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Drought conditions worsen – but recent rain will help

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — Drought conditions across eastern Iowa continue to worsen, according the latest Water Summary Update. The National Drought Mitigation Center’s Sept. 21 U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) released this morning shows areas of Exceptional Drought (D4) for the first time since the fall of 2012.

While Tuesday saw significant rainfall across portions of the state, most of it fell after the deadline for this week’s Drought Monitor report, so its impact will not be reflected until the Sept. 28 report.  Tuesday’s rain – especially in central Iowa, with totals of 2.75 inches in Ames and 3.04 inches in Bondurant – combined with the widespread rainfall forecast for the weekend should help to improve conditions and halt continued degradation.

“After many months of deteriorating conditions, we are hopeful that wetter conditions in the near future will be reflected in the next Water Summary Update scheduled to be published on Oct. 5,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s Hydrology Resources Coordinator.

Two small areas of Exceptional Drought in Minnesota and Wisconsin have expanded and linked up across northeast Iowa, with another smaller area of Exceptional Drought introduced in east-central Iowa. These areas cover 4.9 percent of the state, and are the greatest extent of Exceptional Drought coverage in Iowa since the start of the U.S. Drought Monitor in 2000, and much greater than the 2.5 percent coverage at the height of the 2012 drought.

Precipitation deficits in the driest parts of Iowa are significant, with Linn and Benton Counties receiving less than 50 percent of normal rainfall over the summer months of June, July and August. This was the record driest summer in those counties. So far, 2023 has been a top 10 driest year for northeast and east central Iowa. Streamflows continue to remain very low across those areas of the state.

“The current drought, which is approaching 170 consecutive weeks of at least D1-Moderate Drought conditions somewhere in the state, has been the longest in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s nearly 24 year period of record,” said Dr. Justin Glisan, the State Drought Coordinator and State Climatologist with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. “Recent rainfall and short-term outlooks offer hope for improvement which would be reflected in decreasing precipitation deficits, soil moisture recharge, and rising streamflows. The fall months have the potential to provide significant amounts of moisture to the state as we head into the winter.”

The October Water Summary Update will be available on Oct. 5, 2023 on the DNR’s website at

https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Summary-Update.

Mahaska County Conservation’s Youth Outdoor Field Day is Next Weekend

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Bring the kids and family to the 20th Annual Youth Outdoor Field Day at the Russell Wildlife Area on Saturday, September 30th any time between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm. The Mahaska County Conservation Board and many other local conservation groups and businesses come together each year to put on the outdoor EVENT OF THE YEAR for your family!  When you arrive at the event sign in at the registration table.  Kids will receive a activity punch card to earn a prize!  Once registered families can hike the trails and participate in activities of their choice.

Families can hike around the Russell Wildlife Area and experience many fun outdoor activities:
Fishing
Dutch oven cooking
.22 shooting

Bowfishing
Water safety
Fossil digging
Disc golf
Tree ID
Make and take seed balls
Mahaska County Sheriff K-9 dog “Rocco”

Nature Craft

Cost of the event is $10 per person (kids & adults) from now through the day of the event. Registration forms can be found at www.mahaskaconservation.com under the Events tab if you wish to register before the event.

The Russell Wildlife Area is located 5 miles north of Oskaloosa at 2254 – 200th St., New Sharon, IA, 50207.  If you have questions, contact the Mahaska County Conservation Board at 641-673-9327 or email decook@mahaskaconservation.com.

First Bob Ross TV painting, completed in a half an hour, goes on sale for nearly $10 million

Posted on by Sam Parsons

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — What would Bob Ross think?

The artist who brought painting to the people, with works completed for PBS viewers in less than a half-hour with little more than a large bristle brush, putty knife and plenty of encouragement, certainly wouldn’t have envisioned one of his works going up for sale for nearly $10 million.

But that’s the price a Minneapolis gallery is asking for “A Walk in the Woods,” the first of more than 400 paintings that Ross produced on-air for his TV series “The Joy of Painting.”

