Atlantic, Iowa – Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund (SWIHTF), a nonprofit fund administered by Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), recently completed the rehabilitation of twelve homes in the southwest Iowa region with a $100,000 grant from Iowa West Foundation awarded in March 2022.

The homes with Iowa West funds were in the cities of Harlan (4 homes), Atlantic (3 homes), Henderson, Clarinda, Shenandoah, Elliott, and Griswold. The total rehabilitation cost for the twelve homes was $203,394 and the Iowa West Foundation funds leveraged $103,394 of other grants from the Iowa Finance Authority and the United States Department of Agriculture. Types of repairs included replacement windows and doors, roof repairs, upgraded insulation, foundation repair, and health hazard abatement. In total over the last year SWIPCO has rehabilitated 48 homes across multiple programs.

“I am super appreciative of the grant that was used to be able to get the work done on my house. I love my house,” stated Whitney Vanderpool, a homeowner assisted in Atlantic. “It has been helpful to have a fourth bedroom in the basement with an egress window. There is no longer any leaking in my basement as the wall was fixed so there is no longer water in my basement. It was a huge blessing to have that fixed as well as the sewer, as the basement can now be fixed up, if necessary for another area of living space. It is wonderful and such a blessing to us that such a program was out there to assist us as it did.”

All twelve homes met income eligibility requirements to qualify. Seven of the homes are owned by disabled individuals, five of the homes are owned by elderly individuals, and one home included children under the age of six living in the residence.

“Rehabilitation is a great way for low to moderate income homeowners to not only improve the health, safety, and energy efficiency of their dwellings, but to build value in their existing homes,” said Erin Hudson, SWIPCO Community Development Director.

SWIPCO routinely provides grant writing and administration services to its member communities in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties and has brought over $129 million in grants to the region in the last year alone.

The Iowa West Foundation is committed to make southwest Iowa a place where families love to live. It has distributed more than $500 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar, and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on housing, financial stability, educational opportunities, belonging and well-being.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Saturday, June 17th of 28-year-old Graydon Eugene Vanderflught of Leon for OWI 1st Offense. Vanderflught was arrested at 1:49 a.m. on Clark Street in Orient after being observed driving through town twice and honking his horn. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office responded to a car versus cow accident on Saturday. Deputies were called to the accident at approximately 9:50 p.m. on 270th Street. A 2022 Chevy Colorado driven by 65-year-old Anthony Allen of Diagonal was traveling on 270th Street and struck a calf with the front of the truck.

Allen didn’t report any injuries and the Chevy sustained an estimated $7,000 damage. The truck was driven away from the scene.

The calf was discovered to have belonged to Marvin Ford of Creston. The calf had no insurance coverage.

The Creston Police Department reports the arrest of two individuals over the weekend.

On Saturday, June 17th at 1:53 a.m. Creston police arrested 44-year-old Bree Meridith Whipps of Carlisle at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Union County Warrant for Forgery, a Class D Felony. Whipps was later released on $5,000 cash or surety bond.

On Sunday, June 18th at 5:39 p.m. 38-year-old Kathleen Ann Pieken of Creston was arrested at her residence on 3 counts of Child Endangerment, Deprive Necessary Care. Pieken was taken to the Adams County Jail and later released on $6,000 cash or surety bond.

The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Saturday, June 17th of 25-year-old Jakob Jamison of Glenwood for OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Mills County Jail and later posted $1,000 bond.

The Red Oak Police Department reports no injuries occurred during a two-vehicle accident on Saturday. The accident happened at 3:08 p.m. at the intersection of West Joy and Broadway streets. A 2006 Ford Escape driven by 58-year-old Robert Collins of Red Oak was making a left turn onto Broadway from the Red Oak Fareway parking lot when it broadsided a 2017 Ford Escape driven by 51-year-old Heidi Harris of Red Oak. Harris was making a left turn into the Fareway lot when she was hit.

Damage to the 2017 Escape was estimated at $10,000 and damage to the 2006 Escape was estimated at $500. Robert Collins was cited for Failure to Yield upon entering an intersection. Both vehicles were driven away from the scene.

Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, is introducing a bill she calls the Red Tape Transparency Act.

She says her bill will keep unelected Washington bureaucrats from creating costly regulations and subverting the will of the people.

Hinson says President Biden’s 400 billion dollar plan to cancel student loan debt is a key example of what this bill would prevent.

Crops are starting to show signs of stress brought on by the drought. Iowa Sate University Extension field agronomist, Angie Rieck Hinz sees it in the corn in her north-central Iowa area.

The bean crop is also impacted.

Hinz says some areas in her region are short four to five inches of soil moisture needed to produce a healthy crop.

Hinz says they need some rain soon to keep the crop conditions from getting worse.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests from three incidents over the weekend.

On Friday, June 16th Deputies arrested 43-year-old Bryan James Regenscheid of Council Bluffs at 6:48 p.m. for Driving While Barred. Regenscheid was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

On Saturday, June 17th at 7:20 p.m. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on Highway 71 near 110th Street. After investigation Favian Campuzano and Kristine Richards of Omaha were both cited and summoned to court for Possession of Controlled Substance 1st Offense.

On Sunday, June 18th at approximately 2:45 a.m. Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested 31-year-old Zachary David Schulz of Nodaway for OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

A crash in Harrison County involving three motorcycles and a semi resulted in the deaths of three people from western Iowa, and injuries to three more.  The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened on Iowa Highway 127 and Loess Hills Trail, between Mondamin and Magnolia, at around 4:23-p.m. It caused resulted in the road being closed until late Sunday night.

The Patrol says a 1990 Kenworth truck driven by 73-year-old Ronald Keith Meeker, of Woodbine, was traveling west on Iowa Hwy 127, when the vehicle failed to negotiate a curve, and stop at a stop sign. The truck rolled onto its side into the southbound lane and struck a 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle operated by 53-year old Steven Theodore Starkey, of Council Bluffs.

When the motorcycle entered the southbound ditch, Starkey and his passenger, 53-year-old Julie Starkey, of Council Bluffs, were ejected. The operator of a 2016 Harley,  52-year-old Joseph Anthony Baker, of Yutan, NE, dumped his cycle onto its side. He jumped from the bike prior to being hit by the truck. A 2004 Yamaha motorcycle operated by 38-year-old Adam Opal, of McClelland, evaded contact with the semi, but Adam and his passenger, 38-year-old Samantha Opal, of McClelland, were thrown from the cycle.

Adam and Samantha Opal were transported by helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. Ronald Meeker, along with Steven and Julie Starkey, died at the scene and were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office by Missouri Valley Rescue. Joseph Baker was transported by Mo. Valley Rescue to CHI/Missouri Valley Hospital by Mondamin Rescue.