The Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) Downtown Resource Center assists communities around the state in revitalizing their downtowns and commercial districts. This summer, the Iowa Downtown Resource Center will offer several downtown forums to bring together community leaders interested in engaging in a discussion about their downtowns. One of the forums is planned for Tuesday, June 24th, in Atlantic.

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with other downtown leaders, learn about the host location and engage in great conversations about the challenges and opportunities that exist in Iowa’s beautiful downtowns. Jim Engle, the director of the Iowa Downtown Resource Center says “The exciting part about these forums, and being able to host them across the state, is that the community and attendees get to be the speakers. These forums will be a chance to learn from each other about what is working in Iowa’s downtowns.”

Downtown Forums will be held in four communities across the state in June and July and will be facilitated by Jim Engle, the director of the Iowa Downtown Resource Center. You can join the IEDA Downtown Resource Center at the session in Atlantic on June 24th at the historic Rock Island Depot (102 Chestnut Street). The session will follow this schedule:
· 9:30 -10:45 a.m. – Discussion Group: Improving your Downtown Appearance
· 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Listening Session: What are your Downtown Issues/Challenges?
· 12 – 12:30 p.m. – Tour of host downtown
· 12:30 – 2 p.m. – Lunch on your own, experiencing the host downtown
· 2 – 3:30 p.m. – Discussion Group: Creating a Great Downtown Business Environment

Individuals must register for the Downtown Forum by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/IADowntown. Registration is free for this event. The Iowa Downtown Forums are sponsored by the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Iowa Downtown Resource Center that also facilitates the Main Street Iowa Program.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several northwestern Iowa cities are dealing with the worst flooding ever while others downstream brace for surges on the Rock, Big Sioux, and Missouri rivers. Rock Rapids, a town of 3,000, lost its water supply. Mayor Jason Chase says it’s back on but he’s awaiting tests results to show water is safe to drink. He says 60 homes have waist-deep water in them, and several families remain in a shelter. The Rock River is receding after cresting at a record 27 feet.

Authorities in Cass County were responding Wednesday afternoon to the scene of what was initially described as farming accident, northeast of Massena. According to scanner traffic, Cass County Communications received a call from a third-party, about a person trapped in a baler. The call came in at around 2:38-p.m.

Moments later the first officials on the scene indicated there was a fatality at the location, about a mile north of Highway 92 just off of 760th Street. No other information was available late Wed. afternoon.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – An annual summer camp at the University of Iowa is helping children deal more effectively with stuttering. There isn’t a cure for stuttering, but experts say there are strategies to help people become more fluent in their speech. Stuttering can be devastating if left untreated.

Kristi Cooley, of Clinton, tells the Iowa City Press-Citizen the intensive one-on-one treatment her son Drew is receiving has made a huge difference. The work with therapists at the UI’s Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Clinic has helped his speech skills and confidence. About a dozen children from Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri are taking part in the camp.

Students get five hours of group and individual therapy a day for nine days. That’s far more intensive than what they receive at school.

A new poll finds an unusual “gender gap” in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race. Peter Brown is the assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll. “Normally, women are more likely to vote for women candidates,” Brown says, “but in the U.S. senate race, actually, Bruce Braley — the Democratic candidate — is beating Joni Ernst — the Republican candidate — among women and Ms. Ernst — who would be Iowa’s first female U.S. Senator if she wins — is leading among men.” Braley leads Ernst by 11 percentage points among likely women voters, while Ernst leads Braley among likely male votes by four points.

“Women tend to lean Democratic,” Brown says. “Men tend to lean Republican, so those biases are part of this, but the fact that Ms. Ernst is winning among men but losing among women voters is somewhat noteworthy.” The university’s poll in March — while Ernst was still engaged in a primary against four competitors — found Braley leading Ernst by 13 points. The Quinnipiac survey conducted in mid-June found Braley’s lead over Ernst had shrunk to four percent.

