Weather conditions have prompted the U-S-D-A to lower its prediction of corn yields in Iowa by one-and-a-half percent.

The estimate released today (Thursday) is based on crop conditions through September 1st. The U-S-D-A predicts the average corn yield in Iowa will be 200 bushels per acre, down slightly from last month. However, at least 200-thousand more acres of corn were planted in Iowa this year compared to last and the U-S-D-A predicts Iowa’s overall corn harvest will be two percent larger than last year’s. The U-S-D-A’s analysis of Iowa soybean yields per acre is the same as it was in August.

Fewer acres of soybeans were planted in Iowa this year and the U-S-D-A expects the total soybean harvest in Iowa to be down two percent from last year.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor update shows conditions worsened for the Atlantic area. 

Conditions have been revised from Moderate Drought (D1) to Severe Drought (D2), according to this week’s U.S. Drought Monitor.

Atlantic has been in drought since August 29, 2023.

The map shows the northern part of Cass County, along with most of Audubon, Shelby and Guthrie counties are are some of the driest in the region.

The Climate Prediction Center’s September Drought Outlook, released on August 31, 2023, predicted that drought conditions would likely develop in September

AMES, Iowa – As harvest season quickly approaches, Iowans are reminded to practice safety around grain bins and grain handling equipment.

There were nine reported grain entrapments in Iowa in 2022, more than any other state, according to an annual report by Purdue University.

Agricultural confined-space related cases of injuries and fatalities saw a dramatic rise in 2022, including grain entrapment cases, which rose nearly 45%.

Nearly all of these cases involved grain flow issues due to grain spoilage, which means that improved grain management could help prevent cases in the future, according to Kristina TeBockhorst, an agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

In order to get Iowans information to help keep them, their employees and their families safe around grain, TeBockhorst is publishing a series of short articles that highlight important considerations for grain safety, including storing grain without spoilage.

Her first article covers grain bin preparation – how to safely clean and prepare bins before new grain arrives.

“Now is the time to take inventory of your bins and ensure they are in good condition for the new crop,” said TeBockhorst. “These to-do lists aren’t fun, but they will help minimize grain spoilage from insect and mold activity and moisture entry.”

Before cleaning out old grain, be sure you have on your NIOSH-approved respirator that is certified for grain dusts, and that it fits your face to fully seal and protect you.

She advises farmers to “start with a clean bin, exterior bin perimeter, and handling equipment” by removing potential food sources for pests, including residual grain, broken kernels, fines, foreign material, dusts and molds.

1. Sweep the bin walls and floor, making sure to clean the tops of doors, inside hollow pipes or ladders, and inside of augers.
2. Trim down vegetation, remove grain material and debris, and consider using a rodenticide around the bin’s outer perimeter.
3. Clean out dust and debris from harvesting and handling equipment, like combines, trucks, wagons, augers, and in grain legs and elevators.
4. While the bin is empty, check mechanical parts and conduct needed maintenance, seal gaps or cracks along the bin, and check the roof for potential spots that could leak, especially around the vents or access doors.
5. If fines or Indian meal moth silks are starting to plug up the space below the floor, it is time to remove the floor to vacuum or power wash.
6. If the aeration floor can’t be removed, fumigation is the best option to eliminate carryover insects.
7. Check that ladders are in good condition and consider upgrading them with cages or replacing with staircases.
8. Assemble your safety equipment for your grain storage facility, like respirators, life harnesses, and lock-out tag-out kits for unloading equipment.
9. Ensure that all bin entry points have clear warning labels so that all are aware of the hazards. Also be sure that kids can’t enter bins and that they know of the hazards when they live or spend time around stored grain.

In her next installment, TeBockhorst will address safety concerns related to grain handling equipment. For more information, she can be reached at 319-337-2145 or ktebock@iastate.edu

The Atlantic Public Library will be hosting historian and author Linda McCann on Tuesday, October 3 at 11:00 am. She will be speaking on POWs in Iowa.

