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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
DES MOINES, Iowa, May 30, 2024 – Agricultural operations in Iowa have been significantly impacted by recent tornados and flooding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.
USDA Disaster Assistance
Producers who experience livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality or sell injured livestock at a reduced price may be eligible for the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP). To participate in LIP, producers will have to provide acceptable documentation of death losses or evidence of reduced sales resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) no later than the annual program payment application date, which is 60 calendar days following the calendar year in which the loss occurred. The LIP payment application and notice of loss deadline is March 3, 2025, for 2024 calendar year losses. Livestock producers who experience losses related to tornadoes should check with their local FSA office for LIP eligibility criteria.
Meanwhile, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides eligible producers with compensation for feed and grazing losses. For ELAP, producers are required to complete a notice of loss and a payment application to their local FSA office no later than the annual program application deadline, Jan. 30, 2025, for 2024 calendar year losses.
Additionally, eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers may be eligible for cost-share assistance through the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) to replant or rehabilitate eligible trees, bushes or vines. TAP complements the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) or crop insurance coverage, which covers the crop but not the plants or trees in all cases. For TAP, a program application must be filed within 90 days of the disaster event or the date when the loss of the trees, bushes or vines is apparent.
“Once you are able to evaluate the impact on your operation, be sure to contact your local FSA county office to timely report all crop, livestock and farm infrastructure damages and losses,” said Matt Russell, State Executive Director for FSA in Iowa. “To expedite FSA disaster assistance, you will likely need to provide documents, such as farm records, herd inventory, receipts and pictures of damages or losses.”
FSA also offers a variety of direct and guaranteed farm loans, including operating and emergency farm loans, to producers unable to secure commercial financing. Producers in counties with a primary or contiguous disaster designation may be eligible for low interest emergency loans to help them recover from production and physical losses. Loans can help producers replace essential property, purchase inputs like livestock, equipment, feed and seed, cover family living expenses or refinance farm-related debts and other needs. On May 24, 2024, FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux signed an Administrator’s Physical Loss Notification (APLN) making 29 counties in Iowa – eight primary and 21 contiguous – eligible for FSA emergency loans for physical damages and loss caused by thunderstorms and tornadoes that occurred April 26 through April 27, 2024. Contiguous counties in Missouri and Nebraska are also eligible for APLN emergency loan assistance.
Additionally, FSA offers several loan servicing options available for borrowers who are unable to make scheduled payments on their farm loan programs debt to the agency because of reasons beyond their control.
The Farm Storage Facility Loan Program (FSFL) provides low-interest financing so producers can build, repair, replace or upgrade facilities to store commodities. Loan terms vary from three to 12 years. Producers who incurred damage to or loss of their equipment or infrastructure funded by the FSFL program should contact their insurance agent and their local USDA Service Center. Producers in need of on-farm storage should also contact USDA.
Risk Management
Producers who have risk protection through Federal Crop Insurance or FSA’s NAP should report crop damage to their crop insurance agent or FSA office. If they have crop insurance, producers should provide a notice of loss to their agent within 72 hours of initial discovery of damage and follow up in writing within 15 days.
For NAP covered crops, a Notice of Loss (CCC-576) must be filed within 15 days of the loss becoming apparent, except for hand-harvested crops, which should be reported within 72 hours.
“Crop insurance and other USDA risk management options are offered to help producers manage risk because we never know what nature has in store for the future,” said Pamela Stahlke, Director of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) Regional Office that covers Iowa. “The Approved Insurance Providers, loss adjusters and agents are experienced and well-trained in handling these types of events.”
Conservation
FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) and Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) can assist landowners and forest stewards with financial and technical assistance to restore fencing, damaged farmland or forests, and remove debris from feed stocks, water supplies and feeding areas.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is always available to provide technical assistance during the recovery process by assisting producers to plan and implement conservation practices on farms and working forests impacted by natural disasters. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can help producers plan and implement conservation practices on land impacted by natural disasters.
“The Natural Resources Conservation Service can be a very valuable partner to help landowners with their recovery and resiliency efforts,” said Jon Hubbert, NRCS State Conservationist in Iowa. “Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop approaches that focus on effective recovery of the land.”
Assistance for Communities
Additional NRCS programs include the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which assists local government sponsors with the cost of addressing watershed impairments or hazards such as debris removal and streambank stabilization.
The EWP Program is a recovery effort aimed at relieving imminent hazards to life and property caused by floods, fires, windstorms and other natural disasters. All projects must have an eligible project sponsor. NRCS may bear up to 75% of the eligible construction cost of emergency measures (90% within county-wide limited-resource areas as identified by the U.S. Census data). The remaining costs must come from local sources and can be in the form of cash or in-kind services.
EWP is designed for installation of recovery measures to safeguard life and property as a result of a natural disaster. Threats that the EWP Program addresses are termed watershed impairments. These include, but are not limited to:
Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, towns or any federally recognized Native American tribe or tribal organization. Sponsors must submit a formal request (by mail or email) to the NRCS state conservationist for assistance within 60 days of the natural disaster occurrence or 60 days from the date when access to the sites become available. For more information, please contact your local NRCS office.
