May 20, 2022 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for three companies, which will assist in the creation of 163 jobs and result in over $106 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Armstrong/Estherville, Dyersville and Le Mars. The board also approved innovation funding in support of six startups located in Ankeny, Bettendorf, Clive, Coralville, Prole and Tabor.

Awards for expansion/job creation went to :

• moveero to expand operations in Armstrong and Estherville – moveero, Inc., founded in 1967, manufactures hubs, spindles and wheels for the off-highway market of agricultural, construction and mining equipment with customers in North and South America. The company plans to expand their capabilities and equipment at the Armstrong and Estherville locations. The project is expected to create 11 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $19.05 per hour. The company was awarded tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program for this $9.6 million capital investment.
• Ancient Brands Milling to increase capacity in Dyersville – Ancient Brands Milling is a leading North American manufacturer of organic and non-GMO puffed grains for market-recognizable brands and co-manufacturers of cereal, granola, energy bars and plant-based alternatives. The company plans to increase its product capacity in Dyersville with the construction of a 92,000 square foot facility. The project represents a $26.5 million capital investment and is expected to create 17 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $22.63 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the HQJ program.
•  Wells Enterprises to add product lines in Le Mars – Founded in Le Mars in 1913, Wells Enterprises, Inc. manufactures frozen treat brands such as Blue Bunny, Bomb Pop and Halo Top found in grocery, convenience and club stores throughout the U.S. The company plans to add new product lines and upgrade equipment at their facility. The board awarded this $70 million capital investment project tax benefits through the HQJ program. The project is expected to create 135 jobs, of which 82 are incented at a qualifying wage of $23.94 per hour.

Awards made to six startups include:

• Axis-U of Ankeny, which developed an online pre-apprenticeship training platform that helps Iowa employers connect to job seekers. After starting with the healthcare industry, the company is now committed to serving manufacturing companies with their CAD, CNC and welding apprenticeship programs. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for market analysis, product refinement, key personnel and equipment.
• Bettendorf’s Learning Couture created a web-based Customizing Learning Platform that supports professional learning for teachers. It engages teachers in self-reflection and growth, allowing for teachers and leaders to monitor growth patterns over time in both teacher practices and student outcomes. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for IP development and evaluation, market analysis, proof of concept work, product refinement, and marketing planning and entry activities.
• Clive-based Groov, Inc. is a software as a service (SaaS) company for residential land developers that organizes all land development data in one place. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for market analysis and key personnel.
• ProCircular, doing business in Coralville, is a cybersecurity and compliance firm that is launching an interactive, virtual version of their table-top cybersecurity escape room game. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Propel Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, market and competitive analysis, proof of concept work, product refinement, market planning and entry activities, and key personnel.
• Located in Prole, Aronson Woodworks is an artisanal, craft furniture manufacturer that utilizes recycled lumber from diseased ash trees to create hand-crafted furniture specializing in the application of the patented Claize^TM finish. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Propel Fund loan for key personnel and equipment.
• Hellcat Technologies in Tabor developed the Hellcat Office Command and Hellcat Field Command applications to optimize management efficiencies and data accuracy by digitizing paperwork and communications in the office and field. The integrated, cloud-based software platform allows for all levels of the telecom construction industry to seamlessly manage projects in real-time. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for product refinement and market planning and entry activities.

Award recommendations for these funds are made by the Technology Commercialization Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board held a 120 Hours Outdoor Challenge all year long in 2021. The program ran from January 1, 2021 through Jan. 1, 2022. During that time frame, Cass County residents were encouraged to get out and explore the natural features the county has to offer, and more. People were encouraged everyone to explore Nature by hiking, birding, walking, but also through meditation or sitting in spots outside, because, they say, “Everything you do outside counts!” Studies that show the benefits to spending around 2-to 3-hours outside per week include lower stress levels, decreased blood pressure, and a boost to your mental health.

Individuals who reached milestones of 30, 60, 90, and/or 120 hours were entered into drawings for prizes over the course of the year. In order to be entered for prizes, a photo of your tracker were due on the check-in dates of May 1, September 1, and Jan 1, 2022. All three check-ins must be completed for the grand prize! Naturalist Lora Kanning says they were excited to see everyone check in and complete the challenge. She says there were more than 30 children participating in the Challenge, so there were separate prizes for them.

(Pictured Emily K accepting for Zac, and Clara K. on the right) Courtesy Lora Kanning

Kanning says “Emma B. was our first winner, reaching our May check-in. Michelle A. was our September check-in. Debbie S. was our 60 hour check-in winner. The children’s drawing winner was Jacob R.” The final listed of winners who completed the Challenge include: The Childrens – Will K. They also drew three prizes with all of the participants who completed the challenge: Monica B., Kelly M., Clara K.

