Public Health can help with shopping

Officials at O’Brien County Public Health are encouraging the public to reach out if they or someone they know needs help with grocery shopping, picking up medications or running any other errands.

Staff members at O’Brien County Public Health are willing and eager to do the errands so residents can stay home and be safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Call (712) 957-0105 for assistance.

Food distribution May 20 at Trinity UCC

The Food Bank of Iowa’s mobile pantry program will be conducted on Wednesday, May 20 from 4-6 p.m., at Trinity United Church of Christ in Hartley. The program is available free of charge and geared toward individuals who are in need of food assistance.

Participants are asked to stay in their vehicles and line up on the east side of the parking lot. The food will be brought to you as you drive under the canopy.

Trash and recycling carts to be delivered

The City of Hartley will begin distributing new trash and recycling carts for residential customers on May 18.

Once the carts are delivered, residents are to start using them immediately. Brommer Sanitation, the city’s garbage and recycling contractor, will be dumping them with their new side-loading truck.

See the ad on Page 3 for complete details.

State parks, campgrounds reopen

Iowa campgrounds began opening up last week to walk-in first come, first served campers with self-contained restrooms. As visitors continue to take advantage of state parks, the DNR is encouraging everyone to check the department’s website for temporary closures before traveling to any of these areas.

Some parks and campgrounds have closures due to construction or maintenance projects, so it’s important to check the closure website ahead of time.

DNR parks staff will be closely monitoring parks and campground areas and remind visitors and campers to obey COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines and other rules released last week by the DNR. Some pit latrines in high-use areas will be open, but all other restrooms, drinking fountains and shower houses will remain closed.

NWI fishing report

The walleye season is open on Spirit Lake, East Okoboji Lake and West Okoboji Lake. All local boat ramps are in and open for use.

Iowa Great Lake water temperatures ranged from 49-53 degrees last week. The bite is expected to pick up as temperatures rise.

East Okoboji Lake: The water temperature was 50 degrees last week. There has been a fair panfish bite in many of the bays and harbors, in and around boat hoists and docks. Bluegill, good. Large schools have been found gathering around hoists and docks. Black crappie, fair. Yellow perch, fair.

Lake Pahoja: Bluegill, fair. Black crappie, fair. Largemouth bass, good.

Lost Island Lake: Yellow perch, fair. Walleye, fair.

Silver Lake (Dickinson): Walleye, good.

Spirit Lake: The water temperature was 49 degrees last week. Bluegill, good. Large schools have been found gathering around hoists and docks.

Trumbull Lake: Yellow perch, fair. Size quality is outstanding with some sorting. Use jigs and minnows or wigglers in the main lake.

West Okoboji Lake: The water temperature was 51 degrees last week. A good spring bass bite has been observed in canal areas, as well as a good panfish bite in various harbors and around docks and hoists. Bluegill, good. Large schools have been found gathering around hoists and docks. Black crappie, fair. Smallmouth bass, fair. Largemouth bass, fair.

Clay County Heritage lands 2 paint grants

Clay County Heritage recently announced it has received two grant award programs to assist in the “Paint the Parker” initiative.

First, the Clay County Community Foundation awarded $10,000 to the Heritage Center in March to paint the exterior of Parker Museum in Spencer. Additionally, Paint Iowa Beautiful awarded the Heritage Center six gallons of paint to assist in this project.

These grants will be used, along with private “Paint the Parker” donations, to paint the exterior of the Parker Museum as well as the north side of the Duroe Building in Spencer. The project is expected to be completed in mid-May.

The Clay County Heritage Center is currently closed to the general public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For status updates, check http://www.claycountyheritage.org or the facility’s Facebook page.

Loans available to farmers facing COVID-19 pandemic challenges

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency offers farm ownership and farm operating loans to agricultural producers who may not find success obtaining loans from their traditional financial institutions because of COVID-19.

FSA State Executive Director Amanda De Jong said that farmers who cannot obtain commercial credit from a bank can apply for FSA direct or guaranteed loans.

Direct loans are made to applicants by FSA. Guaranteed loans are made by lending institutions who arrange for FSA to guarantee the loan. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. The FSA guarantee allows lenders to make agricultural credit available to producers who do not meet the lender’s normal underwriting criteria.

The direct and guaranteed loan program offers two types of loans: farm ownership loans and farm operating loans.

Farm ownership loan funds may be used to purchase or enlarge a farm or ranch; purchase easements or rights of way needed in the farm’s operation; build or improve buildings such as a dwelling or barn; promote soil and water conservation and development; and pay closing costs.

Farm operating loan funds may be used to purchase livestock, poultry, farm equipment, fertilizer and other materials necessary to operate a farm. Operating loan funds can also be used for family living expenses; refinancing debts under certain conditions; paying salaries for hired farm laborers; installing or improving water systems for home, livestock or irrigation use; and other similar improvements.

Repayment terms for direct operating loans are scheduled from one to seven years. Financing for direct farm ownership loans cannot exceed 40 years. Interest rates for direct loans are set periodically according to the government’s cost of borrowing. Guaranteed loan terms and interest rates are set by the lender.

For more information on FSA’s farm loan programs, please contact your local FSA office or visit farmers.gov.

ISU to recognize spring 2020 ag graduates

Iowa State University announces students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who received Bachelor of Sciences degrees upon completion of the spring 2020 semester. The following local students join a network of 46,000 CALS alumni.

• Claire Solsma, of Sanborn, majoring in Agricultural and Life Sciences Education.

• Grant Honken, of Hartley, majoring in Agricultural Systems Technology.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, spring commencement was moved to a virtual format. The virtual convocation, which was held on Friday, May 8, provided individual recognition for graduating seniors and featured a series of videos hosted on the college Facebook page or at http://www.cals.iastate.edu/convocation, where the virtual celebration will be archived for future viewing.