Latest news with #USDroughtMonitor
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Work is underway to divide Johnson County into districts under a new state law. What to know:
Work is underway to comply with a state-mandated change that could reshape the future of Johnson County's governing body. Senate File 75, a change to state law passed and signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds in April, requires Story, Black Hawk and Johnson counties to elect their county supervisors via districts instead of at-large. In a letter addressed to the governor in April, the Johnson County supervisors urged Reynolds to veto the bill, saying it "targets" just three of 99 counties in the state and "strips them of their right to choose how their local governments are elected." "No matter how it is framed, this bill singles out counties that happen to elect local leaders who reflect the views of their diverse constituencies," the supervisors wrote. "That's not democracy in service to all, it's policymaking designed to produce different electoral outcomes." More: Is Iowa still in a drought? See how more May rainfall changed the US Drought Monitor map Johnson County will be split up into five districts, equal in population, that spread across the entire county. One supervisor will be elected from each district. What to know about the new election process: The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has appointed a three-member redistricting commission comprised of residents from around the area. The commissioners are Susan Dvorsky of Coralville, Nathan Mueller of Solon and Thomas McInerney of Iowa City. More: How Iowa Republicans voted on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' on taxes, Medicaid and SNAP The Johnson County Democrats chose Dvorsky and Mueller with support from the local board of supervisors. The county Republican party selected McInerney. The board met a May 15 deadline to establish the commission. The commission is now tasked with drawing five districts with equal populations within Johnson County. The temporary county redistricting commission will also hold "at least one public hearing to receive public comments about the plan." More: Congress passes budget bill with deep cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. What that means for Iowa A brief outline from Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green in board documents revealed plans for four public meetings in the summer and early fall, three daytime meetings, and one in the evening. The county redistricting commission's final plans for the 2026 elections must be in place by Oct. 1, 2025. The nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency will then officially draw the districts by the end of the year. The five-person Johnson County Board of Supervisors will all be up for election in 2026, once the districts have been finalized. If this law had not been set to take effect, only two of the five board members — Green and V Fixmer-Oraiz — would be up for election. Instead, Rod Sullivan, Lisa Green-Douglass and Mandi Remington are now poised to run a second election campaign in three years, having just been elected to four-year terms in 2024. More: Students ask Regents to veto tuition hike amid funding uncertainty, affordability concerns To offset future elections after the redistricting, the Johnson County Auditor's Office will randomly select two of the five districts for a 2028 supervisors election, according to board documents. The remaining three candidates will be elected to the typical four-year term. Several of the current supervisors could retain their seats depending on how the districts are drawn. The county has just over 160,000 total residents, the most recent census estimates show, meaning each of the five districts should contain about 32,000 people. More: A look at Liberty High School's adaptive P.E. class and the student's making a difference Iowa City is in the center of the county and could find itself within several districts. A U.S. Census estimate puts Iowa City's population at around 76,000 as of July 1, 2024, meaning the city could include two of the five districts. Fixmer-Oraiz, Remington and Sullivan all listed addresses in Iowa City in their most recent filings. Green-Douglass' address is listed in North Liberty, while Green's address is in Lone Tree. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Johnson County redistricting begins ahead of 2026 supervisor elections
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Dried riverbed exposes 113 million years old dinosaur footprints that remained hidden for so long
Dinosaur fossils and ancient tracks are more than just remnants of a distant past; they are windows into Earth's prehistoric ecosystems and the lives of the massive creatures that once roamed the planet. Over millions of years, these fossils have stood the test of time and remained preserved in sediment and stone. These natural time capsules help scientists put together the puzzle of our planet's evolutionary history. But what if these remnants come in the form of trails that seem to lead us their way! Track discoveries in particular are invaluable. Unlike bones, which give clues about anatomy, tracks show real-time evidence of how dinosaurs moved, hunted, or traveled in groups. They allow paleontologists to visualize ancient landscapes and provide information about species that may not have been identified through fossils alone. Discoveries like these are often buried under layers of sediment or water and only surface due to environmental changes, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. One such track has been recently found in Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Texas, where 113-million-year-old dinosaur tracks were revealed, not by excavation, but by drought. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với mức chênh lệch giá thấp nhất IC Markets Đăng ký Undo Severe drought conditions in Texas have led to uncovering of the dinosaur tracks dating back roughly 113 million years, the park announced in a statement on Monday. The footprints, usually remain hidden beneath the flowing waters and sediment of a river within the park, have become visible due to intense drought that has dried up much of the riverbed. This has given us an opportunity for a stunning glimpse into the prehistoric past, revealing tracks that are normally inaccessible. 'Most tracks that have recently been uncovered and discovered at different parts of the river in the park belong to Acrocanthosaurus,' park spokesperson Stephanie Salinas Garcia told CNN. 'This was a dinosaur that would stand, as an adult, about 15 feet tall and (weigh) close to seven tons.' Tracks from another species, Sauroposeidon, were also found. According to Garcia, these dinosaurs were about 60 feet tall and weighed around 44 tons as adults, huge herbivores that once roamed what is now central Texas. 'Under normal weather conditions, the dinosaur tracks found in the riverbed are under the water and filled with sediment, which makes them less visible,' Garcia explained. Texas has been facing severe climate challenges in recent months. As of last week, more than 60% of the state was experiencing drought, including the two most extreme categories, according to the US Drought Monitor. Along with high temperatures regularly reaching triple digits, these conditions have dried up bodies of water across the region, leading to unexpected archaeological and paleontological discoveries. 'Being able to find these discoveries and experience new dinosaur tracks is always an exciting time at the park!' Garcia said. However, this moment of wonder is likely to be brief. Rain is forecasted, and with it, the tracks are expected to be buried once again, and this natural process helps preserve them for future generations. 'While these newer dinosaur tracks were visible for a brief amount of time, it brought about the wonder and excitement about finding new dinosaur tracks at the park,' Garcia added. 'Dinosaur Valley State Park will continue to protect these 113-million-year-old tracks not only for present, but future generations.'
