The state’s economic development director says two announcements are coming soon about a “big project” for Iowa. Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi Durham says the groundwork for the deal she expects to be announced this Friday was laid a year ago during a trade trip she and the governor made to Europe. “And there was one that we worked on in New York a year ago that’s a really large announcement,” Durham says. “…The deal’s done, it’s just a matter of whether the board of directors wants it announced.”

Durham made her comments during a public hearing in the governor’s office this week. Neither Governor Branstad or Durham are revealing which companies will be making these expansions, but Durham says they show trade missions do yield results.  “It takes a long time to close a deal, as you know,” Durham told the governor this week, “but I tell you what, we win a lot more than we lose.”

This afternoon (Thursday) Durham and other officials from the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress will release the results of an 18-month-long study of Iowa’s economic development efforts.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa food pantries are among 75 across the country that will receive $20,000 grants from Walmart to help pay for renovations and new equipment. The Iowa organizations receiving the grants are the Good Samaritan Food Pantry in Adel, Food at First in Ames and Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank in Mason City.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted a man charged with killing his parents with a machete on the Meskwaki Nation Settlement in Iowa. Jurors returned the verdict yesterday on two counts of second-degree murder against 26-year-old Gordon Lasley Junior.

MAPLETON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in western Iowa say a man faces gun charges after another man was found with a gunshot wound. The Monona County Sheriff’s Office says 22-year-old Joshua Beam was arrested Tuesday night in Mapleton after authorities found a man with a gunshot wound to the head. The wounded man, 22-year-old Eric Franco, was taken to a local health center with non-life-threatening injuries.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The national junior college defensive player of the year from 2013 highlights the latest list of football recruits signed by Iowa State. Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads announced three signings on Wednesday, including defensive lineman Demond Tucker. The 285-pound Mississippi native was named the NJCAA defensive player of the year two years ago for Copiah-Lincoln Community College. He had 9.5 sacks last season.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Wednesday, presented Police Sgt. Paul Wood with an award for 10-years of protecting and serving the citizens of the community. Woods’ wife and children were in the audience for the presentation that took place during a meeting of the Atlantic City Council.

Mayor Dave Jones (Left) congratulates Police Sgt. Paul Wood on his 10-years of service to the community.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council  approved a 28-E agreement between the Atlantic Fire Department and the City of Marne. Only minor changes in wording were needed for the contract, which is in-place for five-years. The Council also approved a Resolution amending the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to the City’s Personnel Manual.

Mayor Dave Jones said “In a nut shell, if someone in a department gets sick is has used up their sick leave, other people in the department can voluntarily [donate their sick leave time] to the person that has the need.” Jones said “It’s a good deal for our employees to help their fellow employees out in their time of need.”

The Atlantic City Council also passed the second reading of an amended ordinance pertaining to the Mowing of Properties.” Upon a motion, the rules were suspended, and third and final reading of the Ordinance was held. Afterward, the Council unanimously approved the Ordinance, which requires “Any property in the City of Atlantic, whether vacated or non-vacated….to be mowed when the vegetation reaches a height of more than 12 inches by the first and the fifteenth day of the month in May, June, July, August, September, and October.” If the property owner fails to comply, the City, or its agents, may mow any property, by the aforementioned dates, and charge $75-per hour to do so. In addition, a surcharge of $100 will be charged to the property owner.

Prior to adjourning for the evening, the Mayor and Council wished the citizens of Atlantic a “Merry Christmas,” and “Happy New Year.”

Two California residents who were arrested following a traffic stop in Cass County earlier this year, have been sentenced to serve a total of more than 18-years in prison. A district court judge in Pottawattamie County, Tuesday, handed down a 160 month sentence against 38-year old Mario Ruben Borboa, of Downey, CA. for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Borboa must also serve 5-years of supervised release. His co-defendant, 30-year old Melissa Nicole Gallardo, of Lancaster, CA, is required to serve 65-months in prison on the same charge, plus three-years of supervised release.  Borboa entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on August 14th, 2014. Gallardo plead guilty to the charge on July 11th, 2014.
On February 27th, 2014, the Iowa State Patrol in Cass County (Iowa), conducted a traffic stop resulting in the seizure of approximately 16 pounds of methamphetamine that was located in the trunk of the car Borboa and Gallardo had driven from California. The investigation revealed that the methamphetamine was being transported from the Los Angeles, California, area to Waterloo, where it was to be distributed. Money received from the sale of the methamphetamine was to be returned to California at a later date.
The investigation was conducted by the Iowa State Patrol and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A district court judge in Pottawattamie County, Tuesday, sentenced 30-year old Anthony J. Simmons, of Shenandoah, to nearly five-years in prison for Possession of Child Pornography. After serving the 57-month sentence, Simmons must also serve 10-years of supervised release.

Court records said during the Spring of 2013, investigators located sexually explicit pictures of a fifteen year-old female on Simmons’ computer. On June 5th, 2014, Simmons entered a guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Cyber Crimes Unit, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Harlan Police Department reports a man from Shelby County was arrested Saturday on a Cass County warrant issued on August 19th, for Contempt of Court. 31-year old Brandon Billings, of Harlan, was taken into custody following a traffic stop. Billings was transported to the Shelby County Jail to await extradition to Cass County.

The Harlan P-D says also, that on Dec. 12th,  Jessica Gaul, of Harlan, reported to officers that her 2003 Ford truck was taken sometime during the night. The following morning the truck was located in the Nishnabotna River near 1120th St and Nishna Avenue. The case remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Liberal activists eager to draft Sen. Elizabeth Warren into a run for president are bringing their effort to Iowa, the pivotal early-voting state. They’ll find there’s already a well-established organizing effort in place in Iowa — for Hillary Rodham Clinton.

MoveOn.org will hold a meeting Wednesday evening in Des Moines as part of their new “Run Warren Run” campaign. The group is trying to persuade Warren to seek the Democratic nomination in 2016, even though the Massachusetts senator has repeatedly said she is not running.

Brad Anderson, a Democratic consultant who was state director for President Barack Obama in 2012, says Warren’s statements have not gone unnoticed in Iowa. He says, “Iowans are talking about people who have actually expressed an interest in running for the president.”