Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Thursday (today) report H5 avian influenza has been confirmed in Canada geese at Green Valley Lake and at Lake of Three Fires. Staff with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) collected dead geese for testing at Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. Results were available late Wednesday.

Reports of dead geese at Green Valley Lake began on Dec. 11. Local staff began collecting geese off the ice but paused when weather conditions changed. As mild weather returned and the winds changed, the geese were more accessible and collection resumed. So far, an estimated 60 geese have been collected at the popular southwest Iowa state park. Local staff estimate thousands of geese are currently at Green Valley Lake as part of their fall migration.

The Canada goose migration had increased across much of Iowa since the end of November with the onset of cold, snowy weather. The Iowa DNR’s December 12 waterfowl survey showed the Canada goose population increased more than 30 percent over the previous week as northern lakes and marshes froze and fields were covered in snow.

“We are getting reports of influenza activity across the western half of the state, and, for the first time, mass mortality events impacting southwest Iowa which has remained fairly insulated since 2022,” said Dr. Rachel Ruden, state wildlife veterinarian with the Iowa DNR. How long the outbreak will last is uncertain. As the rain and mild weather open up additional feeding and roosting locations, waterfowl will disperse which should reduce opportunities for transmission.

The public is encouraged to keep their distance from sick geese or those that are easily approached without obvious sign of injury. Also keep pets from interacting with sick or dead birds or consuming carcass parts. While no human cases of H5 avian influenza have been linked to wild birds in the United States, there have been numerous cases linked to close contact with infected poultry and dairy cattle. Sick birds should not be handled or brought into shared living spaces.

Residents who see 20 or more carcasses in a small area are encouraged to call their local wildlife staff. Information is available online at https://www.iowadnr.gov/about/contact/staff-offices then scroll down to Wildlife Management Staff. Residents who find a single or a few birds can follow the steps for collection and disposal listed online at https://homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/resources/avian-influenza-resources.

“We encourage the public to report sick birds or other wildlife to your local wildlife biologist or conservation officer to help us track impacts of this disease. We all have a part to play in keeping Iowa’s wildlife healthy,” said Dr. Ruden.

Background

Avian influenza is a highly transmissible, naturally occurring virus found in certain waterfowl and shorebirds. There are various sub-types and strains, most of which cause limited harm to domestic poultry (low pathogenic) but some of which are lethal (highly pathogenic).

The H5N1 strain that has been circulating since 2022 is the first time HPAI has affected wild birds in North America at a large scale. HPAI can also affect animals that consume infected carcasses, including other birds like hawks, and mammals, like red fox. The virus can remain viable in a deceased bird or contaminated water for several weeks, depending upon environmental conditions.

Information for Waterfowl Hunters

Waterfowl hunters can use these simple precautions to limit their exposure while field dressing and consuming wild game: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/fsc_hpai_hunters.pdf. Cooking meat to an internal temperature of 165° F can kill the virus, if present. Additionally, please bag and dispose of offal and carcass parts to prevent exposure to scavengers.

While there is some inherent risk to hunting dogs given the nature of their interaction with carcasses, sick birds often become poor, uncoordinated flyers and so are less likely to be harvested. Hunters should prevent dogs from interacting with unknown carcasses, and avoid feeding them raw meat from harvested birds. More information is available online at https://www.ducks.org/conservation/waterfowl-research-science/waterfowl-hunters-and-the-avian-flu-what-you-need-to-know.

(Exira, IA) – A residential structure fire in Audubon County, Monday morning, claimed life of an Exira resident. According to a social media post by the Exira Fire and Rescue Department, Audubon County 911 Communications received a report at around 6:41-a.m., Monday, about a structure fire in an apartment at 405 S. Carthage Street, in Exira. The Exira and Brayton Fire Departments responded to the scene, and found flames contained to a single apartment.

67-year-old Patricia Richter was located inside the apartment, and was pronounced deceased at the scene. A second occupant from an adjacent apartment was evaluated at the scene and transported by Exira Fire and Rescue to the Audubon County Memorial Hospital, for evaluation/treatment of possible smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and no other information is being released at this time.

Agencies assisting at the scene of Monday’s fire include:

• Exira Fire and Rescue
• Brayton Fire Department
• Audubon County Sheriff’s Office
• the State Fire Marshal’s Office
• Audubon County Medical Examiner
• Audubon County 911, and
• MidAmerican Energy.

