KELLOGG – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fish kill at Rock Creek Lake in Jasper County.

On July 28, the DNR Field Office in Des Moines was notified of a fish kill at the lake. DNR field staff responded to the incident, and upon arrival observed dead fish sporadically throughout the lake and several miles upstream in the Rock Creek watershed.

Water samples were collected from several locations within the Rock Creek watershed, including the lake. DNR staff tested the water for dissolved oxygen, ammonia nitrogen, and pH, with all parameters falling within acceptable ranges for fish survival. There is no longer an active fish kill in the lake. The investigation is ongoing.

Out of an abundance of caution, a swimming advisory has been posted at the lake through Wednesday, July 30. Swimming is not advised until the advisory is lifted on Thursday.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.

AMES, Iowa — As drone spraying technology rapidly reshapes agriculture across Iowa, producers, ag professionals, and entrepreneurs are seeking the knowledge to keep pace with this innovation. To meet that demand, Iowa State University’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab and Terraplex, Iowa’s premier drone spraying company, are co-hosting a new educational event:

Drone Spraying Essentials: From Basics to Application

Thursday, September 4, 2025
9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Digital Ag Innovation Lab | 3800 University Blvd | Ames, IA 50010

Designed for a wide range of attendees, from curious farmers to licensed applicators and agtech startups—this full-day workshop will provide both foundational knowledge and advanced insights into the world of agricultural drone spraying.

ISU extension photo

Attendees will learn:

• How drone spraying is transforming farm practices
• Certification and licensing requirements for drone applicators
• Safe and effective drone operation strategies
• Legal and regulatory considerations
• Expert advice from industry leaders
• Live Q&A sessions with policy and technology experts

Whether you’re just exploring the technology or already working with spray drones, this event will offer valuable tools and connections to take your operation to the next level.

Terraplex, co-hosting the event, is known for its high-precision drone spraying services and commitment to revolutionizing agriculture through technology. Their mission:

“Revolutionize agriculture with cutting-edge drone technology to optimize operations and maximize yields.”

Registration Details

• Cost: $225 (includes lunch, breaks, and handouts)
• Pre-registration required – space is limited to 100 attendees
• Deadline to register: August 15 at 11:59 p.m.
• Register online: https://go.iastate.edu/ATMKGV

(Radio Iowa) – There’s no sign in Iowa yet of a destructive insect that can devastate all sorts of plants, trees and crops, but the spotted lanternfly is confirmed this summer in northern Illinois near Chicago. Boone entomologist Ginny Mitchell says homeowners, gardeners, farmers and grape growers need to take note and be vigilant for this flying pest.  “The nymph, or the immature stage of the spotted lanternfly, they feed on softer things like vines, flowers,” Mitchell says, “then once they get to the adult stage, they can feed on woody plants, any sort of trees.” The lanternfly was last reported in Iowa in 2022 when it was found in a Dallas County apple orchard. Mitchell says they’ve been known to infest corn and soybean fields, too, but really anything that grows outdoors is seen as a potential meal by this bug.

Adult spotted lanternfly (USDA photo)

“These insects secrete a honeydew, which is like a sugary substance that their body creates,” Mitchell says, “so they secrete that and it causes the plant to get a sooty mold which can devastate the plant and kill the plant, especially grape vines, which are very susceptible to mold.” The spotted lanternfly has a distinct appearance, both the young ones and the adults. “The immatures or the nymphs are black with white spots,” Mitchell says, “then the adult is still black and white, but then it has these vibrant reddish orange wings on it also.” The nymphs may be about the size of a dime while the adults grow to about an inch in length. Mitchell encourages Iowans to be on the lookout.

“If you spot one, it’s important that you capture it in a container,” Mitchell says. “They don’t bite. They’re not going to hurt you. They’re not poisonous or venomous. Immediately reach out to the DNR and let them know your location. They’ll probably send somebody out to inspect the insect itself, and then also the area that you found it on.” The fly has its origins overseas and Mitchell says its natural host plant is what’s known as the tree of heaven, which is native to Asia, but there are some in Iowa. It’s believed the lanternfly may’ve arrived in the U-S on a shipping container.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (KCRG & KCCI) – At least 200 workers at a meat packing plant in southern Iowa had their work visas revoked, and they must leave the United States. The United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1149 confirms that between 210 and 220 employees at Ottumwa’s JBS plant were informed that their visas have been revoked and their employment terminated. A Local 1149 official said this is the largest termination of visa workers in his 23 years with the union.

Another union official told KCCI that the HTE Hormel plant in Algona is dismissing 12 employees for the same reasons.

On July 15, Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson told city council members that JBS has been meeting with workers from places like Haiti, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. He couldn’t confirm if more groups would be affected. The Mayor said JBS is providing workers with $1,000 dollars each to help them self-deport.

The Ottumwa plant employs around 2,500 people.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The theme for this Thursday evening’s Produce In the Park in downtown Atlantic, is “Drumstick Night.” Organizers say it’ll be  a “Drumtastic time,” with the Atlantic Public Library’s all-ages drumming activity.

Drumtastic at the Atlantic Public Library

The event – which takes place from 4:30-until 6:30-p.m., features chicken drumsticks from a local vendor, and, Cass County Tourism is giving away 100 ice cream drumsticks, first come, first served!

There will be over 25 vendors set-up at the downtown Atlantic City Park, featuring: Fresh Produce (tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet corn, green beans, and more), Farm-Fresh Eggs, Local Meats (including chicken drumsticks!), Baked Goods & Desserts, Freeze-Dried Snacks, Local Honey, Arts & Crafts, Garden Decorations, Compost.

