CEDAR COUNTY, Iowa (Iowa Capital Dispatch) – A Cedar County farmer is suing a manufacturer of wind turbines, alleging three turbine fires scattered debris over hundreds of acres of land, damaging his crops. Alan Weets of Mechanicsville is suing the Chicago-based company Nordex USA, which does business as Acciona Windpower North America and Anchor Wind, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Weets alleges that in 2010, he entered into an agreement with Acciona that gave the company an easement on his property for the installation of two wind turbines. Acciona, the lawsuit claims, was aware of “serious problems” with the turbines that it installed on Weets’ property but failed to repair or replace them in order to render them safe.

In March 2023, one of the turbines caught fire and spread debris across 160 acres of Weets’ land, the lawsuit alleges. The damage allegedly resulted in Weets having to restrict that section of the property to grain production rather than forage and fodder for livestock feed. In May 2024, a second turbine on Weets’ property allegedly caught fire, spreading additional debris across the land. Over the next several months, according to the lawsuit, Weets grew frustrated with a perceived lack of progress by Acciona contractors, who used farm-type equipment in an effort to clean up the property. “The crews created additional debris-damage issues arising from further destruction of plastics and fiberglass pieces, making pieces that were smaller and more difficult to pick up from the foil,” the lawsuit alleges.

In August 2024, the second wind turbine allegedly caught fire again, causing one of the massive blades to fall to the ground. Weets claims that shortly thereafter, the Cedar County Co-Operative informed him it would not accept any grain from him that was contaminated by turbine debris. In all, 230 acres of land were allegedly contaminated by the debris. Weets alleges that although he and Acciona never agreed on the cost or extent of the damages, the company issued him a check for $230,000 as compensation. The two sides have yet to come to terms on that issue, the lawsuit claims. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for alleged negligence, breach of contract, and consumer fraud. Nordex media representatives did not immediately respond Wednesday to requests for comment.

(Photo by Perry Beeman/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

A 2014 study by Imperial College London, the University of Edinburg,h and SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden found that fires in wind turbines were occurring 10 times more often than were reported. At that time, the wind-power industry was reporting about 11 fires per year, while researchers determined that there were closer to 117 such fires annually among the 200,000 turbines examined. In 2023, a report from the Caithness Windfarm Information Forum identified 3,287 reported wind-turbine accidents, worldwide, between 2000 to March 2023 — an average of 143 accidents per year. Fires accounted for 14% of those accidents, just behind blade failure, which accounted for 15% of the accidents.

The most common cause of wind turbine fires is a lightning strike, although mechanical and electrical failures are also contributing factors.

(Stanton, Iowa) – Montgomery County resident Jan Norris reports a “Carbon [capture] Pipeline Opposition Meeting” will be held April 28th, in Stanton. The meetings that are being held around the state, are hosted by the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, Iowa Easement Team, and landowners who may be impacted by the Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline and the possible use of Eminent Domain to acquire land for the pipeline to cross. Organizers say the meetings are intended to educate communities about carbon capture pipelines, and prepare affected landowners for Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC) proceedings.

On Monday, April 28th, local landowners and issue experts will provide an overview of the proposed pipeline projects, the latest updates from across the five-state pipeline footprint, and action steps to prepare for pending permit proceedings.

The meeting will be held at the Stanton Viking Center (501 Elliott St., Stanton, IA), beginning at 6:30-p.m., Monday (April 28th).

Thousands of dedicated volunteers in Iowa selflessly contribute their time and effort to enhance their communities. Cass County Extension works with over 100 adult volunteers in various roles, committees, and capacities each year. As we celebrate National Volunteer Week in late April, we want to say Thank You to all who contribute to and support Cass County Extension programs. From Youth programming in 4-H to Master Gardener activities, to keeping the fairgrounds updated and fair running. We could not provide half of the opportunities we offer to the community without these volunteers working behind the scenes all year long.

If you are interested about learning more about Cass County Extension programs or how you can get involved with one or more of these opportunities, contact the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, email xcass@iastate.edu or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass for program details and upcoming events.

Elected extension council members contribute immeasurably to the effectiveness of Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach by helping to develop and implement local programs and secure needed resources. Council member input ensures that a planned sequence of educational experiences addresses county needs. Every county in Iowa has an elected Extension Council- made up of 9 local residents who help determine budget and program priorities and manage local tax dollars for maximum benefit to their local communities.

Cass County Extension Council members include Chad Becker, JJ Bierbaum, Marcy Dorsey, Tony Orstad, Jeb Peck, Brad Pellett, Sue Riggs, Todd Weppler and Dave York.

Iowa 4-H Youth Development is the premier youth development program of ISU Extension and Outreach. Providing research-based education to K-12 youth, Iowa 4-H focuses on Healthy Living, STEM, Leadership and Civic Engagement, and Communication and the Arts. Iowa 4-H builds upon more than a century of experience in positive youth development partnering with youth to help them find their passion.

