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Pigment solution spill in Polk County reaches Little Four Mile Creek

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a red pigment solution spill at the City of Altoona in Polk County.

On March 21, the DNR Des Moines Field Office was notified of a spill that occurred on Adventureland Drive in Altoona. At approximately 4:30 p.m. a transport truck was hauling the material eastbound near the intersection of Adventureland Drive and 1st Avenue North when the load shifted, causing the 275-gallon container to leak. An unknown amount of the material was released to the interior of the trailer and then onto the paved surface of Adventureland Drive.  

City officials and an environmental consulting firm worked through the night to contain the material and collect as much as they could before the rain event. Despite the cleanup efforts, on March 22 the red material was observed in Little Four Mile Creek south of Adventureland Drive in Altoona. 

Residents are advised to avoid the area. Samples are being collected for testing. The investigation is still ongoing.

IEDA Board approves assistance for four established companies

News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

March 22, 2024 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for four companies, which will assist in the creation of 252 jobs and result in $612 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Cedar Rapids, Knoxville and Marshalltown. IEDA also recently approved assistance from Iowa’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Innovation Fund for four startups in Coralville, Nora Springs, Templeton and West Des Moines.

Google to expand presence with data center in Cedar Rapids
Google LLC is a multinational technology company that focuses on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence and consumer electronics. The company plans to construct a data center in Cedar Rapids that powers many internet-related products. The project represents a $576 million capital investment and is expected to create 31 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $31.44 per hour. The board granted the community of Cedar Rapids the ability to utilize the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program provision for value-added property tax exemption for this project.

International Flavors & Fragrances to construct steam plant in Cedar Rapids
Danisco, Inc., a subsidiary of International Flavors & Fragrances, manufactures enzymes for biofuels production, to be used in food, animal nutrition and household products. The company plans to construct a new facility in Cedar Rapids for a steam generation plant, which will use natural gas as fuel. The board awarded the $17.5 million capital investment project tax benefits through the HQJ program. The project is expected to create at least two jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $31.44 per hour.

Weiler to expand facility in Knoxville
Weiler is a family-owned business that manufactures equipment for the asphalt paving market. The company plans to build a 16,100-square-foot expansion to its facility in Knoxville and invest in additional machinery and equipment, allowing for additional capacity to produce more parts in house. The project represents a $16.8 million capital investment and is expected to create 171 jobs, of which 89 are incented at a qualifying wage of $25.86 per hour. The board awarded the company a $400,000 forgivable loan and tax benefits through the HQJ program.

CO2 Refrigeration Systems to establish operations in Marshalltown
CO2 Refrigeration Systems is a manufacturer of natural refrigeration systems, an alternative to Freon- and Ammonia-based refrigeration. The company plans to establish its U.S. manufacturing presence with the purchase of an existing 34,000-square-foot facility in Marshalltown. The board awarded the $1.5 million capital investment project a $100,000 forgivable loan and tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create 48 jobs incented at a qualifying wage of $22.17 per hour.

SSBCI awards made to four startups
Coralville’s Cellular Engineering Technologies, Inc. (CET) is a biotech company developing optimized reagents and human cell lines for next-generation cell-based therapies. Their proprietary cell therapy technology and production of stem cell lines and high-value growth factor protein products are used by stem cell therapy research scientists and developers. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund award for key personnel and equipment.

ReEnvision Ag in Nora Springs created a planter row system for farmers with SeedSpike technology, which uses precision seed placement. The technology injects the seed with low soil disturbance to optimize soil health and maximize soil carbon sequestration. The company was awarded a $175,000 Demonstration Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, proof of concept work, market planning and entry activities, key personnel and equipment.

PigEasy, a family-owned company in Templeton, develops products that simplify daily tasks on the farm to improve productivity and efficiency and reduce costs. Their products include the AI Saddle for artificially inseminating sows and MealMeter for monitoring sow feeding and drinking activity with a mobile app. The company was awarded a $175,000 Demonstration Fund loan for product refinement, key personnel and market planning and entry activities.