(Atlantic, IA) – Winners in the Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU)/Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ 20th Annual Holiday Christmas “Deck the Homes” Lighting contest and their prizes, were announced this (Thursday) morning:

1st Place – Brad and Becky Osborne, at 104 Southern Hills: a $100 credit voucher for use on their utility bill.

2nd Place – Matt & Becky Mills, at 2800 S. Olive Street: a $75 credit voucher on their utility bill.

3rd Place – Julie Anstey andAaron Meyer at 1405 Mulberry St.: a $50 utility bill voucher credit.

AMU residents were asked to nominate their neighbors who nicely decorated the exterior of their homes for the Christmas season. AMU family members then visited the homes and judged them on their festive appearance.

(Council Bluffs, IA) –  Officials with the Community Foundation for Western Iowa report, “The giving spirit is alive and well in western Iowa!” For a third consecutive year, Giving Tuesday 712 sponsored by Katelman Steel Fabrication exceeded its $1.5 million fundraising goal. Through the generosity of 645 community members, nonprofit partners using SHARE Iowa and the Community Foundation collectively raised $1,765,096 – shattering the goal by over $200,000. This is a true testament to the giving spirit of individuals, families, and businesses across our region!

Donna Dostel, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, said in a news release  “This year, we celebrate the beginning of the giving season with a huge win for our area nonprofits. Every day, these organizations touch the lives and create positive change for folks in our region, and their important work could not continue without the generosity and commitment to positive impact that donors demonstrated on our Nation’s #1 day of giving.” According to Giving Tuesday Data Commons, a record-breaking $4 billion was donated across the United States on Giving Tuesday earlier this month by 38.1 million people. This is a 13% donation increase from the previous year.

The average SHARE Iowa donation was up 16% to $111.48 compared to last year’s $95.82 average, and 147 nonprofit partners on SHARE Iowa benefitted from online donations. SHARE Iowa, an initiative of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, is a one-stop online platform to support the work of nonprofits in nine counties throughout western Iowa by connecting residents to easy ways of doing good through financial giving, in-kind donations of items and volunteerism. Additionally, the Community Foundation partnered with area businesses and individuals to award a record 37 $1,000 hourly prizes to nonprofit organizations who were active through SHARE Iowa’s giving platform, 24 of which were sponsored by Google.

Congratulations to the winning nonprofit organizations and a special thank you to the following businesses for supporting the annual giving day!
• Career EdVantage | Prize sponsor: BAT Logistics
• MICAH House | Prize sponsor: D.A. Davidson
• Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) | Prize sponsor: Glenwood State Bank and Frontier Savings Bank
• Lewis Township Fire and Rescue | Prize sponsor: Google
• Bethany Lutheran Health Services | Prize sponsor: Google
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands | Prize sponsor: Google
• CASA of Southwest Iowa | Prize sponsor: Google
• CHI Health Foundation | Prize sponsor: Google
• Child Saving Institute | Prize sponsor: Google
• Connections Area Agency on Aging | Prize sponsor: Google
• Council Bluffs Schools Foundation | Prize sponsor: Google
• Firefly | Prize sponsor: Google
• Historical Society of Pottawattamie County Council Bluffs | Prize sponsor: Google
• Iowa Healthiest State Initiative | Prize sponsor: Google
• Ironhawk Juniors Triathlon Club | Prize sponsor: Google
• Montgomery County Family YMCA | Prize sponsor: Google
• NAMI Southwest Iowa | Prize sponsor: Google
• Radio Talking Book Service Inc | Prize sponsor: Google
• Sail On and Fly High | Prize sponsor: Google
• Share My Smile | Prize sponsor: Google
• Southwest Iowa Leadership Academy | Prize sponsor: Google
• Story Street Mobile Pantry | Prize sponsor: Google
• TeamMates Mentoring Program | Prize sponsor: Google
• The Collective for Hope | Prize sponsor: Google
• Tri-Center CSD | Prize sponsor: Google
• Wabash Trace Nature Trail – Southwest Iowa Nature Trails Project, Inc. | Prize sponsor: Google
• Union Pacific Museum Association | Prize sponsor: Judd Knispel State Farm
• Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development | Prize sponsor: Keast Auto Center
• Play Haven Child Care | Prize sponsor: Malvern Bank
• Vision Malvern | Prize sponsor: Midwest Ag Services
• Glenwood Community School Foundation | Prize sponsor: One Source
• Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs | Prize sponsor: PowerTech
• Wings of Hope Cancer Support Center | Prize sponsor: Cathy and Tony Tauke
• Shop with the Sheriff | Prize sponsor: Cathy and Tony Tauke
• At Ease USA | Prize sponsor: Castle & Associates, Inc American Family Insurance
• Shenandoah Police Department | Prize sponsor: D.A. Davidson

