(Iowa DNR News) – The paddlefish snagging season on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers opens Feb. 1 and goes through April 30 (sunrise to sunset). Anglers fishing for paddlefish must have a valid Iowa fishing license, along with a special paddlefish license and unused transportation tag(s).

Keep track of your effort and catch throughout the paddlefish season. Complete the electronic survey when the season ends whether you harvested a fish or not. The information collected will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) evaluate the success of the season and determine what potential changes or modifications may be needed.

If you catch a jaw-tagged fish (numbered band in the lower jaw), call the phone number on the tag to report the tag number, date of capture, capture location and eye-to-fork length. Iowa DNR and other state fisheries agencies tag paddlefish to better understand and manage populations. Tagging provides valuable information to estimate population size, fish movement and growth.

Low river levels might affect Missouri River boat ramp access.

For more information about Iowa’s special paddlefish season regulations, visit the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/paddlefish.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is hosting a series of town hall-style meetings where local staff will provide updates on recently completed hunting and trapping seasons, discuss possible changes to hunting and trapping rules and regulations, and address other topics as requested. “We want people to come out to these meetings, listen to the seasons reviews, ask questions and hear directly from our staff,” said Todd Bishop, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Wildlife Bureau. “Part of the meeting will be devoted to discussing potential rule changes and collecting feedback as we work through the rules process.”

The meetings are open to the public. Comments collected from these public meetings will be considered along with other related comments received by the Iowa DNR prior to proposing changes to hunting rules and regulations. Proposed rules will be presented to the Natural Resource Commission during a regular public meeting for consideration and additional public comment.

Comments received during previous listening sessions have resulted in regulation changes, including modifying and removing areas closed to Canada goose hunting, establishing later goose season dates and increased bag limit, expanding the raccoon hunting and trapping season on private land, modifying Iowa’s antlerless deer quotas in north central and western Iowa, and extending the regular trapping season through the end of February.

(Area) Meeting date, time and locations:

• Creston, March 3, 6 p.m., Performing Arts Building multi-purpose room (124), 1201 West Townline Street
• Council Bluffs, March 5, 5:30 p.m., Bass Pro Shops, 2901 Bass Pro Drive

Any person attending the public meeting that has special requirements, such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments, should contact the Iowa DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service 800-735-7942, or Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, and advise of specific needs.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery saw an increase in revenue through the first six months of this fiscal year, but its anchor product has been lagging in sales. Chief Revenue Officer Jon Roth says scratch ticket sales were down one-point-seven percent through November, which goes against the national trend. “When we look at the comparison, the industry overall is actually has a small increase of one percent,” he says. Roth says Iowa’s scratch ticket sales are better than other states with Iowa’s same profile.

“When you compare it to those states that are more similar to us, they’re down by three-point-five percent (3.5%), so it is a challenge out there in the marketplace with regards to scratch tickets,” he says. Roth says the new arrangement the Iowa Lottery Board recently approved where the Lottery will share the risk with their ticket vendor is one step toward addressing the lagging scratch ticket sales. He says the arrangement will allow them to look at scratch ticket sales in a different way. “It’s going to be a shift in terms of what we’re what our focus is and then what we’re going to be able to deliver and expand in terms of new offerings and new capabilities,” Roth says.

Scratch tickets are still the to selling product of the Iowa Lottery, but big Lotto game jackpots have been the driver in pushing sales up overall.

(Guthrie Center, IA) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports an unknown vehicle struck a legally parked car late Friday night or early Saturday morning, causing an estimated $2,500 damage to the parked vehicle. Authorities say the 2012 Chevy Impala was legally parked facing the right-of-way southeast of 401 North Street, between the hours of 10:30-p.m. January 16th and 10-a.m. January 17th, when an unknown vehicle drove west through an unnamed alley north of the parked vehicle.

The unknown vehicle drove south in the yards between the houses positioned in the 400 block of North 4th and North 5th Streets, before striking the Impala. The unknown vehicle then backed-up and went around the Chevy before exiting through the yards onto North Street.

The parked vehicle sustained extensive damage to the driver’s side rear door. If you have information with regard to the incident, please contact the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office.

(Atlantic, IA) – During a regular meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors in Atlantic, Tuesday morning, the Board received presentations from Darren Welsh, with the auditing firm of Gronewold Bell, Khynn & Company, pertaining to the Annual (2024) Cass County Audit report a copy of which can be found here: https://www.auditor.iowa.gov/reports/file/83032.pdf The Board encouraged Welsh to try and get more recent/timely data, when available.

Cass County BOS mtg via Zoom on 1-20-26

They also received an Annual Report (FY2025) from West Central Community Action Executive Director Wendy Mueller, and a Monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Executive Director Jotham Arber. In her report, Wendy Mueller broke down the data with regard to their services to the County. Here are the demographics…

WCCA Exec. Director Wendy Mueller (from Cass Co BOS Zoom session)

She also mentioned West Central is not asking for any change in funding over last year’s budgeted amount, and, that despite initial efforts to chop funding for Head Start operations around the country during the DOGE sweep, Head Start is actually getting slightly more funding from the government than they were expecting.

Head Start promotes school readiness in ages three-to five in low income families.

The bottom line, according to Mueller was that West Central Community Action delivered over $1.4-million in services to the residents of Cass County.