4-H and Clover Kid Leaders receive recognition for years of service to the Cass County 4-H Program at the 2024 County 4-H Awards Convention. Toni Rieck, Terri Hansen, Carrie Ohms, Diane Brahms.

Clover Kid Leaders include Kristen Alexander, Sarah Becker, Jessica Delage, Terri Hansen, Kaitlynn Walter, Braedi Wickard and Katie York. 4-H Club Leaders include Jess Barber, Diane Brahms, Carolyn Bruck, Carrie Harrison, Eva Jensen, Melissa Johnson, Jerry McCrory, Holly Oathoudt, Lea Anne Peterson, Darrin Petty, Troy Retallic, Toni Rieck, Jill Rudy, Crystal Schroder, Ashley Skow, Aubrey Stuart, Jenae Waters, Brittney Weirich, Amanda Will, Molly Wise, Dave York, Kristy York, and Hillary Zellmer. Club Volunteers include TJ Barber, Rio Johnson, Chuck Rudy, Logan Skow, and Kara Victor.

The Iowa 4-H Foundation offers County 4-H Programs the opportunity to hold an endowment fund as a way for donors to give locally and to invest in the long-term success of local 4-H Programs. County endowments can identify and prioritize investment in 4-H Programs that will have the greatest impact locally while growing for the future. The Cass County 4-H Endowment Committee hosts an annual Pancake Supper fundraising event in the spring and an annual online giving campaign in the fall. They use funds to support youth participating in 4-H opportunities and events that take them beyond Cass County, scholarships to graduates, and covering the $45 program development fee for 4-H members annual enrollment to be in 4-H.

Cass County 4-H Endowment Committee members include Stacie Euken, Jon Johnson, Lisa Woodward, Jenea Waters and Dave York. The 4-H Youth Action Committee is an active volunteer group of youth and adults that works in cooperation with Youth Program Specialists and County Extension Staff to provide leadership to the county 4-H program. The Youth Action Committee works to meet the developmental and educational needs of youth and is responsible for programming integrity. They provide county-wide workshops and opportunities including Fall Fest, Officer Training, various project workshops, and help develop and enforce the Cass County 4-H Participation Policy Guidelines for all members.

4-H Youth Action Committee members include Jeff Anderson, Shane DeBord, Melissa Johnson, Carrie Ohms, Tony Orstad, Ashley Skow, and Kristy York, along with high school 4-H Youth members.

Cass County also has a large group of active Master Gardeners that meet monthly to plan projects such as community garden spaces, food donation projects, educational activities, local project grants and community beautification efforts. The goal of the Master Gardener program is to support horticulture education and community service. Cass County Master Gardeners provide many hours of volunteer service and gardening education within their local communities. To raise funds for these activities, the group annually holds a spring and fall plant sale fundraiser.

Master Gardeners include Lori Anderson, Marla Anstey, Michelle Behrends, Catherine Booth, LaVon Eblem, Theresa Hansen, Carolyn Hartman, Jane Hayes-Johnk, Kolton Hewlett, Ciara Hoegh, Connie Jones, Judy Kennedy, Dottie Krogh, Alan Ladd, Sue Liston, Donna Reimers, Janice Steffen, Kay Stork, Mary Strong, Todd Turner, Karen Mailander, Vicki Nordskog, Kristy Pellett, and Brad Rassmussen.

Certified community volunteers prepare taxes with computer software and help with special tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or Disabled. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides free and accurate income tax assistance to qualifying low-to-moderate income individuals and working families, older adults, limited English speakers, and persons with a disability each spring. Vita Tax Prep Volunteers include Lori Rassmussen, and Connie Petersen.

The Cass County Grounds Committee oversees the fair grounds and the Cass County Community Building. They manage the grounds mowing and maintenance all year long while also setting up, cleaning, and managing rentals hosted in the Cass County Community Center throughout the year.

Cass County Grounds Committee members include Scot Bailey, Curt Behrends, Clint Freund, Paul Gade, Mike Henderson, Dennis Jipsen, Rick Larsen, Mike McDermott, Steve Myers, Dan Olsen, Stephen Ritter, Derek Sanny, Glen Sonntag, Nathan Steffen, Dave Williamson, Alan Zellmer and Greg Zellmer.

The Cass County Fairboard is a volunteer group that plans and hosts the annual Cass County Fair. Throughout the year they work to coordinate entertainment, plan food stand menus, review rules, coordinate with volunteer Fair Superintendents, and ensure youth and the local community have a fun and safe fair experience. The Fairboard works cooperatively with the Cass County Grounds Committee as they take over the fairgrounds for only one week of the year.

