By Steve Kehoe

Special to the Leader

The Central Plains FFA Annual Awards Night was held on Tuesday, March 21 in the high school commons. It was held in conjunction to National Agriculture Day.

Learn about the benefits of cover crops from experienced farmers

AMES, Iowa — Iowa Learning Farms will host two on-farm cover crop field days April 4 and 5. The first is in Dayton and includes a focus on grazing beef cattle; and the second is in Bode, with a focus on conservation planning.

Iowans who are graduates of "frog and toad school" have collected data on more than 2,200 wetlands since 1991, providing an incredible record of activity. The goal for this year's graduates is to add to that legacy.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has released a summary of PFAS testing of public water supplies from October 2021 to December 2022.

Thunderous calls from competing Toms trying to out-do one another for the attention from nearby hens, rattles through Iowa's timber each spring. This annual ritual is witnessed by hunters who attempt to mimic the call of a lonely hen, to attract a frustrated Tom to come search her out.

That's no easy task.

Des Moines, Iowa – April 3-10, the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with law enforcement across the state to help curb the epidemic of distracted driving.

Ryan Wicklein is our Jaguar of the week for March 20 to March24.

Ryan demonstrates everything you want from a student in your class. He is respectful, hardworking, inquisitive, and a great leader in the classroom. Ryan works hard to understand material and engages in all settings in a positive manner.

Ryan is the son of Allan and Kim Wicklein.

By Anna Stephenson

Dayton’s Dreams of a New Community Events Center are Realized through Destination Iowa Grant

By Courtney Sogard

Members of the Dayton Community Club gathered for their monthly meeting in preparation for the upcoming Dayton Expo and to discuss what type of electronic signage they’d like to purchase in order to replace the current sign outside of the Dayton Museum.

By Karl Jones

karl@calhouncountyphoenix.com

On March 13 the Lehigh City Council approved Emily Murray to fill the open position on the Lehigh Library Board.

Channel catfish move close to shore and are eager to bite in many lakes and the large reservoirs across Iowa just after the ice is gone. The bite starts sooner in southern Iowa impoundments since they lose ice a week or two before northwest Iowa natural lakes.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), through a partnership with Alliant Energy and the USDA Forest Service, is offering a mixture of hardwoods, low-growing ornamental and evergreen tree species for $25 each.

Alliant Energy customers can purchase up to two trees to be picked up at the following locations:

DES MOINES— The Environmental Protection Commission will review adopted and filed rules related to solid waste, the Air Quality bureau's draft budget for fiscal year 2024 and will be asked to approve designating the city of Muscatine as a participant in the Solid Waste Environmental Management System Program at its March 22 meeting.

The North Central Iowa Regional Solid Waste Agency in Fort Dodge has reported that contaminated water from a landfill discharged into Gypsum Creek.

WEST DES MOINES - The Iowa Ornithologists' Union is celebrating it's 100-year anniversary as part of its annual spring meeting, May 5-7, at the Stine Barn and grounds, 4000 Turnberry Drive, in West Des Moines.

Anyone who enjoys birding is invited to attend and there is no requirement to attend the entire weekend.