“It is season one, episode one of what you would call the rookie card for Bob Ross,” Ryan Nelson, who owns the gallery, Modern Artifact, said of the work created in the show’s debut, which aired Jan. 11, 1983.

Growing up in a small town, Nelson said he was introduced to art through Ross’ show and loves his paintings. He doesn’t expect a quick sale given the high asking price, which he sees as an opportunity to display the painting for a larger audience.

On that first show where he painted “A Walk in the Woods,” Ross — sporting his beloved perm, full beard and unbuttoned shirt — stressed that painting didn’t need to be pretentious.

“We have avoided painting for so long because I think all of our lives we’ve been told that you have to go to school half your life, maybe even have to be blessed by Michelangelo at birth, to ever be able to paint a picture,” Ross said. “And here, we want to show you that that’s not true. That you can paint a picture.”

Ross, who died in 1995, hosted the show from 1983 until 1994. In each episode, he would speak directly to viewers whom he encouraged to paint with him as he created idealized scenes of streams backed by mountains, waterfalls and rustic cabins and mills — all done very quickly.

None of Ross’ paintings, including “A Walk in the Woods,” would be confused for masterpieces. But that wasn’t the point.

“What this piece represents is the people’s artist,” Nelson said. “This isn’t an institution that’s telling you that Bob Ross is great. It’s not some high-brow gallery telling you that Bob Ross is great. This is the masses, the population in the world that are saying that Bob Ross is great.”

The first season of “The Joy of Painting” was filmed in Falls Creek, Virginia, and the painting from Ross’ first show was sold months later to raise funds for the local PBS station. A volunteer at the station bought the painting for an undisclosed price and hung it in her home for 39 years until getting in touch with Nelson, who has bought and sold more than 100 of Ross’ works.

Nelson bought the painting last year and then gave it a “not for sale” price of $9.85 million, said publicist Megan Hoffman.

Hoffman said the asking price is far more than any other Ross painting has sold for, but “A Walk in the Woods” is unique and Nelson isn’t looking for a quick sale. She notes that Ross’ popularity has soared in recent years, with 5.63 million subscribers to a YouTube channel featuring his shows.

“Ryan would prefer to take it out, tour it around to museums and things like that so people can enjoy it and appreciate it,” Hoffman said. “He will take offers but he’s not in a hurry to sell it.”

Expect to see more farm equipment on the roadways as harvest begins

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Brian Fancher (Radio Iowa)

Autumn arrives Saturday but many Iowa farmers are already starting the fall harvest, and motorists in rural areas will need to share the roads with large, slow-moving farm equipment for the next several weeks. Franklin County Sheriff Aaron Dodd says he’s already spotted drivers taking big chances when they shouldn’t, like trying to pass tractors on a hill.

“We’ll see people going up a hill on a double yellow line just out of frustration for the farm machinery going slow,” Dodd says. “It’s so dangerous. It puts everyone in danger. Not only yourself but the person you might be meeting head-on coming over that hill, and the operator of the farm machinery, too.” Such risky behavior might result in a collision, or at least a ticket.”I would just really warn against that,” the sheriff says, “and my office, if we see you doing that, you’re going to get yourself a citation for something that unsafe.”

Distractions are also causing crashes, and Dodd says people need to put down the number-one distraction — their smartphones — while driving.
“That’s one of those things that just goes back to personal responsibility,” Dodd says. “Enforcement may change someone’s mind, but it just has to be an effort people need to make, like they’re going to put their phone down. Maybe you need to put it in the console or something where you can’t see it and that’s your tool to not look at it.”

From 2017 through June 30th, 2022, the Iowa Department of Transportation reports 30 people died in crashes involving farm equipment in the state. This is National Farm Safety and Health Week.

USDA Provides $5 Million in Second Round of Payments to Help Organic Dairy Producers Cover Increased Costs

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is announcing a second round of payments for dairy producers through the Organic Dairy Marketing Assistance Program (ODMAP), providing an additional $5 million to help dairy producers mitigate market volatility, higher input and transportation costs, and unstable feed supply and prices that have created unique hardships in the organic dairy industry. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) has already paid out $15 million in the first round of payments for eligible producers, bringing total ODMAP payments to $20 million.

