(Radio Iowa) – Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City has reached a settlement with international students who accused the school of human trafficking. The school’s board of directors has approved a three-million-dollar payment to 13 students from Chile who filed a lawsuit in November of 2020. The students who took part in what’s called the Federal J-1 student program and said they were promised a free two-year program with internships. But the students say they ended up doing jobs involving manual labor to pay off their tuition.

The college issued a statement that acknowledges the program did not meet its high standards, but denied the allegations in the lawsuit. A lawsuit is still pending against the Sioux City area companies involved with the program.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Firefighters in Atlantic responded to a reported garage fire this (Thursday) morning. The call about a fire at 511 Front Street went out at around 10:30-a.m. Crews obtained a quick knock-down of the flames in the metal structure, and by 10:50-a.m. only light gray smoke was observed coming from the garage. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel reports an investigation determined the cause of the fire was electrical-related.

Cappel thanked the Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and a crew from Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) who were on the scene to assist.

511 Front St. fire (Ric Hanson/photo)

The Cass County Community Foundation awarded $145,696.77 to Cass County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Spring 2024 Grant Cycle.
The following organizations are Spring 2024 Grant Recipients:

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible to apply. To inquire about donating to the Cass County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Advisory board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Kristi Burg, Gaylord Schelling, Sue Hunt, Sandy Bierbaum, Justin D. Hockenberry, and Mike Tibken.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sarah Beth Ray, Iowa Foundations Advisor, at 800-794-3458 or sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org.

The Audubon County Community Foundation awarded $143,342 to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Spring 2024 Grant Cycle.
The following organizations are Spring 2024 Grant Recipients:

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions that support community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible to apply.
The Audubon County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It receives funds annually from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. This cycle of grants was made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

The Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To inquire about donating to the Audubon County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Audubon County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.
Advisory board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Pat Kaiser, Gina Benton, Megan Wagner, Dr. Bob Blomme, Travis Nelson, Donna Olson, and Doug Carter.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sarah Beth Ray, Iowa Foundations Advisor, at 800-794-3458 or sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org.

(Radio Iowa) – A nearly 19 MILLION dollar housing project in Spirit Lake will be built a few blocks from a manufacturing facility that employs 750. The Polaris plant in Spirit Lake produces Victory motorcycles and Polaris RANGER utility vehicles. Robert Smith of Talon Development says when the project is finished, there will be 126 rental units. “Phase one will have the apartments, with 62 units. We’re going to have within phase two we’re going to have town homes of three bedrooms, two-and-a-half bath and parking,” he says. “We’re also going to have within phase two…a community center and a fitness center.”

Smith says Talon Development built similar housing complexes in 27 other communities. He calls it market rate workforce housing. “Rather than having people drive in for half an hour, they can live and work in right in the community they’re in,” Smith says. “That’s the niche we work in. The smaller communities need to have people close by.” Spirit Lake officials say local businesses have said expansion plans are dependent on the construction of affordable housing for prospective employees.

Spirit Lake City Hall (photo by Spencer Radio Group/Saga Communications)

Spirit Lake City Administrator Gregg Owen says the developers are applying to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for a Workforce Housing Tax Credit.  “They need to see a local match. The city’s local match will be a combination of a $500,000 economic development grant and a tax abatement.”

The estimated value of that local tax abatement is about 394-thousand dollars. The developers say local investors and financing have already been secured. If the project is approved for state tax incentives, Talon Development could close on the property in September and begin construction before winter hits.

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa — [KETV] A 63-year-old man died in a house fire in Pottawattamie County, officials said. The Hancock Fire Department responded to the fire 3:15 a.m. April 19th, along with the Oakland and Avoca Fire Departments. A man, identified as Jarvis Tresler, was found dead inside the home in the area of Kimball and Joseph streets.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest today (Thursday), of 45-year-old Matthew Hansen, from Omaha. Hansen was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000.

Authorities said also, no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday evening, in Glenwood. Police say a 2022 Dodge RAM pickup driven by 21-year-old Mason John Bivens, of Glenwood, was traveling west on Sharp Street at around 6:15-p.m., and crossing the intersection with Hazel Street, when a 2020 Ford Escape SUV driven by 26-year-old Chase Matthew Gray, of Glenwood, failed to yield the right-of-way at the stop sign.

The SUV struck the driver’s side of the pickup, causing a total of $10,500 damage.