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Drought conditions worsen in southern Iowa
The dryness of southern Iowa continues to expand with little chance for rain in the next 10 days. The U.S. Drought Monitor’s report on Thursday shows that moderate drought now stretches entirely from the state’s western border to its eastern border and that severe drought has gripped central portions of that area. Less than a […]
Trailer park residents say they didn’t know about toxins in their water
MUSCATINE, Iowa — Residents of a southeast Iowa mobile home park have not been notified by the park’s owner that their water supply is contaminated by toxic “forever chemicals” that were first detected by state tests early this year, according to several of those residents. The results of those tests of Kammerer Mobile Home Park […]
Iowa COVID hospitalizations rise despite fewer reported cases
There were 323 people infected by the coronavirus receiving inpatient treatment at Iowa hospitals on Wednesday — a 30% increase from two weeks ago despite a slight decline of infections reported by the state over that time period, according to state and federal data. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 5,660 new infections in […]
Storm Lake hauls 1,600 pounds of dead carp to landfill
The herpes outbreak at Storm Lake in northwest Iowa that has killed thousands of carp in recent weeks resulted in a pungent problem for city leaders: How would they rid the shoreline of rotting fish carcasses? The most efficient way to expedite the decay would involve shoving them back into the water, but that would […]
State attorneys general support new poultry rule but question oversight
The attorneys general of 10 states are backing a proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is meant to get poultry growers fair agreements with meat processors, but they want stronger oversight. “One of the many reasons it’s tough for small poultry farmers — and small farmers of all kinds — to afford […]
Crops suffer as Iowa’s drought worsens
Moderate drought has gripped a substantial swath of southern Iowa, and the state’s corn and soybeans recently rated their poorest yet this year, according to a Monday report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About 73% of the state’s corn crop is rated good or excellent, down from 76% a week ago, the USDA report […]
Carbon pipeline company reveals first potential eminent domain requests
Summit Carbon Solutions on Monday submitted its first lists of properties for which it would seek eminent domain if landowners continue to oppose its pipeline plans, according to state regulatory filings. The Ames-based company wants to build a 680-mile pipeline in western and northern Iowa to transport captured carbon dioxide from a dozen ethanol plants […]
Company fined for nuisance ‘fugitive dust’ in Urbandale
A company tasked with expanding a road in Urbandale failed numerous times last year to control the dust from construction, which led to complaints from neighbors, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Concrete Technologies, of Grimes, recently agreed to pay a $2,500 fine for the violations, DNR records show. Those resident complaints stemmed […]
Iowa will seek new federal funds for coal mine mitigation
Iowa will apply for up to $6 million of new federal funding to stem the pollution and other safety hazards posed by leftover coal mines in the southeastern part of the state, according to the state Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Interior Department invited states this week to apply for a portion of […]
Reported Iowa COVID cases, hospitalizations decline slightly
The rate of new coronavirus infections documented by the state in the past week sagged slightly and hospitalizations have waned, according to state and federal data. There were 5,768 new cases — or about 825 per day — reported by the Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday. That’s about a 3% decrease from the […]
Herpes kills thousands of carp in Storm Lake
The koi herpes virus is killing a massive number of young carp in Storm Lake, where they are washing ashore and rotting by the thousands, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It’s the first time the virus — officially known as cyprinid herpesvirus 3 — has been detected in Iowa. It is not […]
Farmers worry with dryness poised to worsen this week
Drought conditions are likely to develop over the southern half of the state in August as the month starts with a string of abnormally hot days with little chance for rain, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The portion of the state that is abnormally dry or in varying degrees of drought expanded last week […]