Fairboard members include Trevor Becker, Cutis Bierbaum, Natalie Bierbaum, Shane DeBord, Liz Denney, Mike Dreager, Eric Hansen, Paul Hocamp, Jon Johnson, Mike Jacobsen, Stephen Ritter, Cory Scholl, Grant Stuart, Wayne Victor and Drew Williams.

Fair Superintendents help the Cass County Fairboard with management and delegation of fair departments. Superintendents work cooperatively with FFA Advisors and the Cass County 4-H program to ensure youth have opportunities to learn and grow within their department. Superintendents are responsible for overseeing individual department rules, contest materials, committee helpers and planning/assisting with department needs throughout the year and all during fair week.

Fair Superintendents include Jeff Anderson, Whitney Baxter, Jackie Brokaw, Jordan Dailey, Liz Denney, Marcy Dorsey, Ashley Freund, Marjorie Frisbie, Melissa Johnson, Layne Kinney, Melissa Lingk, Tracy Marshall, Ann McCurdy, Dexter McDermott, Eric Miller, Kat Niemann, Holly Oathoudt, Darrin Petty, Justin Retallic, Troy Retallic, Hannah Richter, Haley Schmidt, Chris Scholl, Kara Victor, Duane Weirich, Julie Williamson, Molly Wise and Katie York.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Adair County held a public hearing this (Wednesday) morning in Greenfield, with regard to proposed plans by Agriland FS, to expand their anhydrous ammonia storage facilities and the relocation of anhydrous ammonia tanks. Agriland representatives were on-hand to provide a brief summary of the project, which is located at 1706 160th Street, near Casey.

Having not heard any oral, nor received any written objections, the Supervisors approved the expansion plan as presented. They also approved a request from Weed Commissioner Nathan Jensen, for publication of a Notice of Weed Destruction. During Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman’s portion of the agenda, the Board passed a resolution setting a public hearing to vacate a portion of Lewis Avenue. The road was established as a straight throughway in 1879, but was relocated about a dozen years later.

The easement is for road purposes, and since it is not being used for that purpose, Kauffman said it should be vacated and quick-claim deed it back to the Baudler family and then obtain an easement, “Plus a little extra.” The Board approved setting the date for a public hearing as May 21st, at 9:05-a.m. Kauffman then presented his weekly report on Adair County Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

The Adair County Supervisors discussed the Medical Examiner’s fee, with regard to mileage. The rate has not been updated for about 13-years, according to Auditor Mandy Berg. The Board’s consensus was a fee of $200 plus mileage, is appropriate considering what other counties are paying. The new rate is effective as of July 1, 2025.

They acknowledged receipt of a Manure Management Plan Update from Prestage Farms. And, the Board approved signing of a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Decatur County, for Mental Health Advocate services. They also approved a Child Abuse Prevention Grant drawdown, in the amount of $990.40.

The same MOU was approved for other counties in the area that are part of the mental health advocate consortium.

(Radio Iowa) – South Dakota regulators say there’s too much uncertainty surrounding the Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed pipeline route in South Dakota and they’ve denied the company’s application to build and operate the pipeline in their state. A spokesperson for the company says Summit will reduce the scope of its pipeline route in South Dakota and reapply. Kristie Fiegen is a member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission.

“The current route, in my view, is not viable,” Fiegen said. “Summit Carbon pipeline needs to come back and they need to go back to the drawing board and develop a route and submit a route that will comply with the laws.” South Dakota recently passed a law that does not allow Summit to use eminent domain authority to seize land from South Dakotans who don’t want the pipeline on their property. This is the second time South Dakota regulators have rejected a pipeline application from Summit. “At this point, we really don’t know the route,” Fiegen said. “We don’t know the timeframes. We don’t know their plan.”

A spokesperson for Summit said the decision is disappointing, but the company is committed to the project and will retool and refile its application in South Dakota. The IOWA Utilities Commission granted Summit a permit last year, but construction cannot begin until the company obtains permits from the other states along the pipeline route.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would legalize the sale of raw milk in grocery stores and at farmers markets in Iowa has cleared a House subcommittee. Representative Representative Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton led passage of the 2023 Iowa law that has allowed unpasteurized raw milk to be sold on dairy farms where it’s produced and he’s sponsoring the bill to expand its sale to other sites.

“I believe that people should have the opportunity to consume this should they choose,” Kaufmann says. “I don’t believe I need the government…telling me what is and is not safe. We are perfectly capable of making that decision on our own.” Farmers selling raw milk directly to consumer say they’re concerned about expanded retail sales. Lakaya Tenley and her husband of Mechanicsville have 10 Jersey cows and she says they couldn’t shift to selling their raw milk elsewhere. She asked legislators to instead address state regulations that are going to limit their on-the-farm expansion plans.

