(Red Oak, Iowa) – Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna said Friday, her office conducted a successful post-election audit of the 2024 General Election on November 15, 2024. Ballots in Present 6 were hand- counted by election officials to ensure they matched the totals reported by the ballot tabulator. The precinct was randomly selected by the Secretary of State following Election Day. The races audited were President/Vice President and County Sheriff. The results matched 100%.  Ozuna said “The hand count audit shows that our machines tabulate accurately and further restores integrity of our election process.”

Every ballot tabulator in Iowa undergoes a public pre-election test to ensure it will count votes accurately on Election Day. Post-election audits are mandatory in all 99 counties following each election.

For the General Election one randomly chosen precinct in each county is required to conduct a post-election audit to verify the machine count. For more information about election security in Iowa, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sos.iowa.gov. Information about the voting process is available at VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Questions about the post-election audit and other election matters may be directed to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.

(DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board has approved a job creation award for a manufacturer in Dubuque as well as innovation funding in support of five startups located in Ames, Des Moines, Klemme and Slater. The board, Friday (today) also approved a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant in Cedar Rapids.

Universal Tank & Fabrication to lease new facility in Dubuque
Universal Tank & Fabrication Inc. manufactures tanks, vessels and weldments for various industries, including water/wastewater, air, biogas and chemical/energy. The company plans to lease a new 28,000-square-foot facility in Dubuque and will install additional equipment. The project represents a capital investment of nearly $3 million and is expected to create 15 jobs at a qualifying wage of $28.96 per hour. The board awarded the company tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program.

Awards made to five startups
Ames-based robotics company Invasive Removal, LLC is developing innovative tools to combat invasive species in forests and prairies. The robotic prototype employs a cut-and-spray method to identify and remove harmful non-native plant species, providing a more accessible and efficient solution. The company was awarded a $50,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance (POCR) loan for IP development and evaluation, proof of concept work, product refinement and key personnel.

Des Moines’ Flete, Inc. produced a workflow management tool for businesses operating a fleet of commercial vehicles. The integrated and automated software offers a customized solution for fleets to stay organized. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, product refinement, key personnel and equipment, and market planning and entry activities.

Upvote, Inc., based in Des Moines, developed a program to automate policy discovery, tracking and analysis for government relations professionals. Legible, the subscription-based product, manages the entire policy lifecycle. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for IP development and evaluation, product refinement, key personnel and administrative operations, and market planning and entry activities.

Renner Ag Solutions in Klemme aims to provide a safer and more efficient solution for the grain storage process. AgriNet, the flagship product, uses technology to operate a device that can clean out grain bins, removing the risk of farmers entering the grain bin for bin sweeps. The company was awarded a $50,000 POCR loan for IP development and evaluation, market analysis, proof of concept work, product refinement, equipment and market planning and entry activities.

Slater’s GW Nutrition, Inc. developed technology to improve the acceptance of plant- and algae-based proteins. Their patented CleanSenseTM technology uses a proprietary light delivery system to reduce microbial contamination while also moderating the sensory characteristics (i.e., color, flavor and odor) of alternative proteins. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for equipment and key personnel.

Award recommendations for these funds are made by the Technology Commercialization Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

CAT grant awarded to NewBo City Market

NewBo City Market was awarded $500,000 to execute the Next Level Local project, which will enhance the nearly 21,000-square-foot existing market and add nearly 9,000 square feet of new construction. The unique gathering space in Cedar Rapids will add a new second floor, indoor stage, processing kitchen and recording studio, among other design updates. The market expects to see a 20% increase in visitors per year.

The CAT program provides financial assistance to communities for the construction of recreational, cultural, educational or entertainment facilities that enhance the quality of life in Iowa. Award recommendations for these funds are made by the CAT Review Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

(Radio Iowa) – The state unemployment rate moved up one tenth of a point in October to three percent. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend says there’s been minimal movement the last several months and that probably due to the pending election.  “I do think this is a reflection of the anxiety and uncertainty that employers had pre-election,” she says. Townsend says that anxiety impacted decisions on hiring, expanding, you know, capital investments. “They were just waiting to see kind of which direction they thought the fiscal policy would go and which direction they thought the economy would go. And now we have the election, and so hopefully they will be able to start making some decisions moving forward,” she says.

Townsend says it is not good to see manufacturing lose 16-hundred jobs, but she says the industry is still strong. “You know, manufacturing is our second largest industry. So it’s even with the 16-hundred layoffs, we still have over 223-thousand Iowans that are employed in manufacturing, which is good,” Townsend says. She says the workers at the manufacturing facilities get enough notice to start looking for a new job and many don’t go on unemployment. “Those who are highly skilled in advanced manufacturing, still the layoffs you see, for instance, at John Deere, those are highly skilled, highly prized, highly sought after employees,” Townsend says. “And so other employers engaged in advanced manufacturing are recruiting from those communities immediately.”

