[12-p.m. News] – (Northboro, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports one person is dead following an accident southwest of Northboro, Thursday. The Page County Dispatch Center (PageComm) received a call about a man’s body being found outside of a vehicle at around 5:36-p.m.  The accident happened in the 1400 block of 310^th Street. It was unknown if anyone else was in the vehicle.

An investigation determined 63-year-old Ronnie Eugene Hagey, of Burlington Junction, MO., died at the scene. Authorities say it appears that Hagey was the driver and only occupant of the vehicle. He was not wearing his seat belt. The accident remains under investigation at this time.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Page County Medical Examiner’s Office, Coin Fire and Rescue, and Shenandoah Ambulance Service.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by the Masonic Pymosa Lodge Thursday, March 16th, 2023. The Ambassadors learned about the Annual Masonic Scholarship Fundraiser, which includes a St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed taking place this evening.

Donnie Drennan shared about the rich history of philanthropy of the Masonic organization and their annual fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Annual scholarships are awarded to area seniors to help offset the cost of tuition and vary in amount depending on donations the organization has received throughout the year. The Mason’s have been handing out scholarships to graduating Atlantic High School Seniors for over 30 years and as of this year, the organization will be opening scholarship applications to the CAM School District. Donnie thanked the community for their continued generosity and shared that in his 32 years with the Pymosa Lodge, the organization has awarded over $35,000 in scholarships.

The Irish Stew Feed is the main fundraiser for the organization, but the Masons also collect aluminum cans to be recycled. The money made through the can redemption goes directly into the scholarship fund. The Manson’s now have three drop-off locations: The Masonic Lodge, Boes Repair Inc, and the Cass County Landfill. Community members can also contact a Mason to have cans picked up from their home or business.

Ambassadors and Masons (Left to Right): David York, Gary Warwick, Rick Mericle, BJ Hart, Colt Doherty, Kathie Hockenberry, Anne Quist, Lana Westphalen, Julie Waters, Beth Spieker, John Bricker, Jim Kickland, Sue Liston, Bailey Smith, Donnie Drennan, Bill Saluk, Elaine Otte, Krysta Hanson, Dr. Keith Leonard, Dolly Bergmann, Amanda Hansen, Megan Sramek, Kelsey Beschorner, Brian York, Jeremy Butler, Rosa Schlapa, Rob Claussen. (Photo/story courtesy the Atlantic Chamber)

The 7th Annual Masonic Scholarship St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed Fundraiser will be held tonight, March 17th from 5-7:30 PM. They will be serving Beef Stew, Vegetable Stew and Irish Soda Bread for a free will donation at the Masonic Lodge. The meal can be enjoyed inside the Lodge or via drive through lane alongside the building.

For further information about the Annual Irish Stew Feed, Scholarship Program, or to donate, please contact 402-740-1717.

The Masonic Lodge/ Pymosa Lodge #271 is located at 1010 SW 7th Street in Atlantic.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 40-year-old Anthony David Smith, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 10:50-a.m. today (Friday), on two Bench Warrants for Violation of Probation. Smith was taken into custody in the 500 block of Reed Street and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $40,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The counties in Iowa that are not home to a state-licensed casino still received some of the gambling revenue again this year through the County Endowment program. Iowa Gaming Association C-E-O, Wes Ehrecke, says foundations in these 84 counties receive eight-tenths of one percent of the gambling tax. “So this past year is 160-thousand dollars to each of those non-casino counties,” Ehrecke says. “They have to put 25 percent in a permanent endowment the rest can be provided grants anyway they feel. Each have a separate board of directors for each county.” He says the program was started in 2004.

” Thirty-five-thousand grants and 136 million dollars since the inception of this program to the qualified community foundations in the non-casino counties. And just in this past year was 18-hundred and 38 grants and 10-point-7 million was provided out,” Ehrecke says. The 15 counties which have casinos have non-profits that hold the gambling license and they each are required by law to distribute a percentage of the gambling funds throughout their counties.

You can see the full details on how much grant money each of the 99 counties receives on the Iowa Gaming website at iowagaming.org.

March 17, 2023 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today (Friday), the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for two established companies in Cedar Rapids and Muscatine, which will assist in the creation and retention of 69 jobs and result in a $102 million capital investment for the state. Innovation funding was awarded in support of four startups located in Ankeny, Des Moines and Hiawatha. The board also provided final approval on a reinvestment district plan for Newton. (A spreadsheet of the awards can be found HERE)

Collins Aerospace to upgrade Cedar Rapids facility
Collins Aerospace delivers advanced technology products and services to the aviation and defense industries. The company plans to remodel their manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids to accommodate expanded microelectronics fabrication processes. The project represents a capital investment of $22 million and is expected to create and retain 41 jobs at a qualifying wage of $30.24 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program.