“We are opening a retail farm store on our location in Mechanicsville this summer and I feel like there’s some friction to sell our USDA inspected meat in the same building as raw milk,” Tenley said. Abby Costello raises dairy cows and sells raw milk, butter and cheese from a small store in Linn County called A-B-C Acres. “I’m 100% for raw milk, but I’m undecided about the changes that are being proposed,” she said. “When you throw in a grocery store in the middle, growth of bacteria and different things could expand and potentially make a consumer sick and then who’s responsible? The farmer or the middle man?”

Costello supports the move to allow raw milk sales at farmers markets since it would be a transaction between the farmer and the consumer. Robert Horst, a farmer from Bristow, is president of the Iowa State Dairy Association. He says pasteurized milk is heavily regulated and one of the safest products sold in a grocery store and there should be safety standards for raw milk, too, to guard against food-borne illnesses. “We cannot afford any black eye for…the industry where the margins are so thin to begin with,” Horst says, ” and it is a very hard industry to survive in as it is.”

Dr. Kenneth May, president of Iowa Veterinary Medical Association, says the organization has safety concerns about expanding the sale of raw milk to farmers markets and grocery stores — especially now that bird flu has been detected in Iowa dairy herds. “That virus is super concentrated in the milk in cattle,” Dr. May said. “What is the possibility of that jumping to our species? And raw milk is the avenue that that virus couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Others who testified at Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing said Iowans should be able to decide for themselves whether to buy raw milk, while a doctor who’s also a legislator said there are known risks from consuming raw milk. According to the Association of Food and Drug Officials, there were nearly 450 confirmed cases of illnesses in Canada and the United States that were linked to raw milk between 2007 and 2020. Twenty-eight percent of the patients had to be hospitalized and five died.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Grow Another Row Committee is hosting a free event at Mollett Park (1020 E. 3rd Street Place, in Atlantic) on Tuesday, April 29^th at 5:30 pm.   “Spring into Growing” is a chance for local residents to learn about spring gardening in small spaces. Participants can plant greens and herbs in pots to keep on their porches or patios. This free educational gardening event will help participants learn how to plant, care for, and harvest early-season plants to enjoy this spring.

Participants are welcome to bring their own pots; otherwise, pots can be provided. The Grow Another Row Committee will provide seeds and soil. Extra pots will be available if needed, and attendees can also plant an extra pot to donate to the local food pantry. We’ll be planting lettuce, spinach, and herbs including basil, oregano, cilantro, and dill. Learn about seeds and planting tips for pots, raised beds, and other small food gardening spaces. Bring your own gloves and diggers if you have them, or we will have extras.

Container gardening is a way for people to enjoy the benefits of gardening. Shown here is an example of an herb and vegetable garden.

To get to Mollett Park, follow Mulberry Street north until it curves east (3rd St. Place), and proceed to the end of the cul-de-sac. All ages are welcome. There is no cost to attend due to local sponsorships. A “Seed” mix (trail mix) snack will be provided, along with a water cooler.

If you are interested in attending, registration is strongly encouraged by Monday, April 28. This will ensure that we have enough supplies. Please register by contacting Kate Olson at the Cass County Extension Office by email at keolson@iastate.edu or by phone at 712-243-1132.

FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – Iowa farmers made headway planting corn, soybeans and oats early last week, but were slowed by storms that caused destruction in southwest Iowa, according to the Iowa crop progress and condition report. The report, covering April 14 through April 20, shows Iowa has 68% of oats planted, 18% of corn and 11% of soybeans. Planting rates for all three of these crops are ahead of the five-year average.

Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions improved slightly from the week prior, though both have more than 60% rated as adequate moisture. Soil moisture conditions are slightly better than last year at this time. Soil temperatures measured at a depth of four inches show the ground has warmed up, with most counties measuring in the upper 40s to low 50s. Other field activities for the period included tiling, building waterways and spraying.

Average precipitation for April 14-20 was 0.35 inches across the state, though several areas measured more than an inch and up to nearly 2.5 inches following thunderstorms April 17. Some counties observed hail as large as 4 inches during the storms and two tornadoes touched down, one in Fremont County near Tabor, and the other moved across Fremont and Page counties.

According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, hail and wind damage was reported in Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waverly, in addition to the counties that saw tornadoes. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig visited some of areas hit by the storms. “I visited southwest Iowa over the weekend, where I saw firsthand some of the damage caused by the tornadoes and large hail,” Naig said in a statement. “My heart goes out to all the Iowans who were impacted by these storms.”

Precipitation predictions for the coming week suggest Iowa will have above average rainfall across most of the state, which Naig said might slow spring planting progress as it did the week prior. “While more delays may occur, the rain will help replenish soil moisture, which would be a welcome development in many areas,” Naig said.