Iowa had about 25,000 German, Italian, and Japanese prisoners of war from 1942 to 1946. Algona and Clarinda were the main camps with each housing about 3,000 POWs. There were 19 branch camps around the state where the prisoners worked for farmers, in canning factories and doing whatever they were hired to do. McCann spoke with people who knew or worked with the prisoners and will share their memories.

McCann is also the author of several books about Iowa’s history including Prohibition in Eastern Iowa, Civilian Conservation Corps in Northeast Iowa, and Prisoners of War in Iowa. These titles are available for checkout at the library.

The VIP Connections, a social group that meets every Tuesday morning, will gather for coffee and refreshments at 10 am and the POW presentation will begin at 11 am. The public is invited to come at either time.

The Atlantic Public Library connects the community to information, resources, and each other in order to spark ideas and new connections.

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, and manure.

The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through October 11, 2023. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.

The proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.

See the proclamation here.

Atlantic, Iowa – Atlantic School District Board of Education members Jenny Williams and Nick Hunt say they won’t run for re-election in advance of the November 7th elections. Their announcements came during Wednesday evening School Board meeting. Board President Laura McLean said she would seek election.

Williams and Hunt said they appreciated the support they received during their terms.

Anyone who wishes to run for a seat on the Atlantic School Board must have at least 50 signatures in order to be nominated. The paperwork is available online or at the District’s Central Office. Those forms are to be returned to the Central Office no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 21^st.

(Radio Iowa) – An Algona man is in custody after he allegedly shot a police officer Wednesday night. Few details have been released, but the Iowa State Patrol says the shooting took place at a residence near the Kossuth County Fairgrounds, on the south side of Algona, around 8 PM Wednesday. 43-year-old Kyle Lou Ricke of Algona was taken into custody shortly before midnight following a nearly 4-hour search.

Law enforcement agencies from across Iowa and Minnesota were involved in the search, that included the use of drones to try and locate the suspect. Algona residents were asked to shelter in place during the search, including students at Bishop Garrigan High School.

Kyle Lou Ricke (ISP Photo)

Officials have not identified the officer or provided any information as to his condition at this time.

A man from Creston was arrested Wednesday afternoon for violating the terms of his parole. Creston Police say 43-year-old Ryan Wayne Feldhacker was taken to Union County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

The weather this year has benefited livestock producers by preventing overflows caused by rainfall that fills up manure storage areas, but Dan Anderson, an Iowa State University expert on manure management, says dry weather also has its issues.

He says farmer can get anxious and want to spread manure too early.

Once the crops out of the fields, he says the dry ground gives farmers less concern that manure would run off of rain saturated ground.

Anderson is associate professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at I-S-U, and the creator of the “Talkin’ Crap” podcast that discusses all aspects of manure management. You can find his podcast and other information on how to manage manure in wet and dry weather on the I-S-U Extension website.

ARISE will present a program Sunday focusing on a Cass County World War II Prisoner of War.

Ronald Orville Pigg was born in Massena in 1910. He was a member of the Corp of Engineers assigned to the Philippines. His life ended in January, 1945 as a Japanese prisoner of war on a “hellship“.

Ronald (Ron) L. Pigg a second cousin has researched the life and death of Captain Pigg. Ron will be telling the results of his research on Sunday, September 17, 2 pm at the American Legion Memorial Building. The program will include Captain Ronald’s life before military service and the horrific treatment as a POW.

The story continues by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency with a lab at Offutt Air Force base hoping to identify 985 missing service men who were on the hell ship journey. Of that number, 12 were from Nebraska and 16 from Iowa.

Ron is a 1960 Atlantic High School graduate. His parents were Lyle and Helen Pigg. He continues connections with the Atlantic community.

This program is sponsored by Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE). Everyone is welcome and there is no fee. The building at 201 Poplar Street is handicapped assessable.

Another program will be offered on October 15. One part of the ARISE mission is to promote public knowledge of local, state and national history. ARISE is supported by donations, memberships, grants and volunteer time.