New and startup businesses in Iowa are invited to enter a contest for the chance to win up to $25,000. This marks the 12th year for the competition sponsored by venture capitalist John Pappajohn. Randy Pilkington, director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Northern Iowa, says judges will decide the top three submitted business ventures. “We give away $50,000; $25,000 for first, $15,000 for second, and $10,000 for third place,” Pilkington said.

The competition is designed to stimulate business development in the state and provide support for entrepreneurial ventures. “Any venture that’s been in business for four years or less, that’s located in Iowa, or newer startup businesses, we hope they’ll consider entering,” Pilkington said.

Businesses entering the contest must submit an online application by May 15.  “After May, we narrow the group down to maybe 15, 20, or 30 businesses and then we take them through another round of interviews. That usually runs through August and then we have the finals in September,” Pilkington said.

The winners will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on September 21 in Des Moines.

LINK: www.pappajohnentrepreneurialventurecompetition.com

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Cass County 4-H Endowment committee is hosting the annual 4-H Endowment Pancake Supper on Thursday, March 23 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.  The Pancake Man will be dishing up fresh pancakes; 4-H members serve juice, coffee and more.  Supporters can enjoy all you can eat pancakes for $6.

Proceeds from the 4-H Pancake Supper directly benefit Cass County.  The money raised goes to the Cass County 4-H Endowment, a fund to defray the 4-H Program Development Fee, support scholarships, and start up dollars for youth programs including Clover Kids and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The 4-H Program Development Fee is $30, instead of having individual 4-H’ers and families take on that expense, the Cass County Extension Council, and the 4-H Endowment Committee pick up this expense. The Cass County 4-H Endowment also offers opportunities for youth to get involved in the 4-H program by attending camps and conferences and offering scholarships to graduating seniors. “These opportunities are very important to the success of the 4-H program in Cass County,” stated Shelby Williams, Cass County Youth Coordinator. “It certainly would not be possible without a great deal of support from the community.”

There is also a silent auction during the supper. The 14 4-H clubs in Cass County, as well as additional friends of 4-H and local business supporters donate items. “This is a great part of the pancake supper,” says Williams, “it will be exciting to see what items are up for auction this year!” If a community business is interested in supporting the Pancake Supper through the Silent Auction, please contact the Extension Office.

For more information on the Pancake Supper, Endowment or 4-H contact Shelby Williams, Cass County Youth Coordinator, at 243-1132 or xcass@iastate.edu.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say an emergency alert mistakenly was sent to some wireless phones in eastern Iowa and Polk County. The message sent around 7:30 p.m. Monday read, “Civil Emergency in this area until 8:45 p.m. EDT” and “Take Shelter Now Polk-County.” But there was no emergency.

A news release from Johnson County Emergency Management says the message was supposed to be a follow-up on a missing person from Johnson County. The message system vendor is investigating how and why the erroneous message was sent and how it reached Polk County towers.

Police in Red Oak, Monday afternoon, arrested on a warrant, 25-year old Cody Keen Blystone, of Red Oak. Blystone, was wanted on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was taken into custody at around 4:50-p.m. and booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond.

As a courtesy to the Nebraska Department of Roads, the Iowa Department of Transportation reports Phase 1 preservation work will require closing the outside lanes of the U.S. 275 South Omaha Veterans Bridge beginning at April 3rd, at 9-a.m. The lane closures are necessary for application of a protective coating to the steel truss and epoxy polymer overlay to the bridge deck surface. The bridge will be closed to all pedestrian traffic.

Phase 2 work will require closing the inside lanes of the bridge. All work is anticipated to be completed this fall. McGill Restoration Inc. is the contractor on this project.

A traffic stop Sunday by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Department K9 unit in Hamburg, resulted in two, drug-related arrests. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports 18-year old’s Trace Miller and Dakota Hanika, both of Nebraska City, NE., were arrested for Possession of a controlled substance, after the vehicle they were in was pulled over in the 400 block of Washington Street, in Hamburg. Both men were later released from the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center, after posting bond.

Trace Miller

Dakota Hanika

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

AMES, Iowa (AP) — President Steven Leath’s departure will leave Iowa State University seeking a new leader as it faces budget cuts, enrollment growth and fallout from controversies. Auburn University has announced that Leath will be its next president. Leath’s move to Auburn will end his 5 ½ year tenure at Iowa State, which saw the school’s enrollment surge past 36,000 students but also questions about Leath’s travel and personnel decisions.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House passed legislation Monday to shorten the deadline for filing discrimination lawsuits in the state from two years to 90 days. The Republican-controlled chamber voted 58-39 to pass the bill. It now heads to the GOP-majority Senate. Under current Iowa law, people have two years to file lawsuits in district court after discrimination claims are investigated by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, which oversees such complaints. The proposed 90-day change aligns with federal guidelines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Democratic lawmaker has criticized a state agency director for declining to send staff to an informal committee meeting about how the department handles child abuse investigations. Sen. Matt McCoy says Iowa Department of Human Services Director Charles Palmer lied about the agency’s ability to attend and answer questions at the Monday meeting, which was led by Democrats on the Senate Government Oversight Committee.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — FBI agents have met with leaders of an Iowa mosque about a threatening note it received in the mail. Dr. Samir Shams, the president of the Islamic Center of Des Moines, says he found the handwritten note Sunday morning. It said Muslims were a “vile” people and that President Donald Trump would “do to you Muslims what Hitler did to the Jews.” An FBI spokeswoman in Omaha says agents met Monday with center members and are assessing the situation.

High school students played key roles as the Iowa House and Senate got underway today (Monday).  As members of the Iowa House recited the Pledge of Allegiance, students from the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs recited it in sign language. In the Iowa Senate, right after the traditional opening prayer, the Oskaloosa High School String Ensemble played “America, the Beautiful.”

The ensemble has been playing throughout the day on the first floor of the capitol, drawing attention to a Mahaska County reception for legislators.

(Radio Iowa)

State tourism officials say they’re fielding “hundreds” of phone calls, emails and Facebook messages, suggesting people are cancelling trips to Iowa because of comments from Congressman Steve King. On March 12th, King tweeted that “we can’t restore our civilization with somebody else’s babies.” King has said in national media interviews that he stands by the remark and that it wasn’t about race. For the second Monday in a row, Governor Branstad has distanced himself from King’s comments.

“I’m a strong supporter of tourism in Iowa and I think we need to continue to work together in a very positive way to bring tourists and jobs to the state,” Branstad said. “…I don’t think the words of one person, even somebody that’s a congressman, should deter anyone from coming Iowa and seeing the friendliness and hospitality and just the opportunities that are here.” Branstad, though, describes himself as a “team player” and he will not suggest King be ejected from the G-O-P.

“I don’t believe in burning bridges,” Branstad says. According to The Des Moines Register, some participants in the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa are cancelling because this year’s route passes through King’s congressional district. This past Saturday, King tweeted a link to an online opinion piece which praised King for issuing a “Paul Revere-like” warning” about the dangers of a low birth rate among American citizens. The article, which was written by a former Republican colleague of King, suggested the Iowa congressman was a “victim of the merchants of globalism.”

(Radio Iowa)