MUSCATINE, Iowa – The two males who were injured in the May 29, 2024, officer-involved shooting incident at the intersection of Highway 61 and Cedar Street in Muscatine, Iowa, have been identified as Isidro Barajas Jr., 29, of Muscatine, and Juan Aldo Beltran Delgado, 33, of Muscatine. Barajas and Beltran Delgado are receiving treatment at a medical facility.
The Drug Task Force Officer who fired their weapon is a member of the multi-jurisdictional task force that serves Muscatine County and surrounding areas. The officer has been placed on critical incident leave pending the completion of the investigation. The name of the officer will be released upon completion of the interview. The case will be referred to the Muscatine County Attorney’s office for review upon completion of the investigation.
No additional information will be released at this time.
PREVIOUS REPORT:
(Muscatine, Iowa) – Authorities in Muscatine say there were no immediate reports of injuries following a chase, crash and shots-fired incident, Wednesday afternoon. According to the Muscatine Police Department, at around 3:30-p.m., Wednesday, officers with the Muscatine County Drug Task Force began the process of serving a search warrant on a residence located in the City of Muscatine. The subjects of the investigation fled the scene in a vehicle, when approached by law enforcement, and led police on a high-speed pursuit on Highway 61, around Muscatine.
The fleeing vehicle was involved in a collision at the intersection of Highway 61 and Cedar Street, at around 3:40-p.m. The suspects then fled on foot from the scene. Shortly afterward, several gunshots were fired at the scene.
Incident scene in Muscatine (Photo from the Muscatine, IA Police Department Facebook page)
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is conducting an investigation into the incident. In addition to the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, agencies involved in the incident or lending support, included:
Officials say the situation was quickly contained, and there is no active threat the community. The incident remains under investigation. Additional details will be released pending completion of the DCI investigation.
(Radio Iowa) – State officials say phone and internet services provided by Lumen Technologies have been disrupted in Iowa due to a water line break at the company’s hub in Des Moines this (Thursday) morning. CenturyLink changed its name to Lumen in 2020 and the extent of the company’s outage is unclear. A spokesperson for Lumen says central and eastern Iowa customers are affected.
According to the Iowa Department of Homeland Security, some Lumen customers may not be able to call 9-1-1 with their landline phone, so the agency is recommending emergency calls be made from a cell phone if a landline call doesn’t go through.
An advisory from Polk County Emergency Management indicates Lumen has brought in generators to try to stabilize the situation at its hub in downtown Des Moines.
(Radio Iowa) – Cherokee County Sheriff Derek Scott has adopted a critically injured dog he helped rescue in late March. A woman called the sheriff’s office for help after spotting the injured dog in a ditch on a county road near Quimby. The dog was taken to a vet clinic in Cherokee, then transferred to an animal rescue service in Sioux City called Noah’s Hope.
“Initially, it kind of looked like he got hit by a car. He was laying in the ditch on his side. He looked in bad shape,” Scott says. “After we got him to Sioux City and Noah’s Hope did some examining and got him to a vet, they found he was actually shot in the front leg.” The dog’s leg had to be amputated. Animal shelter staff decided to name the dog Derek in honor of the sheriff who drove him to Sioux City for treatment, then the sheriff and his wife decided to adopt the dog.
“We had two other dogs in our house and he gets along with everybody,” he says. That includes Sheriff Scott, his wife, his kids — and even the cats.
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Nishna Valley YMCA Executive Director Dan Haynes said today (Thursday), there will be a slight delay in the opening date for the Sunnyside Pool, in Atlantic. Recreation officials have been notified by ACCO, that the essential pump has arrived and is being installed at Sunnyside Pool, with an anticipated completion of sometime next week. This has extended the opening of the pool by approximately one week. The actual opening date will be dictated by the installation process and timeline. The public will be notified as soon as the opening date is known.
While this brief setback may postpone the summer splash, Haynes says the team is diligently working to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all patrons.
In the spirit of community collaboration, the local YMCA has extended its facilities to Sunnyside Pool members during this interim period. Paid Sunnyside members are invited to enjoy the YMCA’s pool amenities at no additional cost until Sunnyside Pool is up and running.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our community members as we work to finalize the necessary installations to ensure a fantastic swimming season.” Stay tuned for further updates regarding the exact opening date of Sunnyside Pool. For more information and updates, please visit Sunnyside Pool’s Facebook page.
(Audubon, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Audubon County today (Thursday), are asking for your help in solving crimes of theft in the County. According to authorities, early Wednesday morning (May 29th), two vehicles were stolen from a car dealership in Audubon. The vehicles were then used in ATM break-ins in Audubon and Exira.
The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office and the Audubon Police Department are investigating the crimes, in conjunction with DCI, Fusion Center and multiple other agencies with similar criminal activities. 
Anyone with information in regard to the thefts, are asked to contact the Audubon County Sheriff’s Department at 712-563-2631. Information can result in a Crimestoppers reward.
