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Swimming not recommended at three state beaches
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued swimming warnings for three state parks ahead of the Memorial Day weekend in its first beach report of the year. Due to high bacteria levels, the department does not recommend swimming at Union Grove State Park in Tama County, Lake Keomah State Park in Mahaska County, and the […]
Des Moines restaurant sues Iowa Capital Dispatch, claiming defamation
The owner of a Des Moines eatery and bar claims the Iowa Capital Dispatch defamed her business by including its photo at the top of a recent article that recounted food safety violations at more than a dozen restaurants. The owner of Wellman’s Pub, also known by its legal name of Right-Turn Clyde, recently filed […]
Environmental groups seek Biden moratorium on carbon dioxide pipelines
President Joe Biden should prevent the construction of new carbon dioxide pipelines until changes to federal rules are adopted to increase their safety, opponents of the projects said Thursday. The call for an executive order to stall the projects comes as federal regulators consider changes to pipeline requirements and are set to hold a two-day […]
Dry years cut nitrate loads in Iowa’s rivers
The amount of farm fertilizers going into Iowa’s waterways diminished considerably with the widespread drought of recent years, according to newly released state data. That data, which tracks the progress of the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, received its first comprehensive update in years this week and is displayed in a series of online dashboards. It […]
Hundreds of fish die from ‘spawning stress’ in Iowa lakes
A significant number of bluegill and crappie recently died at two southern Iowa lakes, the likely result of natural stresses the fish suffer during spawning season, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The panfish kills were noted at Pony Creek Lake in Mills County and Little River Watershed Lake in Decatur County, said […]
Corn and soybean planting is mostly finished in Iowa
About 95% of Iowa’s expected corn crop has been planted, well ahead of the five-year average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Damp conditions early last week eventually gave way to warmer and drier weather, which allowed many farmers across the state to wrap up planting,” said Mike Naig, the state’s agriculture secretary. Corn […]
Iowa COVID hospitalizations have reached new low
The number of people with COVID-19 who are receiving inpatient treatment at Iowa hospitals on any given day is at its lowest since at least August 2020, according to federal health data. That reflects a downward trend of infections that require intensive care or longer stays at the hospitals, said Dr. Matthew Sojka, chief medical […]
State grain fund appeals are set for next week
Several farmers seeking compensation because of a soybean dealer bankruptcy and whose claims to the state were partially or wholly denied will get reconsiderations of those claims next week. The Iowa Grain Indemnity Fund Board is set to hold four appeal hearings that cover 11 claims on May 26. Those appeals are in regard to […]
Drought is projected to lift from most of Iowa
A newly released drought outlook predicts that the widespread dryness that has plagued Iowa for about three years will mostly subside later this year. The federal Climate Prediction Center’s latest seasonal outlook on Thursday shows the footprint of drought is likely to shrink to a relatively small area in far western Iowa that has long […]
Ethanol plant fined for multiple excessive air emissions
An ethanol plant in north-central Iowa failed to maintain its equipment to limit air pollution and repeatedly emitted harmful chemicals over the course of more than a year, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The department recently fined POET Bioprocessing, in Iowa Falls, the maximum administrative penalty of $10,000. POET, based in South […]
Online video leads to fine for illegal waste disposal
A video posted on YouTube that shows several people breaking mercury-containing fluorescent lights into a burn pit in east-central Iowa prompted state regulators to investigate the situation and issue a $2,000 fine, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources The video — which was posted in September 2022 by a YouTube user who goes […]
Vast majority of Iowa corn is planted with drought conditions improving
An estimated 86% of the state’s corn crop has been seeded this year within the prime planting window, and widespread rainfall is helping to alleviate drought conditions that have persisted for more than a year. The seeding slowed somewhat last week with the weather allowing for an average less than four days of field work, […]