To conclude the day’s festivities, community members celebrated our region’s philanthropic spirit at Full Fledged Brewing Company with over 100 attendees on Tuesday, December 2! Hourly prize winners met with sponsors and celebrated with check presentation photos as giving totals continued to be accumulated. Dostel says “It is so wonderful to connect our giving partners and corporate sponsors with our area nonprofit leaders on Giving Tuesday. Not only do they get to make that personal connection with the folks that are doing such great work in our Western Iowa communities, but the general public is invited to come and celebrate this day in a way that helps raise awareness and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season. We are honored to help support this important work and help make it easy for folks to give where we live.”

To learn more about Giving Tuesday 712 please visit: https://sharegoodiowa.org/recap.

(Muscatine and Bremer Counties) – The Iowa Donor Network has selected April Wilson of Denver, Iowa, and Natalie McCleary of Fruitland, Iowa, to be honored on the 2026 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® Float in Pasadena, California on January 1st. McCleary, who passed away in 2022, became an organ donor whose gifts transformed six lives. She will be honored with a floragraph portrait placed on the float. Wilson, a two-time living donor, will be recognized as a Walker Honoree and will walk alongside the float. Wilson, McCleary’s family, and their loved ones will travel to Pasadena, California to help decorate the float and watch the parade live.

The 2026 OneLegacy Donate Life Rose Parade® float, Treasure Every Moment Together, will once again shine a spotlight on the transformative power of donation. Featured in the 137th Rose Parade® presented by Honda, the float will travel down Colorado Boulevard alongside dozens of floral floats, marching bands, and equestrian units. This year’s Rose Parade® theme, The Magic in Teamwork, celebrates the collective effort and collaboration required to make extraordinary things possible.

Float rendering (Courtesy the Iowa Donor Network)

Organ and tissue donation exemplifies this concept—bringing together hospitals, organ procurement organizations, transplant centers, donors, and recipients. When an organ and/or tissue donor gives the gift of life, it represents the ultimate act of teamwork, perfectly reflecting the theme chosen by Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens.

Floragraph portraits made from organic materials will honor donors who gave the gift of life, while transplant recipients will ride on the float to share their gratitude. Living donors, including Wilson, will walk alongside the float, demonstrating the lifesaving impact of living donation.

The Iowa Donor Network asks,  “If you are experiencing a mental health crisis or having thoughts of suicide, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for immediate, confidential support.”

AMES, Iowa – The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey found that average farmland values increased 0.7%, or $83, to $11,549 per acre. The nominal value of an acre of farmland this year increased over last year’s nominal value, but is still about $286 per acre lower than the 2023 peak of $11,835.

Rabail Chandio, assistant professor and extension economist at Iowa State University, is responsible for the annual survey. Chandio said that she typically considers changes of less than 5%, whether up or down, as more of an adjustment than a true market change. “Changes of that size often reflect variation across counties and crop reporting districts rather than a consistent statewide trend,” she said. “It wasn’t a boom or a bust, just a very uneven adjustment, with the story changing as you move across the state. Strong yields, limited land supply and solid livestock income helped prop up values in some areas, but lower commodity prices, high interest rates and rising costs pulled them down in others.”

When the nominal value increases, but the inflation-adjusted value decreases as it did this year, it can still be helpful for farmers, but only to a point, Chandio said. “A farmer selling land this year will receive more dollars than last year, and that can still support goals like paying down debt (whose real burden also shrinks with inflation), transitioning to retirement or reinvesting elsewhere. In that sense, the higher nominal price provides some benefit,” she said.

However, when inflation-adjusted values fall, additional money from land sales won’t stretch as far as it might have previously. “Sellers may find that the proceeds won’t buy as much machinery, land or inputs as they would have a few years ago. So, while selling today can still improve a farmer’s financial position, the real economic gain is smaller than the nominal price increase suggests,” Chandio said.

Despite the small growth in farmland values, there were many factors putting downward pressure on farmland values this year. Chandio said one of those factors is federal interest rates, which only saw modest cuts in 2025. “Because we haven’t seen any major reductions, the market is still feeling the weight of the rate hikes from 2022 and 2023. And since interest-rate effects take years, up to a decade, to be fully capitalized in land values, those post-COVID increases are still working their way through the system,” Chandio said.