“Because of the very hard-fought Republican Primary race, Iowa voters were subjected to a lot of campaign ads early in this race and that certainly helped introduce Ms. Ernst to voters in what seems to be a positive manner,” Brown says. The poll finds Republicans lining up behind Ernst’s candidacy after the primary contest, with 79 percent of likely Republican voters backing Ernst. Braley got the backing of a greater share of his fellow Democrats — 89 percent.

“The way you win in Iowa is that a candidate has to carry their own party by a larger margin than their opponent carries their party and win among independents,” Brown says. “Independents obviously in Iowa are a huge deal because independents are the largest block of voters in the state.” The poll found independents in Iowa split down the middle on this contest. There are more than 700-thousand voters in Iowa who are registered as “no-party” or independent voters. There are about 600-thousand Republicans and 600-thousand registered Democrats in Iowa. This latest poll has a margin of error of two-point-seven percent. It was conducted from June 12th through the 16th.

(Radio Iowa)

The Harlan City Council approved the 2014 Harlan Housing study conducted by SWIPCO. In a meeting Tuesday, John McCurdy from SWIPCO gave a final presentation on the housing study. McCurdy says there are three main factors driving the housing market in Harlan, “One is attrition. That is the number of homes, because of age, need to be replaced. Another is demographic change that is through the changing population even if you don’t add another person, the changes in demographic will drive. We have smaller household sizes which drive up the demand for housing units. And the third is that there is an increase in income particularly in middle to upper income. We have a pretty steady number of low to moderate income but there is a group that does have some money to spend on housing units.”

He says based on the factors, Harlan would need to make changes annually to keep up with the housing stock, “So our conclusion from the study is based on attrition, the city would need to rehabilitate or replace 10 low to moderate income, typically rental units a year, to keep the housing stock. Based on demographic change, another 10 housing units and those would be of all varying types, would be needed to maintain the housing stock. And then because of this increased affordability or increased income, the higher ends, there is a demand for at least 5 new construction and we turned that into the $165,000 or above range.”

In other business, the Harlan City Council approved a grant application for “The Jacket Store ,” on Market Street, for a new awning, storm door, window, tuck pointing and painting. The grant money is through the downtown upper story/façade funding. The total cost of the project amounts to just over $9,874, with the grant at a 50 percent share of slightly more than $4,937.

And, City Administrator Terry Cox reported to the board the city will go out for bidding on the Runway 15/33 Pavement Rehabilitation Project at the Harlan Municipal Airport. The council will act on those bids on Tuesday, July 15th. Cox also mentioned the Harlan Aquatic Center saw an increase of $8,475 from 2013 in season tickets for families, singles and daily visitors.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office is seeking help from the public in solving a recent residential burglary incident. Authorities say sometime between the hours of 5-a.m. and 5-p.m. Monday, a person or persons entered a residence in rural Dexter, located on 310th Street, northwest of Lake Diamondhead.

The burglar or burglars forced their way into the home by destroying the front door and its frame. Once inside, they took possession of numerous items including: a Remington 870 12 gauge shot gun; antique lamps; toy figures; candle holders, and an urn with a loved one’s ashes inside. Also inside the urn was a gold one-third carat, diamond ring.

Anyone with information regarding this day time burglary is urged to contact the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office at 641-747-2214.

Police in Atlantic say a Union County man was cited following a chain-reaction accident Tuesday evening. Officials say Kolby Shaw, of Creston, was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and Reduce Speed, after the vehicle he was driving rear-ended one vehicle, which in-turn collided with the rear of another vehicle. The accident happened at around 5:20-p.m. near the intersection of 7th and Olive Streets.

Authorities say vehicles driven by Brittney Jensen and Rebekah Rasmussen, both of Atlantic, were traveling east in the 500 block of east 7th Street and both had come to a stop at the intersection. Shaw failed to stop in time and hit the Rasmussen vehicle, causing it to be pushed into the rear of the Jensen vehicle.

Damage from the crash amounted to $8,100.

(9-a.m. News)

w/ Ric Hanson

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