The Henry County Conservation Department is hosting two free programs in March. March 2nd from 4-6 p.m. join Maple Syruping with conservation staff. This program will be held at the Top-of-Hill area, in Oakland Mills County Park, at the Dorothy Family Maple Syrup Camp. Activities will include tapping trees, an evaporator demonstration, and syrup tasting. Participants can arrive any time between 4 and 6 p.m. All ages are welcome. Preregistration is appreciated but not necessary. This program is weather dependent so listen to KILJ 105.5 FM or check the Conservation Department Facebook page for changes or cancellations. FREE. On March 18th from 10-11:30a.m the program is Iowa Rocks and Geode Cracking with Mike Messer. How was Iowa formed and what creatures lived here long ago? Find out during this fun presentation. Mr. Messer, with assistance from Ron Brown, will show you the cool rocks and fossils that can be found in our state then end with cracking some geodes for kids to take home. All ages are welcome. Preregistration is appreciated but not necessary.
Nick Riley
Nicholas Adam Riley was born February 12, 1978, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the son of Lynn and Barb (Keith) Riley. As a child, Nick enjoyed playing baseball, basketball, and go-kart racing. He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1996. Nick had a passion for community service and helping anyone in need from a young age. As a teen, he worked with children officiating flag football, basketball and baseball games and volunteered wherever else he was needed. As a young adult, he worked as the flagman for a local go-kart track. In 2007, Nick joined the Traer Fire Department, following in his father and brother’s footsteps. Nick served 7 years on the board of the Iowa Firefighters Association, acting as President from 2020 to 2021. He was currently working for Tama County on the secondary road crew.
Nick’s greatest desire in life was to start a family. Nick married Sami Carver on June 4, 2005, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. With the desire to raise a family in small town Iowa, Nick and Sami moved to Traer in 2007. They were blessed with two beautiful children: Karrington Belle and Karver Nicholas. Nick enjoyed anything involving the outdoors or working with his hands. He spent summers camping, fishing, and going to dirt track races with his family. Winters were spent wood-working and building things in his garage. Nick was an optimist which led him to believe that every scratch ticket was a winner. Every day he stopped at the gas station to press his luck. His most cherished pastime was watching his children participate in their favorite activities. He would tear up each time he watched Karrington dance or sing and was Karver’s biggest and loudest fan at the hockey rink. Nick was a kid at heart, so it is no surprise he had a tremendous impact on his children’s friends and teammates. Nick never complained about Sami’s love for Disney. After their first trip to Walt Disney World, he grew to love it just as much as the rest of the family. Nick and Sami’s love truly was a Tale as Old as Time. He loved to take his family on vacations, with cruises being his favorite.
Nick, age 45, passed away on Friday, February 17, 2023, at his home following a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. In his final days he was surrounded by family and friends. Nick is survived by his wife, Sami; daughter Karrington Belle and son Karver Nicholas, all of Traer; parents, Lynn and Barb Riley of Mt. Pleasant; father-in law, Keith (Brenda) Carver of Salem; mother-in-law, Dee Carver of Traer; paternal grandmother, Evelyn Riley of Mt. Pleasant; grandmother-in-law, Joyce Lasswell of Salem; two brothers, Bill (Jennifer) Riley and Mike (Tiffany) Riley both of Mt. Pleasant; brother-in-law, Blake (Carrie) Carver of Salem; nieces and nephews, Ashlynn, Kaleb, Haley, Abby, Bailey, Tyler, Carter, Paisley, Justis, Jaydin, Jersie, Macie Mae, Myia, Tripp, Hunter, Jerry, Melaney and Kourtney; many aunts, uncles and cousins. Nick is also survived by his fire brothers/sisters, Allison’s Dance Center and Waterloo Jr. Hawk family. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother, Dorothy Keith and paternal grandfather, Virgil Riley.
Anyone who wishes to honor Nick is requested to make contributions to the Traer Fire Department, Waterloo Youth Hockey Association, or a college fund established for his children at Farmer’s Savings Bank and Trust in Traer.
A visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Overton Funeral Home, 714 First St., Traer, Iowa. Feel free to wear a Nick’s Army T-shirt and socks with slides.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 10:30 am at the Traer Memorial Building, 414 Second St., Traer, IA. Family invites everyone to join us for a meal and remembrance in Nick’s honor following the service at the Traer Memorial Building.
Good Day for MP Show Choir
Mount Pleasant High School’s show choir InMotion participated at the Pella Dutch Masters Invitational Saturday and once again came home with numerous awards.
In the daytime prelims Mount Pleasant took the top spot in Class 3A and won caption awards for Best Band, Best Choreography and Best Vocals. Senior Jordan Crooks was chosen as InMotion’s Star Performer. Mount Pleasant advanced to the evening finals and placed as Second Runner Up.
Iowa City West won the competition, followed by Johnston, Mount Pleasant, Center Point-Urbana, Muscatine and West Branch.
Pursuit Thru New London
On February 17, 2023, at approximately 8:13AM, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle in New London, Iowa, The vehicle fled and a brief pursuit ensued, before the vehicle was lost upon driving off the roadway, through fields. At approximately 8:16AM, the New London Police Department located the vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed through New London and another brief pursuit ensued. The vehicle then intentionally left the roadway, driving through fields again, before crashing through fences.
The driver fled on foot and was apprehended a short time later. Joshua Helmick, of Norwalk, was identified as the driver of the vehicle. Helmick was subsequently arrested and charged with Eluding (class D felony), Interference with Official Acts (serious misdemeanor), Criminal Mischief (aggravated misdemeanor) and Failure to Maintain Control (simple misdemeanor).
