The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) board today (Friday), awarded direct financial assistance and tax benefits to 14 companies for job creation, expansion and small business development projects. The awards will assist in the creation of 271 jobs, retention of 13 jobs and will result in over $85 million in new capital investment for the state. The board approved assistance for planned or proposed projects located in 12 communities, including Council Bluffs, where scrap processor Alter Trading was awarded tax benefits for a $20 million capital investment that is set to create 15 jobs. The project entails the building of a new non-ferrous plant that will help Alter grow in the central region of the United States as well as make their current operations more efficient.

Founded in 1898, Alter Trading – a privately owned, fourth generation company – is one of the largest scrap processors in the country with trading offices and processing plants across the central United States.

HAMBURG, Iowa (AP) – The southwest  Iowa town of Hamburg has lost its bid to keep an earthen levee erected in 2011 to save the town from the river’s floodwaters. The city had needed to raise nearly $5 million to keep the top eight feet of the levee, which was raised to 19 feet from its original 11 feet. The money would have been used to bring the raised part of the levee within federal regulations.

Mayor Cathy Crain even created an Internet site that included a video of townspeople dancing to a revamped version of Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary” in the hopes of gathering donations.  But Crain says the effort raised only $52,000.

The Hamburg City Council voted today (Friday), to take down the extended levee.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Branstad is ordering all flags in the state to be flown at half-staff from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, to honor 27-year old Army Staff Sgt. Steve Blass, of Estherville, who died in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Monday, March 11.

Blass’ funeral will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at the Estherville High School Gym. Brig. Gen. Derek Hill, Deputy Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard, will be in attendance to represent the administration.

The governor’s directive applies to all U.S. and state flags under the control of the state. H.R. 692, signed in 2007, requires federal government agencies in the state to comply with the governor’s executive order that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces.

Flags will be at half-staff on the state Capitol building and on flag displays in the Capitol complex, and upon all public buildings, grounds, and facilities throughout the state. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time as a sign of respect.

The calendar says it’s spring but winter is most certainly sticking around. Much of Iowa’s southern third is under a Winter Storm Watch for Saturday night into Sunday.

Winter Storm Watch Saturday & Sunday. Counties highlighted in blue.

Meteorologist Frank Boksa, at the National Weather Service, says the storm system is heading across the Great Plains and will hit Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri before it starts dumping snow on the Hawkeye State. “The latest computer models are actually bringing the storm a little bit further to the north which would put heavier snow into southern Iowa,” Boksa says. “The exact track of the storm is still uncertain but it does look like southern Iowa could see several inches of snow.”

Forecasts show parts of south-central Iowa may get the deepest snow, with four-to-eight inches possible. Here in the Atlantic area, we may receive anywhere from 1-to 3-inches. Further north, around an inch or less. After the storm passes, Boksa says below-normal temperatures will continue to chill much of the state to start next week, only creeping into the 20s and 30s.

“The normal highs for this time of year are in the low 50s and maybe by this time next week, we’ll be in the mid-40s,” Boksa says. “So we’re not looking, at least in the next week or so, we’re not looking at any big warm-ups.” A year ago, Iowa was enjoying an early spring, with record highs in the 80s.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials at Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan are making changes when it comes to scheduling children’s immunizations at Shelby County Public Health clinics. The Shelby County Community Health Department says beginning in April, appointments will be required for children’s immunizations. Appointments will be available from 3 to 6pm on the first Wednesday of each month.

You can pre-register each child for an appointment online at www.shelbycountyclinics.com or calling 712-755-4422. The next children’s immunization clinic is scheduled for Wednesday April 3rd at the Shelby County Community Health building, located at 2712 12th Street in Harlan.

The Atlantic Police Department reports three people were arrested Thursday. Facing charges of Interference with Official Acts and 4th degree Theft, are 19-years old’s Joseph Kennedy and Rynell Ware, both of Council Bluffs.  The charges are the result of an incident which occurred Thursday night, during which Kennedy and Ware allegedly walked out of the Atlantic Wal-Mart Store with two shopping carts full of merchandise they failed to pay for, and then allegedly tried to hide from police officers.

And, the A-PD says 29-year old Daniel Fredericksen, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says with a good chance of a significant snowfall occurring in Clarinda on Saturday and Sunday, now is the time to remind the citizens of the community about the emergency snow ordinance. The Clarinda Snow Ordinance says: No person shall park any motor vehicle or other apparatus upon any street of the city that will obstruct the removal of snow when there has been an accumulation of two (2) inches or more. Any vehicle left parked on any street in violation of this ordinance may be impounded, and the registered owner of the vehicle will be subject to a $15.00 parking fine, and payment of all applicable towing and storage fees in order for the vehicle to be released.

A traffic stop in Harlan last Saturday (March 16th), led to the arrest of two people on drug charges. According to the Harlan Police Department, 29-year old Michael Gifford and 30-year old Heather Beatty, both of Harlan, each face Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charges. Gifford also faces a charge of Prohibited Acts, and he was cited for Driving While Suspended, along with Driving on the wrong side of a two-way street. The owner of the vehicle, 32-year old Wayne Vohs, of Harlan, was cited for permitting an unauthorized person to drive.

Harlan Police report also, the arrest on Monday, of 22-year old Kurt Tucker. The Harlan man was arrested for Driving While Suspended, following a traffic stop. He was subsequently cited and released. And, on March 15th, 21-year old Brandon Barnum, of Shelby, was arrested on an OWI charge, following a traffic stop. Barnum was also cited for Careless Driving.

w/ Ric Hanson

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There’ll be a new man in charge of the Logan-Magnolia Community School District, effective July 1^st. The Omaha World-Herald reports that’s when Thomas Ridder takes over the Superintendent’s job, from retiring Superintendent Jim Hammerich.

Ridder, who has served as a school administrator in Howells, NE, will also become Lo-Ma’s pre-kindergarten through 4th grade principal, in addition to handling his duties as Superintendent.

The Logan-Magnolia School Board of Education approved Ridder’s one-year contract during a meeting held last week.