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More than 30 local farms were honored as Century and Heritage Farms yesterday (Thursday), recognizing the families’ generational commitment to Iowa agriculture. These awards are presented through a partnership between the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS). The programs celebrate farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 years with the Century Farm designation and for 150 years with the Heritage Farm. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “The families that own and steward Century and Heritage Farms play a crucial role in maintaining Iowa’s rural tradition, contributing to our state’s identity, and sustaining our agricultural economy. Year after year and decade after decade, through hard-won successes and by overcoming obstacles, these innovative families embody remarkable strength, resilience, and grit. The opportunity to celebrate each family’s legacy, hear their inspiring stories and personally congratulate each family makes this unique event my favorite of the entire year.” Carroll County had eight recipients this year, Calhoun County had six, Sac County had five, Crawford County had eight, and Greene, Audubon, and Guthrie counties each had two. A list of the local honorees is included with this story on our website, and a link to the IDALS farm search tool can also be found there.

Carroll County Conservation invites everyone to the second Pella Summer Concert Series event this Saturday. Bring a lawn chair or blanket to the Swan Lake Campground Amphitheater to listen to Alleygrass, a bluegrass band, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at no cost. Food and drinks can be brought from home, or let Pim’s Thia Food Truck cook for you, with food available an hour before the music starts at 5:00 p.m. All ages are welcome to listen to the music, and the Carroll Public Library will bring another Storywalk for kids to enjoy. Again, Alleygrass will be featured for the next free Pella Summer Concert Series this Saturday at Swan Lake State Park from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Sauk Rail Trail took home first place in Travel Iowa’s poll for the state’s top hiking and biking trails. Travel Iowa Tourism Communications Manager Jessica O’Riley said the travel guide asked their social channels to poll Iowans’ favorite trails. “We put it up to a...

Maple River residents should expect a $20 increase to their monthly utility bill soon, as county officials have approved a plan to address the rural sewer system’s cashflow difficulties. Maple River’s issue began several years ago after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requested all septic tanks in the community be pumped to address excess nitrate discharge into the Middle Raccoon River. The cost for this correction exceeded the system’s reserve funds, and the supervisors met with residents in June to workshop ideas to better equip the rural wastewater utility for unscheduled expenses in the future. County officials prepared two options for customers, as leaving rates unchanged was not feasible. Auditor Kourtney Payer detailed Option 1.

An online poll hosted by Travel Iowa found that the Sauk Rail Trail in Carroll and Sac counties is Iowans’ favorite hiking and biking trail. Travel Iowa, a division of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), hosted the poll on their Instagram page (@traveliowa), and the Sauk Rail Trail came out as the winner after votes were tallied. The Wabash Trace Nature Trail in southwest Iowa took second place, and the Duck Creek Parkway in Davenport landed in third. The Sauk Rail Trail was completed in 1998 and draws tens of thousands of bikers, hikers, and outdoor enthusiasts to the area every year to enjoy the 33-mile trek between Swan Lake State Park in Carroll County and Black Hawk State Park in Sac County.

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors has only a few items on their agenda for their upcoming meeting on Monday. The board convenes at 9 a.m. in the meeting room at the Carroll County Courthouse. They’ll begin with reports from County Engineer Zac Andersen on the Secondary Roads Department, which include approval of a drain repair, permitting for planned seismic testing for underground hydrogen later this month, and construction status on County Road M66 south of Manning. Other items of note on Monday’s agenda include a contract with Sidwell for GIS mapping services, a discussion on how the county plans to manage outstanding debt for the Maple River sewer system, and manure management annual updates. The Monday, Aug. 12 meeting is open to the public and will be live-streamed via the county’s YouTube channel. Links to the agenda and video are included below.

A Colorado-based company will soon begin testing in Carroll County as it searches for hydrogen trapped underground. Scientists say natural hydrogen could be a source of clean energy. Chris Justice, a representative of Twin Rivers Exploration, says a truck that’s a little smaller than a garbage truck is used for...

Western Iowa — A Colorado-based company will soon begin testing in Carroll County as it searches for hydrogen trapped underground. Scientists say natural hydrogen could be a source of clean energy. Chris Justice, a representative of Twin Rivers Exploration, says a truck that’s a little smaller than a garbage truck is used for what they call “vibro-seismic” testing.

A Coon Rapids man has been sentenced to five years in prison following a probation violation by failing to report relevant information during his required sex offender registration (SOR). According to Carroll County District Court records, 41-year-old Kyle Hart failed to verify new or changed internet identifiers on his May 23 SOR review. A search warrant was conducted at his residency, which discovered a secondary device with active social media accounts used for communication. Hart was taken into custody in early July and remains at the Carroll County Jail with no bond set. A revocation hearing took place on July 26, where an administrative parole judge ruled Hart violated conditions of restrictions on movement, supervision conduct, and legal conduct, revoking his parole and sentencing him to the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC). Due to the content and recipients of the online messages, along with internet search activity, the parole judge has also ruled Hart will not be granted credit for time served in jail before the parole review hearing and while awaiting transport to the DOC facility. This was Hart’s second revocation of this sentence.

