Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented today 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.

“With persistent hot and dry conditions, Iowa is at 166 consecutive weeks of at least moderate drought,” said Secretary Naig. “Now that Labor Day is behind us, we can expect to see farmers ramping up their pre-harvest preparations as crop conditions are variable and rain chances remain low.”

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

Crop Report

A continued lack of precipitation throughout Iowa meant farmers had 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 3, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included chopping corn silage as well as cutting and baling hay. Continued drought conditions have stressed corn and soybeans and dried them out to the point that some farmers were getting equipment ready for harvest.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 33 percent very short, 42 percent short, 25 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 31 percent very short, 44 percent short, 24 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Corn in the dent stage or beyond was 78 percent this week, 5 days ahead of both last year and the 5-year average. Seventeen percent of the State’s corn crop has reached maturity, 5 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of normal.  Corn condition declined 5 percentage points to 49 percent good to excellent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 40 percent, 6 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the average. Soybeans dropping leaves was 8 percent this week, 1 week ahead of last year and 2 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition fell 4 percentage points to 49 percent good to excellent.

The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 95 percent complete, 16 days ahead of last year and 19 days ahead of the average. Pasture condition rated 16 percent good to excellent, the lowest rating since September 6, 2020. Hotter than normal temperatures continued to stress livestock across the State, however the reports of death loss were down this week.

Weather Summary

Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Iowa experienced its driest reporting period of the season with only a few stations observing measurable amounts. Extreme Drought (D3) now covers 18% of Iowa, the largest extent since Spring 2013. Temperatures moderated from the previous week but were still generally unseasonably warm; the statewide average temperature was 71.1 degrees, 2.0 degrees above normal.

Cooler conditions were reported across Iowa through Sunday (27th) afternoon with comfortable highs in the mid to upper 70s and light northwesterly winds. Skies were generally clear at daybreak on Monday (28th) as winds gradually shifted to the southwest with seasonal daytime highs in the low 80s. Overnight lows dropped into the mid 50s to low 60s as patchy fog formed at several locations in central and western Iowa. Low to mid 80s were reported in the afternoon hours with very spotty showers forming in extreme southeastern Iowa into Tuesday (29th) evening; Fort Madison (Lee County) observed a 0.05-inch total. Fog and hazy conditions from upper-level wildfire smoke were observed on Wednesday (30th) morning with calm to light easterly winds and temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. Daytime highs held in the upper 70s and low 80s, near average for late August; these conditions were again reported on Thursday (31st), though winds had shifted to a southeasterly direction. Morning lows observed several hours earlier were chilly in eastern Iowa with stations registering low to mid 40s, 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Clear conditions were present at sunrise on Friday (1st) with readings in the mid to upper 50s across much of the state. Stronger southerly winds built in throughout the day as highs in western Iowa rose into the upper 80s and low 90s; temperatures in eastern Iowa held in the low 80s. Overnight lows into Saturday (2nd) varied from the upper 50s east to mid 60s west with some scattered cloud cover. Afternoon temperatures quickly rose into the 90s with the warmest readings in northwestern Iowa; dewpoints remained in the low to mid 60s, creating a dry heat as the statewide average high hit 93 degrees, 14 degrees above normal. Temperatures fell back through the 60s overnight into Sunday (3rd) a light southerly wind persisted under starry skies.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at nearly all of Iowa’s stations to 0.05 inch at Fort Madison. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.00 inch while the normal is 0.88 inch. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 102 degrees on the 2nd, 22 degrees above normal. Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 40 degrees on the 31st, 14 degrees below normal.

The bow season to hunt deer in the city of Mt Pleasant starts September 16 through January 10, 2024.

If you are interested in bow hunting deer within the city limits of Mt Pleasant, you may pick up a copy of the rules and regulations at the Mt Pleasant Police Department or at Big Creek Outdoors, 1751 Oakland Mills Rd, Mt Pleasant IA.

You must be 18 years of age and possess a State of Iowa hunting license and a City of Mt Pleasant Bow Hunting Permit. To obtain your city permit you will need to pass a proficiency test which is administered at Big Creek Outdoors. You will be able to obtain your license and permit at that location also. The city permit is a special issued permit valid only within the city limits of Mt Pleasant. It does not affect your ability to purchase and other state deer hunting licenses.

If you have any questions, you may contact the Mt Pleasant PD at 319 385-1450.