(Des Moines, Iowa) – Several groups challenging a recent decision, say a federal judge wrongly limited the authority of county and state officials to restrict the placement of carbon dioxide pipelines for public safety. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the challenges stem from December rulings in which Chief Judge Stephanie Rose, of the federal Southern District of Iowa, blocked Shelby and Story Counties from enforcing ordinances that create minimum separation distances between the pipelines and buildings that are occupied by people or animals. The ordinances were the result of lawsuits Summit Carbon Solutions filed against counties that have attempted to govern where its sprawling pipeline system can go and to require the company to provide plans that show the safety risks of a system breach.
Summit wants to build a pipeline network that would transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol plants in five states — including 30 in Iowa — to North Dakota for underground storage. Its initial construction permit is awaiting a decision in Iowa, and the company has sued five counties in the state that enacted ordinances. Rose sided with Summit in two of the lawsuits regarding Shelby and Story counties, and the other three are paused until appeals of Rose’s decisions conclude. Summit has argued — and Rose agreed — that state law gives the Iowa Utilities Board the ultimate say on pipeline routes and that the safety-related provisions of the ordinances conflict with federal law.
The counties’ ordinances reflect public apprehensions about the pipelines, which have the potential to create a deadly plume of carbon dioxide if they rupture. Rose said minimum separation distances — or setbacks — are “within the field of safety standards” and are the territory of federal regulators. As such, neither county nor state can impose them, she reasoned. That interpretation of the law is a concern to the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, which has asked the IUB to keep Summit’s pipe at least 400 feet from homes and livestock buildings.
Chris Gruenhagen an attorney for the Iowa Farm Bureau, wrote in a court brief, in partial support of the appeals, that there are 112 homes and 36 livestock barns within 400 feet of Summit’s initial proposed route. “The district court’s ruling,” he wrote, ” … would restrict the state’s ability to judiciously review the proposed location and routing of the proposed pipeline.” Rose’s interpretation of federal law was contradicted in September by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which regulates the design, construction and operation of carbon dioxide pipelines to ensure public safety. PHMSA sent a letter to Summit that month that said state and local governments are allowed to establish minimum separation distances.
Rose decided the initial versions of the Shelby and Story ordinances were so restrictive they “will lead to a situation where the IUB may grant a permit to construct a pipeline and Summit is unable to do so.” Story County modified its ordinance after the lawsuit was filed to include lesser setbacks. It’s unclear whether the changes would alleviate Rose’s concerns because she did not address the changes in her December ruling. Rose did, however, say state law does not explicitly prevent counties from adopting the setbacks. An attorney for the counties argues there is not evidence the ordinances are overly restrictive, in part because they would allow Summit to ask for exceptions when a pipeline could not comply with the setbacks.
“In reaching these conclusions, the district court fundamentally misapplied Iowa law,” wrote Jason Craig, a Des Moines attorney who is representing the counties in federal court. It’s unclear when the appeals will conclude. They were initiated in December, consolidated in January, and Craig filed a brief with his arguments in early May. Summit’s response is due July 1st. Iowa Farm Bureau, the Pipeline Safety Trust and the Iowa Farmer’s Union have also filed briefs that argue against various determinations by the judge.
(Muscatine, Iowa) – Authorities in Muscatine say there were no reports of injuries following a chase, crash and shots-fired incident, Wednesday afternoon. According to the Muscatine Police Department, at around 3:30-p.m., Wednesday, officers with the Muscatine County Drug Task Force began the process of serving a search warrant on a residence located in the City of Muscatine. The subjects of the investigation fled the scene in a vehicle, when approached by law enforcement, and led police on a high-speed pursuit on Highway 61, around Muscatine.
The fleeing vehicle was involved in a collision at the intersection of Highway 61 and Cedar Street, at around 3:40-p.m. The suspects then fled on foot from the scene. Shortly afterward, several gunshots were fired at the scene.
Incident scene in Muscatine (Photo from the Muscatine, IA Police Department Facebook page)
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is conducting an investigation into the incident. In addition to the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, agencies involved in the incident or lending support, included:
Officials say the situation was quickly contained, and there is no active threat the community. The incident remains under investigation. Additional details will be released pending completion of the DCI investigation.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The latest U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) released today (Thursday) showed no drought conditions anywhere in the state of Iowa, marking the first time the entire state has been without drought conditions since 2020.
The USDM shows drought conditions in several stages. D1-D4 are considered drought conditions. At least part of Iowa has been in D1 or above since July 2020. Parts of the state, particularly in eastern and northeastern Iowa, are still under “abnormally dry” conditions, which do not meet the criteria for drought but could indicate areas that are either entering or recovering from drought.
In western Iowa, a good section of western Pottawattamie County, most of northern Guthrie County, and a section of northern Dallas County are shown as “Abnormally Dry, on the Drought Monitor map. 
Parts of Iowa had been in extreme drought — D3 on the scale — from June 2022 through early May of this year before consistent rainfall helped bring the state out of those conditions.
(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report a man was arrested Tuesday evening on a Montgomery County warrant. 24-year-old Brandon Lane Good, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:30-p.m. at the Mills County Sheriff Office. His bond was set at $5,000.
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