08/04/22: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Non-party candidate filing period has changed

Pursuant to a federal court order, the filing period for candidates for Non-Party Political Organizations (NPPO) and non-affiliated persons for the upcoming General Election on Nov. 8 has changed.

According to Clay County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Ann Baschke, anyone interested in running as an NPPO or non-affiliated candidate in the General Election may pick up nomination papers and affidavits of candidacy in the Auditor's Office, located at 400 West 4th Street in Spencer, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/general/index.html.

The first day for non-party candidates, including township trustees, to file for the General Election is Monday, Aug. 8, with a filing deadline of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug 31. The last day to file for Soil & Water Commissioners and Ag-Extension is also 5 p.m. on Aug. 31. If you have already filed papers to be on the General Election ballot, you do not need to refile.

County positions open are County Supervisor (3), County Treasurer (1), County Recorder (1), County Attorney (1), Township Trustees and Clerks, Soil & Water Commissioner (2), and Ag-Extension Council (5) candidates.

For more information about the General Election, contact the Clay County Auditor's office at (712) 262-1569.

OCPH offering home visiting program

Effective July 1, O'Brien County Public Health now offers a home visiting program for local parents.

Funded by Early Childhood Iowa, Best Care for Better Babies & Children programs are delivered by a team of family support professionals trained in: Prenatal care, developmental milestones, breastfeeding support, community resources, immunizations, car seat safety and parent education.

Individualized in-home visits with children will provide one-on-one time with parents and children. Developmental screenings assess overall health, development, language, hearing and vision with the goal of preventing difficulties later in life.

For more information, contact O'Brien County Public Health at (712) 957-0105 or email [email protected].

NCC students awarded scholarships

Wyatt Borden, of Sanborn, has been awarded the Maintainer Corporation of Iowa, Inc. Scholarship by the Northwest Iowa Community College Foundation. The $1,000 scholarship is made possible through support from Maintainer. Recipients are selected due to their academic achievement and potential for success. Borden will be a student in the Accounting program this fall.

The NCC Foundation awards $1,250 scholarships funded by Sioux Center Health. Recipients are chosen because of their academic achievement and potential for success in a health-related field. One of the recipients is Nancy Masita, of Sanborn.

Jagger Anliker, of Primghar, is a recipient of a Premier Communications Scholarship. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded to encourage students in Premier Communication's service communities to pursue postsecondary education at NCC. Anliker is a student in the Associate of Arts program at NCC.

Haying or grazing allowed on area CRP acres

Twelve Iowa counties have been authorized for emergency haying or grazing use of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres for fiscal year 2022. The Farm Service Agency's fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

The six counties approved for emergency haying or grazing include Buena Vista, Clay, Ida, Palo Alto, Pocahontas and Sac. Six additional counties are restricted under Emergency Haying Criteria Based on LFP Triggers: Cherokee, Monona, O'Brien, Plymouth, Sioux and Woodbury.

Counties are automatically approved for CRP emergency haying and grazing when they reach the D2 (severe drought) level on the U.S. Drought Monitor and are outside of the primary nesting season (May 15-Aug. 1).

According to FSA Executive Director Matt Russell, a CRP participant must receive approval for emergency haying from their county FSA office before any action is taken. The emergency haying authorizations end on Aug. 31, 2022. Participants must also receive approval for emergency grazing from their local FSA office. The emergency grazing period for these counties will end Sept. 30, 2022.

CRP participants are eligible to seek approval for either emergency haying or emergency grazing, but cannot do both on the same acres.

"Eligible producers who are interested in emergency haying and grazing of CRP must request approval before haying and grazing eligible acreage and must obtain a modified conservation plan from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) that includes haying and grazing provisions," said Russell in a news release. "Current provisions allow landowners and producers approved by the local FSA office for haying or grazing to begin no sooner than Aug. 2."

There will be no CRP annual rental payment reduction for 2022 emergency haying and grazing authorizations.

CRP participants in counties not eligible for Emergency Haying and Grazing are eligible for Non-Emergency Haying and Grazing as of Aug. 2. CRP participants should check with their local FSA office to determine their eligibility and specifics. They need to sign up and get approval from their local FSA office before any haying or grazing is started.

Iowans create record number of new businesses

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announces Iowans registered the highest number of new business entities in state history during the 2022 fiscal year. 33,331 new businesses registered with the Secretary of State's Office between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. The mark breaks the previous record of 33,260 set last year.

"Despite rising inflation and supply chain disruptions, this data shows Iowa entrepreneurs are investing in businesses in our state," Pate said in a news release. "I'm very proud of the work we've done to make it faster and easier than ever to launch a new business in Iowa."

The months of March and June 2022 saw the highest amount of new business creations. Nearly 3,200 businesses registered with the secretary of state's office in March, and 3,059 registered in June.

Pate reduced filing fees for businesses, beginning July 1. Biennial Report fees for most entities have decreased by $15 and Uniform Commercial Code filing fees were cut in half.

Ninety percent of new business filings in Iowa in Fiscal Year 2022 were created using Fast Track Filing. This system implemented by Pate in 2018 greatly expedites the registration process, allowing same day service.

Iowa pheasant population survey underway

Iowa pheasant hunters had an excellent season last year, harvesting the most roosters since 2008, and many are looking forward to what 2022 has in store. That fall forecast will be based on the Iowa DNR's annual roadside pheasant counts, which begins Aug. 1.

The statewide survey is conducted between Aug. 1-15 by Iowa DNR staff, who drive 218, 30-mile routes on gravel roads at dawn on mornings with heavy dew. Hen pheasants will move their broods to the edge of the gravel road to dry off before they begin feeding, which makes them easier to count.

In June the DNR issued its annual prediction for the roadside counts, which uses a weather model based on the snowfall, rainfall and temperatures from the past winter and spring. The model provides a best guess at what the counts might look like, and it is predicting counts as good to better numbers than last year. And that is good news for hunters as they bagged an estimated 375,000 roosters in 2021.

But the best indicator for the fall season is the August roadside survey that counts actual pheasants seen along more than 6,000 miles of rural, gravel roads.

The August roadside survey has been conducted. Results will be posted online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/pheasantsurvey in early September. Iowa's pheasant season begins Oct. 29.