Special to the Times Vedette

Benjamin Kingery of Casey was among 252 graduates to receive bachelor’s degrees at Northwestern College during commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 11. Thirty students received bachelor of science in nursing degrees, while the rest of the graduating seniors were granted bachelor of arts degrees. 

Cynthia Moser, a 1974 Northwestern College graduate who is a retired Sioux City attorney and former president of the Iowa State Bar Association, gave the commencement address.

Kingery graduated with a major in chemistry.

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa’s state shooting sports season is here, where thousands of student athletes from elementary to high school and colleges across the state compete in seven shooting sports championship events over the next several weeks, for the chance to earn scholarships, prizes and more.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP) and Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) are youth development programs that promote shooting sports and competitive shooting as a means to help young individuals achieve their highest potential and become their best selves. Both program’s goals are to instill personal values and character traits, such as fair play, compassionate understanding, individual responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline, and personal commitment in young people.

2024 State Shooting Sports Championship Schedule

• May 18, International Bunker Trap at AVAD Hunt Club, Coon Rapids
• May 18-19, International Skeet at New Pioneer Gun Club, Waukee
• May 25, Skeet Doubles at Mahaska County Izaak Walton League, Oskaloosa
• June 3-9, Trap at Iowa State Trap Shooting Home Grounds, Cedar Falls
• June 13-15, Sporting Clays at Black Oak Clays, Pella
• June 20-23, Skeet at New Pioneer Gun Club, Waukee
• June 21-23, Rifle & Pistol at Olofson Shooting Range, Polk City

For more information on the Scholastic Clay Target or Action Shooting Programs in Iowa, contact Marty Eby at 515-313-8048 or Marty.Eby@dnr.iowa.gov.

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds all boaters and anglers to “Clean, Drain, and Dry” their boats and equipment this Memorial Day weekend to protect Iowa lakes and rivers from aquatic hitchhikers.

Aquatic invasive species, everything from zebra mussels to Eurasian watermilfoil, move from one waterbody to another by hitchhiking on boats, in bait buckets and on other equipment used in the water. They often grow quickly and spread fast when brought to another lake or stream due to lack of natural controls.

“Boaters and anglers can help slow the spread of aquatic invasive species to new water bodies by checking their boat and equipment for unwanted hitchhikers after each time on the water,” Kim Bogenschutz, aquatic invasive species program coordinator for the Iowa DNR, said.

Aquatic invasive species can create serious problems for Iowa waters by reducing native species and making lakes and rivers unusable for boaters, anglers and swimmers.

Clean, Drain, Dry is a simple three step process that boaters need to follow every time they move from one body of water to another.

• CLEAN any plants, animals, or mud from your boat and equipment before you leave a waterbody.
• DRAIN water from all equipment (motor, live well, bilge, transom well, bait bucket) before you leave a waterbody.
• DRY anything that comes into contact with water (boats, trailers, equipment, boots, clothing, dogs). Before you move to another waterbody either: Spray your boat and trailer with hot or high-pressure water; or Dry your boat and equipment for at least five days.
• Never release plants, fish, or animals into a waterbody unless they came out of that waterbody and empty unwanted bait in the trash.

It is illegal to possess or transport prohibited aquatic invasive species. It is also illegal to transport any aquatic plants on water-related equipment in Iowa.  Signs posted at public accesses remind boaters to stop aquatic hitchhikers and identify infested waters.

Boaters must also drain all water from boats and equipment before they leave a water access and keep drain plugs removed or opened during transport. It is also illegal to introduce any live fish, except for hooked bait, into public waters.

Find more information about aquatic invasive species and a list of infested waters in the current Iowa Fishing Regulations or at www.iowadnr.gov/ais.

From the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

The final segment of Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season closed Sunday, ending the spring season with a record harvest of 16,059 birds reported, surpassing the 2023 record harvest of 14,843. 

Turkeys were reported from all 99 counties, from a high of 649 birds bagged in Clayton County to a low of three in Osceola.

“We have turkeys in all 99 counties, but not all counties are equal. Most of the turkey habitat is in the eastern third of the state,” Jim Coffey, forest wildlife biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), said.

Iowa has had three straight years of good turkey hatches across much of the state, thanks, in part, to the long-term drought that benefited all ground nesting birds.

“Two-year-old birds drive the population, and we have a large population of two-year-old birds,” Coffey said. “These are birds that do lots of the gobbling and tend to move more than the older toms and make up the bulk of the harvest.”

 Iowa’s five spring turkey seasons began April 5 with the youth only season, and ended May 12 with the conclusion of gun/bow season four and the archery only season. Hunters purchased more than 56,600 spring turkey tags across all seasons in 2024.

The higher harvest wasn’t completely unexpected thanks in part to Iowans who participated in the DNR’s annual turkey brood survey that occurs each July and August. Iowans who see young turkeys in July and August are encouraged to report the birds through a link on the DNR’s website at https://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/Turkey-Hunting/Wild-Turkey-Survey