<div><h2>Poultry have no place in town</h2>Thumbs-down to urban wildlife.First, let’s make it clear we enjoy seeing and being around cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and other creatures. They are precious and wonderful fellow habitants of this world, and we rely on them for their meat, milk, eggs and more. We also treasure their quirkiness and individual personality — or animality.We live in a region where agriculture is a vital part of life. That largely depends on the animals that farmers raise, feed and tend. They serve us well, providing food for our table and sustenance for people across the globe.That said, we don’t see any reason to allow livestock inside city limits. We agree with the Orange City government that an ordinance banning farm animals from the city limits must be enforced.It’s been on the books for years. A decade ago, the city added poultry to the list of prohibited animals, a reaction to a rise in urban flocks. But while the law was in place, it was ignored by several people in town. Other area towns, including Sheldon and Le Mars and surely additional ones as well, have dealt with this recently.Chickens — in some cases just a few, in others a small flock — existed in Orange City. It was illegal, but it also was overlooked.After a series of complaints, that has changed. The Orange City City Council has listened to both sides of this issue, and it has acted appropriately, in our opinion. The law must be adhered to and chickens kept in the country, not in the city.Fines will be issued to put some teeth in the chicken law. A first offense penalty will result in a $100 fine, a second offense will result in a $250 fine and a third or subsequent offense would result in a $500 fine and a court order authorizing the city to remove the chickens from the premises.We trust it need not come down to a game of chicken or a court fight. We also find chickens charming, but they belong in their place. We enjoy both their eggs and their antics, but it’s best for all if they are kept out of the city and on farms.Thumbs-up to area farmers wrapping up their harvest ahead of schedule.Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are all reporting the vast majority of Iowa’s corn and soybean crops have been brought in. But you don’t need to take their words for it.Take a look around when you drive in the country. You will see miles and miles of empty fields, neatly shorn of their crops. The warm fall we have been enjoying and the lack of rain allowed farmers to get into their fields early and complete their annual chores.The good news is it’s another strong harvest, perhaps even a record. We will await the final verdict of the experts, but the farmers we talk with tell us the yields are excellent. The warmth dried out the corn as well, reducing the need to dry it, which is a savings for producers.The bad news is, prices are not what farmers want or need. Corn is hovering around $4 a bushel, and soybeans are under $10. Just a few years ago, they were much higher, and farmers were much happier.That’s farming. It’s always a blend of happy and sad news. We are glad the 2024 harvest went so well, and hope for bin-busting numbers. Prices will go up and down, as usual.But as colder weather approaches, at least the big task has been accomplished. That’s worth noting.A shaky thumbs-up for Halloween, the spookiest holiday on the calendar.All Hallows’ Eve creeps in on Thursday, Oct. 31, but black and orange have dotted homes and lawns for weeks already. Halloween has stretched out from a day and night of fun frights to weeks of haunted happenings.The late — we think, anyway — and great actor Vincent Price was born 112 years ago and died, in theory, on Oct. 25, 1992.Price was in scores of movies and TV shows, but it’s his work in horror movies that made him an icon still fondly and frightfully recalled today.Why? Because he understood his audience.“It’s as much fun to scare as to be scared,” Price said.We agree. Boo to you!</div>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Editorial: Don’t play chicken

Thumbs-down to urban wildlife. First, let’s make it clear we enjoy seeing and being around cattle, horses, pigs, chickens and other creatures. They are precious and wonderful fellow habitants of this world, and we rely on them for their meat, milk, eggs and more. We also treasure their quirkiness and individual personality — or animality.