She says the industry demand is a bright spot at a down time when someone gets laid off. “Those folks are not going to have as difficult a time finding a job as someone who is laid off, who may not have, you know the skills or experience that those folks have.” The construction industry lost 18-hundred jobs in October, which Townsend says is a little early for seasonal layoffs there.

She says there’s hope that with some of the uncertainty of the election behind us, there will start be some improvements in that area.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest nonprofit animal shelter is issuing a warning about scammers targeting the owners of lost pets. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says it’s gotten several calls from people who say they’ve gotten calls from someone claiming to be with the ARL. The caller says their lost pet has been found and needs urgent medical care, then says payment is needed, and they try to get the owner to cover the expenses through a third-party payment processor.

The Des Moines-based shelter is putting out the word that this is something it never does. All lost pets that arrive at the ARL are posted on two websites: PetcoLoveLost.org and IowaPetAlert.com. So if you get such a call, check there, call the ARL or local law enforcement.

MASON CITY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, today (Friday), report a woman convicted in Guthrie County on charges that include Involuntary Manslaughter/Public Offense and Child Endangerment-Serious Injury, and Marshall County charges of Operating Vehicle While Intoxicated and Child Endangerment-Serious Injury, failed to report back to the Beje Clark Residential Center as required, Wednesday (Nov. 13th). Seaira Marie Briceno is a 31-year-old, 5’0″, 180-pound White female.

She was admitted to the work release facility on June 4, 2024. Persons with information on Briceno’s whereabouts should contact local police.

(Radio Iowa) – The group that runs the online investigation website Find-Jodi-dot-com, dedicated to Mason City T-V anchor Jodi Huisentruit — who vanished in 1996, says they’ve confirmed -no- human remains were found in a recent search in Minnesota that was connected to the case. The Mason City Police Department recently searched an area in Winsted, Minnesota, which is about 15 miles west from the edge of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.

Winsted’s police chief Justin Heldt tells the investigation group that farm animal remains were found in an unused city park that is adjacent to construction underway at an apartment complex. Heldt says it is not unusual in a rural community like Winsted to find animal bones.

Mason City’s police chief Jeff Brinkley had said a tip prompted the search.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce reports a slight policy change is coming for those who wish to participate in the City of Atlantic’s annual “Lighted Christmas Parade.” The parade will fill downtown Atlantic with holiday cheer Saturday, December 7th, starting at 6-p.m. Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith says “Due to a growing crowd size the last few years, the Chamber is implementing a ‘no’ policy for throwing any items, including candy, from floats this year. If float participants want to hand anything out during the parade, they may do so by walking the sidewalks of Chestnut Street but may not distribute any type of product on the street during the parade.

“Public safety is always our top concern when implementing any type of event in town,” Smith says. “We love how much everyone enjoys this parade and are so proud to see it get bigger every year. We think with this minor adjustment, we’ll be able to keep people from congregating to the middle of the street and avoid any major safety issues.”

Each float will have a holiday theme, lighting and music. Awards will be given for: Best Overall, Best Holiday Spirit and Twinkle Twinkle award. Fireworks will kick off the Christmas magic over the Rock Island Depot, starting at 6 PM. The Lighted Parade & Fireworks are sponsored by A.M. Cohron & Son, McDermott & Son Roofing and Rush, CPA & Associates. Bailey Smith says “The Fireworks and Lighted Parade is a holiday tradition that Atlantic families look forward to every year. It’s always fun to see how creative people get with their light displays each year.”

Before the parade, join Santa and Atlantic Hy-Vee at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA beginning at 9 AM for ‘Pancakes with Santa’ and other fun activities. Santa will be in his Cabin in City Park following pancakes from 3 PM – 5:30 PM. Pancakes with Santa is sponsored by Smith Land Service, Atlantic Dental Center, Sonntag Development and Nishna Valley Dental.

If you would like to participate in the Lighted Parade, visit www.atlanticiowa.com for a registration form. Line-up begins at 5-p.m. at 6th & Walnut Street with judging beginning at 5:30-p.m. Registration is not required, but is encouraged.

Pick up a Christmas brochure from area retail businesses, ‘like’ the Chamber on Facebook or follow on Instagram (AtlanticIowaFan) to find dates and details to celebrate Christmas in Atlantic. You can find a complete list of activities and a printable version of the brochure at www.atlanticiowa.com. Capture the Christmas magic with #MyAtlanticIA or #ChristmasinAtlantic and post to the Atlantic Area Chamber’s Facebook or Instagram pages. Contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce with any