If you want to learn more about what your local government representatives do—or ask them questions directly – This is your chance! Expect to find representatives from City Council, the Mayor, the County Board of Supervisors, County Assessor, County Treasurer, County Recorder, Atlantic Parks Commission, County Conservation Board, Planning & Zoning, Board of Adjustments, County Local Food Policy Council, Atlantic School Board, and more!

Plus, don’t miss Local Government BINGO! Everyone who completes their BINGO card will be entered in a $50 Farmers Market gift card drawing (ages 18+ for the drawing, but we have a separate kids’ version of BINGO too!). Free YMCA Bounce House. Visiting community organizations and businesses include the Atlantic Public Library, Cass Health, Healthy Cass County, Cass County Tourism, and more.

Thanks to September Sponsors: Rush CPA, Gregg Young Chevrolet of Atlantic, City of Atlantic, 1st Whitney Bank, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial close of lake-recreation season, and the official end of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ weekly beach monitoring program for summer 2025. This summer, 28 state park beaches, out of 41 monitored, had at least one weekend where swimming was not recommended due to high levels of E. coli or microcystins, a toxin released by certain types of algae.

For the final week of monitoring, swimming is not recommended at 15 state park beaches. The majority of these beaches have excessive levels of E. coli present, and one beach has excessive levels of algal toxins, according to DNR’s beach monitoring database. The “swimming not recommended” advisories are not a beach closure, but rather a warning to recreators that the beach may carry a higher risk of causing things like diarrhea, nausea or other acute symptoms than can result from exposure to E. coli and microcystins.

A single water sample taken at the beach must exceed E. coli measurements of 235 colony forming units, or CFU, per 100 milliliters, for a swimming advisory to be issued. An advisory is also triggered if the mean of five samples over a 30-day period exceeds 126 CFU/100 mL. At these levels, an estimated 36 out of 1,000 swimmers will experience minor illnesses. Single samplings at some state park beaches this summer had E. coli concentrations as high as 24,000 most probable number, or MPN, per 100 mL. MPN is a statistical calculation of the number of colonies rather than a direct count.

Microcystins are toxins produced by certain green-blue algae that typically have a paint-like or oily appearance on the water. The blooms occur in nutrient dense water. This summer five state beaches had microystin levels in excess of 8 micrograms per L, which is the level that triggers an advisory.

There are 15 weeks between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. Three state beaches, at Backbone State Park, Beeds Lake State Park and Pine Lake State Park, had swimming advisories for all but three of the weeks. 13 beaches had no swimming advisories this summer due to water quality, this number includes the beach at Lake Keomah State Park, which was not monitored this summer due to ongoing renovations.

This means more beaches had adverse water conditions this summer than last summer. Iowa Environmental Council follows the DNR beach monitoring data each week and found that in 2024, 16 state park beaches did not have an advisory in place all summer.

IEC reported in 2024 that Green Valley Lake, Honey Creek, and Lake Anita were the only monitored state beaches that had never had an E. coli related advisory. This statistic holds true after this summer’s beach monitoring season, though the beach at Green Valley Lake had one advisory for microsystins.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Officials with the Montgomery County ISU Extension and Outreach office report Brian and Mary Carlson, of Montgomery County, were inducted into the 2025 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Sunday, Aug. 17. Ninety-two Iowa counties participated this year and selected 122 inductees for their outstanding service and dedication to 4-H. Inductees or their surviving family members were presented a certificate by the Iowa 4H Foundation President, Don Timmins, and State 4-H Program Leader, Mitchell Hoyer, as they were introduced on stage.

Brian and Mary Carlson have always tried to lead by example. Mary serves as a static superintendent and has for 30+ years. Brian and Mary served as 4-H leaders when their four children were participating in 4-H. Brian held several woodworking workshops for the club, as well as helping 4-H members with their projects. Brian served on the Fair board. Brian and Mary are usually helping on the fairgrounds before, during and after the fair. Most evenings you can find them in the Grandstands concession stand working with many other fair supporters. Mary has announced for the livestock auction for the last few years. Brian and Mary have always tried to help and encourage our future leaders through 4-H.

Photo courtesy Katie Hart, Montgomery Co. Extension

Counties select inductees for their exceptional work in contributing to the lives of 4-H members and the overall 4-H program. Many inductees serve as club leaders, youth mentors, fair superintendents or fair board members, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach county council members, county youth council members, fair judges, financial supporters, chaperones or ISU Extension and Outreach staff members. The inductees have demonstrated dedication, encouragement, commitment and guidance to Iowa’s 4-H’ers through the years.

