State and Regional News

The rains of August have delayed this season’s harvest. In past years, harvest has been completed by this time. But this year, harvest will most likely go into the first couple weeks of November. “There hasn’t been a lot of corn taken for grain, at this point it is too wet,” Pro Crop Farm Management Realty broker Sam Harper said...

Top Iowa Fishing Spots for the Week of October 19. This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report...

Nine days of celebration at the “World’s Greatest County Fair” now makes way for five evenings of extreme terror on the Clay County Fairgrounds. The Spencer Jaycees “Nightmare at the Fair: Horror Movie Terror Tour” opens Friday night in the new Tower Gate Pavilion near the historic tower gates on Fourth Avenue West...

Cherokee Police Chief Nate James sadly reports that Ike, the Police Department’s beloved K-9 dog, has cancer and the doctor hasn’t given him long to live (30-60 days). “We can see him going downhill. Ike will be with us until he can’t do it anymore,” said Chief James...

Iowa is on track to see a 10 percent decline of opioid sales for 2017 amid national concerns about the abuse of such prescriptions. The Des Moines Register reports that the executive director of the Iowa Board of Pharmacy, Andrew Funk, relayed the information on Monday to a legislative committee studying opioid abuse...

Rain has kept Iowa and Nebraska farmers out of corn and soybean fields in the past few weeks significantly delaying the harvest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says just 32 percent of the Iowa soybean crop has been harvested, the lowest percentage harvested by this date since 1985 and only 13 percent of the corn crop for grain is finished, the smallest percentage harvested by this date since 2009...

This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report...

GrapeTree Medical Staffing announced Friday that CEO Tim Kinnetz has entered into a purchase agreement with Jared and Jacqui Penne, partners at Boji Bay Funhouse & Event Center. With this purchase, GrapeTree Medical Staffing will convert the events space into office space to expand its Milford-based headquarters, escalating the hiring of an estimated 200 new employees...

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship encourages all Iowa livestock farmers to make sure that all locations where they have livestock have a premises identification number (PIN) and to make sure their information is up-to-date. Letters will be going out over the next year to farmers that have registered premises...

The last year has been overall drier and a bit warmer, according to the latest Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Summary Update.  Earlier drought conditions in the Buena Vista County region and most of northwest Iowa have been erased, though moderate drought conditions remain in most of the eastern half of the state...

Celebrate International Archaeology Day by learning about some games from the past. O’Brien County Conservation Board is holding a Native Games Day at the Prairie Heritage Center on Sunday, October 22 beginning at 2 p.m.  This will be a hands-on event which engages participants in playing a wide variety of games.  Try your luck with games of chance.  Test your senses with observation activities.  Hone your skills with active games.  This event will include activities appropriate for people of all ages.   . ...

Two people were injured Thursday morning when a welder arced due to dust in the air at the Valero ethanol plant in Albert City. One victim was taken to Buena Vista Regional Medical Center for treatment of burn injuries. The other was treated at the scene for minor injuries and did not require hospitalization...

Several candidates running for office will appear at the Chautauqua Park Shelter House Saturday, October 14 from 4-7 p.m. Two candidates for Steve King’s seat will be Paul Dahl and Dr. John Paschen. Gubernatorial candidates Ross Wilburn and Jon Neiberbach will be there, as well as Dr. McGuire is all running for governor...

Congressman Steve King’s re-election campaign will host the annual Col. Bud Day Pheasant Hunt at the Hole N’ the Wall Lodge near Akron. Donald Trump, Jr. will join King for the hunt taking place on Iowa’s opening weekend of pheasant hunting season, October 28 and 29. ...

It probably will take until next spring for the Army Corps of Engineers to finish court-ordered additional environmental study of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, agency attorneys said in court documents filed Friday. The Corps had anticipated completing the task by the end of the year, but Justice Department attorney Matthew Marinelli said it will take longer than expected to get needed information including spill modeling from Texas-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners and possibly from at least one unspecified American Indian tribe.. ...

A stagnant farm economy that has slowed Nebraska and Iowa’s income growth to the lowest levels in the nation is also contributing to state budget problems that could linger through next year, officials said. Key lawmakers from both states said they’re concerned the agricultural downturn will persist, ripping through other sectors and putting additional strain on their budgets...

Storm Lake St. Mary’s School held their annual pet blessing on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi after the school Mass Wednesday afternoon. School chaplain Fr. Michael Cronin blessed the stuffed animals and live pets ranging from turtles to guinea pigs to horses, cats and dogs on the school playground...