MakuSafe Corp., located in West Des Moines, aims to improve worker health, safety and productivity while reducing worker compensation claims and mitigating workplace risks. The proprietary wearable technology gathers real-time environmental and ergonomic data from workers to identify high-risk trends in a facility. The company was awarded a $500,000 Innovation Acceleration Propel Fund loan for market and competitive analysis, product refinement, key personnel and marketing planning and entry activities.

The SSBCI program’s Innovation Fund increases assistance available through Iowa’s innovation continuum to support entrepreneurs through concept, launch and expansion. Award recommendations for these funds are made by the SSBCI Review Committee to the IEDA director for approval. The committee met on March 5, 2024, to review eligible applications.

NW Iowa entrepreneur wins the SBA’s Iowa Small Business Person of the Year

News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The owner of a catering business and event venue in northwest Iowa is being named the Iowa Small Business Person of the Year by the Iowa district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Cathy Bishop opened a restaurant called Aggies in the Sioux City suburb of Sergeant Bluff in 1994, but after a several years, realized she had to make a change — for the better. “We had such a different menu and everything’s homemade from scratch, and people started asking us to cater for them,” Bishop says, “and so we did. Then, it got to be so much that my kitchen couldn’t handle the restaurant and the catering all at the same time.”

In 2009, Bishop pivoted into catering full time, turned the restaurant into an event venue and immediately began hosting graduations, birthdays, retirements, weddings, funerals and more. Offering breakfast, lunch and dinner catering weekdays and multiple events on weekends, Bishop has continued adding members to her staff over the past 15 years.  “We have about 10 that come every day,” Bishop says. “I have one that comes in at 4:30 every morning because that’s when she likes to get up, and then we have up to 50 people that we pull from for events, because if you have five parties, you have to have five different teams.” A 1983 graduate of Texas A-and-M (where the mascot is the Aggies), Cathy worked for several years as a bank examiner, but her heart’s desire was to become an entrepreneur, which led her to the hospitality industry.

Cathy Bishop (Photo provided by SBA)

Being named Iowa’s Small Business Person of the Year is a wonderful honor, but she says her motto’s and business practices are simple: “I treat people the way I want to be treated. My dad was an entrepreneur and he taught me to do deals with a handshake and I’ve always done that,” Bishop says. “It’s always good to get involved in your community, supporting other people, helping other people get involved in starting new businesses. Small businesses are all in the same kind of boat and they need each other to help support each other.”

As the Iowa Small Business Person of the Year, Bishop will represent Iowa at National Small Business Week ceremonies in Washington D.C. in April, where she will compete for the National Small Business Person of the Year Award.

Come Join the Frog and Toad Call Survey

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Calling all wildlife watchers! The Iowa DNR will host two frog and toad call survey training workshops in 2024 There are still several spots available for in-person training in Mitchell and Montgomery Counties. The workshops are for anyone interested in getting involved in Iowa’s Frog and Toad Call Survey, which has been collecting data on our state’s amphibians for over 30 years. Prospective surveyors must attend a training workshop. (See details below)

The Frog and Toad Call Survey has a long tradition, starting in 1991. That was the first year a group of dedicated community scientists learned the frog and toad calls and trooped out into the night to visit wetlands across the state. Over the years, volunteers have collected data on over 2,200 wetlands and provided an incredible record of  frog and toad activity.  Program coordinator Stephanie Shepherd said “It’s rare to have such a broad set of data collected over so many years on ONE species, much less a whole group of vulnerable species.” To get involved with the frog and toad call survey you will need an adventurous spirit and the interest to learn up to 16 frog and toad breeding calls. You can check out a few of those calls in the DNR wildlife sound library.