MidAmerican Energy last week replaced poles, lines and equipment following a severe storm that struck northwest Iowa, including Carroll and Crawford counties, after midnight Tuesday, July 30. The storm, with high winds and lightning, knocked out power to approximately 835 customers in and around Arcadia, Vail and Westside beginning at...

Pictured: A HEMI 50 Truck Mounted Seismic Vibrator from Toshniwal. Twin Rivers will use similar equipment to this during their testing. A Colorado-based exploration firm will soon begin seismic testing in Carroll County as it searches for hydrogen trapped in geologic formations underground. Twin Rivers Exploration LLC was founded in 2022 and recently completed land surveys in Webster County. The phrase “seismic testing” brings to mind mining crews and sticks of dynamite, but Twin Rivers Land Representative Chris Justice says their testing methods are much more mundane.

The Carroll County Board of Supervisors voted during yesterday’s (Monday) meeting to move the county’s passport processing back to the county’s Environmental Health Office. County officials decided in December 2022 to move passport responsibilities to the GIS administrator, Sarah Haberl, so that the service would be located out of the courthouse and more available to the public compared to the Fricke Building. However, Haberl will no longer be able to manage passports after taking over as Carroll County Assessor. Due to federal laws restricting staff who handle vital records from issuing passports, the county has few options for what offices can manage them. Interim District 5 Supervisor Mark Beardmore says this is a service that residents have come to expect from the county.

After the retirement of Cindy Heuton, who served in the role for the past 10 years, Sarah Haberl has taken on the role of Carroll County Assessor beginning Aug. 1. She was appointed by the Carroll County Conference Board on July 22 and accepted the role shortly thereafter. Haberl has...

Last week up in Carroll County, roughly 36 train cars derailed causing some crossings to be closed overnight. Yesterday, in Marshall County, a train derailed near the intersection of Quarry Rd. and 230th St. This happened around 5:30 last night. Roughly 30 cars are derailed, majority carrying coal. There are no injuries reported and no hazmat concerns. Quarry Rd. will be closed from Shady Oaks Rd. to Three Bridges Rd. until cleanup is finished.

Pictured: A listener shared this image with Carroll Broadcasting, highlighting how difficult spotting an oncoming vehicle is through the thick gravel dust. An approximately 20-mile detour in southwestern Carroll County could remain in place for another nine weeks due to construction on County Road M66, but motorists attempting to take shortcuts is leading to safety concerns from county officials and residents in the area. The intersection on M66 west of Puck Custom Enterprises has been closed for the last several weeks, leading to the detour along U.S. Highway 71 and Iowa Highway 141, and construction will extend to the north of the intersection this week into Carroll County while crews complete shoulder regrading on Birch Avenue south of Manning. The traffic volume on nearby Concord Avenue has increased substantially since construction began as motorists find their own routes. Traffic is expected to remain high while the detour is active. Audubon and Carroll County secondary roads crews have applied dust control in the area, but it is having little effect, and a near-constant cloud of gravel dust hangs in the air. Officials understand the detour is long, but they request motorists stick to the posted detour route whenever possible to improve visibility for local traffic and limit degradation to the gravel road. The detour is expected to remain active until the contract end date of Oct. 15 or when the regrading work is done, whichever comes earlier.

Iowa Savings Bank has announced the 2024 grand awards for the Gilbert and Barbara Renze Foundation and the Warren H. Timmerman Charitable Trust. A total of 54 applications were submitted for the awards, with 31 being awarded. The Gilbert and Barbara Renze Foundation is awarded charitable projects in Sac and Carroll County, contributing over $62 thousand for grantees in 2024. The Warren H. Timmerman Charitable Trust granted over $148 thousand to projects in Manning and throughout Carroll County. Since the inception of the two, a total of $3,529,775 has been awarded to qualified projects throughout Carroll and Sac County. The complete list of awardees is included below.

The Iowa State University (ISU) Carroll County Extension and Outreach office will host an informational seminar on farmland leasing practices later this month. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 15, at 6 p.m. at the extension office, located at 1205 W US Hwy 30, Ste. G. The meeting, facilitated by Alexis Stevens, a farm and agriculture business management specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, will last approximately two and a half hours. It will focus on methods to determine a fair 2024 cash rental rate and highlight the importance of good tenant/landlord communications. The discussion will emphasize recent returns to Iowa Cash Rented Land and the 2024 Iowa Cash Rental Rate Survey. Pre-registration is required by Monday, Aug. 12. The registration fee is $20 per person or $30 per couple, payable at the door. Participants will receive a 100-page booklet and meeting handouts designed to assist landowners, tenants, and other agri-business professionals with issues related to farmland ownership, management, and leasing arrangements. For questions or to pre-register, contact the Carroll County Extension office at 712-792-2364.