12/15/22: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

AgState reports good results in first year

AgState held its annual meeting in-person on Tuesday, Dec. 6 and reported positive numbers.

AgState CEO Troy Upah and Board President Chuck Specketer, along with CFO Bob Dobson, presented the annual report. The company showed sales of $1.5 billion and a net savings of $21.5 million. $7.5 million of the 2022 profits were allocated to 4,500 members. The cash distributed to the membership at the annual meeting was $5.9 million including a revolvement of deferred patronage.

"AgState had a good year and the two cooperatives as a combined organization are already recognizing considerable savings and synergies, providing opportunities for the AgState membership," said Specketer.

AgState had a record year in grain handling, accepting over 140 million bushels with over 30 million bushels being consumed by the cooperatives's feed business. InSite CDM enrolled over 225,000 acres of data management services making a difference in the bottom lines of farmers throughout the Midwest. In addition, AgState's Energy department provided 19.6 million gallons of refined fuels and propane.

AgState has 34 locations throughout northwest Iowa, including Hartley and Royal.

Area housing trust receives $498,250 grant

More than $11 million in grants have been awarded to 26 local housing trust funds to support local housing initiatives. The grant awards announced by the Iowa Finance Authority are made available through the Local Housing Trust Fund program and are expected to assist 2,390 families.

"The 2023 Local Housing Trust Fund awards represent the largest amount allocated through the program for local housing initiatives since the program's inception," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham in a news release. "Thanks to the funding increase supported by Gov. Reynolds and the Iowa Legislature, the program is able to serve as an invaluable and flexible resource for meeting the important and unique housing needs of each region of the state."

Northwest Iowa Regional Housing Trust, Inc. was awarded $498,250 through the Local Housing Trust Fund. The trust serves Buena Vista, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Lyon, O'Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto and Sioux counties.

Grant funds will be used statewide for initiatives such as preserving aging housing stock, subsidizing local rental and down payment assistance programs, providing low-interest loans or grants to assist Iowans with home rehabilitation, financing construction of new single-family housing for low-income Iowans and supporting housing for persons with disabilities and homeless assistance programs.

The awards will leverage an additional $3.2 million in other financing or 28 cents for every dollar of Local Housing Trust Fund program funding. Since its inception, the State Housing Trust Fund has provided $112.2 million in affordable housing assistance to benefit more than 35,200 Iowa families, leveraging more than $175 million in other funding resources.

The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least 60 percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by the Iowa Finance Authority as a Local Housing Trust Fund.

The remaining funding goes to the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. The Iowa Finance Authority administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.

Normal November rainfall, drought conditions remain

The month of November ended with much of northwestern Iowa receiving below-normal precipitation and southeastern Iowa observing above-average totals, according to the latest water summary report compiled by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Statewide precipitation was just under two inches, which is slightly above normal for the month. Some improvement in drought conditions occurred in November, but significant drought remains in the state, especially in northwest Iowa.

Streamflow, soil moisture and shallow groundwater conditions are showing some improvement, but more rainfall is needed. However, the winter months are typically the driest of the year, so it will be harder to see widespread improvement in drought conditions until spring. Rainfall and snow over the next few weeks will certainly help, especially in northwest Iowa, where moisture is most needed.

NWI fishing report

Most lakes are almost entirely frozen over with good enough ice to walk out on. Larger lakes may have holes that have more recently iced over; use caution when going out. A good amount of snow is forecast in the area, which will make reading ice conditions more difficult. Check ice thickness often.

East Okoboji Lake: The lake is almost entirely iced over with around 4.5 inches in most areas. Use caution when going out; watch for holes that have iced over more recently on the south bay. The water level is 10 inches below crest.

Black crappie, good. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow or tube jig and bobber. Bluegill, fair. Use tube jigs, plastics, or other small jigs. Walleye, fair. Try crawler harnesses, crankbaits and minnows. Yellow perch, fair. Minnows work well; some sorting may be needed.

Lost Island Lake: Walleye, good. Try spinners, crankbaits, and shallow shad raps. Evening bite is improving as the water cools.

Minnewashta Lake: There is a good amount of ice on the lake for fisherman traveling on foot and some light machines.

Black crappie, excellent. Bluegill, good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Ice thickness is 4.5 inches.

Walleye, good. Use spinners, crankbaits, and long and shallow shad raps.

Spirit Lake: The lake is almost entirely iced over with 5-plus inches of ice in most places. Watch for holes that have more recently iced over. The lake is 14 inches below crest.

Muskellunge, good. Try crankbaits, buck tails, and rubber baits. Walleye, good. The bite is hit-or-miss at dusk, but the day bite is improving. Many anglers have started to fish in shallower with slip bobbers along weed edges. Try spinners, crankbaits, and long and shallow shad raps; look for weed lines to troll or jig off of. Yellow perch, good. Use small jigs tipped with a minnow. Sorting may be needed.

West Okoboji Lake: Many of the bays are starting to freeze over, but the majority of the lake is still open. The water level is 10 inches below crest.

Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill, good. Use tube jigs, plastics, or other small jigs. Walleye, fair. Crawler harnesses, crankbaits, and minnows work well. Yellow perch, fair. Use small jigs tipped with a minnow. Sorting may be needed.

Certain registrations expire at year's end

Registrations for snowmobiles and OHVs purchased during the 2022 registration cycle expire Dec. 31.

Any decal displayed on a machine with a 22 printed on it will no longer be valid for machines used on snowmobile trails, public ice, or the OHV parks. Any registration that is not renewed prior to Jan. 1, 2023, will have a late penalty of $5 applied to the cost of the registration.

All user permits, which include resident snowmobiles and nonresident snowmobiles and OHVs, also expire Dec. 31. There is no late penalty for a permit purchased after Jan. 1, as they are issued for a calendar year. User permits are required for nonresident and resident snowmobiles used on public land or ice. Nonresident off road vehicles registered in their home state must display a user permit. Residents operating an off-highway vehicle do not need a user permit.

O'Brien County Farm Bureau honored for excellence

The O'Brien County Farm Bureau was recognized as an Outstanding County Farm Bureau during Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's 104th annual meeting held Dec. 6-7 in Des Moines.

The "outstanding" designation is awarded to Farm Bureaus that find unique ways to share about today's modern agriculture, discuss important ag-related topics with elected officials and support community members in need.

Farm Bureau helps its members in their farm businesses, from representing their public policy interests at the local, state and national levels to enhancing market opportunities and providing critical information to elected officials.