Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties
Local students on Northwestern Dean’s List
Two area students have earned spots on the spring 2024 semester Academic Dean’s List at Northwestern College in Orange City.
The Dean’s List is comprised of students who have achieved a semester grade point average of 3.50 or above while carrying a minimum of 12 graded hours. This semester, 404 students qualified for the Dean’s List. Of them, 269 students earned a GPA of 3.75 or higher and are considered Collegiate Scholars.
Those included on the Dean’s List are Jasmine Lux, of Sanborn, a junior majoring in elementary education; and Emma Schmillen (Collegiate Scholar), of Hartley, a sophomore majoring in elementary education.
Graduate from BVU
More than 400 students graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake during spring commencement exercises. The following local students were among them.
Everly: Sara Falline, Master of Arts, Organizational Leadership.
Hartley: Halle Van Beek, Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education.
ISU announces spring 2024 Dean’s List
More than 10,600 Iowa State University students were recently recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the spring semester 2024 Dean’s List. Students named to the Dean’s List must earn a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work.
Everly: Aliah Faith Habben, 4, Psychology; Morgan Jean Jensen, 4, Architecture-Professional Degree; and Elle Christine Storey, 4, Management.
Hartley: Joseph David Ahlers, 4, Civil Engineering; Lydia Elise Harders, 3, Psychology; and Jesse Garcia Morataya, 3, Graphic Design.
Royal: Nicole Lynn Fahnlander, 4, Marketing.
Peterson: Dalayna Brugman, 4, Animal Science.
Seek nominees for Family Physician of the Year
The Iowa Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) is seeking nominations for the 2024 Family Physician of the Year. Each year the IAFP awards one family physician the title “Family Physician of the Year” based on outstanding service to patients and community, and devotion to Family Medicine.
If you would like to nominate your family physician, please nominate them online at https://iaafp.org/awards/, or send letters of nomination to the Iowa Academy describing why your family physician should receive the Family Physician of the Year Award. Letters can be sent to the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians, 6500 University Avenue, Ste 100, PMB 123, Windsor Heights, IA 50324 or emailed to [email protected]. Nomination deadline is Sept. 3.
The 2024 Iowa Family Physician of Year will be honored during the IAFP Annual Conference on Nov. 7, at the Meadows Event Center in Altoona.
Drought conditions end after four years
After four years of below normal rainfall and drought conditions, the state has returned to normal hydrologic conditions, according to the latest water summary update by the Iowa DNR.
The last time Iowa was free from any drought designation by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) was June of 2020.
May’s preliminary statewide precipitation was 7.51 inches across the state, or 2.67 inches above normal. The increased rainfall has led to improved streamflow and soil moisture conditions across the state, with the spring months of March, April, and May ranking among the Top Ten wettest on record. May had an average statewide temperature of 50.7 degrees, just over two degrees above normal.
“The above normal rainfall in May was significant, and it helped to push drought conditions out of the state. Six of the last eight months have been wetter than normal, and that is exactly the trend we have been waiting to see,” said Tim Hall, the DNR’s hydrology resources coordinator, in a news release. “If we continue to see normal rainfall in the months ahead we will be in great shape this year, with soil moisture and streamflow returning to normal levels.”
June through August normally sees an increase in water demand, so having a recharged hydrologic system is important as the summer season begins.
Leave firewood at home
Thousands of Iowans will be camping and building campfires throughout the summer, and the Iowa DNR is encouraging campers to buy firewood from where they will burn it instead of bringing it from home.
“Moving unseasoned firewood around the state can threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects like emerald ash borer (EAB), oak wilt, and other pests that live in firewood,” said Tivon Feeley, DNR Forest Health Forester, in a news release.
Plenty of firewood is available locally to your favorite state or county park. Ask a park ranger or campground host where you can get local firewood. Make sure you burn all of your firewood at your campsite and not leave it or transport to a new area.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood.
Learn more about the importance of using local or certified heat-treated firewood at http://www.dontmovefirewood.org/.
Elementary students learn about corn
In May, second and fourth grade students across Siouxland learned about corn thanks to Siouxland Agriculture In the Classroom.
Students learned about the lifecycle of field corn starting from planting and moving on to chopping corn silage and then harvest. They also learned about how field corn can be used in ethanol, livestock feed, and 4,000 other things that people eat and use every day.
Second graders labeled the different parts of a corn stalk then got to create their own corn stalk out of pipe cleaners. Fourth graders got to go further into discussion about the lifecycle of corn by talking about aphids, weeds, weather and other things that farmers have challenges with. They also got to create corn paint out of cornstarch, water and food coloring.
Siouxland Agriculture In the Classroom is a non-profit organization funded by donations from local supporters, with a goal of teaching Siouxland-area students where their food comes from. The organization teaches 4,500 2-4 grade students each month in 200 classrooms in 57 schools in Sioux, Plymouth, Woodbury Monona, Ida, Cherokee and O’Brien counties.
NWI fishing report
Area water temperatures are in the upper 60s and low 70s. Water levels are above crest and have flooded some lower level areas.
East Okoboji Lake: Lake level is 1.6 feet above crest.
Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, good. Lots of fish have been observed in shallower waters; many fish are on beds. Largemouth bass, fair. Bass are a little ways off shore; you can still find some around docks and other structures. Yellow perch, good. Many fish have been observed; sorting will most likely be needed.
Ingham Lake: Walleye, fair. Anglers have been successful morning and afternoon.
Silver Lake (Dickinson): Lake level is 8 inches over crest.
Walleye, good. Bite has been hit-or-miss, but has been very good when the bite is on.
Spirit Lake: Lake level is 1.3 feet over crest.
Black crappie, good. Anglers are finding quality-size fish; they are biting on almost anything. Bluegill, fair. Walleye, good. Anglers are catching quality-sized fish. Evening bite is best with leech and bobber from shore or crankbaits and slip bobbers by boat. Yellow perch, good. Sorting may be needed.
West Okoboji Lake: Lake level is 1.7 feet above crest.
Black crappie, fair. Bluegill, good. Pumpkinseed, good. Walleye, fair. Yellow perch, fair. Sorting may be needed.
