(Radio Iowa) – A new grocery store in downtown Orange City is named Schedryck which means “bountiful” in Ukraine. Natali Valyanska — the store’s owner and operator — says it’s also the name of a popular Ukrainian song. “All American people know this song. It’s like ‘Carol of the Bells.’ It’s Ukrainian song,” she says. “It’s like treasure. It’s like Ukrainian treasure.”  She says there are a variety of foods and beverages in stock to give Ukrainians who’re living in the area familiar tastes. “We have candy, chocolate, cakes, cookies. We have juice from Ukraine,” she says. “We have pickled tomatoes, pickled cucumber, some baked beans, but a Ukrainian recipe.”

The store has Ukrainian meats, mainly sausage, for sale — and the kind of ice cream that Valyanska prefers. “I think that it’s more tasty,” Valyanska. “I don’t know how to explain. You need just to try.” Valyanska says opening this store has fulfilled a dream. “In Ukraine, I worked 18 years in a bank, but I worked with big companies,” Valyanska says. “My favorite and best company, my best customer, was a retail company in Ukraine, so I know how it works from inside.”

Natali Valyanska

Valyanska has a small gallery in the store featuring paintings by an artist who still lives in Ukraine.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – A man from central Iowa injured during a single-vehicle accident Wednesday afternoon in Guthrie County, was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened at around 4:55-p.m. on Highway 44, east of Dogwood Avenue. Authorities say 24-year-old Jonathan Robert Hogan Brandon, of Indianola, was traveling east of Highway 44 when, according to Brandon, he attempted to pass a truck and trailer that was “all over the road.” While trying to pass the vehicle and trailer, the 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis he was driving slipped onto the north shoulder of the road, causing him to lose control.

The car entered the north ditch and continued eastbound before striking a tree. Jonathan Brandon – who was wearing his seat belt – complained of extreme shoulder pain, and was found laying on his back in the north ditch, by a Guthrie County Sheriff’ Deputy. He was transported by EMS ambulance to Methodist West Hospital. The car sustained an estimated $10,000 damage.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Representatives from Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), the City of Glenwood, and Developer Ryan Sell had a chance to show off the 712 Lofts development to Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg on Tuesday, June 11th. SWIPCO officials say the Lt. Governor was making his way through the region and provided an opportunity to check out this project and discuss other projects in Glenwood. Sell and his family hosted a tour of their conversion project of the former Glen Haven Nursing Home into 3-bedroom and 1-bedroom apartments. The project has been partially funded through Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery Housing funds administered by SWIPCO following the 2019 Missouri River Floods.

Sell talked about the challenges of converting the building into the space they envisioned and hopes it brings a great option for the community. “We wanted to put something here that wasn’t really available anywhere else in town. This gives residents a unique space option with some three-bedroom, two-bath units,” Sell said. There will be 27 units total available once the project is done including a small house on the site that is being renovated as well. Sell said it’s been a learning process and has been challenging and frustrating at times with changes made along the way but it’s all working out. “We were all learning through the process but ultimately SWIPCO and Iowa Economic Development have been great partners. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help,” Sell said.

Photo (L-R): SWIPCO Communications Coordinator Chris Parks, Brock Sell, DeShawne Bird-Sell, Developer Ryan Sell, SWIPCO Disaster Recovery Coordinator Ashley Hayes, Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, Glenwood Mayor Angie Winquist, Glenwood City Administrator Amber Farnan, Mills County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennie Davis, SWIPCO Community Development Specialist Tammy DeBord. (Photo courtesy Chris Parks at SWIPCO/SWITA)

Lieutenant Governor Gregg said he loves seeing projects like this one happen, “Ultimately you hope that this has a chance to bring a new generation to town. This can attract families to your community.” Glenwood City Administrator Amber Farnan also discussed the downtown façade work that is about to get underway because of a CDBG Downtown Revitalization grant that SWIPCO is working with the city on. 8 buildings around the Glenwood town square will get a facelift starting this summer. That project has approximately $960,000 in funding, $490,000 in CDBG funds and $470,000 in city and building owner funds.

Farnan also touched on a fiber project the city is in the midst of with Western Iowa Networks. They entered a partnership to bring fiber internet service to the entire city. The city is using American Rescue Plan Act funds to support the project. Lt. Governor Gregg asked about what obstacles arise in these projects and several on hand expressed concern with some of the changing requirements of grant funds and some of the paperwork obligations being a big challenge to fill. Gregg expressed his sympathy to those issues and said sometimes it’s above the state’s control when it comes to federal funding, but he noted the hangups. Also discussed was the vital need for good infrastructure for communities to continue to grow and attract business, such as a proper water system.

Glenwood officials were very thankful for the funding opportunities that have presented themselves and feel like they have done a good job of spending those funds on the right projects.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors and staff with the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today (Thursday), for the Harl Holt Park Playground renovation project.

Harl Holt Park playground equipment

The Park is located near 16th and Olive Streets. Parks and Rec Coordinator Jeff Christensen spoke before the ribbon-cutting about the playground and history of the project.

