(Jefferson, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, this (Friday) afternoon said the source of dark and murky water in a stormwater drainage ditch near the North Raccoon River in Jefferson, has been identified. On March 26, the DNR Field Office in Atlantic was notified of dark colored water observed in a stormwater ditch in Daubendiek Park on the southwest side of Jefferson, which drains to the North Raccoon River.

DNR field staff responded to the incident, and upon arrival observed multiple pockets of discolored water in the ditch. City staff constructed a berm in the stormwater ditch to prevent contamination from reaching the North Raccoon River, and pumped nearly 6000 gallons of contaminated water out of the ditch.

A stormwater drainage ditch with discolored water in Daubendiek Park in Jefferson.

On March 28, DNR staff received a phone call from a resident who reported seeing a Sloan Plumbing, Heating, A/C, and Septic vehicle dumping wastewater from its truck into a manhole at the north end of Kelso Park in Jefferson. Officials with Jefferson Public Works and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office contacted Chad Sloan, the owner of Sloan Septic, for more information. Mr. Sloan stated he directed one of his employees to dump in a manhole at that location due to the normal dumpsite being blocked by construction at the wastewater plant.

The employee unknowingly chose the storm sewer manhole instead of the wastewater collection system manhole. It is estimated that nearly 1000 gallons of septic waste were dumped into the storm sewer system.

The Iowa DNR, Jefferson Public Works and the Greene County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the public for helping to identify the source of the contaminated water.

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.

(Radio Iowa) – Volunteers will soon be listening for frogs and toads in Iowa wetlands as part of an Iowa D-N-R survey that’s been happening for 35-years. Program coordinator Stephanie Shepherd oversees the volunteers who listening for the ribbits and croaks to track what are some of the most vulnerable species in the world.

“They’re very sensitive to their environment, or they have a lot of stressors that are impacting them,” she says . She says the survey helps biologists monitor what’s happening in Iowa’s wetland ecosystems.

“They’re just really important part of those wetland systems and keeping them running and balanced,” Shepherd says. The frog and toad survey turns 35 this year, making it the state’s longest-running amphibian survey.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Fire officials in another southwest Iowa county have requested and were granted a Burn Ban Proclamation. The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports a Burn Ban for the County is now in effect until further notice, as a result of abnormally warm and dry conditions, low humidity, strong winds and tinder vegetation. That combination of elements can contribute to extreme fire behavior, which can put property and lives at risk.

As of Friday, March 28th, including Shelby- a total of nine counties in this area are under a ban on open burning. The others include: Audubon; Guthrie; Pottawattamie; Adair; Mills; Montgomery; Union and Page Counties.

For more information on Burn Bans in Iowa, see the State Fire Marshall’s website .

(Iowa Capital Dispatch) – A St. Louis-based company with an Iowa grain dealer license has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Iowa farmers with unpaid grain sold to Benson Hill Holdings, Inc. prior to March 20, can file a claim for indemnity, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.  Don McDowell, communications director for IDALS, said the department is not “immediately aware” of any affected farmers.

The grain indemnity fund will pay farmers 90% of their loss, up to $300,000, though claims related to Benson Hill must be mailed or personally delivered to IDALS’s Grain Warehouse Bureau by July 18.  The fund was established by the Iowa Legislature in 1986 and accrues via a per-bushel fee on purchased grain and fees on licensed warehouses and grain dealers.

According to minutes from the Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund Board, the balance of the fund as of Feb. 19 was $8.4 million. Benson Hill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy March 20 and has up to $11 million in debtor-in-possession financing to continue its day-to-day operations.  Christi Dixon, a spokesperson for the seed innovation company, said it is “restructuring” its finances. “We will continue to meet our contractual commitments and support key farmers without interruption,” Dixon said in an email.

Trucks deliver harvested grain in western Iowa. (Photo by Jared Strong/Iowa Capital Dispatch)

Dixon said the company maintains a seed processing facility in Bondurant and employs seven people in Iowa. Benson Hill previously owned a soy processing facility in Creston, but sold the facility in February 2024 to White River Nutrition.

McDowell said the grain license for Benson Hill included locations in Cherokee and Galva.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say much of Iowa can expect high temperatures in the 60s, 70s and even near 80 today (Thursday) and tomorrow, which will prompt some Iowans to pull out their kayaks and canoes. Sure, it’s spring, but Iowa D-N-R conservation officer Nate Carr says having warm air temperatures doesn’t necessarily mean warm water temperatures, so dress appropriately.

There’s a general rule that if the water and air temperatures combined don’t equal at least 120 degrees, anyone who ends up dumped in the water is at risk for hypothermia, and water temperatures are still quite chilly.

Carr says to pack extra clothes in a dry bag and always wear a life jacket.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A group of local outdoor enthusiasts aim to restore native prairie grasses and make improvements to various aspects of the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department sites. Long-time Atlantic Parks Advocate Frank Saddlemire spoke with the Parks and Rec Advisory Commission Wednesday evening. One of the projects he would like to see worked on, is the boat ramp from Lake number 2 at the Schildberg Recreation Area.