Mint
21-05-2025
- Climate
- Mint
Record Pace of Snowmelt in US West Threatens Another Drought
Widespread heat across the US West is causing the snowpack to melt at a record-breaking pace, risking water shortages and an early start to wildfire season. Parts of the region spanning the West Coast to the lower Mountain West have less than half of the normal amount of snow typical at this time of year, the US National Integrated Drought Information System said in a statement. Some have nothing. Only parts of southern Oregon and a few places in Northern California are holding onto above-average snow pack. The snowpack is vital to the region, which for more than 20 years has struggled with drought, leaving states struggling to maintain water supplies and contributing to wildfires. The lack of spring runoff also depletes hydroelectric capacity, a key power source for the West. Though most areas received near-to-above-normal snow in winter, the quick melt caused much of it to change from solid to vapor, which has robbed rivers, streams and reservoirs of runoff needed to replenish water supplies. 'Snow melt this time of year is common, but such rapid melt rates are not normal,' the agency said. 'Some stations in Nevada, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico saw record early melt-out.' Unlike the east, the western US gets most of its water through the winter months and depends on snowpack high in the mountains melting slowly through the spring and early summer to fill reservoirs and rivers. The water is then used for drinking and agriculture across through the summer and fall. Arizona and New Mexico are often saved by their summer monsoon season, which starts in late June and July. Forecasters have been expecting a near-normal rainfall for those states. The forecast through May 25 to 29 calls for continued high temperatures, the US Climate Prediction Center said. Just over half of the land in 11 western states is in drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
How much rain did Iowa get? See where rainfall totals topped 4 inches.
Plenty of rain, thunderstorms, strong winds and even hail passed through central Iowa Monday evening through early Tuesday morning. More rain is in the forecast for the state, but here's how much we've seen so far. Rounds of rain and thunderstorms moved across central Iowa during most of the day on Monday into Tuesday morning. Here are the top rainfall totals from 12 a.m. Monday, May 19, through 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet: Des Moines: 4.92 inches Ames: 3.95 inches Ankeny: 3.56 inches Boone: 2.57 inches Osceola: 2.33 inches More: Will storms bring relief to western Iowa residents under a water conservation warning? Monday's recorded rainfall of 3.74 inches was not only the most reported on any May 19, but of any calendar day in Des Moines' May history, according to NWS. Before this, May 27, 1915, had the record for most rainfall in a calendar day in May at 3.48 inches. The previous record for any May 19 was 1.14 inches set in 1937. Some locations in Iowa saw large hail Monday evening as the National Weather Service issued severe thunderstorm warnings. Across central Iowa, golf-ball and baseball-sized hail was recorded. Here are the places in Iowa that got the largest hail: Grand Rive and Osceola: 2 inches Maxwell, Nevada, Bondurant: 1 inch Ankeny, Des Moines: 0.75 inches Thunderstorms across central Iowa contributed to hefty winds throughout Monday and into Tuesday morning. Gusts of more than 60 miles per hour were seen across the state. Here's where it was the windiest: Maurice, Blairsburg, Perry: 66 miles per hour Sibley, Sioux Center: 63 miles per hour Lester: 61 miles per hour More: How has the warm Iowa weather affected dryness? Check the latest US Drought Monitor map Rain and thunderstorms are expected to continue across the state on Tuesday, May 20, mainly over the northeastern portion, the NWS said online. In Des Moines, there are high chances of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m. with slight chances between 1 and 3 p.m. It will remain mostly cloudy throughout the day, NWS says. (This story was updated to add new information.) Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at vreynarodriguez@ or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa rainfall totals top 4 inches Monday. See how much rain we got.
Boston Globe
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
Drought lifts in most of Massachusetts, but Cape still remains with significant rainfall deficit
Earlier this month, only Central Mass. had pulled out of the persistent drought, according to the state data. 'Recent rain has improved streamflow and reduced fire risk across the state,' Energy and Environmental Affairs officials said Tuesday. 'However, drought conditions continue to affect groundwater levels, which typically take longer to recover.' Related : Advertisement Most parts of the state received about 4 to 6 inches of rainfall so far this month, while the Cape saw substantially less, about 3 inches or less. This recent report from the state is in line with the most recent Advertisement Conditions as of May 15, according to the US Drought Monitor. US Drought Monitor Much of the region had been running prolonged rainfall deficits of anywhere from 8 inches to over a foot of rain since the extremely dry conditions began in late August 2024. This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates. Marianne Mizera can be reached at
