08/10/23: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

H-M-S baseball players garner postseason honors

Two Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn baseball players received postseason recognition from the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association.

Junior Jacob Cates earned honorable mention on the 2023 Class 1A Northwest All-District Team.

Senior Tyson Tessum was named to the IHSBCA Academic All-State second team. Those named to the academic all-state teams are seniors and were nominated by their coaches. The Top 23 selections were named to the first team and the next 20 were included on the second team.

Register now for Bite by the Barn at CCF

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and the Clay County Fair will host Bite by the Barn on Thursday, Sept. 14, from 4-5:30 p.m. at the fairgrounds in Spencer.

Bite by the Barn is an adult agriculture education program designed to share accurate information about production agriculture and the food supply with consumers.

“We often hear of misconceptions in agriculture and about our food supply, and many consumers are far removed from farming and production agriculture,” said Sarah Dirks, Clay County Extension adult program coordinator, in a news release. “We invite adults from across the region to join us for a fun time at the fair learning from real people in the ag industry and enjoying tasty bites along the way.”

According to Dirks, Bite by the Barn will feature interactive barn tours led by Extension specialists and industry experts, delicious snacks and coupons sponsored by local industry partners, and an opportunity for consumers to ask their agriculture and food supply questions.

The program is free to registered participants. Participants will receive educational resources, tasty treats and free admission into the Clay County Fair the afternoon of the program. Dirks suggests that participants wear tennis shoes and dress for the outdoors as the program does involve walking through livestock barns at the fair.

For more information and/or to register for Bite by the Barn, visit https://go.iastate.edu/EJECUY or contact Dirks at (712) 262-2264 or [email protected]. Registration deadline is Sept. 7.

Museum debuts birthplace of Extension exhibit

The Hull Historical Museum in Hull is featuring a new local exhibit, a tribute to former northwest Iowa farmers who had a hand in establishing the Extension service, or what is known today as Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Iowa Agricultural College was established in 1858, and in 1862 the Morrill Act provided each state a grant of federal land to lease or fund a university providing knowledge for the people. In 1903, Hull farmers inquired if the Ames-based college’s research applied to crops and farming practices in northwest Iowa. The rest, as they say, is history.

“Hull has long been recognized as the birthplace of Extension in Iowa,” said Cheryl Heronemus, Extension regional director. “With the help of our Rising Star Interns, we created a permanent exhibit to highlight Hull’s part in establishing an organization that now benefits so many.”

The “Birthplace of an Idea” exhibit will be on display at the Hull Historical Museum during August and continuing for an indefinite amount of time. Individuals interested in viewing the exhibit can stop by the museum any Wednesday afternoon between 1-4 p.m.

Visitors are encouraged to pay special attention to the “Sioux County Farmers Institute Program,” a document listing the names of individuals who helped to birth the idea of Extension in February 1903.

For more information about the exhibit or Extension in Iowa, visit the Hull Historical Museum or call Heronemus at (712) 737-4230.

Strolling and grounds acts come to Clay Co. Fair

A walking robot, bubble show, and comedy acts are just a few examples of the more than $180,000 in free entertainment to fairgoers during the 2023 Clay County Fair powered by SMU Sept. 9-17.

The Bubbler will be returning to the fair, strolling around the grounds in various places putting on a grand show for all ages. This act will perform all nine days at the fair from Sept. 9-17.

Traveling his way around the fairgrounds is Rock-It the Robot. Rock-It walks, talks, and rocks as he strolls around the grounds. Standing at nine feet tall, you won’t miss him coming playing music and making your fair experience memorable, Sept. 9-17.

Phil Baker, a returner to the fair, will be walking the grounds with his guitar performing songs for kids that will have them smiling and entertained. Baker will be at the fair all nine days from Sept. 9-17.

Also returning is Farmer Bob and his tractor, loaded with antique equipment and other items fit for a true farmer. He will be strolling around fairgrounds daily, Sept. 9-17.

