09/28/23: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Selected for academic awards at BVU

Nine business students and nine science students at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake have been selected for the Clifford A. Rae Academic Achievement Award for the 2023 academic year.

The awards range up to $9,500 and were created by two separate endowments from foundations established by Dr. Harold Walter Siebens and named after the long-time advisor and counsel to Siebens and the foundations. The endowments support annual awards for up to three pre-qualified, academically high-performing BVU business and science students in each of the second, third and fourth years of school.

The recipients include Christian Voss, a business major from Everly, and Olivia Grooters, an agricultural science and agricultural education double-major from Sanborn.

H-M-S grads receive NCC scholarships

Four Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn graduates have been awarded scholarships through the Northwest Iowa Community College Foundation.

Ethan Baker, an Industrial & Commercial Wiring student from Melvin, has been awarded the Ag Processing, Inc. Scholarship. The purpose of the $1,000 scholarship is to encourage students to pursue careers in the agri-business industry.

Baker was awarded an Emerging Leaders of Osceola County scholarship. The $2,000 award was established to encourage northwest Iowans to pursue an education at NCC and to help finance the rising costs of postsecondary education. He was also awarded the Northwest Iowa Electrical Association Scholarship. The $500 award is given annually to assist future electricians with the cost of schooling that will prepare them for a career in the electrical industry.

Ethan Diehm, a welding student from Hartley, and Jaela Anliker, an Associate of Arts student from Primghar, have been awarded NCC Foundation Scholarships. Selection for the $2,000 award is based on academic achievement in high school and an essay written about themselves and how NCC can help them be successful.

Anliker also received a $1,000 NCC/Iowa Regents Transfer Scholarship. The award was established to encourage students to use NCC as a bridge to continue their bachelor's degrees at one of the State of Iowa Regent Institutions.

Diehm was also awarded a $1,000 Rosenboom Machine & Tool Inc. Scholarship.

Bradley Zamudio, an Associate of Arts student from Ocheyedan, received the Woods, Fuller, Shultz & Smith P.C. Diversity Scholarship.

The $1,000 scholarship is funded by the law firm which values diversity in the workforce and the community, including the unique contributions of immigrants and their families.

National 4-H Week is Oct. 1-7

Millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will celebrate everything 4-H during National 4-H Week, Oct. 1-7.

Local 4-H programs will observe National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people and highlighting the remarkable 4-H youth in the community who work each day to positively impact those around them.

The 2023 National 4-H Week theme is "I Love 4-H." The positive environment provided by 4-H volunteers ensures that kids in every county, from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities, are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles and are empowered with the skills to lead in life and career.

4-H believes that young people, in partnership with adults, can play a key role in creating a more promising and equitable future for youth, families and communities across the country. In 4-H, all members are given equal opportunity to succeed and are equipped with the skills they need to make a difference in the world.

For over 100 years 4‑H has inspired families, shaped careers and impacted communities. For more information on the Iowa 4-H Youth Development program, contact your local county Extension office or visit the Iowa 4-H website at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h.

Drivers stay alert for deer movement

Drivers are advised to stay alert as they travel Iowa's roadsides over the coming weeks. Autumn deer behavior, crop harvest and peak travel times for motorists combine to hike the risk of vehicle-deer collisions in Iowa.

From the middle of October until the third week of November, Iowa bucks become more active in the pursuit of does during the breeding season. Motorists may be distracted by the first deer that crosses not seeing the pursuing buck. This adds to multiple scenarios of fast moving, unpredictable deer crossing highways.

The crop harvest is already in full swing, concentrating deer into remaining cover that is often brushy creeks, trees or fence lines which often intersect with roads. A third factor will be the change away from daylight savings time on Nov. 5, placing more Iowans behind the wheel during the deer-heavy dawn and dusk periods.

A few ways to give drivers an edge during this period are to reduce speed, increase following distance from other cars, and to sweep eye movements from ditch to ditch, especially during those low light periods and when approaching those brushy or tree lined 'funnels' near roads. Drivers are also encouraged not to 'veer for deer,' leaving the lane of traffic could cause a collision with another vehicle or a roadside obstacle, such as a utility pole or culvert.

Iowa's deer herd is managed to provide a harvest of between 100,000 and 120,000 annually, that is achieved by providing additional opportunities for hunters to harvest does. Last year, Iowa hunters reported harvesting nearly 110,000 deer.

NWI fishing report

Anglers have found the most success fishing off rock points and the edges of weed lines. Slowly trolling over weed beds in around 15 feet of water has been working for a handful of species. Many weed beds are starting to die back as water temperatures decrease.

Water temperatures are dropping fast with the colder nights. Area water temperatures are in the upper to mid-60s. Most area water levels are slightly below crest.

East Okoboji Lake: Black crappie, fair. Use minnows and plastics. Bluegill, fair. Most fish have moved deeper; anglers can find success fishing from docks or shore. Use a small hook and piece of worm. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye, fair. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting will likely be needed.

Ingham Lake: Walleye, fair. Anglers have been successful morning and evening.

Minnewashta Lake: Black crappie, fair. Slowly troll over vegetation with minnows and plastics. Bluegill, fair. Pumpkinseed, good.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Black bullhead, good. Walleye, fair. Try trolling with spinners over or off weed lines.

Spirit Lake: You may have to move out deeper to find edges of weed lines. Water levels are 6 inches below crest.

Black bullhead, good. Anglers have been successful when fishing the north grade. Black crappie, fair. Many nice-sized fish have been seen lately. Use minnows and plastics. Bluegill, good. Try a small hook and a small piece of worm from the docks. In deeper water, use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Walleye, fair. Leeches and minnows work well. Anglers have been successful with slip bobbers off points and pulling spinners over vegetation. Yellow perch, fair. Larger fish have been more difficult to find.

West Okoboji Lake: Bass topwater bite has been good. Water levels are 2 inches below crest. Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill, good. Use pilkies with wigglers or a slip bobber setup. Pumpkinseed, good. Walleye, fair. Leeches and minnows work well. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting may be needed.