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the New London Police Department and Mount Pleasant Police Department.
The Dickey Dispatch
|
|
Henry County Supervisors Meeting Agenda
Iowa Wesleyan University Celebrates Founders Day
Today, February 17, 2023, Iowa Wesleyan University will celebrate its Founders Day and commemorate 181 years since its founding. Iowa Wesleyan will be hosting a series of events for students, faculty, and staff across campus throughout the day.
Founders Day allows the community to reflect on IW’s history as the oldest co-educational institution in Iowa. Since the Iowa Territorial Legislature granted a charter for the Mt. Pleasant Literary Institute on February 17, 1842, Iowa Wesleyan has committed to fostering a student-centered community and providing an assessable and affordable education. Today, IW is ranked as a top regional college in the Midwest. Notable alumni include Belle Bab Mansfield (1866), the first woman to be admitted to the bar in the United States; James Van Allen ’35, discoverer of the earth’s radiation belts; Clement Isong ’54, one of the most celebrated governors in Nigerian history; and Peggy Whitson ’81, the first female commander of the International Space Station.
“As the regional University for Southeast Iowa, we couldn’t be more proud to acknowledge the historical significance Iowa Wesleyan has had in our community,” said Meg Richtman, Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing & Communications. “Today, we celebrate our rich history while recognizing the labors and love of our community’s past and current members who have devoted so much to making this a special place.”
Iowa Wesleyan University: As Southeast Iowa’s regional comprehensive University, Iowa Wesleyan University is a transformational learning community whose passion is to educate, empower and inspire students to lead meaningful lives and careers.
USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program Signup for 2023
DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 16, 2023 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin applying for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General signup starting February 27 through April 7, 2023. CRP is a cornerstone voluntary conservation program offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a key tool in the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to address climate change and help agricultural communities invest in the long-term well-being of their land and natural resources.
“The Conservation Reserve Program is one of the largest private lands conservation programs in the United States, offering a range of conservation options to farmers, ranchers and landowners,” said Matt Russell, FSA State Executive Director in Iowa. “CRP has and continues to be a great fit for farmers with less productive or marginal cropland, helping them re-establish valuable land cover to help improve water quality, prevent soil erosion, and support wildlife habitat. Under this administration, we have made several updates to the program to increase producer interest and enrollment, strengthen the climate benefits of the program and help ensure underserved producers can find a pathway to entry into CRP.”
Producers and landowners enrolled more than 5 million acres into CRP through signups in 2022, building on the acceptance of more than 3.1 million acres in the largest Grassland CRP signup in history. There are currently 23 million acres enrolled in CRP, with 1.9 million set to expire this year. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is aiming to reach the 27-million-acre cap statutorily set for fiscal year 2023.
General CRP
General CRP helps producers and landowners establish long-term, resource-conserving plant species, such as approved grasses or trees, to control soil erosion, improve water quality and enhance wildlife habitat on cropland. Additionally, General CRP includes a Climate-Smart Practice Incentive to help increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping producers and landowners establish trees and permanent grasses, enhance wildlife habitat, and restore wetlands.
Continuous CRP
Under Continuous CRP, producers and landowners can enroll in CRP throughout the year. Offers are automatically accepted provided the producer and land meet the eligibility requirements and the enrollment levels do not exceed the statutory cap. The Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is also available in the Continuous signup.
FSA offers several additional enrollment opportunities within Continuous CRP, including the Clean Lakes Estuaries and Rivers Initiative (CLEAR30), the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) Initiative, the Farmable Wetlands Program (FWP), and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). The CLEAR30 Initiative, which was originally piloted in twelve states in the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watershed, has been expanded nationwide, allowing producers and landowners to enroll in 30-year CRP contracts for water quality practices. Under this administration, FSA also moved SAFE practices back to the Continuous CRP signup, giving producers and landowners more opportunities to participate in the initiative. Through the FWP, producers and landowners can enroll land in CRP as part of their efforts to restore previously farmed wetlands and wetland buffers, to improve both vegetation and water flow.
This administration has also made significant improvements to CREP, which leverages federal and non-federal funds to target specific State, regional or nationally significant conservation concerns. Specifically, USDA made significant improvements to CREP to reduce barriers and make the program more accessible to a broad range of producers and new types of partners. These updates included flexibility for partners to provide matching funds in the form of cash, in-kind contributions, or technical assistance, along with an investment in additional staff to work directly with partners. Through CREP, for the first time ever, three Tribal Nations are now partnering with USDA to help conserve, maintain, and improve grassland productivity, reduce soil erosion, and enhance wildlife habitat.
Grassland CRP
FSA will announce the dates for Grassland CRP signup in the coming weeks. Grassland CRP is a working lands program, helping landowners and operators protect grassland, including rangeland and pastureland and certain other lands, while maintaining the areas as working grazing lands. Protecting grasslands contributes positively to the economy of many regions, provides biodiversity of plant and animal populations, and provides important carbon sequestration benefits to deliver lasting climate outcomes.
How to Sign Up
Landowners and producers interested in CRP should contact their local USDA Service Center to learn more or to apply for the program before their deadlines.
Producers with expiring CRP acres can use the Transition Incentives Program (TIP), which incentivizes producers who sell or enter a long-term lease with a beginning, veteran, or socially disadvantaged farmer or rancher who plans to sustainably farm or ranch the land.
More Information
Signed into law in 1985, CRP is one of the largest voluntary private-lands conservation programs in the United States. It was originally intended to primarily control soil erosion and potentially stabilize commodity prices by taking marginal lands out of production. The program has evolved over the years, providing many conservation and economic benefits.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit usda.gov.