“We are honored to recognize these special individuals, for their advocacy and dedication to the Iowa 4-H program,” shared Iowa 4-H Foundation Executive Director, Emily Saveraid. “This is a great way to honor the volunteers and staff across the state of Iowa that generously give their time and talents to foster positive partnerships with our 4-H youth,” said Tillie Good, Iowa 4-H staff and volunteer development manager.

The Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame was initiated in 2002 to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of 4-H. A summary of previous honorees was on display at the 2022 Iowa State Fair in the 4-H Exhibits Building. These summaries are also available at the Iowa 4-H Foundation office in the Extension 4-H Youth Building at Iowa State University. Information about previous inductees to the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame also is available on the Iowa 4-H Foundation website, organized by year and by county. Go to www.iowa4hfoundation.org/ and under the heading “What We Do” select “Recognizing Service” then “Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.”

(Radio Iowa) – Harvest season will be starting soon and forecasts predict Iowa will have a record corn crop, which would bring a drop in prices. Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig says he’s working to continue finding new international markets for Iowa’s top commodities. “The governor and I will be traveling to India just in a little under two weeks as an example of what we’re doing at the state of Iowa, and I’ll be back leading a trade mission in November to Vietnam and Indonesia, so we’re going to continue to push hard,” Naig says. “We received visitors from Canada, Bangladesh and India just at the State Fair a couple of weeks ago, so this is a very active time in terms of trade.” Naig acknowledges this is a challenging situation when looking at prices and profitability for growers of corn and soybeans.

Radio Iowa file photo

“We’re not where we need to be,” he says. “The value of the crop is below the cost of production. That’s not sustainable and that has ripple effects throughout the whole supply chain, everything from equipment to inputs.” While many Iowans have been concerned about the Trump administration’s tariffs, Naig says those tariffs are translating to trade opportunities, including with partners in the U-K, Japan and Korea. “This is something that doesn’t have one solution,” Naig says. “We need to make sure we’re unleashing biofuels, year-round access to E-15, sustainable aviation fuel. We’ve got to use more of what we grow and let’s do it here domestically, but let’s also export it.”

Naig made his comments during a visit to northwest Iowa this week at the Heritage Bison Ranch near Hinton.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The 2025 Guthrie County Fair gets today (Thursday), and continue through Labor Day Monday, Sept. 1st. Some activities began Wednesday, but the bulk of the activities begin today. View the complete schedule below, go to www.guthriecountyfair.com, or follow the Fair on Facebook.

(Radio Iowa) – Smoke from a fire at a chicken farm in southwest Iowa’s Taylor County could be seen for up to 30 miles last (Tuesday) night. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office said on social media the fire had been brought under control thanks to at least two-dozen fire departments and their more than 100 personnel, who responded to the fire near Clearfield (1641 Yellowstone Ave.) at an egg production company called Daybreak Foods. Responding departments included Creston, Clearfield, Bedford, Blockton, Diagonal, Mount Ayr, Lenox, Corning, Prescott, Afton, Murray, New Market, Gravity, Woodburn, Villisca, Sharpsburg, Greenfield, Massena, Stanton, Clarinda, Union Township, and Worth County, with the last two coming from the Grant City, Missouri area.

In addition to the fire departments, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office said four ambulance services, three county Sheriff’s Offices, the Taylor County EMA, Daybreak Foods employees “and countless community members” helped to combat the fire.  A Facebook Post by the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office at around 7 p.m. Tuesday had asked residents to stay away from the area.

Creston Fire Dept. photo

Creston Fire Dept. photo

According to information from the Iowa Area Economic Development Group, this is the second major fire at the site. In November 2021, when the facility was owned a company called Hen Haven, a fire destroyed the processing plant, biosecurity facilities and one of the barns for layer chickens. In February of 2022, in the midst of rebuilding, bird flu hit the site and the chickens had to be euthanized.

Daybreak Foods acquired the Clearfield chicken farm in 2023. Daybreak Foods is a family-owned, Wisconsin based company that employs 12-hundred people to manage 24 MILLION laying hens at its facilities in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio.

Taylor County Law Enforcement Facebook page photo

Taylor County Law Enforcement Facebook page photo

(Iowa DNR News) – Iowa’s mourning dove season begins Monday, Sept. 1st, and officials with the Department of Natural Resources say with the mild weather in the forecast and a later teal season, experts are predicting a busy opening day. “Anytime the opening day falls on a holiday weekend, we see higher participation, and with the weather forecast and teal not opening until Sept. 6, we expect a lot of hunters to be out,” said Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Last year, hunter numbers increased an estimated 3 percent to 14,000, but dove harvest fell 27 percent, to 143,000. Mourning doves are the most abundant game bird in the country, with a population estimated at more than 345 million. Hunters are reminded that if they hunt mourning doves or other migratory game birds that they are required to register for HIP annually, either through the Go Outdoors Iowa app on their smartphone or through a link at www.iowadnr.gov/waterfowl. Migratory game birds include doves, ducks, geese, coots, woodcock and snipe.