At its August meeting, the SCC Board of Trustees approved the construction of a new multi-purpose facility on the West Burlington campus that will also serve as an emergency shelter. Construction of the $4.2 million facility will be funded in large part by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA.

The 10,000 square foot concrete-reinforced, multi-purpose facility will be rated to hold 1,500 people in the event of an emergency and will be equipped with a generator. It will feature a single 5,000 square foot room capable of comfortably holding groups up to 300 for meetings or events, and also contain restrooms, locker rooms, and storage spaces. It will be located next to the new Blackhawk Recreation Center on the west side of campus.

SG Construction of Burlington won the project with a bid amount of $4,188,932. Construction will start this fall with anticipated completion by late 2024. SCC President Dr. Michael Ash said that planners submitted a project grant request to FEMA for a multi-purpose facility that could serve as a safe room for students and staff in the event of an emergency or severe weather event back in 2015.

The project could only be considered for funding if there were to be a qualifying disaster in the area, so his team knew there were no guarantees it would ever be funded.

“When the derecho hit in 2020, parts of Iowa were declared a disaster area which then triggered FEMA funding for recovery and rebuilding projects,” explained Ash. “After all the recovery projects were funded and completed, remaining dollars could be allocated to projects such as ours.”

It would be another year before FEMA officials would start reviewing qualifying project grant applications already on file.

“There was a lot of ‘wait and see’ as our application slowly made it through the system,” Ash continued. “They would update us whenever we passed all the different review processes, but it took a while.”

College officials were notified that the project was approved this spring. Ash was then able to take it to trustees to seek approval. The five-member board voted unanimously to move forward with the project.

Funding for the facility is as follows. The FEMA federal grant will fund approximately 50% of the total cost, a FEMA state match covers another 5%, Iowa’s Accelerated Career Education (ACE) funding will cover 20%, and college reserves from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) cover the remaining 25%.

Vice President of Administrative Services Cory Gall said that FEMA grant monies can only be used to cover the cost of the main building and infrastructure. “Essentially, FEMA pays for an empty building. We’re responsible for whatever goes inside, including the locker rooms, restrooms, and furnishings.”

Access to the FEMA grant was the contributing factor to make the facility feasible. College officials kept much of the HEERF funds awarded as part of the Federal COVID relief programs during the pandemic in reserve for future projects such as this but it still wouldn’t have been enough to pay for the building.

Gall said the building will finally fill a hole in the current facilities plan. “In addition to not having a purpose-built safe space in the event of an emergency, we’ve not had a facility versatile enough to accommodate mid-size meetings, special events and other unique uses. Without the FEMA grant, we would likely have continued to go without.”

“We’ve been very strategic in how we’ve spent HEERF dollars over the past three years focusing on projects that would be the best use of one-time infrastructure investments like this,” Ash added. “Being able to leverage the FEMA grant and our HEERF funds for this project meant we could have a building with relatively minimal impact to our other funds and not have to pass any of the costs on to students or taxpayers.”

John Ita was recognized on Friday for his never ending commitment to ensuring that shoppers at the Mt. Pleasant Hy-Vee are given the best customer service around. He was presented the Hy-Vee Legendary Customer Service Award in a surprise ceremony on Friday afternoon.

This is the highest honor presented to an employee and recognizes those who go above and beyond everyday to provide customers with exemplary service. Out of 80,000 employees, only 14 recipients were selected, signifying just how special John is. He now will enter the Hy-Vee Legendary Customer Service Award Hall of Fame, and will also receive additional gifts and honors.

John spoke on a special interview with KILJ about how he was “surprised” and also “honored” to receive this award. He has been working at Hy-Vee since the 1980s, and you can now find John smiling at every customer in the aisles as he believes in the store’s policy of having a happy smile in every aisle.

Henry County Supervisors

100 E Washington St  Ste 202

Mt Pleasant IA  52641

Fax:  319-385-3601

Chad White, Chairman            Marc Lindeen, Vice-Chairman        Greg Moeller, Member    

           319-385-0759                                 319-385-0760                                  319-385-0761________                       

AGENDA

September 7, 2023

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

 9:00 Monthly Department Head Meeting

9:55 James Brau, Firework Permit

10:00 Donna Byers Interview for Conservation Board

10:30 David Ackles Interview for Conservation Board

Resolution Confirming Commissioner to Iowa Mid-America Port Commissions

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates