Officials with Diamond Vogel Paint and “Keep Iowa Beautiful,” have announced the grant awards for the 2014 “Paint Iowa Beautiful” program. The program provides free paint to a wide variety of public service projects throughout Iowa. The program is administered through Keep Iowa Beautiful with the paint provided by the Diamond Vogel Paint Company.

Award winners include: The Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce, for its Main Street buildings; The Glen Miller Birthplace Society in Clarinda, for painting of Miller’s home; The Farragut Hometown Pride Committee, for the painting of two homes, softball bleachers and Freedom Corner; The Sidney/Fremont County Fair Board, for painting of Fair Grounds buildings, rodeo arena and bleachers; The Hamburg Hometown Pride Committee, for downtown and City Park projects; Missouri Valley Health & Promotion Strategies, for three store-front facades; The City of Orient’s Public Works Dept., for work on the Legion Hall, meal site and information booth, and, the City of Shelby, for “Paint Shelby Beautiful,” the Senior Center garage/storage and City Hall.

Governor Branstad has signed a proclamation designating April as Keep Iowa Beautiful month. Diamond Vogel Vice-President Doug Vogel said the company is pleased to do its part by awarding paint to 63 community projects in Iowa. Gerald Schnepf, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful said “The Paint Iowa Beautiful program helps us increase our assistance to neighborhoods, communities, historic projects and other public service organizations in improving the attractiveness and beauty of our home areas. These projects definitely improve the beauty of Iowa, its countryside and its communities.”

Keep Iowa Beautiful is a non-profit organization affiliated with Keep America Beautiful. Program efforts include litter reduction, public nuisance abatement and beautification programs.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 47-year old Richard Lewis, Sr., of Atlantic. Lewis, Sr. was taken into custody on a 5th Degree Theft/shoplifting charge, and for Public Intoxication. He was booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Tyson Fresh Meats will be adding around 140 jobs at a Council Bluffs plant, now that Tyson has won more than $950,000 in Iowa tax credits. As we announced over the weekend on KJAN, the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board approved the credits on Friday.

The company plans to install around $10 million worth of new equipment at the plant in order to serve an unidentified new client. As a condition for the tax credits, Tyson must create at least 139 new jobs, including 22 with a wage of nearly $15 an hour.

Tyson spokesman Dan Fogleman says that the plant packages beef and pork products for retailers. Tyson Fresh Meats also has a pepperoni plant in Council Bluffs. Fogleman says the hiring has begun but declined to say how many people work at each plant.