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is watching Big Spirit Lake after a resident found a single juvenile zebra mussel attached to a rock in the southwest side of the lake on Sept. 23. Biologists at the DNR’s Boone research facility also found a single larval zebra mussel in a water sample collected from Big Spirit Lake in August...

One good turn deserves another. Recently, 10-year-old Addison Wyman presented country music legend Garth Brooks with a bouquet of yellow roses. In turn, Brooks removed the hat from his head and presented it to Addison. “Where I’m from when somebody gives you something, you give something back,” Brooks told the Spencer girl as he offered her his black custom made Stetson, “Here, enjoy your night.”...

Marilyn Meyer — historian, author and 35-year Everly educator — has kept busy in the world of education despite her retirement. At 86, it’s been no small task to procure signage, marking all 131 of Clay County’s country schools or their sites. “The schoolhouses were (platted on) an acre, and when the schools were closed — and it was different in different places — some places reverted back to the original owners, some of them were sold, some were sold at auction,” Meyer said. ...

A district court judge in Iowa has upheld a new state law that requires a three-day waiting period for abortions, a move that will send the issue to the Iowa Supreme Court. Polk County District Judge Jeffrey Farrell says in a ruling issued Monday that the law doesn’t place an undue burden on women...

An SUV crashed after all four occupants overdosed on heroin in North Carolina. The same day, a man in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, grabbed the steering wheel after his grandson lost consciousness while driving. Police in the city of 30,000 responded to 11 other overdose reports that day, including a woman who crashed her car just before a highway entrance...

First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake will host a forum on human trafficking beginning shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4. The church is located at 3501 Hill Ave. The discussion will include Rev. Raju Sundas, director of Lighthouse Ministries in Nepal; Rev. Rocky Vest, founder and director of Okoboji 200; and Hannah, a woman rescued from sex trafficking in Nepal...

Iowa is seeking permission from President Donald Trump’s administration to cut a key benefit for all its Medicaid recipients, a move that could foreshadow other state-level efforts to change the safety net program after Congress repeatedly failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act...

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump expressing her concern over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) move to potentially set biodiesel volumes in the RFS for 2018 and 2019 at substantially lower volumes, which could in turn, hurt Iowa farmers, manufacturers, and rural communities...

Crop Report It was a cool dry week in Iowa during the week ending September 24, according to USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included haying, hauling grain, chopping corn silage, seeding cover crops, and harvesting seed corn...

Western Iowa Congressman Steve King is celebrating news of a sweep of arrests of nearly 500 illegal aliens in supposed “sanctuary city” locations in 10 urban areas of the country over a four-day period. “The end of so-called ‘sanctuary cities’ is here. Like it or not, the rule of law will be enforced,” said King, who punctuated a social media post with several icons of police officers and one of clapping hands...

Plans to construct the “Rossie Finishing Farm,” a hog confinement unit near Lincoln Township in Clay County have been scrapped, in part due to concerns raised by neighbors. Bluejay Farms 1 LLC announced in a press release that despite the preliminary approval for construction by the Iowa DNR and a contract to raise pigs with Iowa Select Farms, the project was no more...

William Penn University is pleased to announce this year’s 2017 Ed Thomas Award recipient, Patricia Hussey Fisher. The Ed Thomas award is given to candidates who are successful in coaching young students in the world of athletics have a special gift of shaping and changing the lives of those they encounter...

For the past 29 years, the weekend after Labor Day weekend has been the annual PIGLIFT at the Iowa Great Lakes. That’s the Pocahontas Iowa Great Lakes Invitational Fishing Tournament, and each boat consists of three anglers, one of whom must at some time in his/her life been a resident in Pocahontas...

Stay Where You Play Make your next fishing trip an overnight stay. Take advantage of state park cabins and campgrounds near many of these bodies of water. Make your reservation now. For more information on availability and rates, visit iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com...

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a pilot project focusing on inclusive civic engagement Friday. The state of Iowa will partner with the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity’s Grand Boule to increase participation at the state level through gubernatorial boards and commissions. Gov. Reynolds says the pilot project offers another way to seek qualified and diverse applicants who are strong believers in becoming an active voice in state government...

J.D. Scholten, Democratic candidate for Iowa’s U.S. House 4th District representative seat, spent an afternoon at the party’s booth at the Clay County Fair visiting with constituents about issues ranging from economic opportunity for the middle class to creating public options to stabilize the health insurance market...

