Nathan Konz

Iowa students are invited to enter their artistic pieces to the 2026 Choose Iowa calendar contest as part of the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “The Choose Iowa Calendar Contest offers school-aged students a fun opportunity to highlight Iowa agriculture and its incredible importance to our state and our country. As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we’re reminded that many of our nation’s founders were farmers and that agriculture has helped sustain our country and our communities for generations. I encourage students to create artwork that showcases Iowa agriculture while also incorporating elements, themes, or symbols that reflect patriotism and American pride.” The contest is organized through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) and promotes Choose Iowa, the state’s branding program for Iowa-sourced food, beverages, and agricultural products. Students up to 18 years old are asked to submit black-line drawings featuring elements of Iowa agriculture, such as crops, livestock, or horticulture, combined with patriotic themes tied to the nation’s anniversary. Winning artists will be recognized Aug. 18 during a ceremony at the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fair. Selected artwork will also appear in the 2026-27 Choose Iowa coloring calendar distributed during the fair and online. The deadline to enter is June 1. Details on how to send in submissions are included below.

The Northwest Park shelter house, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget, and a downtown art and culture plan are all on the agenda for Monday’s Carroll City Council meeting. According to City Manager Aaron Kooiker, it has been nearly two years since a lightning strike and resultant fire severely damaged the shelter house, and the city and its insurer have finally reached an agreement.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for five Iowa counties, including Carroll County, following severe weather that struck the state last week. The proclamation covers Carroll, Crawford, Grundy, Harrison, and Washington Counties, allowing state resources to be used for response and recovery efforts in the affected areas. Under the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level can apply for grants up to $7,000 to help pay for home or car repairs, property and food replacement, temporary housing expenses, and other similar costs associated with the storm. The Disaster Case Advocacy Program does not have income-eligibility guidelines and provides disaster case advocates to work with affected Iowans as they recover. That program remains available for 180 days from the date of the proclamation. Reynolds’s order takes effect immediately and stays active for the next 30 days. Links with more information on how to access available resources are included below.

Planting progress crawled forward at a slow pace as wetter-than-normal conditions were common across Iowa, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) latest Crop Progress and Condition Report. For the week ending April 19, Iowa farmers had just 2.7 days on average for fieldwork, almost three days less than last year, and it shows in the data. Corn planting in Iowa reached only two percent complete, which is 14 percentage points behind 2025’s planting season. Soybean planting was one percent complete, about nine percentage points behind last year. Oat seeding is just over half done, but it is still lagging about 14 points behind the prior year. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Last week’s active weather pattern presented plenty of severe weather challenges across the state. Farmers certainly welcomed the moisture, but we could have gone without the wind, hail, and tornadoes. This week looks to be a bit quieter, and that will help farmers as they look to get the planters rolling.” Last week’s precipitation is certainly reflected in soil moisture conditions, as topsoil was rated 10 percent short to very short, 72 percent adequate, and 18 percent surplus. Statewide average for precipitation last week was 1.27 inches, 0.4 inches above normal, and statewide temperature averaged 60.3 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 11 degrees above normal. The full Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report is available online at www.nass.usda.gov.

Iowa’s unemployment rate was stable in February, holding steady at 3.4 percent, according to new data released this week from Iowa Workforce Development (IWD). The rate matched January’s figure and was 0.1 percentage points lower than the 3.5 percent recorded in February 2025. The number of unemployed Iowans declined slightly to 58,700 in February, down from 59,100 the previous month. The state’s total workforce decreased by about 1,600 workers to 1,682,900. Iowa’s labor force participation rate also dipped slightly, falling from 67.9 percent in January to 67.8 percent in February. IWD Director Beth Townsend says, “February’s report contains a few bright spots as well as evidence of some general tightening in sections of Iowa’s economy.” Overall, Iowa businesses shed 4,400 jobs, with the private education and professional services industries accounting for most of those losses (-2,800). Construction and mining were the only tracked sectors to see growth (+2,300). The U.S. unemployment rate rose from 4.3 percent to 4.4 percent over the same time period. March’s figures are scheduled for release on May 6. A link to IWD’s full dataset is included below.

The Carroll Chamber of Commerce and Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP) will host its final scheduled legislative forum this weekend in Glidden. The program begins at 10 a.m. tomorrow (Saturday) morning at the Kruger Shelter House. The approximately hour-long program will feature only one guest, District 6 Sen. Jason Schultz (R-Schleswig), as District 11 Rep. Craig Williams (R-Manning) is unavailable to attend. The program will open with a brief introductory statement, followed by questions prepared by the Chamber/CCGP Legislative Committee. Any remaining time will be set aside for questions from constituents. The 100th day of the 2026 Iowa Legislative Session was April 21, and legislators’ per diem expenses ended as of that date. It is not uncommon for lawmakers to extend the session, but it is unlikely they will adjourn before finalizing the state’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget and reaching an agreement on property tax reform. While Saturday’s forum is the final scheduled one of the session, the Chamber may attempt to schedule a fifth summary forum, as it has done in past years, if the legislators’ schedules allow.

An estimated 5,000 gallons of manure were spilled into a Guthrie County ditch last week after a trailer rolled on a rural road near Panora. According to the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred at approximately 2:08 a.m. on Wednesday morning on Yellow Avenue. Authorities say a 16-year-old male driver was operating a 2022 Case IH Magnum tractor northbound on the roadway when the manure trailer he was pulling began to fishtail. Fortunately, the tractor did not overturn, but the trailer did tip onto its side, dumping 5,000 gallons of manure onto the gravel road and into the adjacent ditch. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was contacted following the spill and responded to oversee cleanup efforts. The DNR will consider enforcement action pending review.

Representatives of the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) will host a public forum next week to gather feedback on its proposed long-range facilities

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors is shifting next week’s meeting to Tuesday to facilitate the canvass of the June 2 primary elections and align with

The Carroll City Council meets Monday for its next regularly scheduled meeting with the annual staff salary resolution and equipment purchases among the ag