be received by Adams County Auditor’s office, 500 9th Street, Corning, IA 50841, no later than 9:00 a.m. Monday, December 4, 2017 by mail or in person. The sealed bid envelopes shall be clearly marked attention:
Adams County Board of Supervisors 500 9th Street, Corning, Iowa 50841 ATTN: Sealed Bids-Sale of Property.

Bids emailed or otherwise electronically submitted cannot be accepted and will be rejected.
Project Name: County Farm

• Lot 1 of Parcel “A”, Parcel “B” or both Lot 1 of Parcel “A” and Parcel “B”
• Parcels of Land Located in a portion of SE1/4 of Section 1 of 71-34
• Bids for Lot 1 of Parcel “A” will have the option of building removal

Bids will be reviewed and awards made or bids rejected at the Adams County Board of Supervisors meeting on December 11, 2017.

Bid packets may be picked up in the Auditor’s Office in the Adams County Courthouse during regular business hours (8:30-4:30). For more information, contact Rebecca Bissell, Adams County Auditor at 641.322.3340

CRESTON – Iowans interested in the results of DNR studies to improve water quality in Green Valley and Thayer lakes in Union County can attend a meeting Nov. 8. Citizens are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to improve the lakes to the meeting for discussion.

Green Valley Lake is on the state’s list of impaired waters for high levels of algae, low levels of dissolved oxygen, and low water clarity. Thayer Lake is on the impaired waters list for high levels of algae and low water clarity. The studies, or DNR water quality improvement plans, show how these problems are caused by too much phosphorus in the lakes. The problems impact recreation on the lakes and aquatic life.

The plans explore the amounts and sources of phosphorus entering the lakes and offer potential solutions to reduce those levels and work toward fixing the problems. The documents are designed as a guide for local resource agencies, partners, stakeholders and residents to improve the lakes. Staff from the DNR’s Watershed Improvement Program will be on hand to deliver a presentation and answer questions.

The Nov. 8 meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Southwestern Community College, 1201 W. Townline St. in Creston in Room 124 of the Performing Arts Center. Those not able to attend the public meeting can receive more information at www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Watershed-Improvement/Water-Improvement-Plans and can submit comments on the plans by Nov. 27 via:

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency says the FIRE DANGER index will remain HIGH through this weekend, due to anticipated high winds and dried crops remaining in the fields. Outdoor burning of vegetation and timber requires an open burning plan, which also needs the approval of your local Fire Chief. Open burning is strongly discouraged, especially where structures are nearby. Combine and other ag equipment operators should make sure their machine has a fire extinguisher handy in the event your machine starts to overheat or otherwise malfunction.

Agricultural experts say starting Friday morning, there will be great conditions to get grain cooled down from this falls harvest. With the average daily temps predicted to be in the mid 30s to low 40s for Friday well into next week, this will be a perfect time to get recently harvested corn and soybeans cooled to a temperature close to what is desired for winter storage. Allowable storage time for grain roughly doubles for every 10 degree drop in temperature. So, getting grain cooled down soon after harvest will significantly improve chances of keeping it in good condition while in storage

In order to determine how long it will take to cool a bin of grain, first determine how much fan horsepower you have per 1000 bushels. For example, if you have a 5 horsepower fan on a 20,000 bushel bin, you have one-quarter horsepower per 1,000 bushels. Divide that number into 15 and you get an estimate of the hours it will take to cool the full bin. In this case example, 15 / 0.25 = 60 hours.

Experts urge producers to get that great crop cooled down for the best storage this winter!

A Ceremonial Tree Planting was held in Atlantic, Wednesday, in honor of the City’s 25^th year of working with Alliant Energy and Trees Forever’s “Branching Out” partnership. Dolly Bergmann, President of the local Trees Forever organization, and Brad Riphagen, Field Coordinator for Trees Forever in Marion, were on-hand for the event. Riphagen said his role is to help communities determine what species of trees are needed, and how to go about planting them. He said the local Trees Forever group is well acquainted with much of that information, having been here for 25-years, so he also helps them with guidance on being involved on a State-wide basis, and additional expertise.

Riphagen has been involved with the organization for over 25-years, and has seen many changes in how the program operates. That includes newer practices in methods of planting trees. Each community, he says, have different needs and wants with regard to what types of trees will be beneficial not only aesthetically, but in terms of saving energy for homes and businesses. He says Alliant Energy and AMU – Atlantic Municipal Utilities – both encourage trees to be planted in residential yards because of the multiple benefits they provide when fully grown. Other communities focus on larger projects, such as newly created green space and how trees fill the void.

He said the value of trees increases throughout the years by providing shade and energy savings. Dolly Bergmann says the local Trees Forever organization has works with many other organizations, government and civic, as well as volunteers, to plant trees at dozens of locations through the community. That includes trees planted in each of the City’s Parks.

Tree number 25, a Little Leaf Linden, was planted Wednesday in the downtown Atlantic City Park.