w/ Kate Olson

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Four officers were elected during the Montgomery County Extension Council organizational meeting January 19. The nine-member council annually elects officers to comply with Iowa law. Joseph Jardon of Red Oak is the newly re-elected chairperson. Jardon will preside at all meetings of the extension council, have authority to call special meetings and perform duties performed and exercised by a chairperson of a board of directors of a corporation. Mike Olson of Red Oak was elected vice chairperson.

Karen Klocke of Nodaway was -re-elected secretary; and has the responsibility of keeping the minutes of all extension council meetings and signing required papers for the council. The council re-elected Lori DeKay of Stanton to the treasurer position. The treasurer receives, deposits, has charge of all of the funds of the extension council, and pays and disburses funds. The treasurer insures an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and submits reports to the extension council.

The council is the county governing body of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The council hires county staff, manages the county extension budget of approximately $454,000, and helps determine programming. In partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the council provides educational opportunities that bring university resources to the needs of
the county and region. Local extension programs include 4-H, Master Gardeners, youth summer camps, child care provider trainings and ServSafe for food service professionals.

An investigation into the theft of cattle from a farm near Lewis has resulted in the arrest of a Nebraska man, and arrest warrants for two other Nebraskans. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 57-year old Ervin John Jacob, of Omaha, was arrested Jan. 22nd following the execution of a search warrant in Omaha.

Ervin John Jacob (Cass Co. Sheriff’s Dept. photo)

Jacob was arrested on three Class D felony counts of Theft in the 2nd degree, and a Class-D felony charge of ongoing Criminal Conduct, for his involvement in three incidents of cattle theft.

The Cass County District Court has also issued warrants for 49-year old James Michael Brunzo, of Omaha, for two counts of Theft 2nd for his complicity in the thefts that took place May 28th, 2014, and June 9th, 2014,  and for 42-year old Amy Louise Springer,  of Omaha, NE, who faces  one count of Theft 2nd Degree for her complicity in a theft that took place January 6th, 2015.

The investigation into the trio’s activities began on May 28th, 2014, when the Cass County Sheriff’s Office took a report of the overnight theft of two cattle from Freund Brothers Farms in Lewis. On June 9, 2014, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office took another report of the theft of four cattle from JW Freund Farms in Lewis, IA. Again, on January 6, 2015, Freund Brothers Farms reported the theft of two more cattle overnight. On January 16, 2015, Cass County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office, conducted a search warrant in Omaha, Nebraska, with the assistance of the Omaha Police Department and the Cuming County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office.

Cass County authorities were assisted in their investigation by the Cuming County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office, the Omaha Police Department, and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office thanks the Massena Sale Barn, Rolling Hills Bank & Trust, and citizens, whose tips assisted in the outcome of the investigation.

Deere is laying off about 910 workers indefinitely from factories mostly in Iowa and will sideline another 500 employees in Illinois until late summer, as the agricultural equipment maker adjusts to demand for its products.  The Moline, Illinois, company also says it is adding 220 jobs at construction and forestry factories in Iowa. It plans to fill nearly all those positions with workers were laid off at agricultural equipment factories last year. The latest indefinite layoffs will be at sites that build agricultural equipment.

Employees laid off until summer work at the company’s seeding and cylinder factory in Moline. That location is going on an extended inventory adjustment shutdown. Deere & Co. is the world’s biggest farm equipment supplier. It employs about 29,000 in the United States and Canada.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says numerous items, including a tractor, were stolen from the rural Thayer, area. The owner, who lives in Lorimor, reported on Jan. 17th, that  someone took a gate, a 1950’s Ford pull-type combine, Allis Chalmers WC Commander Tractor with side hay loader, one steel wheel, and a 3 point bucket from his property on Warbler Avenue near Thayer. The property was valued at $2,600. Officials say the theft happened sometime within the past day.

Sheriff’s officials said also, 26-year old Clay Allen Brammer, of Arispe, was arrested Wednesday (1/21/15) at 9:00 PM at the Law Enforcement Center on a Union County Warrant for 1st offense domestic abuse assault. Brammer is being held in the Union County Jail awaiting an appearance before the Magistrate.