Kanning says “Our grand prize winner of $200 in outdoor gear donated by Nishna Valley YMCA, was Zac K. Cass County Conservation Board would like to thank our partners who donated to the challenge: Nishna Valley YMCA, Brown’s Shoe Fit Atlantic, Jazzersize Atlantic, Anita Wellness Center, and the Bike Farm.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were introduced to new staff members of Allen Place at the Rock Island Depot on Thursday, May 19th, 2022. The Ambassadors met the new Executive Director, Doug Hanigar, who was born in Texas and raised in Oklahoma. He and his wife and children moved to Atlantic in late December 2021. Doug was previously working in administration at a 320-bed facility in Oklahoma and has enjoyed working with staff and residents in a small, more personal setting.

Melinda Hunnicutt was born and raised in Audubon, Iowa and has worked in long term care since she was 14 years old. Melinda has worked in many positions within the long-term care communities such as an Environment Aid, CNA, and Kitchen Aid. At 32 years old, Melinda decided to go back to school to become a nurse. Melinda has been a nurse for 10 years and has recently celebrated her one year of employment at Allen Place.

Photo courtesy the Atlantic Chamber.

Allen Place provides services such as housekeeping, laundry, meal service, and activities in a vibrant community for residents on a short or long-term basis. Allen Place prides themselves on 24/7 care specific to the needs of each resident while providing a secure, comforting, and fun environment.

For more information about Allen Place call 712-264-5584 or visit https://www.enlivant.com/communities/iowa/allen-place-atlantic

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Atlantic Ag & Auto Carquest on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022. The Ambassadors joined the business in celebrating the opening of the parts store located at 716 W 7th Street in Atlantic. The Chamber says Randy Eden has been in the parts & service industry for over 35 years and has always had a dream of “opening a parts store on the highway.”

photo courtesy the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

With the dream in mind, Eden, along with the Watts family, took on the large task of completely renovating the building that was once home to the Salvation Army. Through another Carquest location, the business was able to build a large inventory. With the help of Randy’s team of dedicated individuals, the business was able to officially open their doors April 18th.

Atlantic Ag & Auto Carquest specializes in auto replacement parts along with replacement parts for agriculture equipment including hydraulic hoses and fittings. Randy and his team strive to have high-quality parts on hand to get the customer back up and running with the shortest down time as possible. Atlantic Ag & Auto Carquest is open Monday-Friday 6AM-6PM and Saturday 6AM-1PM.

Atlantic Ag & Auto Carquest is located at 716 W 7th Street in Atlantic. For more information, call 712-254-7373 or visit their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/atlanticagandauto

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped again in April. Iowa Workforce Development reports initial unemployment claims fell to five-thousand-290 (5,290) last month — the lowest monthly number since 1973. That led to a drop in the April unemployment rate to three percent, down from three-point-three percent in March. The total number of working Iowans increased by 10-thousand in April compared to March — and that’s 45-thousand-100 more than April one year ago.

Manufacturing added 11-hundred jobs — the most of any sector for the month — and the fifth consecutive gain for the sector.

(Radio Iowa) – Deere and Company saw net sales and revenue rise 11 percent in the last quarter and the company’s executives are predicting even higher sales of tractors and combines in the months ahead. Deere and Company’s net income in the last quarter was more than two billion dollars — about 300 million dollars more than in the same period last year. Deere’s chairman and C-E-O says it’s due to strong demand even as the company faces supply chain pressures on equipment production and delivery schedules.

Deere projects demand for farm equipment will remain strong through the rest of the year. Deere sales of ag equipment rose 13 percent in the past three months. Sales of John Deere lawn products and small ag equipment were up five percent and Deere’s construction and forestry division saw sales increase nine percent during the last quarter.

(Carroll, Iowa) – It’s bad enough when a deer runs out in front of your vehicle and causes damage, but one deer in northwest Iowa decided to visit the Carroll Recreation Center Tuesday evening. In surveillance video posted on the City of Carroll Facebook page, the wayward deer can be seen losing its footing as it was making its way through one corridor and ended up in another corridor. It got back up on its legs, and heading out the same way it came in.

Still frame video image of a deer in the Carroll Rec Center (from the City of Carroll Facebook page).

“We heard she was in to sign up for some of our awesome afternoon classes,” said the city of Carroll on its Facebook page. “She left the same window she came in, but seemed in good health when she left. “We hope she’s doing well, but request that she knocks at the door next time she needs a day pass.”

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The nation’s largest recreational boating safety event of the year, National Safe Boating Week, takes place May 21–27, and serves as a reminder to boaters to keep safety front and center all season long. The BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water offers three tips for boaters to be safety heroes on the water.

1. The best life jacket is the one you will wear, meaning one that’s comfortable. There are many lightweight inflatable life jackets that fit the bill. Check the jacket’s label to ensure it’s approved for your type of boating. If the kids are visiting, don’t be tempted to put a child in an ill-fitting adult life jacket.
2. Boating safety reports indicate that operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed, and alcohol rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents. Focus on eliminating these factors by putting down the cellphone, practicing using S.C.A.N. procedures to avoid distracted boating, taking a free boating safety course, slowing down, and driving more defensively, especially in congested boating areas. Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, so save the celebration for after the boat is safely tied up for the night. Boat operators also need to recognize they are responsible for the safety of their guests, including inebriated ones.
3. Remember to wear an engine cutoff switch if your boat is less than 26-feet, traveling on plane or above displacement speed. Engine cutoff switches can prevent boat strike injuries after an operator has been ejected from the vessel or displaced from the helm.