The final strolling act is The Ice Cream Show. This show will have you screaming for more as Greg Frisbee entertains with his antics and quick wit. Roving around on his tricycle and ice cream cart, you will see him in various locations around the fairgrounds. Using the audience to engage viewers, his fun and comedic act will leave you wanting more of the sweet treat, Sept. 9-17.

Invasive aquatic plants confirmed at West Okoboji Lake

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recently discovered Eurasian watermilfoil growing throughout the canals near Miller’s Bay and The Harbor canals on West Okoboji Lake in Dickinson County.

Brittle naiad was also found in the Triboji lagoon. No Eurasian watermilfoil or brittle naiad was found in the main lake of West Okoboji or the other lakes in the Iowa Great Lakes chain.

“We are developing a management plan and working with local stakeholders and communities to develop a plan of action for the coming weeks,” said Mike Hawkins, fisheries biologist for the Iowa DNR, in a news release. “We’re getting permits in place in case the community and DNR decide that a herbicide treatment of the canals and lagoon is the best option.”

The DNR is asking boaters and other users in these areas to be extra vigilant to help prevent the spread of these invasive aquatic plants elsewhere in West Okoboji or the other lakes in this chain.

“It is critical to clean all vegetation from boats and equipment before moving out of the canals and lagoon into the main lake to prevent the spread of Eurasian watermilfoil and brittle naiad into West Okoboji Lake,” said Kim Bogenschutz, the DNR’s aquatic invasive species program coordinator.

The Iowa DNR Aquatic Plant Management team monitors the vegetation in the Iowa Great Lakes each year. The monitoring has been especially important this summer. East Okoboji, Upper Gar, Minnewashta, and Lower Gar Lakes were aggressively treated with herbicide to eradicate Eurasian watermilfoil discovered in those lakes late last summer. The DNR worked closely with lake associations, cities, Dickinson County, and other organizations to develop and fund that treatment plan. Surveys conducted this week found no Eurasian watermilfoil growing in East Okoboji or the three lower chain lakes.

Eurasian watermilfoil, an invasive rooted aquatic plant native to parts of Europe and Asia, can spread quickly and outcompete beneficial native plants. It reproduces by fragmentation, which means small pieces of it grow into new plants and form thick beds.

Iowa’s Aquatic Invasive Species Program has been a national leader in control efforts to stop Eurasian watermilfoil for the past 30 years.

“Iowa DNR has successfully eradicated the plant in many lakes throughout the state. The size and complexity of the Iowa Great Lakes present real challenges for management,” explained Hawkins. “Lakes with healthy, diverse native aquatic plant communities may be less susceptible to an infestation that takes over the native plant community.”

Boaters and anglers can unintentionally spread Eurasian watermilfoil, brittle naiad and other aquatic invasive species if they do not take the proper precautions before going between lakes and after each time out on the water. “Clean, Drain, Dry” is a simple three-step process that boaters need to follow every time they move from one body of water to another.

It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species, such as Eurasian watermilfoil, in Iowa. Boaters must also drain all water from boats and equipment before leaving a water access and must keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport.

Find more information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters in the 2023 Iowa Fishing Regulations booklet or on the DNR’s website at http://www.iowadnr.gov/ais.

Iowa drought conditions intensify after dry July

The month of July ended in dry conditions, with Iowa receiving 3.10 inches of rain, more than an inch below normal. This marks the fifth month in a row of less than normal rainfall.

According to the Iowa Drought Plan, four of the five regions of the state are in “drought watch”. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that nearly all of Iowa faces some dryness or drought, with over half the state facing moderate drought conditions.

Over the last five months, Iowa has received just over a foot of rain, which is only 67 percent of the expected 18 inches. Although July was below normal for rainfall for the state, southwest Iowa ended the month with normal rainfall of 4.45 inches.

“After a dry spring and early summer the hope was for a return to normal rainfall in July, but that was not the case,” said Tim Hall, Iowa DNR coordinator of hydrology resources, in a news release. “Normal monthly rainfall declines as we move through summer and into fall, so the opportunities for getting out of drought this year become more limited, but not impossible, as time passes.”