Harl Holt Ribbon Cutting

The Pour and play fall/safety material that surrounds the playground, Christensen says, “is like walking on a mattress, it’s nice and soft under you, and there’s not that much maintenance” that’s required. Aaron Sligh with Play-Pro Recreation in Waukee, spoke about the composite makeup of the fall material

Atlantic City Councilperson Elaine Otte said the new playground equipment has been utilized more over the past month than she’s seen in a long time. That sentiment was repeated by others who attended the ceremony, as well.

Christensen said Harl Holt Park will be a destination for people to bring their kids to now, especially with the Pour and Play surface. The Park was named after Atlantic resident Harl Holt, who died in 1975.

(Radio Iowa) – Families in Iowa, Minnesota and Nebraska that take part in the Women, Infants, and Children program can now use their cards to shop online at most Hy-Vee stores in the state as part of a pilot program. Kate Franken, a Midwest WIC director, says shopping with young children can be challenging, and without an online option, fewer healthy foods are accessible. “This became a problem and really clear during the pandemic that the families that receive WIC benefits were not able to redeem those online,” Franken says, “like many of us consumers did at that time.”

Franken says the pilot program was launched in February at one Hy-Vee store in each state and it’s seen great success. “We’re hopeful to expand this around the state and into other retailers,” she says, “but we’ll need partners in the retail community to do that.”

Franken says grocery delivery is available from Hy-Vee for an additional fee, which cannot be paid for using WIC benefits.

Officials with FEMA report the Federal Emergency Management Agency is hiring Iowa residents to support the severe weather recovery efforts. Positions include Site Inspectors and Public Assistance Program Delivery Manager. The temporary positions are for 120 days and may be extended, in 120-day increments, for a maximum 365-day appointment, based on the needs of the disaster.

All candidates should possess strong computer, communication, interpersonal and customer service skills. Applicants must be at least 18 years old. U.S. citizenship is required. Selected candidates will be required to complete a background investigation, including fingerprinting. FEMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salaries are comparable to local pay rates.

To see posted positions, visit USAJOBS.gov. Type “FEMA Local Hire” in the search box and “Iowa” in the location box. Detailed job information is provided, including pay, benefits and application deadline for each position.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Due to a difference in child labor laws at the state and federal levels, some Iowa restaurants could be punished despite following state regulations.  In a law passed last year, Iowa restaurants could have teenagers work later into the night. Allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work as late as 9 p.m. on school nights and 11 p.m. in the summer. KCCI-TV reports Iowa Restaurant Association officials say the U.S. Department of Labor has been issuing fines to several Iowa restaurants based on breaking federal law.

At the federal level, the teens must be off the clock by 7 p.m. on school nights and 9 p.m. in the summer — a full two hours earlier. It’s a difference that the association’s president and CEO Jessica Dunkin said could cost restaurant owners tens of thousands of dollars.

The U.S. Department of Labor said in a statement that it has done several investigations resulting in child labor violations in Iowa. However, the department also said the problem isn’t unique to Iowa with similar violations happening in several other states. Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement saying the Iowa law provides “tailored, common sense labor provisions that will allow young adults to develop their skills in the workforce.”

Senator Chuck Grassley also issued a statement saying “the Department of Labor ought to be working closely with Iowa businesses, not targeting them.” He said he’ll write to the labor department to urge improved communication so that Iowa small businesses and families can better navigate the labor laws.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A former insurance agent and annuity salesman from Clive will spend 19 years behind bars for stealing millions from older Iowans. KCCI reports 48-yer-old Zachary Flaherty was charged with 17 counts of mail and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and two counts of money laundering over $10,000. He was charged in April 2023.

In late November, he pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud. On Wednesday, a federal judge sentenced Flaherty to 222 months for wire fraud and an additional six months for contempt, for a total of 228 months, or 19 years. Flaherty was also ordered to pay $2.4 in victim restitution.

Federal prosecutors alleged that Flaherty used his position as an insurance agent and annuity salesman to defraud about a dozen older clients in Iowa and Nebraska out of their retirement savings and other monies. Officials say the victims lost more than $900,000. Prosecutors say the victims also wrote more than $1 million worth of checks that Flaherty deposited to himself, and Flaherty defrauded insurance companies over $650,000.

CARTER LAKE, Iowa [KETV) – Disputes in Carter Lake were once again on full display on Wednesday night. KETV-TV in Omaha reports the lone item on the agenda for the special meeting that was more than an hour long was the investigation into City Councilmember Jackie Wahl. Three of the five council members voted to discuss the matter behind closed doors, but that would have required four votes in support.

Councilmembers voted not to publicly release the report. Council members and the city attorney shared some key points, however. The investigator hired by the city said Carter Lake has an opportunity to turn a corner. She wrote that while Wahl acted inappropriately, so did others. Wahl faced accusations from four city employees.

The investigator recommended a reprimand of Wahl, which the other four council members did. She also recommended re-adopting a 90-day plan from 2022 for all council members intended to restore “order and productivity.” That plan does not allow council members to speak publicly against council decisions that have already been made. The investigator also recommended that Carter Lake create the role of city administrator and hire someone from outside the town.

In a lengthy statement provided before the meeting, Wahl said the report was a waste of taxpayer dollars. She said she will not be a “scapegoat” for city-wide issues and she will not resign.