Cass County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.34
Adair County: Corn $3.47, Beans $9.37
Adams County: Corn $3.47 Beans $9.33
Audubon County: Corn $3.49 Beans $9.36
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.37
Guthrie County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.38
Montgomery County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.36
Shelby County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.34
Oats $2.58 (always the same in all counties)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is temporarily closing the River Valley Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Park in Pottawattamie County. The 360-acre park, located along the Missouri River, has a large number of cottonwood trees that are dying from repeated flood exposure over the last five years. The dying and falling trees have become a safety concern for the general public who visit the area for OHV recreation, the River Valley Trails Riders OHV Club, who maintains the park, and the DNR.

An evaluation of the trees in the park has been completed, and the resulting forestry plan will be implemented, beginning with a public hearing, followed by removal and sale of identified trees. David Downing, DNR Off-Highway Vehicles Program Manager, says “The goal of this process for both the DNR and the River Valley Trail Riders is to open the park as soon as it is safe to do so,and provide for the long-term sustainability of the park and its trail system.”

According to Downing, the DNR is doing everything possible to have the OHV park open at the earliest date and provide the safest recreational riding conditions.

Cass County: Corn $3.50, Beans $9.37
Adair County: Corn $3.47, Beans $9.40
Adams County: Corn $3.49 Beans $9.36
Audubon County: Corn $3.45 Beans $9.39
East Pottawattamie County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.37
Guthrie County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.41
Montgomery County: Corn $3.52, Beans $9.39
Shelby County: Corn $3.53, Beans $9.37
Oats $2.57 (always the same in all counties)

This year, 10 Iowa communities, including Atlantic, will participate in a public inventory of their trees through a U.S. Forest Service grant called Sustainable Urban Forestry Training and Assistance (SUFTA). The grant will fund training to municipal staff, non-profits and interested citizens, so communities can complete a public tree inventory, prepare for emerald ash borer and create a sustainable urban forestry program.

A volunteer participates in the Iowa Tree Inventory.

The eight-session training, administered by the DNR forestry bureau, will include tree identification, risk assessment, forest pest identification, technology training, tree planting, pruning/maintenance and inventory data collection.

Attendance at all eight training sessions is mandatory to take part in the community tree inventories.  Interested individuals, civic groups and clubs are asked to contact the local coordinator at the respective phone number for further details. In Atlantic, the training sessions begin Feb. 24th. For more information or to participate, call John Lund at 712-243-4810.

For more information about the Sustainable Urban Forestry Training and Assistance (SUFTA) grant program, contact Laura Wagner, grant coordinator at 515-725-8456 or laura.wagner@dnr.iowa.gov.

Time is running out for landowners in Iowa’s 46 best pheasant counties to secure funding to restore pheasant habitat in Iowa’s core pheasant range. The Iowa Pheasant Recovery – State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) program is for Iowa landowners who want to restore top notch pheasant habitats to their property. It is a new USDA continuous CRP practice designed to restore native grasslands and wetlands where they will be the most beneficial for ring-necked pheasants.

Iowa received 50,000 acres split between the 46 primary pheasant counties (37,500) and the 31 secondary pheasant counties (12,500). The 31 secondary counties enrolled all 12,500 acres before the 2014 pheasant season opened. An estimated 20,000 acres remain in the 46 primary pheasant counties.

Todd Bogenschutz, upland wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says “We are getting a lot of pressure from landowners in the secondary counties to release these acres so they can make offers to enroll. Landowners in primary pheasant counties who are interested in this program shouldn’t wait to contact us because acres may be shifted to the secondary counties.”

Primary pheasant counties include (locally): Adair, Adams, Audubon, Carroll and Cass. Pheasant and other grassland birds are particularly vulnerable to harsh winters and wet springs. Restoring top quality winter and nesting/brood-rearing habitat will help pheasant populations recover and could boost annual harvest by 100,000 roosters.

CRP rental rates are at an all-time high in Iowa. Landowners should contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Bureau private lands staff to discuss eligibility and cost share assistance. A map of DNR staff contacts and a factsheet on the Iowa Pheasant Recovery program is available at www.iowadnr.gov/habitat