The county fair is an annual summer tradition for many Iowa families.  The livestock shows are the culmination of months of work by the young exhibitors as they cared for and prepared their livestock exhibits.  At the Washington County Fair, the 4-H & FFA Livestock Auction is the last event of the fair for those youth and their animals. This auction will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 21 in the main show ring.

The livestock auction in Washington County offers livestock projects for sale to the general public.  The auctions are a great opportunity to make an investment in the education of the next generation of farmers and to make a difference in the life of a young person.

Chef Kelly Liken is the executive chef and owner of Restaurant Kelly Liken in Vail, Colorado; she was also a contestant on “Top Chef” Season 7.  She gives some great reasons to buy from a 4-H member.

1. When you buy 4-H, it aids in supporting efforts to use the whole animal.  “There are only a few portions of each cut, so it forces our team to come up with new dishes as we sell each of the cuts. It has been the catalyst for many new, very tasty dishes.  When you buy a whole animal you have a responsibility to it, to use as much of it as you can. This is a responsibility that we do not take lightly.”

2. 4-H animals are some of the best quality in the nation.  “There is a noticeable difference when animals are raised with love on healthy food and come from strong local blood lines. The flavors are full and haven’t lost their edge – and they are cared for by individuals who put care and time into the entire process of raising the animal.”

3. 4-H supports the education of local children.  “The lessons local kids learn by raising animals is absolutely invaluable. They learn how much time money and energy it takes to raise an animal. These are lessons that can only be learned by direct experience. Most importantly, all the money raised by the sale goes into the child’s individual education fund.”

4. Knowing where your food comes from is not only very important but it teaches a life-long lesson to children, while shaping their future decisions with regards to food, cooking, and nutrition.  “Making choices about what we put into our bodies and choose to serve to our guests can be complicated. The impact of those choices is far-reaching.”

5. It’s fun! “Going to the 4-H auction is one of my favorite things to do. The county fair atmosphere offers a one-of-a-kind experience.  Being able to choose an animal by looking at it, by watching it move and identifying muscle tone is a far cry from picking a product from a purveyor’s price list.”

All Washington County businesses and individuals are welcome to the 2022 livestock auction.  Livestock will be led in the ring by the 4-H owner in this order;  sheep, goats, rabbits, poultry and cattle.  Auction orders will be available at 7 a.m. on July 21 at the Washington County Fairgrounds County Council Pavilion.  Please contact the Extension Office, 319-653-4811, with questions.

At 1:11pm on Wednesday, July 12^th, West Burlington Police were dispatched to Harbor Freight, 104 West Agency Road, for theft. Officers were told that the suspect had left in an “older blue Dodge Durango” westbound on Agency Road. He had stolen a welder and a tool bag.

Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle as it was exiting Menard’s parking lot and found the stolen goods inside.  During the stop, the driver jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, causing a pursuit.

The driver led the officers on a chase until the vehicle came to a stop at West Burlington Avenue and Van Weiss Boulevard after jumping a curb.

However, as the police stopped their car, the driver rammed the passenger side of a West Burlington Police Department car with the officers still inside. The suspect then drove into the car again as the officers were exciting the vehicle, causing around $1500 in damage.

At this point, the driver took off once again, this time heading southbound, until it was involved in an accident at the roundabout at West Burlington Avenue and West Avenue.

The suspect, identified as Tyler Keith Jennings, age 36 of Fort Madison, was observed to be reaching for a gun and point it towards the officers. He was then taken into custody.

Jennings was charged with felony eluding, driving under suspension, 2^nd degree criminal mischief, 4^th degree theft, failure to provide proof of financial responsibility, and a stop sign violation.

Due to some close calls at the Henry County Fair, there are some new rules being enforced on the grounds regarding bikes. There will be no bicycles allowed inside buildings and no bikes are allowed on, or around, the main road after 5pm. All bikes must be put away at sundown as well. These new rules are due to witness reports. Safety is the number one concern for the fairgrounds, so please spread the word and respect the rules so that they can continue to allow bikes in the future.

The 2023 Henry County Fair Bucket Calf Show was on Thursday night, and the results are now in.

Baylie Heacock goes home as the Champion of Class I. The reserve was given to Zenlynn Lee. I spoke with Zenlynn Lee after the show to learn a bit more about the fair.

For Class II, the reserve is Deegan Parker and the Champion is Hagen Loyd. A big thankyou to Margaret Carlson for donating the items for the 4H bottle lamb and bottle goat.

The Rabbit Show was earlier in the day with a whole litter of winners.

The Best Breeding Pair goes to Zenlynn Lee and Crea Lee was second, and this was the same order for the best Doe and Litter. Allie Wagner takes the cake for Best Commercial Rabbit, with Mariella McClellan as reserve. Best Fancy Rabbit goes to Morgan Meyer, who also received Best of Show Rabbit, while Quintrie Lee was the reserve for Fancy Rabbit. Zenlynn Lee won the Best Home Born and Raised, and the Best of Opposite Rabbit is awarded to Quintrie Lee. Allie Wagner won the Best Educational Project, as well as Jr. Showmanship award for grades 4, 5, and 6. Zenlynn Lee won for grades 7, 8, and 9, and Makynna Carpenter takes the crown for the senior showmanship.