A retired New York City fire chief and 9/11 survivor was invited to the Clay County Fair and Events Center Saturday, to share his story with an audience of invited guests during CommStock Investments’ customer appreciation event. The Royal based business welcomed the former firefighter and author, Richard Picciotto, to talk about his experience as the highest ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse, after being inside the north tower when it came down. ...

Values of Iowa farmland have increased this year, reversing several years of declines, but industry experts say the change likely isn’t a signal that the agricultural economy is improving. Steve Bruere is president of Peoples Co., a farm management and brokerage firm. He told The Des Moines Register that a lack of farms on the market has driven up the value...

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new statewide initiative Tuesday to fight the growing number of sex trafficking cases in Iowa. Hotels and motels are primary locations for sex trafficking cases. Iowa’s Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery (NAHT) estimates at least 50 percent of sex trafficking takes place in hospitality venues, often without the knowledge of management and staff...

By COLIN VAN WESTEN Special to The Pilot Iowa Honey Queen Carly Vannoy visited the Sundholm Environmental Center on the Clay County Fairgrounds last weekend to educate fairgoers and promote honey bees. “It is my responsibility to represent beekeepers across the state and to educate about honey bees, honey and beekeeping,” Vannoy said...

This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report...

Iowa prison officials don’t plan to reopen four prison facilities with room for hundreds of inmates that had been temporarily closed because of budget cuts. The Des Moines Register reports that the three satellite prison units in Harpers Ferry, Clarinda and Fort Madison as well as a community corrections facility in Sheldon won’t be considered for reopening in the state Department of Corrections’ 2018 budget request to the Legislature...

Gov. Kim Reynolds issued the following statement Thursday after the Clean Jobs Midwest report showed Iowa leading in wind energy jobs. ‘The newly released Clean jobs Midwest report highlights what we know to be true in Iowa: renewable energy creates jobs and powers our economy...

A planning committee is seeking public input about how to transform riverfront along the Missouri River between Omaha and Council Bluffs. The Omaha World-Herald reports that about 200 people attended a Riverfront Revitalization Planning Committee meeting Monday to share what they’d like to see on a large strip of the riverfront. Focus areas include Gene Leahy Mall and Heartland of America Park in Council Bluffs...

Officials say 19 Iowa Army National Guard soldiers are deploying Monday for Hurricane Irma missions with four helicopters. The Iowa soldiers will come from units based in Boone, Davenport, Iowa City and Waterloo. The Guard says the Iowans will move supplies, equipment and people and support searches and rescues...

A nurse has been accused of stealing painkillers from a nursing home in northwest Iowa. Court records say 50-year-old Michelle Green is charged with fraudulent practice, dependent adult abuse, tampering with records and four counts of prohibited acts...

Current mayor of Cedar Rapids and former Iowa speaker of the House of Representatives Ron Corbett campaigned for governor at the Clay County Fair this weekend. “I have always seen this as the Branstad era coming to a close. ... I believe that primaries are good because it gets the candidates out working,” Corbett said. ...

This weekly fishing report is compiled from information gathered from local bait shops, angler creel surveys and county and state parks staff. For current information, contact the district fisheries office at the phone number listed at the end of each district report...

The Spencer Dream Center was one of multiple drop points in northwest Iowa for a variety of supplies destined for a Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, as part of the local Hurricane Harvey relief effort. The supplies were loaded into a truck trailer and driven to Sutherland, where at least three semitrucks holding approximately 40,000 pieces of clothing, food, water and other supplies waited...

The man who burned down a root beer tent during a Fort Dodge community event has been imprisoned. The Messenger reports that 29-year-old Timothy Wood was sentenced Monday in Webster County District Court to 10 years. He’d pleaded guilty to arson. At Monday’s hearing Wood said he didn’t remember setting fire to the Little John’s Root Beer stand on June 2 during Frontier Days. He said he was high on methamphetamine at the time...

Hurricane Harvey has impacted the pace of negotiations between the company that built the Dakota Access oil pipeline and North Dakota regulators investigating potential violations of state rules during construction. Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak says attorney negotiations have continued but Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners also has been busy with hurricane response...

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue on Friday said he was pleased with President Donald Trump’s decision to name Bill Northey to one of three key positions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Northey is a Spirit Lake farmer and Iowa’s current Secretary of Agriculture. Barring a snag in the confirmation process, he will be Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA...

Potential challengers to Steve King’s congressional throne spoke to Clay County Democrats at a fundraiser in Oneota Park on Sunday evening. Spencer city councilwoman and owner of The Bear, Leann Jacobsen, is entering the political arena to challenge the controversial incumbent...