Iowans can learn how to “Preserve the Taste of Summer” during online lessons and hands-on workshops from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The online lessons already are available and workshops are planned for July and August, 2015, including a jam and jelly workshop August 8th from 9 am to 12 noon, at the Cass County Fairgrounds.

Preserve the Taste of Summer is a comprehensive food preservation education program including online lessons, hands-one workshops and printable resources and recipes. The two-part educational series includes online classwork, covering topics such as food safety, canning basics, canning acid foods, pressure canning low-acid foods, preparation and canning of pickled and fermented foods, making and preserving fruit spreads, freezing foods, storage of frozen and refrigerated foods, and drying foods. The lessons can also be taken in a group session at the Extension Office by prior arrangement.

Once the “classroom” sessions are completed, participants can choose from four different hands-on workshops, each lasting approximately three hours, where they will practice specific preservation skills in a kitchen and take home a freshly preserved product. The four workshop choices include Hot water bath canning (salsa making) and freezing, Jams and dehydrating, Pickle making and Pressure canning.

The home food preserver registration fee is $35 and covers all eight online lessons and one hands-on workshop. The professional level of “Preserve the Taste of Summer” qualifies as continuing education for Iowa teachers and registered dietitians. The registration fee is $100 and covers all eight online lessons and two hands-on workshops.

Cass County Extension will be hosting a Jams and Dehydrating workshop in the Cass County Fair Foodstand on Saturday, August 8th from 9 AM to Noon. Other upcoming classes include a July 30yh Pressure Canning workshop in Adair County, an August 13 Pickling workshop in Carson, and an August 20th Salsa workshop in Adair County. All of these workshops require completion of relevant classroom sessions prior to attending the workshop.

For more information on cost and getting enrolled in the classes, visit the Preserve the Taste of Summer website at www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/preserve-taste-summer. You can also call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 to learn more about the program, to inquire about the Group Viewing option for the classwork, or to pick up food preservation publications.

Food Preservation publications, covering 8 different types of home food preservation, with detailed recipes, can also be downloaded at no cost from the ISU Extension Online Store (https://store.extension.iastate.edu/).

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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• 1 cup pancake mix
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup peanut butter*
• 1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
• 1/3 cup water

HONEY BUTTER:

• 1/4 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
• 2 tablespoons honey

In a bowl, combine pancake mix and sugar.  In a small bowl. beat egg and peanut butter; add milk and water.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased medium-hot griddle.  Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes; cook until second side is golden brown.  Combine butter and honey in a small bowl.  Serve with the pancakes.  YIELD:  10 pancakes  *NOTE:  This recipe was tested with Jif brand peanut butter.

(Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas)

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested on drug charges over the past couple of days. 47-year old Kevin Eugene Stark, of Adair, was arrested early Monday morning for felony Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 3rd or subsequent offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

And, 36-year old Shawn Glen Wolverton, of Menlo, was arrested Sunday evening for felony Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine – 3rd or subsequent offense. Wolverton also faces two counts with Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug (Clonazepam and Hydrocodone). He was being held in the Adair County Jail on $5,000 cash bond or surety.

The Sheriff’s Department also reports 29-year old Tyler Gage, of Bridgewater, was arrested July 13th, for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was later released from custody without bond.

A Creston man who was cited over the weekend in Adair County for Public Intoxication, was arrested Monday afternoon in Creston, on a Department of Corrections warrant. Creston Police say 26-year old Blake Joseph Gunter was taken into custody at around 3:15-p.m., and held without bond in the Union County Jail.

And, a Creston man was arrested late Monday evening, for Domestic Assault/1st offense. 18-year old Joshua Michael Harlston was being held without bond, in the Union County Jail.

Creston Police said also, they received a report Monday, that the Creston Swimming Pool had been broken into. The incident happened sometime between 7-p.m. Sunday through 8:30-a.m., Monday. Damage was perpetrated on a metal concession sliding door, glass clock and glass on the concession door. The damage was estimated at $380.

