(Adair, Iowa) – An accident involving a semi tractor-trailer hauling cattle near Adair, Thursday, resulted in the death of four cows. Adair Police Chief Brad Wendt told KJAN News the accident happened at around 11-a.m., at the Exit 76 ramp to westbound Interstate 80. The driver of the semi told Adair Police Officer Sawyer Ocheltree that while he was exiting the interstate, his brakes locked-up, causing him to lose control of the trailer.

The vehicle ended-up going off the roadway. The trailer overturned. The semi’s tractor/cab partially overturned. The unidentified driver of the semi was not hurt. Chief Wendt said it took about four-hours to round up the rest of the herd, which had escaped from the trailer. (Bystander video provided by Chief Wendt)

June 16, 2023 (DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board, today (Friday), approved awards for three companies, which will assist in the creation of 89 jobs and result in $26 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Red Oak, Waterloo and Dallas County. The board also approved grants through the Entrepreneurial Investment Award program.

Specializing in motion and control technologies, Parker-Hannifin Corporation in Red Oak, provides precision-engineered solutions for mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company plans to make investments in manufacturing machinery and equipment that will support the need to expand production at their Red Oak location. The project represents a capital investment of $2.5 million and was awarded tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program. It is expected to create 65 jobs, of which 35 are incented at a qualifying wage of $22.60 per hour.

Osmundson Manufacturing to expand facility in Dallas County: Osmundson Manufacturing Co., a fifth-generation family-owned company, designs agricultural disc, coulter and seeding blades for original equipment manufacturers and distributors worldwide. The company plans to expand its Perry facility by approximately 20,000 square feet to increase manufacturing capacity and employee amenities. The board awarded this $19 million capital investment project tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create 17 jobs, of which two are incented at a qualifying wage of $28.70 per hour.

Dignity Apparel to purchase building in Waterloo: Dignity Apparel LLC manufactures garments with domestically sourced fabrics for Image Pointe, its wholly owned subsidiary that offers design and distribution services. Through real estate holding company JP Management Corporation, the project plans to acquire a 77,000 square-foot building in Waterloo, including remodeling space and purchasing equipment and software to accommodate growth. The project represents a capital investment of $4.5 million dollars and is expected to create seven jobs at a qualifying wage of $21.01 per hour. The board awarded tax benefits through the HQJ program.

Grants awarded to two initiatives supporting entrepreneurs…

The Entrepreneurial Investment Award (EIA) program provides financial assistance to service providers that offer technical and financial assistance to entrepreneurs and startup companies seeking to create, locate or expand a business in Iowa. The award is in the form of a grant through a competitive application process.

Landus Innovation Connector supports the growth of innovative agricultural technologies through mentorship and direct connections to the marketplace for entrepreneurs and scale-up companies. Companies will receive access to ag resources and services, including market strategy assistance, industry information, a collaborative space to share farming solutions, and a direct connection to the marketplace. The Landus Connector was awarded a $120,000 grant from the EIA program to be used for key personnel, promotion of technology to farmers, and venture events.

Pi515’s Girls’ Entrepreneurship Incubator is an initiative focused on empowering and supporting aspiring young women entrepreneurs through mentorship, workshops, networking, market exposure and resources. The incubator aims to create an environment that helps young women launch and grow businesses. Pi515 was awarded a $200,000 grant from the EIA program to facilitate community outreach, engage and involve young women, develop curriculum, and recruit key personnel.

Award recommendations for these funds are made by the EIA Review Committee to the IEDA Board for approval. Download a spreadsheet with today’s awards here.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lakes Community College campus in Algona will be hosting a free one-hour seminar about credit scores for area business owners and entrepreneurs. Shelly Brown is the coordinator for the college’s Tietz Entrepreneurial Center in Algona. She says step one for anyone is to check the accuracy of your credit report. “The information that’s on your credit report is used to generate your credit score,” Brown says. “…Step two is understanding what goes into a credit score from a financial lender’s standpoint.” According to a recent Federal Reserve survey, lenders are toughening the standards for loans, which makes it even harder for most small businesses and start-ups to get loans. Brown says the seminar will cover ways to improve a credit score.

“For a new business owner it’s important to have a good understanding, good handle on their credit score because they need to secure financing for that start up, whereas an individual who’s been in business for a couple of years the credit score is still very, very critical because they may need it to establish a larger line of credit or perhaps they are going to try to secure funding for a new project, new growth expansion, a new additional location.” The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, June 28th, from 6 to 7 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has declined to remove the injunction against the 2018 law that would limit abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Abortion will remain legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Chief Justice Susan Christenson, and justices Thomas Waterman and Edward Mansfield voted against removing the injunction. Justices Christopher McDonald, Mathew McDermott and David May voted to remove the injunction, while Justice Dana Oxley did not vote. The 3-3 tie leaves the injunction in place.

Justice Waterman wrote the ruling was never appealed when it was enacted, and the law was not legal at the time it passed before the Supreme Court’s ruling that abortion is not a right, and those are important reasons to deny the appeal. Justice McDonald wrote the dissent — saying that it is almost universally accepted that courts have inherent authority to modify or dissolve a permanent injunction based on changes in fact or law without regard to the passage of time.

Governor Kim Reynolds issued a statement calling the lack of action by the court disappointing. It says “Not only does it disregard Iowa voters who elected representatives willing to stand up for the rights of unborn children, but it has sided with a single judge in a single county who struck down Iowa’s legislation based on principles that now have been flat-out rejected by the U-S Supreme Court.

Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart released a statement saying “I am thrilled that the Iowa Supreme Court will not stand in the way of Iowans who need abortion care, especially when our friends and neighbors already have to navigate so many barriers to health care. Our job as Democrats going forward is to listen to the needs of our fellow Iowans and ensure that folks in every corner of the state can access the medical care they need, no matter where they live or what’s in their wallet.

Maggie DeWitte of Pulse Life Advocates, formerly Iowa Right to Life, had this reaction to the decision: “Profoundly disappointed. You know, we already passed a heartbeat bill once. And that law would have saved an estimated 2000 Iowans lives every year,” she says. DeWitte says the recent election the kept Republicans in control of all branches of state government showed Iowans support the bill. “We affirmed that decision by reelecting our governor, and a legislature that’s, you know, committed to protecting innocent children in the womb. And so it’s it’s very disappointing. You know, lawmaking is the job of the people’s elected representatives, and not unelected judges,” DeWitte says.

There is the possibility that the governor could call a special session to pass the bill again. “I would be supportive of that, the quicker that we can get the next step going in terms of saving innocent human lives, we would be supportive of that 100 percent,” she says. DeWitte says the overturning of the U-S Supreme Court decision making abortion legal one year ago has opened the door to move forward, and they will continue to work on ending abortion.

“We have a long ways to go. And that’s why groups like Pulse Life Advocates and others in the life community are working every day tirelessly to change hearts and minds,” DeWitte says. “And it goes back to the simple idea that all human life is valuable and dignity and therefore should be protected.”
Planned Parenthood will hold a news conference this afternoon to respond to the ruling.