Commodity markets also put some pressure on land prices this year. Chandio called commodity prices “soft” but said that tariffs likely only played a small and indirect role in this year’s farmland values. “Tariffs may have been part of the background noise, but they weren’t a major driver of farmland values,” she said. Farmers, she said, are still just facing very tight margins on commodities, even with lower production costs.

Chandio said she feels one of the most interesting things about this year’s report is how divided the market has become. “Even though the statewide average ticked up 0.7%, most counties actually saw declines once you adjust for inflation, and three crop reporting districts posted nominal drops. At the same time, places in the northeast saw increases of 3­–4%, while parts of central Iowa slipped by 2–3%,” she said.

Land values by county

Sixty counties reported increases in nominal land values; however, 78 counties reported a decrease in inflation-adjusted values. O’Brien County had the highest value at $16,269 per acre, an increase of about $348 or 2.2%. Appanoose County had the lowest value $6,679 per acre, a decrease of $160, or -2.3%.

Dubuque County saw the largest dollar increase ($553 per acre), while Clayton and Allamakee counties saw the largest percent increase in values (4.4%). Kossuth County showed the largest percent decrease (-4.3%) and the largest dollar decrease (-$552 per acre).

Land values by district

Land values increased across six of Iowa’s nine crop reporting districts. The highest average land values were reported in the Northwest district, $14,522 per acre, while the lowest average land values were reported in the South Central district, $7,623 per acre.

The Northeast district saw the largest percent increase (4.1%) and the largest dollar increase ($481 per acre). The North Central district saw the largest percent decline (-2.6%) and the largest dollar decline (-$315 per acre) in values.

Land values by quality

Statewide, low-quality land averaged $7,580 per acre, a 1.7% or $130 per acre increase. Medium-quality land averaged $10,809 per acre, an increase of 0.6% or $69 per acre. High-quality land averaged $14,030 per acre, an increase of 0.7% or $101 per acre.

The Northwest district reported the highest dollar values for high-, medium- and low-quality land at $16,519, $13,507 and $9,792 per acre, respectively.

The South Central district reported the lowest values for high-, medium- and low-quality land at $10,677, $7,465 and $5,199 per acre, respectively.

Statewide, high-, medium- and low-quality land saw increases of 0.7%, 0.6% and 1.7%, respectively.

Factors influencing the market

Lower commodity prices were cited as a negative factor influencing the market by 32% of respondents, marking the most common factor among respondents. Other negative factors cited by respondents include long-term interest rates (22%) and tariffs and trade uncertainty (13%).

Limited land supply was cited most often as a positive factor influencing the market (21%). Other positive factors include strong yields (13%) and cash/credit availability (10%).

Land values were determined by the 2025 Iowa State University Land Value Survey, conducted in November by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. Results from the survey are consistent with results by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the REALTORS® Land Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, showing only small changes in the land markets.

The Iowa State Land Value Survey is based on reports from agricultural professionals knowledgeable about land market conditions, such as appraisers, farm managers, agricultural lenders and actual land sales, and is intended to provide information on general land value trends, geographical land price relationships and factors influencing the Iowa land market. The 2025 survey is based on 463 usable responses from 316 agricultural professionals. Sixty-nine percent of the 316 respondents answered the survey online.

The Iowa State Land Value Survey was initiated in 1941, the first in the nation, and is sponsored annually by Iowa State University. The survey is typically conducted every November, and the results are released in mid-December. Only the state average and the district averages are based directly on the Iowa State survey data. County estimates are derived using a procedure that combines the Iowa State survey results with data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture.

CARD offers a web portal that includes visualization tools, such as charts and interactive county maps, allowing users to examine land value trends over time at the county, district and state level.

For over 60 years, the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University has conducted innovative public policy and economic research on local, regional and global agricultural issues, combining academic excellence with engagement and anticipatory thinking to inform and benefit society.

(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic City Council, as part of their regular meeting Wednesday evening (Dec. 17), received Annual presentations from the Director of the Atlantic Public Library, Produce in the Park Market Manager, and a representative from the Meals On Wheels program. Library Director Michelle Andersen said the City’s Return On its Investment (ROI) in the Library, in-part, comes in the form of many different programs and events that promote literacy and opportunities to learn about new hobbies.

The Library Houses the Cass County Genealogical Society, so people can learn more about their family’s history. The Atlantic Carnegie Public Library serves as a public meeting place. It offers digital and home delivery service of printed material. Its staff attend community events, such as Produce in the Park. Michelle Andersen says the Library is supported financially by the City through property taxes, and the County, and those funds are important to keeping-up the services offered.