“This program is critical to keeping small, organic dairies sustainable as they continue to weather a combination of challenges outside of their control,” said Matt Russell, FSA State Executive Director in Iowa. “The funding from ODMAP will give organic dairy producers additional economic support to stay in operation until markets return to more favorable conditions.”

How ODMAP Works

FSA accepted ODMAP applications from May 24 to August 11. Eligible producers for ODMAP included certified organic dairy operations that produce milk from cows, goats and sheep.

ODMAP provides financial assistance for a producer’s projected marketing costs in 2023, calculated based on a cost share of marketing costs on the pounds of organic milk marketed for the 2022 calendar year (or a projection of 2023 pounds of organic milk marketed if warranted in certain situations), not to exceed 5 million pounds. For ODMAP applicants, the first payment was factored by 75%. USDA has determined that additional assistance is still needed and sufficient funding remains available so the second round of payments will provide the remaining 25% of requested assistance to each eligible applicant.

The second ODMAP payment is automatic. Participating producers do not need to take any additional action.

More Information

ODMAP complements other assistance available to dairy producers, including Dairy Margin Coverage (DMC) and Supplemental DMC, with more than $1 billion in benefits paid for the 2023 program year to date. Additionally, FSA recently announced the Milk Loss Program for eligible dairy operations. The program covers milk that was dumped or removed, without compensation, from the commercial milk market due to qualifying weather events and the consequences of those weather events that inhibited delivery or storage of milk (e.g., power outages, impassable roads, infrastructure losses, etc.) during calendar years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Learn more on the FSA Dairy Programs webpage.

Ottumwa Announces Trick or Treat Night in October

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Police Department has announced that Trick or Treat Night is set for 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.   If a Trick-or-Treater and/or Homeowner is feeling ill please do not participate.       

Parents are encouraged to dress their children in reflective clothing and consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives to masks, which can limit or block eyesight.  Parents should also plan and review with their children the route and neighborhoods to go to and agree on a specific time when children must return home.  A parent or responsible adult should always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds.  

Homeowners should take extra effort to eliminate tripping hazards on their porch and walkway.  Rather than utilizing candles or other real flames, homeowners should consider using battery powered jack o’lantern lights.  If a person chooses to use real candles, then pumpkins should be placed well away from trick-or-treaters and the person should make sure paper or cloth decorations won’t be blown into the flame.

Trick-or-treaters are reminded that they should never eat any treats until they are thoroughly checked by an adult.  Additionally, they should be sure their parents know where they are going, only go to homes with a porch light on, remain on well-lit streets, always use the sidewalk, and obey all traffic and pedestrian regulations.  Trick-or-treaters should never assume the right of way on streets as motorists may have trouble seeing them.      

Motorists are asked to drive slow and watch closely for children running in the street.

Witness said man was punched before he died at a New England Patriots game

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — A man who died at a New England Patriots home game last weekend was punched at least twice in the head during a fight in the stands with a rival fan, a witness said Tuesday.

Police and safety personnel responded to the upper deck at Gillette Stadium shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday and found Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, New Hampshire, “in apparent need of medical attention,” the Norfolk County district attorney’s office said in a statement Monday.

Mooney was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Massachusetts State Police are investigating what the district attorney termed an “incident” at the stadium.

Witness Joey Kilmartin shot video of what he said was a brutal fight.

In interviews with several local media outlets, Kilmartin said he saw Mooney, a Patriots fan, confront a Miami Dolphins fan who he had been arguing with during most of the game, which the Dolphins won.

“He basically engaged in mutual combat with another fan,” Kilmatin told The Boston Globe. “A lot of people started trying to pull them apart. … It looked like somebody was in the middle of them, and then a man in the Dolphins jersey reached over and he connected with two punches to the victim’s head.

“It wasn’t something crazy or out of the ordinary until, 30 seconds later, the guy wasn’t getting up.”