Mourning Dove

Doves are most often hunted in fields of mowed sunflowers, burned winter wheat, alfalfa or small grains and around farm ponds. “This is a good season to bring novice hunters along because there’s usually a good number of birds passing through, and a lot of action with mild temperatures,” he said. The Iowa DNR identifies state managed public areas with dove fields on its online hunting atlas with a pin on the nearest parking lot to the field.

As with all types of hunting, safety and communication is important. Know each hunter’s zone of fire, be aware of where everyone is and properly identify the dove before taking a shot. Be sure to pick up the spent shell casings – leaving them in the field is considered littering. Shooting hours begin one-half hour before sunrise until sunset.

(Iowa DNR News) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the first-ever collection of the federally endangered pallid sturgeon from the lower Des Moines River. The discovery of two pallid sturgeon this spring came a week a part during the Iowa DNR’s annual spring sturgeon sampling effort. The sampling has been conducted since 2014, but until this year, only shovelnose sturgeon, and an occasional lake sturgeon, have been collected. “To find a pallid sturgeon was a surprise, but to find a second one in nearly the same spot a week later was truly remarkable,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau.

Pallid sturgeon are one of the rarest and most endangered species in North America. They were placed on the federal endangered species list in 1990 due to slow and continual declines in their populations throughout the Missouri and lower Mississippi River basins. The declines were due to limited natural recruitment often attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation caused by dams, which blocked migration routes for spawning adults and reduced or limited critical flow needed for larval development. While pallid sturgeon have been the focus of recovery efforts in the Missouri River, they have never been officially documented in the Des Moines River. “The presence of these wild, likely decades-old sturgeon, alongside other native sturgeon species preparing to spawn, reinforces the value of this river stretch,” Larscheid said.

Pallid Sturgeon (U-S Fish & Wildlife photo)

While the discovery is monumental, Mark Flammang, fisheries biologist for the Iowa DNR, said the wild population remains critically small and is not self-sustaining. “Nearly nine out of ten pallid sturgeon collected from the Iowa section of the Missouri River were originally stocked from a hatchery. Finding two naturally reproduced individuals is a game changer for how the Iowa DNR and its partners manage the Des Moines River. This is a positive milestone, but does not mean the species has recovered,” Flammang said. Pallid sturgeon are slow-growing and late to mature, with females not spawning until they are 15-20 years old.

Anglers fishing in this stretch of the river who may incidentally catch a sturgeon will need to know how to identify the different species. The Iowa Fishing Regulations includes images identifying characteristics for the lake sturgeon, the pallid sturgeon, and the shovelnose sturgeon. Pallid sturgeon have a smooth belly; its outer barbels are twice as long as the inner barbels; and the base of barbels is “U” shaped, with inner two set out in front.

Of the three, only the shovelnose sturgeon may be kept – the lake and pallid sturgeon must be immediately released unharmed.

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Forty-five percent of Iowa corn acres have reached the dent stage and soybeans are just beginning to color, with nearly all, or 90%, of the crop already setting pods, according to the latest crop progress and condition report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Corn and soybean crops are a day or two behind the five year average schedule on several progression stages. Corn in the dough stage reached 88% which is three days behind the average for the Aug. 18 through Aug. 24 reporting period. Corn acres rated 84% good to excellent and soybean acres rated 79% good to excellent, a slight drop from the previous reporting period for both crops.

The report also noted disease pressure continued to rise in Iowa crops. Field agronomists with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach noted continued presence of southern corn rust and sudden death syndrome, along with a slew of other diseases and pests have been present across the state.  Oat harvest is nearly finished in the state at 97% completion, and nearly 80% of alfalfa hay acres have had a third cutting.

Corn growing in a western Iowa field in August 2023. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Farmers had nearly 6 days suitable for field work this week and enjoyed high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s later in the week due to a cold front that pushed in.  “Farmers across Iowa enjoyed a welcome break from the rain last week along with cooler temperatures and less humidity,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said in a statement.  Naig said the cooler temperatures are forecast to hang around for the remainder of the month.

Despite the cool temperatures through the weekend, the average temperature for the reporting period was still 1.3 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, who said temperatures were “unseasonably warm” for most of the period. Ames logged the highest temperature for the week, which at 97 degrees Fahrenheit was 16 degrees above the normal.  Northeastern parts of the state had “unseasonably” high precipitation totals early in the week, with some areas logging as much as 6 inches of rain.

The average precipitation across the state was 0.87 inch, just slightly below the normal of 0.93 inch.