She mentioned also, the Carnegie Foundation has granted $10,000 to community to cities that still operate and maintain libraries established under the Andrew Carnegie name. Overall, last fiscal year, she said, the Library spent $476, 833, not including Capital Expenditures. She thanked the City for its continuing level and interest of support. Produce in the Park Market Manager Ciara Hoegh reminded the Atlantic City Council about this Saturday’s Christmas Market at the Nishna Valley YMCA in Atlantic, from 10-a.m. until Noon.

Atlantic City Council meeting 12-17-25

Produce in the Park…in partnership with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce…began in 2012 as a monthly market , and grew to a weekly market in 2013 and in 2014 a Harvest Market was added. The organization became a stand-alone own non-profit in 2020. Some year-around markets continue to be added. The City has provided PIP an annual subsidy of $8,500 since 2024, with the funds coming from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress Fund. Other funding comes from sponsors and vendors.

Hoegh said there are usually more than 30 vendors at the various markets offered throughout the year, along with opportunities to learn about new recipes and cooking from guest chefs.

There’s also more live entertainment being offered as the events continue to grow. Produce in the Park accepts SNAP cards for the purchase of qualifying items, such as produce. The Council heard also from local Meals-On-Wheels representative Sue Mosier. The City provides an Annual subsidy of $8,000 to the program, which also comes from the LOST Progress Fund. Mosier explained how the “Common Sense” program operates.

Clients are charged $3.50 per meal. Meals are prepared by the Heritage House for $4.15.

The only other funding source for fixed-income clients, is from Medicaid, if the client is on a waiver. There are currently six clients served that way. Meals On Wheels has been available in one form or another, for more than 50-years.

(Radio Iowa) – Daily commercial air service will end at the Dubuque Regional Airport next month, leaving travelers searching for alternatives. Realtor Ann Williams tells K-C-R-G T-V she uses the service monthly for work and to visit family around Chicago. “It was just the easiest way to get from here to there and then onto my next destination with no trouble at all. I’m really going to miss it,” Williams said. January 15th will be the last day passengers can board a Denver Air Connection jet at the Dubuque Regional Airport. The city of Dubuque decided not to renew the three-million dollar contract for flights after they didn’t become profitable. Williams says said the community will suffer without the flights.

“I think that would have been a time-limited investment, and what relevant city in the world these days doesn’t have an airport?,” she says. The loss of air service will affect local institutions and families. Clarke University’s Andy Bellings said losing the flights could make it tougher to bring in new students. “We recruit a lot of students from Texas, Florida, and California and it makes it really hard for them to come here and go back home,” Bellings said. Bellings said the loss of air service will also affect his family. as his daughter attends college in New York. Without daily local air service the alternative is more travel time to airports in Cedar Rapids or Chicago.

“Chicago is six hours roundtrip, inconvenient time of day. I’m older. I don’t want to drive late at night or early in the morning,” Bellings said. The airport will continue operations with the University of Dubuque Aviation program and occasional charter flights, but the passenger terminal will remain largely empty. City leaders said they are working to find ways to make daily air service sustainable in the future.

(Radio Iowa) – MidAmerican Energy is pulling the plug on a wind farm it had proposed in northwest Iowa. Woodbury County Board of Supervisors chairman Dan Bittinger says he’s been notified of the company’s decision. “They called and they said they that they are terminating all easements for that project and that the project is shutting down,” Bittinger said.

MidAmerican’s proposed Siouxland Wind Farm would have had about 60 wind turbines. At times, crowds of over 100 people had attended Woodbury County supervisors meetings to express their opposition to the project. “Thank you to all our citizens for their support and just their feedback regarding that project over the years,” Bittinger said. “That’s just a good win for the county.”

Woodbury County Supervisor Mark Nelson says the intense public debate about the project turned out to be a positive.  “Although they were trying to stop something, it was very uniting and I heard from a lot of people that they didn’t know that their neighbors or the guy down the road or that this person over here cared so much about the future of the county,” Nelson said. “And it has made a lot of friendships of people that have otherwise would have never met, or had a conversation about the future of Woodbury County.”

MidAmerican unveiled plans for the wind farm in late 2021 and began acquiring easements in early 2022. Some landowners have already received annual payments for those easements and a MidAmerican spokesman says they’ll be able to keep that money. MidAmerican owns and operates more wind energy than any other investor-owned utility in the nation. The company says it considers a number of factors when deciding whether the continue projects, including acceptance from the community and increases in costs.