The results of an autopsy were expected this week, a spokesperson for the district attorney’s office said.

Mooney’s wife, Lisa Mooney, said she feels numb and wants answers about how her husband died.

“I just can’t even believe this is for real,” she told WCVB-TV. “I want to know what happened. What caused this?”

Gillette Stadium officials said they were “heartbroken” by the death of Mooney, who they described as a lifelong Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket member.

“We continue to work with local authorities to assist them with their ongoing investigation,” according to the statement. “We extend our sincerest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Dale’s family and to all those who are mourning his loss.”

Fan violence at sporting events, especially among rival supporters, is a long-running problem. Among the most infamous was the 2011 Dodger Stadium parking lot beating of Bryan Stow, a paramedic and San Francisco Giants fan.

Two Los Angeles Dodgers fans punched Stow, who fell to the pavement and suffered severe head injuries. He was awarded about $14 million when a jury found the team was negligent. The attackers received prison sentences.

GOP lawmakers testify against eminent domain use for carbon pipeline

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

An Iowa lawmaker is suggesting the Iowa Utilities Board lacks the authority to grant Summit Carbon Solutions permission to seize property along its proposed pipeline route from unwilling landowners.

Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says eminent domain authority is reserved for projects that have a clear public use and public benefit. “It’s a terrible cost that my constituents and the folks in Iowa are paying when their land is going to be seized for this economic development project that does not fit the Iowa Constitutional requirement…for the use of eminent domain,”

Holt says. Holt, who is chairman of the Iowa House Judiciary Committee, says he’s not opposed to pipeline projects that developers argue would benefit farmers by making corn-based ethanol carbon neutral. “Let the pipelines be built using voluntary easements, but not using the heavy hand of government to take the land of others for what is a private economic development project,” Holt says.

Holt was one of two Republican lawmakers who testified today at the Iowa Utilities Board hearing reviewing Summit’s application for a permit to build and maintain a carbon pipeline in Iowa. Senator Sandy Salmon, a Republican from Janesville, called Summit’s request to seize about a third of its route across Iowa “breathtaking.”

“To me this is outrageous, reprehensible and shameless action,” Salmon said, “and all Iowans can see it.”

Salmon said private property rights are essential for property and must be preserved.

Mahaska Health’s Women’s Health Night is October 17

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Mahaska Health invites the public to join them for Women’s Health Night on October 17, from 5:30-8pm at the Gateway Church (140 Gateway Dr) in Oskaloosa.

It will be an evening of fellowship, food, information, and community, featuring a panel of medical experts who will present on topics such as mammography, cancer care and infusion, medical imaging, family medicine, and more. They will also offer free cholesterol and blood sugar checks for all guests.

For more information or to register: https://www.mahaskahealth.org/blog/2023/09/11/2023-womens-health-night/

Pella City Council Discusses Downtown Sound System, Early Learning Center

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Pella City Council met last night and had lengthy discussions on several topics. One item that received discussion was an agreement for use of the downtown sound system. In June, the council entered into an agreement with Pella Historical Society for the downtown sound system, which was upgraded just prior to the Tulip Festival in 2023 to include the main operating equipment, speakers, microphones, and new cabling. The agreement, if it gets approved, says that the system will be available for use when not reserved for Tulip Time and will carry a $100 daily fee for its use. It would be available for use only with an approved special permit.

The council also discussed possible renovations of the building at 215 Main Street, formerly known as the Pella Early Learning Center. The remodeling of the building would focus on transitioning it from a childcare facility to a modern office space with proper public access, security measures, and ADA compliant bathrooms. The engineer’s cost estimate right now is at around $890,000, and the city has $1.1 million in funding from its Capital Improvement Plan for the project. 

And the council also discussed a proposal from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission to nominate the historic fire station for the National Register of Historic Places, as well as possible upgrades to 218th place and regulations for signs in the public right-of-way. No official action was taken on any of these items last night.

The Pella City Council will host its next regular meeting on October 3.

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