What Is SCAN?

SCAN: Search, Concentrate, Analyze, and Negotiate. This is something every attentive skipper does continually, and probably without thinking about it, while underway. Simply put, “scanning” is looking from side to side – and behind you – for boats, people, and objects on the water that may pose a risk of collision. Repeat whenever you’re underway.

Search the area all around your craft. This is a 360-degree examination of everything around your boat. Distances away will close or open depending on your speed or the speed of the observed boat or object. The faster you’re operating, the farther out you’ll need to search.

Concentrate on what you’re seeing. Is it a boat? What type? What is it doing? What is its relative speed? Is it a stationary object? Drifting or anchored? Things can happen fast out there, so these are questions you must consider while you look at the various observed boats or objects.

Analyze what you’re watching. Is it closing in on your position or going away from you? Remember, if the object you’re observing is getting closer to you and its relative position to you is not changing, it is on a collision course. Never assume you’re seen by other boat operators, who may or may not be distracted. Determine this by the way and direction they’re operating. Analyze how far away the boat or object is and how fast it is closing the distance between you and it.

Negotiate. What are you going to do? Slow down, turn away from the boat or object, and head in a different direction? Remember the Navigation Rules. Learn the proper action to take while meeting head on, crossing, or overtaking another boat.

(Radio Iowa) – Portions of Red Haw State Park will reopen today (Friday), more than two months after a deadly tornado swept through Lucas County and the Chariton area, destroying much of the park’s infrastructure and foliage. Park manager Bonnie Friend says the March 5th twister killed a man who was camping at the park and storm damage to the park itself was significant. “We lost probably 75% of the campground as well as we lost all five docks, three shelters and the storage building,” Friend says. “So over this time since March 5th, we’ve had amazing progress.” The National Weather Service says the E-F-3 tornado that hit the park was on the ground more than 16 miles, with peak winds of 138 miles an hour.

(Pics from the Red Haw State Park fundraising page)

Friend says her park crew, as well as D-N-R staffers from elsewhere around the state, have worked long hours to clear hundreds of downed trees. “We’ve also had a volunteer day where we had 229 people from across Iowa help us to clean the north side of any metal or debris, limbs, etcetera,” Friend says. “Then, an amazing disaster group by the name of Team Rubicon came in April for three days and what we were able to accomplish was just mind boggling.” Parts of the park will be opening this morning, including day use areas, the beach for swimming, and one boat ramp. Friend hopes to get a kayak launch put in place next week, too.

“We’ve been able to make the north side of the park safe for the public to visit, but the south side, all the trails, the campground and all the shelters are still closed,” Friend says. “We still have a tremendous amount of debris and trees to take care of in order to make it safe on the south side.” No dollar estimate is being released on what it’s taken to get the park partly restored and Friend says it’ll be well into summer, perhaps fall, before the rest of the property can reopen.

“There’s just so many unknown variables and so many things to take care of, and then there’s supply and demand issues as well,” Friend says. “I haven’t really been given a time. I just know that it’ll be at least three to four months just to remove trees that are broken and dangerous before we can even look about moving forward as far as repair.” A GoFundMe page is raising money to help with clean-up, repair and reforestation. (https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuilding-tornado-cleanup-of-red-haw-state-park)

Checks can also be sent to the DNR at Red Haw State Park, 24550 US Highway 34, Chariton, IA 50049. For updates, visit the Iowa DNR’s Alerts and Closure page: www.iowadnr.gov/parkclosures

Officials with the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR) report April’s real estate sales dipped 8.8 percent. The Housing Trends report shows median sales price rose almost 10 percent over April 2021. There was a decline over 396 homes sold when comparing April 2022 to April 2021. The report shows 3,591 sold last month, compared to 3,938 in April 2021. On a brighter note, pending sales were up almost 11% from April 2021. Compared to the first 4 months of 2021, sales are only .8 percent lower this year.

The median sales price for April 2022 increased 9.8% to $209,700 compared to $191,000 in April of last year. The Realtors Association says that is is a record high for median sale price in Iowa. The number of homes available for sale continues to be low in many price ranges. The inventory of homes was 28 percent lower than in April 2021 with only 6,522 homes on the market statewide.  The average days on market for properties continues its decreasing trend. April saw an average of 36 days on the market. That is 26.5 percent faster than April of last year.

IAR President Byrin Menke said, “While sales did drop in April, we’re encouraged by the almost 11 percent rise in pending sales. This bodes well for May and June. We believe April’s rainy and cold weather may have impacted sales and construction of new homes in Iowa. We’re looking forward to improved weather and real estate activity in May and June. With mortgage rates rising and a tight inventory, we encourage buyers to have all their finances in order and get pre-approved. Find a local, trusted Realtor to help you through these market conditions.”