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Nominations Open for Women Impacting Agriculture

Posted on by Sam Parsons

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Leadership Conference is seeking Women Impacting Agriculture nominees. The winners will be honored at the 2022 Women in Ag Leadership Conference, to be held Nov. 29-30.

“The goal of the award is to honor women who are making positive changes in Iowa agriculture,” said Madeline Schultz, Women in Ag program manager with ISU Extension and Outreach.

Schultz invites nominations for women in all areas of agriculture including owners, managers and employees of Iowa farms, agricultural businesses and organizations. Nominees must also have a connection to ISU Extension and Outreach, either serving as a volunteer, Iowa State University alum or any unpaid position within the organization.

Honorees will receive a cash award, a personalized gift and conference registration. 2020 honoree Emily Boettcher said she enjoyed getting to network with new people and still keeps in touch with them today. She believes the award is a great example of the encouragement women in agriculture should share with each other.

“I would encourage people to nominate others,” said Boettcher. “They (people in agriculture) make the world go round.”

Nomination forms and additional information can be found at https://www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag/women-impacting-agriculture-2022-call-nominations.

All Iowans who know a woman making a difference in agriculture are invited to submit their nominations no later than Friday, Oct. 7.

Questions can be directed to Schultz at schultz@iastate.edu.

4th Annual Bark & Boo-A-Que With Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter and Mahaska Drug

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

This Saturday is Mahaska Drug’s 4th Annual Bark & Boo-A-Que and bake sale in partnership with the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter. We chatted with Deb Van Engelenhoven, a member of the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter Board and employee of Mahaska Drug, who gave some of the details.

The 4th Annual Bark & Boo-A-Que will take place in the Mahaska Drug parking lot this Saturday from 10am-2pm, and will also feature appearances from local authors Dan Nance and Merle Mann as well as adoptable dogs from the animal shelter and more. You can stop by Mahaska Drug or call the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter at 641-673-3991 for questions. The flier is also available below.

Osky Volleyball Drops 5-Setter to Pella Christian

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

Less than 24 hours removed from an emotional 5-setter against #3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Monday, the Oskaloosa Indians found themselves in another match that went the distance on Tuesday, this time against conference foe Pella Christian. This time, it wouldn’t go the way of the Indians.

The opening set was tightly contested with Oskaloosa leading 21-18 late, but Pella Christian went on 7 point run to shock the Indians and take a 1-0 lead.

The Indians were able to overcome that shock with a dominant performance in the second set. Osky started the set on a 5 point run and never looked back, cruising their way to a 25-15 victory to tie it at 1-1. The good times kept rolling for Osky in the third set as they found themselves up 20-11, looking poised to put the Eagles away in short order, but the Eagles, in a harbinger of things to come, would not quit, scoring 9 of the next 10 points to get right back into the set. Osky held them off 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead, but that lead was far from secure.

Pella Christian went toe-to-toe with Osky from then on, winning a tense fourth set 25-22 to tie it up and send the match to a fifth set, which wound up being the most gripping one of the night. Neither team led by more than 3 points at any time in the set and ultimately it went to extra points, with each team facing match point multiple times before the Eagles finished it with a 3 point run from being down 18-17 to win it 20-18.

Oskaloosa (12-9) will host Grinnell next Tuesday in their penultimate Little Hawkeye Conference game of the season. Pella Christian (14-8) travels to Greene County for a tournament on Saturday.

Ian just shy of a Category 5 hurricane as it nears Florida

Posted on by Sam Parsons

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (AP) — The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Ian has rapidly intensified off Florida’s coast, gaining top winds of 155 mph, just shy of the most devastating Category 5 hurricane status. Ian is pushing a storm surge that could cause catastrophic damage along the state’s heavily populated Gulf Coast from Bonita Beach to the Tampa Bay region. Forecasters say the stretch from Naples to Sarasota is at highest risk. At least 2.5 million people were ordered to evacuate. Winds and rain have begun intensifying, a day after Ian battered the western tip of Cuba, leaving the entire island without electricity.

State budget surplus tops $1.9 billion

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The State of Iowa has a more than $1.9 billion budget surplus.

Governor Reynolds has announced the state has $830 million in reserve funds and holds more than a billion in its Taxpayer Relief Fund. Larger than expected corporate tax payments are triggering a corporate tax cut as well.

In a written statement, Governor Reynolds said it shows tax cut critics were wrong and “growth oriented policies and fiscal restraint” are paying off. House Democratic Whip Lindsay James of Dubuque said instead of lowering costs for Iowans and investing in public schools, Reynolds “is celebrating another huge handout to corporations.”

The last state fiscal year ended June 30, however this is the week the books are officially closed. That’s so late-arriving payments or expenses are accounted for in the previous state budget.

Marion County Board of Supervisors Discusses Junction 92 Shop, Statues in Downtown Knoxville

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Marion County Board of Supervisors met yesterday and had a discussion with the city of Knoxville about the possibility of placing statues on the courthouse square in downtown Knoxville. The city proposed placing the statues, which would be models of famous sprint car drivers, on county property near the courthouse, but ultimately the board did not take action on the proposal, citing concerns about using county property for something specific to the city.

