12/07/23: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

NWI fishing report

Most area water levels are a few inches below crest. Most smaller lakes are covered in a thin layer of ice. Until the ice thickens more, fishing access is hard to find.

East Okoboji Lake: The lake almost entirely covered in a thin layer of ice.

Black crappie, fair. Using minnows and plastics has been working well for many anglers. Bluegill, fair. Try using a small hook and piece of worm. In deeper water try using pilkies with wigglers or slip bobber setup. Walleye, fair. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting will most likely be needed.

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

Lost Island Lake: Most of the lake has begun to ice up.

Black crappie, fair. Walleye, fair. Anglers have been successful fishing from shorelines in the evenings.

Minnewashta Lake: Black crappie, fair. Slowly trolling over vegetation and using minnows and plastics has been working well for many anglers. Bluegill, fair. Pumpkinseed, good.

Scharnberg Pond: Trout were stocked Nov. 8 as a part of the Urban Lakes Trout Program. Be sure to have a valid fishing license and trout stamp.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Black bullhead, good. Walleye, fair. Expect the walleye bite to improve this week with falling water temperatures.

Spirit Lake: Large portions of the lake have begun to freeze over. The current water level is nine inches below crest. The crappie bite has been good.

Black crappie, good. Minnows and plastics has been working well. Many nice sized fish have been seen lately. Bluegill, good. Try a small hook and a small piece of worm. In deeper water, try pilkies with wigglers or slip bobber setup. Walleye, good. Minnows have been working well. Yellow perch, good. Good numbers can be found but may need to be sorted for size.

West Okoboji Lake: The lake is mostly open, but ice has begun to form in many of bays. Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill, good. Try pilkies with wigglers or slip bobber setup. Pumpkinseed, good. Walleye, good. Minnows and plastics have been working well. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting may be needed.

Crop Advantage Series returns in January

The 2024 Crop Advantage meetings will give Iowa producers a solid foundation of current research-based crop production information to help make smart, informed decisions for their farming operation.

The meetings are an opportunity for farmers and crop advisers to hear current research and crop production information from Iowa State University. ISU Extension and Outreach specialists will travel to 12 locations around Iowa during January, providing updated management options and recommendations on crop production issues facing Iowa growers.

Meetings include continuing education credits for Certified Crop Advisers and pesticide applicator recertification. All sites offer private pesticide applicator continuing instruction for an additional fee of $30 paid to the local county Extension office.

"There is no other program in our crop production education year where we are able to bring this many Iowa State University Extension and Outreach specialists together to sites across the state. We're excited to provide the quality, in-person education farmers and retailers have come to expect," said Extension Field Agronomist Gentry Sorenson.

Program topics vary by location and are selected for regional issues. Examples of topics this year include crop market updates, herbicide carryover and weed management strategies, climate outlook for 2024, corn rootworm variant management, soybean disease updates, manure management and cover crops impact on the nitrogen cycle.

To view the schedule of topics for each location, visit http://www.aep.iastate.edu/cas.

Meeting dates and locations in this area include Jan. 3 at Sheldon, Jan. 4 at Storm Lake and Jan. 23 at Okoboji.

Early registration for each location is $75; late registration made less than seven days prior to the meeting or on-site is $100. Registration includes lunch and CCA credits.

For additional program details and online registration, visit http://www.aep.iastate.edu/cas. For more information, contact Sorenson at (641) 430-6715 or Leah Ten Napel at (712) 541-3493.

NCC president receives prestigious award

Dr. John Hartog, III, president of Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon, was presented the "Pacesetter of the Year" award at the District 5 National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) Conference, held Oct. 4-6 in St. Louis, Mo.

"Pacesetter of the Year" is given to a community college president or CEO who shows exceptional leadership and support in communications and marketing. Hartog was nominated for this honor by members of NCC's Marketing Department, including Kristin Kollbaum, Director of Marketing & Communications, and Lori Richards, Creative Services Coordinator.

The nomination included answers to critical questions that highlight the values and impact of a true pacesetter in education. It was noted that Hartog's innovative strategies have significantly elevated NCC's profile and advanced the institution both locally and regionally. His efforts have contributed to the broader community college network, enhancing their visibility and impact on the national stage, and he has consistently applied sound public relations principles, significantly boosting NCC's marketing efforts and enhancing its local presence.

Under Hartog's leadership, NCC has seen increased community support, reflecting his success in building strong local partnerships, and he has actively supported NCMPR's mission, contributing to the organization's growth and effectiveness.

This award is part of the NCMPR Conference, where marketing and communication professionals from community colleges gather to share ideas and celebrate achievements. Recipients of the district award automatically qualify for the national award which will be presented at the national conference to be held in Seattle, Wash. in March 2024.

Awards presented to NCC Marketing Department

The Marketing Department of Northwest Iowa Community College in Sheldon has been recognized with top honors at the District 5 National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) Conference. The conference took place from Oct. 4-6 in St. Louis, Mo., and celebrated the outstanding achievements of community college marketing professionals across the nation.

NCC's team displayed their capabilities by securing six awards in diverse categories, reflecting their commitment and skill in marketing and communications. They received gold awards in the following categories: Magazine – The Connection, Spring 2023; Excellence in Writing: Short Form – "A Discovery of Mammoth Proportions," The Connection, Fall 2022; and Postcard – Search Piece Campaign.

NCC received a silver award for Note/Card/Invitations – Building H Open House, and bronze awards for Academic Catalog or Class Schedule and Video Shorts: Series – Website videos.

This year's NCMPR Medallion Awards competition was intensely competitive, featuring over 240 entries across 47 categories, with only 115 entries receiving gold, silver or bronze awards. Entries were evaluated based on design, copy and overall effectiveness, showcasing the best in community college marketing.

"These awards are a testament to our team's hard work and dedication. It's an honor to be recognized among such talented professionals," said Director of Marketing & Communications Kristin Kollbaum.

Members of the Marketing Department include Kollbaum and Lori Richards, Creative Services Coordinator.

Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease hitting Iowa hard

Iowa is experiencing the third-worst outbreak of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), behind only the outbreaks in 2012 and 2019 in severity.

The disease appears to have hit southeastern Iowa the hardest, but has been reported in 74 counties, which is the highest number of counties to report the disease in one year.

According to the Iowa DNR, most of the highest-impacted counties have deer populations that exceed state management goals. Historically, Iowa deer herds impacted by EHD outbreaks have bounced back fairly quickly, typically recovering to prior levels within two or three years. Unless the DNR detects a sustained decline in deer numbers, it doesn't anticipate any changes to its management strategy resulting from this EHD outbreak.

What's unique for the current outbreak is that it occurred later in the year due to the prolonged warm weather allowed midges to keep spreading. A killing frost will end the outbreak by eliminating the midges that cause the disease.

The vast majority of what the Iowa DNR knows about annual EHD outbreaks come from the public. Hunters and landowners who suspect EHD is on their property are encouraged to contact the state officials to improve monitoring efforts.