The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Long-range forecasters say the overall trend of cooler, wetter weather will likely continue for the next several months, with some periods of hot and dry mixed in. Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center, says the regional climate outlook, going out just eight-to-14 days, shows the rest of July and into August will be on the warm side.

“The eight-to-14 is showing temperatures being above normal during this time,” Fuchs says, “and when you couple that with the precipitation, it does look like after the next seven-day period, it is looking like the potential for drier-than-normal conditions from the Ohio River Valley into the Midwest.”

Fuchs says the trend from late summer into fall looks to be more of what we have seen most of the first half of the year.  “If you look at the probabilities of seeing above-normal precipitation, that starts out in the Southwest and continues into the Central Rockies out onto the Plains and catching part of the Midwest,” Fuchs says. “That’s also associated with temperatures being below normal.”

With a very strong El Nino weather pattern developing in the Pacific Ocean, Fuchs says the winter outlook is trending toward less snow and cold for most of the country’s northern half. “We’re seeing those warmer-than-normal temperature probabilities staying in place from the Pacific Northwest through the Northern Plains,” he says, “and the below-normal temperature probabilities from the Southern Plains through the Southeast continue as well.”

Fuchs says the El Nino is now trending up and could be one of the strongest ever recorded. The National Drought Mitigation Center is based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

(Radio Iowa)

A survey of trees is underway in Atlantic, in preparation for what officials say is the inevitable invasion of the Emerald Ash Borer. Atlantic Parks and Recreation Director Roger Herring and Assistant Director Seth Staashelm told the Parks Board Monday evening, that residents of the community may have seen, or will soon see, a couple of men standing in the public right-of-ways, looking at trees in your neighborhood. Larry Bowman and Eric Sansgaard are conducting an inventory of the trees, their location and condition.

Staashelm said he and Herring have been doing a lot of training which has helped them identify trees and disease and other date for the tree census. Staashelm said everything they have been doing with their training has also put them at the front end of preparing for the Emerald Ash Borer.

In other business, the Parks Board Monday approved a bid of $42,149 from Caliber Concrete, of Adair, for cement work in preparation for the Kiddie Korral project at Sunnyside Park. The current Kiddie Korral will be closed after Labor Day for demolition and reconstruction, so the Parks and Rec Department will not be accepting reservations for the shelter after that date, until the project is complete.

The Board also received and approved a bid of $64, 481 from Bluffs Paving and Utility Company, of Crescent, for the Bull Creek Trail project. The project will be paid for through a Transportation Alternatives Project (or, TAP) grant amounting to $39,000, and a Wellmark Grant amounting to $25,000.

And, the public is invited to the grand opening of the horseshoe pits at Sunnyside Park. The event takes place this morning at 10-a.m. Chamber Ambassadors and others will gather at the Camblin Shelter before moving to the Senior Activity Area for the horseshoe site dedication.

An investigation into a previously announced case of felony Child Endangerment in Montgomery County, has resulted in additional charges against one of the suspects. Sheriff’s officials say 27-year old Kristopher Edward Wayne Davies, of Red Oak, was charged Monday with Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree, a Class-B felony.

Davies, who was already being held on $50,000 bond for two counts of Child Endangerment causing serious injury, is now being held on an additional $25,000 cash bond. 23-year old Joslin Nicole Davies, of Red Oak, was also charged with two counts of Child Endangerment causing serious injury. The pair were arrested following an incident that allegedly took place July 14th, in Red Oak.

Joslin Davies was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man early this (Tuesday) morning, on a drug charge. 27-year old Jason Rolphe Aherns, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 2:15-a.m. on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charge. Aherns was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

And, at around 8-p.m. Monday, Red Oak Police arrested 54-year old Tony Joe Christensen, of Red Oak, on a charge of Public Intoxication. Christensen was later released on $300 bond.