The board also discussed funding proposals for its planned Junction 92 shop project, which has been in the planning process for a few years. County engineer Tyler Christian presented a few proposals, recommending one template in particular that featured a down payment of 51-59%.

The board ultimately advised the engineer’s office to further explore the down payment option in the hopes of receiving a more robust proposal in the near future. The next Marion County Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for October 11.

Mahaska Connect Links Residents, Services

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA – Life has been a challenge for many Americans now and for the foreseeable future. The same can be said for many of Mahaska County’s homeless and near-homeless residents. Love INC has helped provide support for many of those challenges.

Love INC, a partnership churches, is once again hosting Mahaska Connect. This year’s event will be held at Central United Methodist Church from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5. This the third year the organization has hosted Mahaska Connect to link neighbors with services that may be difficult to obtain. The past two events have had upwards of 100 attendees each year.

“Love INC of Mahaska County is hosting Mahaska Connect to bridge the gap between our neighbors needing assistance, and the church and community resources they need,” said executive director Susan Doolan. “It is a great testimony as our community comes together to help our neighbors.”

Many times, neighbors do not know where to go for certain services or how to obtain the services. The inability to adequately interact with legal services, courthouse offices, personal services and other obstacles have created frustration for neighbors.

Love INC and its community partners is providing an opportunity for those who need services from legal to personal care, or just someone to talk to may find those resources. Mahaska Connect will link homeless or near-homeless with the opportunity to access a number of services free of charge.

Legal services, such as court for minor offenses and securing birth certificates; personal care such as haircuts, housing information, medical and vision screenings, vaccinations; housing information, counseling services and a multitude of other services. Brunch will be provided. For more information, contact Love INC at 641-676-3750.

Oskaloosa Rallies from 2-0 Deficit to Beat #3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

A highly anticipated battle of two area schools lived up to its billing last night as the Oskaloosa Indians and the 2A #3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rockets went the distance in a 5-setter.

The Rockets were strong out of the gate, taking control of the first set and leading 20-13 before the Indians were able to claw their way back into the set, ultimately coming up just short, with the Rockets taking it 25-23. The second set favored the Rockets as well, as they won it more convincingly, 25-19, and appeared poised to secure the sweep and keep rolling through their season.

However, the Indians would not admit defeat; they fought back and won a back-and-forth third set to get on the board, 25-23. The fourth set went similarly and the Indians were able to tie it up at 2-2 with another 25-23 win before moving on to the pivotal 5th set.

Neither team was ever in firm control of the fifth set as it was a truly tightly contested affair, going to an extra point, but with the Indians up 15-14, a perfectly placed serve from senior Maleah Walker went untouched for an ace and the Indians were able to complete the comeback victory 3-2.

Oskaloosa (12-8) will turn around and play again tonight against Pella Christian. Pregame coverage begins at 7pm on KBOE.

#3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (18-4) is back on the road tonight at Albia.

Hurricane Ian makes landfall in Cuba en route to Florida

Posted on by Sam Parsons

HAVANA (AP) — Hurricane Ian has made landfall in western Cuba, lashing the island with rain and winds as it barreled north toward the Florida coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says that Ian hit Cuba early Tuesday as a Category 3 storm as it continued to strengthen, with sustained winds of 125 mph. Authorities in Cuba evacuated more than 50,000 people in Pinar del Rio province, the country’s main tobacco-growing region, ahead of Ian’s arrival, which was expected to bring flooding. The government also set up dozens of shelters in the island. The hurricane is expected to strike Florida as early as Wednesday, possibly as a Category 4 storm.

U.S.D.A. numbers find land values way up

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

Survey information released from the U.S.D.A. shows a big increase in farmland values and cash rent. Iowa State University livestock economist, Lee Schulz, says the cropland increased 19.7%.

“And that’s the highest that we’ve seen since 2011 and 2012. When you look at pasture land values, they’re up a little over nine percent,” he says. Schulz says this is one set of numbers in the overall picture. “I would put this as, as one data point, you know, among many, when we look at, you know, understanding what farmland values and cash trends are Iowa State, for example, does surveys have both values and rents,” he says, “there’s the Federal Reserve Bank, and those branches do those. So, you know, I think it’s important always to take all the information available.”

He says high commodity prices are one of the big drivers of land values. “You know as we look at what you can make off that ground — certainly looking at corn and soybean prices. Also remember that interest rates have been really historically low, now we’re starting to see those increase at those low interest rates, all else equal, that helps support land values,” he says.

Schulz specializes in livestock and says that industry is having an impact on pasture land values. “I think it maybe doesn’t get necessarily the attention that the cropland values do. But pasture land is very much going to follow the cattle cycle. And so as we look at the downturn of the cattle inventory, and we’re starting to see higher prices and expectation of higher prices for cattle in the years to come, that’s certainly going to be supportive of pasture land values,” Schulz says.

He says as the commodity prices rise there’s competition for that land. The Fed Reserve recently raised interest rates again and Schulz says that is going to continue to impact land values along with the other factors. “It’s setting up to be a very dynamic market, on what we’ll see these land values do in the year and years to come,” Schulz says. Iowa State releases its annual land value survey in December.

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