April 2022

Explaining easements, setbacks and CCRs

Property setbacks as well as easements and conditions, covenants and restrictions (CCRs) must be considered before renovating an existing home or building a new one. Setbacks are mandated buffers between surveyed property lines and permanent structures. Easements are legal designations that enable individuals or entities to use portions of a person’s property for physical access or to build on it for one reason or another. Easements may be owned by utility companies for gas lines or government agencies when sidewalks are on a private property. Additional examples of easements include greenbelt conservation easements, beach easements or view easements, according to The Spruce, a home and lifestyle resource. CCRs include rules established by many planned communities, subdivisions and planned unit developments. CCRs, easements and property setbacks can affect which type of renovations are allowed on particular plots and may affect the issuance of permits. It’s essential to learn about property easements, CCRs and setbacks in advance and discuss them with contractors when drawing up preliminary plans. Your property deed or plat map as well as the local building inspection offices can highlight any regulations that may be in effect on your property and if they may affect future projects.

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Anything from Acne to Zika

I enjoy visiting with my colleagues who are medical specialists. We dive in and explore the depths of a particular condition. However, there is something to say about the breadth of knowledge that a family medicine physician is expected to have. Your family doctor can run through the alphabet of conditions from acne to the zika virus.

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Turkey hunters reminded that new law allowing .410 becomes effective July 1

The Iowa Legislature recently passed a law allowing .410s as a legal method of take to hunt wild turkeys. This new law will be effective beginning July 1, 2022, and DNR will develop rules to implement the new law. “This is just a reminder to our hunters that our seasons and regulations are set up to a year ahead of time and, like other regulations changes, we incorporate the new laws into our upcoming seasons,” said Todd Bishop, chief of wildlife for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Read MoreTurkey hunters reminded that new law allowing .410 becomes effective July 1