Pho Wheels & Sushi Food Truck will be at Produce in the Park July 31

Food Trucks on site include : Pho Wheels and Sushi, and the Teeny Weeny Weiner Wagon. Kids’ craft activity, accordion tunes, and Visiting organizations: Healthy Cass County, Cass Health, Atlantic Kiwanis, and more!

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HxDwrhn5k/

(Via the Iowa Capital Dispatch) – Corn rated nearly 90% good to excellent during the reporting period from July 21 through July 27, while wet conditions limited farmers’ activities in the field, according to the latest crop progress and condition report.  Iowa crops continue to progress slightly ahead of schedule while above-average temperatures and precipitation caused humid conditions and in some cases, caused excessive soil moisture.

Across the state, topsoil moisture went from 21% surplus last week to 30% surplus this week. Subsoil moisture conditions also increased to 24% surplus, up from 17% last week.  According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, the weekly average precipitation was 1.58 inches for the reporting period, which is 0.61 inches above the normal. Some regions of the state, however, received as much as 7.2 inches during the reporting period and southeastern Iowa had between 3 and 5 inches.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said with only a couple of days left in July, it “could rank among the top ten wettest Julys on record. Last week was hot and muggy as a heat dome settled over the Midwest, producing some sweltering heat and humidity,” Naig said in a statement. The average temperature for the week, at 77.5, was more than 4 degrees above normal. Temperatures throughout the period were between 2 and 6 degrees above the 30-year average.

Soybeans also rated 82% good to excellent for the reporting period and 81% of soybean acres were blooming. Soybeans are five days ahead of last year and two days ahead of the five-year average in terms of setting pods, as 52% of the crop across the state has reached that stage. According to the report, nearly half of Iowa oat acres have been harvested, with higher percentages of harvest completed in southern regions of the state.

Oats rated 83% good to excellent and hay rated 86% good to excellent.  Across the state 87% of alfalfa hay acres have had a second cutting and 28% have undergone a third cutting. Pasture conditions also rated well at 82% good to excellent, though according to the report, some livestock stress was reported on account of the heat and humidity.

(Radio Iowa) – July is typically Iowa’s hottest month of the year, and while August will arrive later this week, it may be equally as steamy, which can mean trouble for Iowans with vegetable gardens and fruit crops. Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says we’ve had some very hot weeks already this summer and problems begin to develop when temperatures go above 90 during the day, and stay around 75 at night. “When we start getting really warm, especially in the vegetable garden, we’re going to start to see things like slow ripening on tomatoes,” Steil says. “You may be looking at your garden and seeing all these green tomatoes and thinking that they’re being very slow to turn red, and that’s very possible in really hot weather.”

Flavor is also affected by hot weather. Cucumbers may taste bitter, and crops like melons and carrots may have reduced sweetness. Temperatures above 85-degrees can delay ripening in multiple types of vegetables. “Sometimes we see a decrease in the yield or fruit set,” Steil says, “so we’ll see flowers drop or really poor pollination, and that can lead to lower yields, but it can also lead to weird-shaped cucumbers or squash.” Some areas of Iowa remain dry, but most have gotten very healthy rains this month. Steil says if you’ve had a lot of heavy rain, it may cause a calcium deficiency in the soil which can lead to blossom end rot, where a big, dark splotch appears on tomatoes.

“Inconsistent moisture doesn’t allow for that calcium to get to that really fast-developing fruit very well and it causes cell walls to break down and then secondary infections pop in,” Steil says. “We see it often on tomatoes, but we can also see it on things like summer squash, peppers and even things like eggplants.” If that rotten spot appears, he recommends plucking and chucking that fruit, which should help the plant produce a new flower. Steil says many Iowa gardeners are having a decent summer, with a good mix of ample sunshine and rain showers. “Many of the plants we grow in our vegetable gardens like it on the warm side, and they always need good amounts of water to produce well,” Steil says. “Sometimes when we get these really big gully washers, we’re more likely to see things like cracking on tomatoes because those tomatoes get so much water so quickly, it actually breaks the skin.” They’re still good to eat, he says, they just may not be as pretty.

If you’re in one of the dry areas, Steil says deep watering once a week can help reduce plant stress and promote deep, resilient roots. Also, he says to add a layer of mulch to help lower soil temperatures and reduce water lost to evaporation.

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Swine Show

7:30am, indoor show arena

Poultry Show

10:00am, poultry barn

Inflatable Carnival

10:00am-10:00pm, midway

$10 wristbands; good for all-day usage

4H/FFA Exhibits Open

10:00am-8:00pm, community building

Decorator’s Showcase

12:00pm-3:00pm, community building

Tricky-Trykes Maze – All Ages

12:00pm-2:00pm, community building parking lot

Commercial Booth Barn Open

12:00pm-10:00pm, midway

Critter Close-Ups (exotic animal show)

1:00-1:30pm, midway

Pig Pals Show

1:00pm, indoor show arena

Aerial Stunt Show

2:00pm-2:30pm, midway

Face Painting

2:00pm-5:00pm, commercial booth barn

Pedal Tractor Pull

2:30pm, community building parking lot

Critter Close-Ups (exotic animal show)

3:00-3:30pm, midway

Monster Arm Wrestling

4:00pm, midway

$15 to enter (weigh-ins 3-4pm)

sanctioned by World Monster Assn.

Mens and Womens classes; 1st place trophies

Aerial Stunt Show

4:00pm-4:30pm, midway

COW/FEEDER CALF WEIGH-IN (Note the change in time due to the heat) at the Scale House

4-P.M.

County Fair Church Service

4:30pm, indoor show arena

Critter Close-Ups (exotic animal show)

5:00-5:30pm, midway

Cow/Calf & Feeder Calf Show (Note the time change)

6:30-pm, outdoor show arena

Aerial Stunt Show

6:00pm-6:30pm, midway

Horse Fun Show

6:00pm, horse arena