Kent Pet Group to construct facility in Muscatine
A subsidiary of the family-owned Kent Corporation, Kent Pet Group produces natural and sustainable cat litter under brands World’s Best Cat Litter, BreederCelect and Back-2-Nature. The company plans to construct a new 113,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Muscatine. The project represents an $80 million capital investment and was awarded a $150,000 forgivable loan and tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create 28 jobs, of which 27 are incented at a qualifying wage of $22.08 per hour.

Awards made to four startups

With a focus on apprenticeship opportunities, AxisU of Ankeny connects pre-qualified candidates to local trades-based employers. The platform also provides ongoing apprenticeship training that, when combined with on-the-job training, is recognized with a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for product refinement, market planning and entry activities, and key personnel.

Ankeny-based Enceinte Health Inc. developed a smart commode to understand an individual’s health and wellness behavior within their home. The monitoring technology offers a more efficient and effective method of identifying potential health issues or preventative care opportunities. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for proof of concept work, product refinement, market planning and entry activities, key personnel and equipment.

MetaFuel, based in Des Moines, created a system to help truck fleets manage fuel tax compliance. The technology provides assurance through data visibility and unlimited cloud storage for fuel records and seamless integration with a truck’s existing telematics hardware. The company was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for product refinement and market planning and entry activities.

Headquartered in Hiawatha, Shaka Culture, Inc. provides software that addresses team morale in remote or hybrid work environments. A subscription offers companies access to virtual culture programs with the goal of improving employee retention and recruiting costs. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for market planning and entry activities and key personnel.

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

Newton reinvestment district plan receives final approval
The Iowa Reinvestment District Program is designed to assist communities in developing transformative projects that improve the quality of life, create and enhance unique opportunities, and substantially benefit the community, region and state. The program provides for up to $100 million in new state hotel/motel and sales tax revenues to be “reinvested” within approved districts that cannot exceed 75 acres in size and must be in an Urban Renewal Area.

On June 25, 2021, the board approved provisional funding for six reinvestment district applications. Final application materials fully meeting all the program’s requirements were due prior to February 25, 2022. Newton submitted a pre-application during the 2021 annual filing window. Since that time, project representatives worked with IEDA staff to complete the final application for board review. Final application materials were received by the deadline, and today they received approval conditions subsequent on additional documentation.

The board approved the maximum benefit amount of $14 million for the Newton Legacy Reinvestment District submitted by the City of Newton. The project is focused on adapting existing facilities from Maytag’s departure, including apartments, a boutique hotel, event space and green space, as well as downtown improvements and trail connections. The plan proposes a capital investment of nearly $48 million.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association predicts a worsening shortage of family and professional caregivers in Iowa as more people are diagnosed — and more caregivers quit. Iowa chapter spokeswoman Lauren Livingston says there’s already a high demand for direct care workers, which includes nurse aides, nursing assistants and home health aides. She says they play a vital role in caring for people who are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.  “By 2030 nationwide, we’ll need over a million more of these direct care workers, and in Iowa, we’ll need to see an increase of over 30-percent, so that’s pretty staggering,” Livingston says. “And on top of that, these jobs are really hard and they don’t pay very well, so there’s a really high turnover rate, too.”

She notes the median pay for these workers in Iowa is a little over 14-dollars an hour. Also, many tens of thousands of Iowans are getting -no- pay as they’re caring for a parent or other loved one. “There are 98,000 unpaid family caregivers, so those are loved ones caring for people that are living at home with them with Alzheimer’s and dementia,” Livingston says, “and they are providing an estimated 125-million hours of unpaid care valued at over $2.2 billion.”

Potential solutions to the looming shortage include getting better training for caregivers so they can better handle the rigors of the job, and mandated higher pay rates. The report says family caregivers in Iowa face significant emotional, physical and health-related challenges as a result of caregiving.  “These dementia family caregivers are putting in so much time that’s really taking a toll on their well-being and their mental and physical health,” she says, “on top of the health of their loved one living with dementia.”

Sixty-percent of Iowa caregivers report having at least one chronic condition, 27-percent report depression, 59-percent report high-to-very-high emotional stress due to caregiving, and 38% report high-to-very-high physical stress. According to the report, there are six-point-seven million Americans living with Alzheimer’s, including 66-thousand Iowans.

See the full report at: alz.org/facts