Interested volunteers should first visit https://www.iowadnr.gov/vwmp and read through the survey requirements to see if it is something you’d have the time for and an interest in You can then see whether there are any survey routes nearby that need a monitor by browsing  the maps of available routes. Surveyors are especially need in Montgomery and Mitchell counties and surrounding counties. If you don’t see an available route near you, creating your own survey route is also an option!

The time commitment for conducting the survey and submitting data is roughly 10 hours total between April and July each year and will require being out after dark for roughly 2 hours during each survey period. Workshops are most appropriate for adults or older children (12+).

Each workshop has limited seats available and a $10.00 fee is required. Registration will close a week prior to the workshops or whenever the workshops have been filled. Direct questions to Stephanie at vwmp@dnr.iowa.gov.

Interested volunteers must attend a training workshop. Register to grab a spot in the workshop today!

IN PERSON:

April 3, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6:30pm to 9:30pm | Montgomery County | Wolfe Nature Center
April 10, 2024 (Wednesday)| 6:30pm – 9:30 pm | Mitchell County | Milton R. Owen Nature Center

There is a $10 fee to cover workshop materials. To learn more about the survey visit the DNR Volunteer Wildlife Monitoring Program webpage.

JULIA JUDY KNOTT, 99, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 3/26/24)

Obituaries

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

JULIA JUDY KNOTT, 99, of Harlan, died Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, at the Elm Crest Retirement Community. A Mass of Christian Burial for JULIA KNOTT will be held 11-a.m. Tuesday, March 26th, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Harlan. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Monday, March 25th, from 4-until 7-p.m., followed by a Catholic Daughters Rosary, beginning at 7-p.m.

Burial is in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Manilla.

JULIA JUDY KNOTT is survived by:

Her sons – Paul (Andrea) Knott, of Colorado Springs, CO., and Robert (Jayne) Knott, of Bettendorf.

Her daughter – Ann Knott Craighead (& Edmund Greene), of Wilkesboro, NC.

6 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

JESSE JUNIOR HESS, 78, of Greenfield (Svcs. 3/27/24)

Obituaries

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

JESSE JUNIOR HESS, 78, of Greenfield, died Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Greater Regional Medical Center in Creston.  Funeral services for JESSE HESS will be held 10-a.m. Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the Greenfield United Methodist Church.  Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Open Visitation:  Will be held at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.; The family will greet friends on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Burial is in the Greenfield Cemetery with full military rites conducted by the Greenfield Head-Endres American Legion Post No. 265 and V.F.W. Post No. 5357 and the Marines Funeral Honors.  A luncheon will follow the burial at the church.

Memorials: To the family to be established at a later date.

JESSE JUNIOR HESS is survived by:

His wife –  Elaine Hess.

His son – Miles Jay (Eva) Hess.

His daughter – Laura Ann.

Stepsons: David Harris, and Lynn (Shelly) Harris.

His sister – Betty Schultz.

His brother – John (Pat) Hess.

4 grandchildren, 1 great-granddaughter, other relatives and friends.

Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Atlantic Police report: Arrests from March 11th through the 18th

News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Police Department reports 10 arrests took place from March 11th through the 18th.

Officers with the Atlantic P-D arrested two people on separate charges, March 18th: 25-year-old Agnes Koki, of Atlantic, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct; and 42-year-old Melanie Stoural, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/1st offense.

On the 16th, 38-year-old Brandon Hammer, of Atlantic, was arrested in Atlantic for Public Intoxication. Hammer was also arrested March 13th, for Disorderly Conduct and Public Intoxication.

On the 12th of March, officers with the A-PD arrested 28-year-old G Love Kovac, of Atlantic, for Violation of a No Contact Order. And, there were five arrests in Atlantic on March 11th:

  • 38-year-old Winser Ekiek, of Atlantic,was arrested for Accessory After the Fact.
  • 58-year-old Michael Turnbaugh, of Altoona, was arrested for Driving While License Denied or Revoked.
  • 30-year-old MJ William, of Atlantic, was arrested for Disorderly Conduct.
  • 21-year-old Easter Sakate, of Atlantic, was arrested for being an Accessory After the Fact.
  • and, 39-year-old Rosita Rikar, of Atlantic, was arrested March 11th on a Active Fugitive Warrant out of Oregon.