That area was included in a controlled burn Wednesday. Saddlemire said the second project he’s interested in seeing improved, is the Butterfly Gardens at the Schildberg Rec Area. The current Butterfly Garden is located in the middle of the park.

Frank Saddlemire (Yellow shirt) speaks with the Atlantic Parks & Rec Advisory Board (3-26-25; Ric Hanson-photo)

He says the only money involved in the project is re-bar, to secure the railroad ties into the ground. Signage could be included that mentions which group or organizations are responsible for maintaining the gardens. The third project Saddlemire is interested in, is returning Schildberg’s to a wildlife prairie, because “Conservation is education.” Frank said he’s spoken with Cass County Conservation Department Executive Director Micah Lee and Nick Thompson, Iowa Pheasants Forever Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist for Cass County, about wiping out the Brome Grass, burn the weeds off and seed it with native prairie grass.

The benefits include a larger variety of birds and insects.

He says it also saves the taxpayers money by saving time and using manpower for mowing.

He said it also benefits the City in the form of it being a tourism site. The Advisory Committee took the information Saddlemire presented under consideration.

(Atlantic & Southwest Iowa) – Numerous area fire departments were kept busy Wednesday, battling ditch, grass or field fires. Locally, the Atlantic Fire Department responded to two grass fires on Wednesday. Fire Chief Tom Cappel says one of the fires crews from Atlantic fought, occurred early Wednesday afternoon in the area of 644th Street and Jackson Road.The blaze erupted from a brush pile.

A second fire was reported later that afternoon west of the Atlantic Airport, off of Highland Road. That blaze began as a controlled burn of prairie grass, but grew out of control as the result of strong southerly winds that caused flames to jump the road and ignite a nearby farm field.

Chief Cappel issued a reminder to residents who may be planning a controlled burn, to notify their local fire department beforehand.

Earlier in the day, the Atlantic Fire Department conducted its own controlled burn at the Schildberg Recreation Area.

Elsewhere in southwest Iowa, the Creston Fire Department, with mutual aid provided by six other area departments, battled controlled burn that got out of hand at around 2:30-p.m. Wednesday, northwest of Creston. The flames spread to one shed and threatened another.  A large junk pile behind that structure was fully engulfed in flames. Altogether, about 400-acres was scorched in the blaze.

Other fires were reported late Wednesday afternoon along the interstate in Cass and Adair Counties. Red Oak Fire were battle two fires when they were called to the scene of a car engulfed in flames at around 4-p.m. Wednesday. There were no injuries, but the car was a total loss.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House has — again — approved legislation that would provide new protections for landowners along the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline route. Representative Charley Thomson, a Republican from Charles City, says the overwhelming majority of Iowans oppose the project.

“Parts of the government of Iowa seem to refuse to recognize reality and at some point, it starts to look like corruption,” Thomson said. “…I think the right thing will be done. I hope it’s sooner rather than later.” The package includes new restrictions on the use of eminent domain to seize land for an expansion of the pipeline and it calls for Summit to reimburse landowners who cannot get insurance because the pipeline runs through their property.

Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says he’s proud the House has been standing up for property owners. “I have to say that the pride has been replaced with disappointment by the fact that members of the senate have not listened to the cries of our citizens to stand up for the Constitution, to tell Summit and Bruce Rastetter and the lobby that the fundamental private property rights of Iowans are not for sale,” he said, “not now and not ever.”

Bruce Rastetter is the founder and owner of Summit Carbon Solutions. One Democrat who voted for the package suggested it will not become law because Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and key Republicans in the Senate support the pipeline project. The head of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says he’s confident cooler heads will prevail in the senate, the pipeline will be built and demand for corn will increase by billions of bushels.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has voted to shield farm chemical companies from lawsuits that allege the labels of products lack proper warnings about health risks. Bayer, the company that sells Roundup, faces thousands of lawsuits filed on behalf of farmers and others who’ve been diagnosed with cancer. Senator Mike Bousselot, a Republican from Ankeny, says Roundup’s label meets the legal requirements of the U-S government and other countries where it’s approved for use.

“No scientific agency in the world has concluded that glyphosate poses a carcinogenic risk,” Bousselot says. Senator Adrian Dickey, a Republican from Packwood, says this area of the law has become a playground for attorneys. “It’s about sue-happy attorneys and their latest attempt to make a lottery out of our legal system,” Dickey said. The bill passed on a 26-to-21 vote — the minimum number of yes votes required to clear the Senate.

Senator Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, is among the critics who call the bill the cancer gag act. “This bill is a dangerous piece of legislation that places corporate interests above the health and rights of Iowans at a time when our state is grappling with rising cancer rates,” she said.

Similar legislation passed the Iowa Senate last year by a wider margin, but it didn’t come up for a vote in the House.