08/29/24: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Top honors awarded at Dorset Sheep Show

An area exhibitor won honors during the Dorset Sheep Show at the 2024 Iowa State Fair.

Gensley Ball, of Greenville, placed first and second in the Shorn Ewe Lamb-All Ages division, and also placed second with a pair of ewe lambs.

Help the DNR track hemorrhagic disease

Hemorrhagic disease, commonly referred to as EHD or Bluetongue, has been impacting deer in Iowa for over a decade, with severe outbreaks occurring in 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2023. As a way to better understand disease impacts, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has created an online tool where hunters and landowners can report dead deer resulting from hemorrhagic disease outbreaks.

The new reporting tool, plus an annual dashboard, is linked off the Deer Hunting and Deer Health Webpage (www.iowadnr.gov/deer). Hemorrhagic disease has previously gone underreported and this new tool will help to simplify the process, as well as improve the accuracy of the number of deer and local areas impacted. Submitting these reports assists the DNR in understanding and managing Iowa’s deer populations.

Characteristics of hemorrhagic disease are:

• Mortalities generally occurring between July and September, occasionally later during unseasonably warm weather;

• Finding more than one deer carcass;

• Discovering carcasses near a water source.

Outbreak severity has varied from year to year and there is no effective treatment or known prevention for wild deer. Hemorrhagic disease typically doesn’t impact county deer populations uniformly, meaning that deer on one property may experience a severe outbreak while deer on a neighboring property do not.

Generally, deer populations in areas where outbreaks occurred have recovered to near normal levels within 2-3 years with no additional management actions. However, counties with low or declining deer populations that experience an outbreak may need additional help to facilitate recovery.

NWI fishing report

Water levels are barely above crest and water temperatures are in the low to mid 70s. Many area lakes are currently experiencing algae blooms.

East Okoboji Lake: Lake level is around two inches over crest. Black crappie, good. Bluegill, good. Many bluegill seen, easily catchable around functional docks. Largemouth bass, fair. Bass are a little ways off shore; you can still find some around docks and other structures. Yellow perch, good. Many perch seen; sorting most likely needed.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Lake level is below crest. Lake outlet boards broken during high water this summer, but now replaced. Lake is experiencing an algae bloom.

Walleye, good. Bite hit-or-miss, but very good when bite is on.

Spirit Lake: Lake level is around one inch over crest.

Black crappie, good. Anglers finding quality-size crappie; biting on almost anything. Bluegill, fair. Walleye, good.

Absentee ballot requests open in Iowa

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is urging Iowans to make a plan to vote this November, which includes checking your voter registration status, finding your polling place, and requesting an absentee ballot.

Aug. 27 was the first day Iowans could begin requesting absentee ballots for the 2024 general election. County auditors will begin mailing absentee ballots to those that requested them on Oct. 16. Oct. 16 also marks the beginning of in-person absentee voting for the 2024 general election. Iowans must ensure their absentee ballot is returned to their county auditor’s office by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Absentee ballot request forms are available on the Secretary of State’s website. Voters need to download the form, complete and sign, and submit it to their county auditor. Providing a phone number or email address on the form is encouraged, but not required.

Active military members and overseas citizens can also begin requesting absentee ballots for the November general election. That request form is available online.

For more information to help prepare for the general election, Iowans are encouraged to visit VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

More than 70 units collected at blood drive

Seventy-four units of blood were collected during the drive held in Hartley on Aug. 21. The blood collected could save or potentially sustain the lives of 222 people in need.

LifeServe Blood Center recognizes the donors who achieved milestone donations at the drive: Betty Harms, 9 gallons; Mark Dodge, 8 gallons; Sandra Nelson, 2 gallons; Shirley Groff and Megan Kellen, 1 gallon. Together they have donated 168 pints of blood, potentially sustaining the lives of 504 people.

The next blood drive in Hartley is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 12:30-5 p.m. at Trinity United Church of Christ.