All above subjects were taken into custody and transported to Cass County Jail and Booked in.

Love the outdoors? Be a volunteer campground host or seasonal employee; Seasonal Park Aides also wanted

Ag/Outdoor, News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa DNR; Des Moines, Iowa) – Several Iowa state parks are still looking for campground hosts for the 2024 season. If you enjoy the outdoors, camping and meeting new people, consider becoming a volunteer campground host and spend your summer in a park! Campground hosts volunteer 20 – 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, while living in a free campsite in the park or forest.

Campground host positions available at:

  • Backbone
  • Clear Lake (May 1 – July 8 and August 1 – October 31, due to renovations that will close the campground in July)
  • George Wyth
  • Maquoketa Caves
  • McIntosh Woods
  • Springbrook

Learn more about how to apply on the DNR’s volunteer page.

Or for more information, email or call Elizabeth Thacker: Elizabeth.Thacker@dnr.iowa.gov; phone number (515) 444-9164.

The DNR is also hiring seasonal park aides to work in Iowa state parks and forests this summer. If you have a passion for the outdoors, are looking for an active job and enjoy helping people, consider spending your summer in one of Iowa’s most beautiful natural spaces. Learn more on the DNR’s employment web page or contact a specific state park office to inquire about summer jobs at that location. Come join our team!

Parks needing seasonal employees:

  • Brushy Creek State Recreation Area, Lehigh
  • Clear Lake State Park, Clear Lake
  • Dolliver State Park, Lehigh
  • Elk Rock State Park, Knoxville
  • Geode State Park, Danville
  • Honey Creek State Park, Moravia
  • Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, Keosaqua
  • Lake Ahquabi State Park, Indianola
  • Lake Anita State Park, Anita
  • Lake Manawa State Park, Council Bluffs
  • Lake of Three Fires State Park, Bedford
  • Lake Wapello State Park, Drakesville
  • Maquoketa Caves State Park, Maquoketa
  • McIntosh State Park, Ventura
  • Nine Eagles State Park, Leon
  • Springbrook State Park, Guthrie Center
  • Walnut Woods State Park, West Des Moines
  • Wilson Island State Recreation Area, Missouri Valley

Application deadline is March 31, 2024, or when positions are filled.

Narcan is available on the U-of-I campus & Iowa Memorial Union

News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – Narcan is now available in every residence hall on the University of Iowa’s campus, as well as the Iowa Memorial Union. Narcan, also known as Naloxone, is a medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses. That includes prescription drugs like hydrocodone, as well as heroin and fentanyl.

Student Wellness Associate Director Trisha Welter says they’re implementing it to keep up with Iowa’s growing opioid crisis. Though she says overdoses, especially opioid overdoses, are not common on campus. But even though overdoses aren’t common on campus, Dr. Heidi Wood with the UI’s Addiction and Recovery Collaborative says the problem of opioids is happening close to home.

According to a survey by research institute RAND Corporation, about 42% of Americans know someone who’s died of a drug overdose. Because of this, the Wood hopes to be able to expand this program even further in the future. Wood says that there’s no risk of endangering someone with the medication, as it won’t have any adverse effects on someone not experiencing an opioid overdose.

Iowa Public Service workers are eligible for student debt loan relief

News

March 22nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa — Thousands of Iowans will be part of another round of public service loan forgiveness. Thursday morning, the Biden-Harris administration announced an additional $5.8 billion in student debt/loan debt relief for 78,000 public service workers. Next week, Biden will send emails to 78,000 people, letting them know if they continue public service work they will be eligible for loan forgiveness.