Jotham Arbor said most of what his department employees are currently doing, consists of water/well testing.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors passed resolutions appointing Krista Young as Commissioner of the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA), representing Cass County, and Supervisor Bernard Pettinger as County Representative to the Golden Hills Resouce-Conservation and Development Board (RC&D), for the term ending 12/31/2026.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republican Leader Mike Klimesh is proposing a bill to let Summit Carbon redraw its proposed pipeline route to avoid land owned by people who will not sign voluntary easements. He’s introducing another bill that would tax the liquid carbon flowing through the pipeline, too. “I’d like to get this done as soon as possible. We have a lot of other important work to do this year and this is very important…and that’s why we’re introducing it early on in the session,” Klimesh said. “I don’t want this to be an issue that lingers. I want us to come to consensus with the House, find a path forward, open up access to different markets for Iowa farmers who are desperately looking for relief right now and put this behind us in a meaningful way that benefits all landowners.”

Klimesh predicts corn prices could go up by as much as a dollar per bushel if the pipeline is built and the carbon is used to extract oil in Wyoming. “230 miles of pipeline was built through Kansas and Colorado to bring jet fuel to the Denver International Airport and that whole pipeline project was built without using eminent domain once,” Klimesh said, “and that’s because those states have policies similar to the one I’m proposing in Iowa.” Key House Republicans have criticized the idea, saying it would still let Summit Carbon use eminent domain authority to seize some land along the pipeline route. House Republicans have introduce legislation that would block Summit Carbon from using eminent domain.

The tax Klimesh proposes would be a fee for each metric ton of carbon that flows through a pipeline in Iowa. “States that have natural resources, underground resources, place a severance tax on that and typically it’s by the barrell,” Klimesh said, “so Wyoming for example places a severance tax on every barrel of oil they draw from the ground and that severance tax has allowed those states to go to zero income tax.” Klimesh says that’s the goal of his proposal, too.

(Griswold, IA) – The Griswold School Board held their regular monthly meeting Monday, Jan. 19th. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board accepted two early retirement requests.

Peggy Hansen’s early retirement request, Henrichs said, is contingent upon whether or not the district decides to go with a four-day school week.

Dave Henrich said by rule of law, schools can’t issue new contracts to teachers until March 15th. He said the stipulation setting a deadline of March 28th to decide on the length of the school week, was acceptable to Mrs. Hansen and the Board. In other business, the Griswold School Board received the FY25 Audit Report, as presented by District Business Manager Dan Rold.

The Audit Report did mention – as a negative – what’s called a “Segregation of Duties,” which is often mentioned in audit reports for schools, city and county governmental bodies.

Superintendent Henrichs said also, the Griswold School Board approved allowing new bus drivers to opt-out of what’s called “STOP” Training for the rest of the school year.

And, the Board agreed to set January 26th at 6-p.m., as the date & time for a Work Session to continue discussions with regard to a four-day school week. They also set March 23rd as date for the the first of two required public hearings on the Budget. That’s also the same date as their regular meeting. The second hearing on the budget will be held April regular Board meeting on the 20th of April.

(Corning, IA) – The Adams County Roads Department reports a bridge on Adair-Adams Street (Colony 1) closed due to deficiencies, until further notice. The closure is in effect as of 8-a.m. today (1/20).

(Guthrie Center, IA) – A joint, monthly meeting of the Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center School District Boards of Education will take place beginning 7-p.m. Wed., Jan. 21st, at the AC/GC High School Media Center, in Guthrie Center. Separately, the Adair-Casey Board will act on a Contract Recommendation for Rebecca Diemer – JH Track Coach, while the Guthrie Center Board will act on the Resignations of:

• Patti Halbur – HS SPED Teacher
• Randi Lehman – Secretary, and,

Contract Recommendations for:

• Jay Rhoten – Asst. Track
• Clark Latcham -Asst. Track
• Jacob Lacey – Head Boys & Girls Track.

The Adair-Casey School Board will act on approving a Series 2013 Bond Transfer Resolution, in order to transfer a remaining (small) amount of accrued revenue from Debt Service Fund 40 to the SAVE Capital Projects Fund 33. The transfer will zero-out the Debt Service Fund. The Guthrie Center Board will act on a Nutrition Fund Transfer to the General Fund, and a Winter Consortium Agreement with the Winterset Community School District, in order to accommodate an IEP change of placement for a student, transporting them to the Heart Therapeutic Program located within the Winterset CSD. They will also act on approving the consolidation of bank accounts in order to manage the district’s funds through the school’s accounting system, and into one account with a sweep account at the Guthrie County State Bank. The GC Board is also expected to discuss and possibly act on an update for High School Gym audio, including a subwoofer add-on, with the upgrade funded through the PPEL  fund.

Both district’s Boards of Education will discuss Whole Grade Sharing, with regard to invoices, and act on approving an SBRC Modified Allowable Growth request for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention. They are then expected to act on approving a Whole Grade Sharing Agreement with changes as follows:

• Each district will bill the other district at a cost of $7,600/student for Junior High students, & $8,400/student for High School students.
• The district who holds the contract for the teacher/coach working in the shared district, will bill the other district for teacher/coach salary and benefits.
• Special Education expenses will be billed to the resident district at cost (no change).
• Each district will maintain their own Activities Fund, without sharing revenue and expenses.
• Each district will continue to track transportation mileage and split expenses based on enrollment percentages (no change).
• PPEL purchases that contribute to the WGS programming will be tracked and owned by the purchasing district.
• A one-year agreement, with the ability to change, of needed and agreed upon.