Author: Yorke Prough

Road maintenance has been announced on New London Road, between Penn Avenue and 285^th Street, southwest of the Deerwood Golf Course.

Road maintenance will include one lane road closure with stop lights, please use caution.

This work will start Wednesday, July 24^th and last the rest of the week, weather permitting.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Severe thunderstorms early last week gave way to a cooler and quieter string of days as corn pollination is underway across the state,” said Secretary Naig. “Temperatures look to warm up through the week for county fairgoers.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Most of the State received little rainfall and experienced below average temperatures. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 21, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included harvesting oats for grain, cutting and baling hay, and applying fungicides.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus.

Corn silking reached 68 percent, 1 day behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. Corn crop at the dough stage reached 18 percent, 2 days ahead of last year and 5 days ahead of the five-year average. Corn condition was rated at 75 percent good to excellent. Soybean crop blooming reached 69 percent, 5 days behind last year but equal to the five-year average. Soybeans setting pods reached 25 percent, 2 days behind last year and 1 day behind the five-year average. Soybean condition was 74 percent good to excellent. Oats turning color reached 89 percent, 2 days behind last year but 3 days ahead of the five-year average. The oat harvest for grain reached 44 percent complete, 5 days ahead of last year and the five-year average. Oat condition was 76 percent good to excellent.

The state’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 75 percent complete, 5 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. The third cutting of alfalfa hay began at 6 percent, 4 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. Hay condition rated 78 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 71 percent good to excellent.

A group of 56 Henry County Democrats gathered on Saturday morning to hear from John DaBeet, a candidate for Senate District 48. The district includes nine rural townships in Henry County, excluding Mount Pleasant. Currently DaBeet serves as a distinguished Professor of Economics and  Statistics at Muscatine Community College and as a member of  the Muscatine Community School Board. During the meeting, he expressed concerns about how the new voucher plan will siphon funds from Iowa’s public schools.

DaBeet is challenging Republican incumbent Mark Lofgren who assumed the role in January 2023.

Recently elected Co-Chairs Mary Elgar and Dave Helman welcomed the attendees and presented laminated maps of all the precincts in Henry County and the 2020 redrawn Senate and House District maps.  Helman discussed the need to effectively communicate with Democrats in Henry County. Registered Democrats and Independents are encouraged to forward their e-mail addresses to Elgar (maryelgar41@gmail.com) and Helman (cdhelman@gmail.com).

President Biden announced that he will be withdrawing from the 2024 Presidential race on Sunday, and Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks chimed in.

“A historic injustice perpetrated by the Democrats who lecture the country about democracy. Yet they just disenfranchised millions of primary voters while covering up the President’s cognitive decline, despite it being readily apparent to millions of Americans.”

Meeks then highlights “failed policies” which have torched the nation, mentioning inflation, open borders, and weakness on the world stage to name a few.

She also believes that Biden should resign from office if he is not fit enough to campaign.

Trevor Miller, 23 of Washington County, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.

According to public court documents, Miller had produced a video of himself engaged in a sexual activity with a female minor. He then sent that video via snapchat to other minors. Investigators confronted Miller after witnesses notified the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, where they discovered that he had produced a similar video with a separate minor.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Miller will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Miller will be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

A Burlington man was sentenced on Thursday, July 11, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor.

10 years in federal prison is the sentence for 48 year old Corey Ritz of Burlington, after he was found guilty for attempting to entice a minor.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Corey Lee Ritz, engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female. Ritz proceeded to graphically describe the kinds of acts he would like to perform on the 15-year-old if they met in person, and even went as far as making plans to meet. If that wasn’t gross enough, Ritz suggested that the 15 year old bring another underage female to their planned meeting, and began communicating with a second undercover officer posing as a 14 year old.

Ritz arrived at the pre-planned in-person meeting and was arrested by the Des Moines County Sherriff’s Department. He had a Samsung cell phone and three condoms in his possession.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Ritz will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was investigated by Des Moines County Sheriff Department.