Author: Allison Jacobs

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced August 2nd that six Soil and Water Conservation Districts will receive water quality funding from the Publicly Owned Lakes program to help protect and enhance public lakes in Iowa.

This program, which is jointly administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, provides cost-share funding to landowners for conservation practices on private land within watersheds above publicly owned lakes and reservoirs. Eligible practices include soil conservation and water quality practices that reduce nutrient loss and sediment delivery to Iowa’s public lakes. These resources complement additional efforts by the departments and their public and private partners to enhance and protect water quality in Iowa lakes and other surface water.

“Iowa’s many public lakes are key assets to our state, and we want to ensure that Iowans can enjoy these beautiful attractions for generations to come,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Building partnerships with other government agencies, private organizations, farmers and landowners is the proven model that will ensure we can continue to accelerate conservation practice adoption across the state and make even more water quality progress.”

“Iowans value water quality and desire safe, healthy lakes in their pursuit of outdoor recreation,” said Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Kayla Lyon. “Partnerships to establish conservation practices on land that drains into our public lakes is critical to enhance and protect water quality for future generations.”

Each year, a minimum of five percent of the appropriation to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship for soil conservation cost share goes toward protecting the water quality of publicly owned lakes in Iowa. Local Soil and Water Conservation Districts submit applications, which the Iowa Department of Natural Resources uses to establish a priority list of watersheds above significant public lakes. Private landowners are then eligible to receive additional cost-share for practices that improve water quality.

This year $580,267.28 in funding will allow for targeted conservation practices, including 560 acres of cover crops, 50,890 feet of terraces, 12 grade stabilization structures, 4 water and sediment control basins, and 11 acres of grassed waterways. Landowner cost-share and the adoption of these practices will help protect these lakes for the enjoyment of all Iowans and those who visit our state.

Clarke County Reservoir

Clarke County SWCD

$105,975.00

Lake Geode

Des Moines County SWCD and Henry County SWCD

$9,966.00

Lake Icaria

Adams County SWCD

$109,250.00

Lake Miami

Monroe County SWCD

$47,250.00

Three Mile Lake

Union County SWCD and Adair County SWCD

$244,854.41

Twelve Mile Lake

Union County SWCD and Adair County SWCD

$62,971.87

Back to school time brings excitement and nerves to school age children, and a few headaches to their parents. Henry County Public Health is looking to make this time as easy as possible on everyone involved. This coming Tuesday, August 8^th from 4-7 p.m. there will be a Back to School Health Fair in Manning Hall at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 607 S. Jackson Street in Mount Pleasant. This health fair will include back to school immunizations which are required for kindergarten, 7^th graders and high school seniors, dental screenings required for kindergarten and high school freshmen, lead testing required for kindergarten, vision screenings required for kindergarten and 3^rd graders, and sports physicals for $25 cash only. There will also be language translation available, community resource tables, kids activities, giveaways, and food trucks. Physicals and most screenings have paperwork that will need to be filled out, these are available at the event as well as online at healthyhenrycounty.org/publichealth. The Henry County Public Health Back to School Health Fair is this Tuesday, August 8^th from 4-7 p.m. in Manning Hall at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant. If you have kids headed back to school, this is the perfect event to ensure they have everything they need before the school year begins.

Access to childcare in Southeast Iowa is always a concern. On Friday, the Fort Madison YMCA informed families of children under their care at the Donnellson facilities that both facilities will be closing at the end of the workday this coming Friday, August 4th.This includes both The Fort Madison Family YMCA Early Learning Center and the Fort Madison Family YMCA Learning Center.

Ryan Wilson, the Fort Madison YMCA Executive Director, said the YMCA is looking at different avenues for the childcare centers and they have no reopening date set. He said more staff is needed along with necessary training before any reopening could occur.

The center had recently closed an investigation by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services over a complaint filed with the department on June 23. The complaint is the fifth at the two centers since 2022. The YMCA purchased the centers in the spring of 2020.

The most recent complaint was around a 4-year-old boy who was left unattended for anywhere from three to seven minutes. The boy had been sequestered due to an illness waiting for a parent to pick him up.
According to a report filed by HHS, staff took two different groups for walks and forgot the boy was sleeping at the time. When he awoke, no one was in the building. The center was assessed two violations for not being aware of the children in the center, and not following procedures for a sick child.

Through the investigations, no licensure changes were administered by the state, but the center was cautioned that additional violations could result in licensure status changes.

Wilson said the issue was resolved and staff training was initiated, but the board had already decided to close the centers due to staffing shortages.

Wilson said anyone with questions concerning the closures can contact him at 319-372-2403 ext. 5 or at ryan.wilson@fortmadisony.org.

Members were welcomed to the Access Energy Cooperative annual meeting of members last night, August 1, 2023, and the weather was perfect at McMillan Park in Mount Pleasant for the celebration. The theme for this year’s Access Energy Cooperative annual meeting was “Navigating Change.”

A parachuter with the help of the US Army dropped in with the American Flag as “God Bless America” played over the speakers to kick off the annual business meeting.

Speakers of the evening included President of Access Energy Cooperative Marvin Newton, CEO of the cooperative’s power supplier Northeast Power Doug Aeilts, General Manager of Access Energy Cooperative Kevin Wheeler, and 2023 Youth Tour Award recipient Alexis Wagner of Mount Pleasant who shared about her experience traveling to Washington D.C. for one week with student leaders from around Iowa and the country.

Highlights of the event included an outstanding performance by Jake McVey and a great meal served by Mount Pleasant Hy-Vee. Homemade Ice Cream from Hinterland Dairy of Donnellson was served for dessert. Members enjoyed drive-a-tractor by the Proennecke brothers and Dick McGohan, inflatable activities for the kids from Fields of Fun, pony rides by Windy Acres, various other lawn games, refreshing sno cones, a live line demonstration on being safe around electricity by Access Energy Cooperative employees, and information from Henry County Public Health and the Henry County Sheriff. Access Energy Cooperative appreciates their participation and everyone else who helped make the event a success for the members.

The Grand Prize of a $500 bill credit was drawn along with many other prizes. Dividend checks for 2023 were available for members to pick up at the meeting. For those who were unable to make it to the meeting, checks will be mailed out in the next few weeks.

Access Energy Cooperative is an electric distribution cooperative, owned by the members who use the services, located in and serving over 9,000 meters in ten counties in southeast Iowa.