Atlantic, Iowa – The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund (SWIHTF) is seeking applicants for its Homeownership Assistance Program. The program is made possible
by a $100,000 grant from the Iowa Finance Authority to SWIHTF which is administered by Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO). Over the past 5 years, this program
has assisted more than 100 homebuyers secure $8 million in home mortgages that would have not been able to happen without this program.

The Iowa Finance Authority provides grants and low-interest loans through several programs, many of which are available to southwest Iowans who wish to purchase a
home but may otherwise struggle to obtain resources.

SWIPCO Grant Specialist Ann Anstey says the Homeownership Assistance Program is a little-known but valuable option for homebuyers. “This is a great program for folks who want to own a home of their own,” said Anstey. “A lot of times, people qualify but don’t
even know the program’s there for them to use.”

Anstey said the program is available to individuals and families who earn up to 80% of the area median income where they live. The area median income is calculated each
year in each city or municipality. Applications are approved subject to income eligibility and on a first-come, first-served basis.

The program can assist potential homebuyers of new and existing housing with down payment assistance. The grant can fund up to 7% of the purchase price up to $8,000.
The first $5,000 is a 5-year forgivable loan, forgiven at 20% per year. The remaining amount is a 1% loan for up to 5 years.

The Homeownership Assistance Prgram can help a home buyer cut down on monthly mortgage payments and also ensure that they pay much less overall for the price of
their home. If a home buyer purchases a home for $150,000 at a fixed rate of 7% over 30 years and pays a $15,000 downpayment, they will mortgage a total of $135,000 for their home with a monthly payment of $898 and will pay $323,337 total for the 30 year loan. If a home buyer uses the Homeownership Assistance Program for that same home purchase, they will mortgage a total of $127,000 for their home with a monthly payment of $844 and will pay $304,176 total for the 30 year loan. This means the home buyer will save $19,161 total through the life of their loan.

To apply, homebuyers must have a signed purchase agreement in effect and have a mortgage application in process with a lender. Please allow a minimum of two weeks from application submittal for final approval prior to closing. Applicants can request an application from ann.anstey@swipco.org or call SWIPCO at 712-243-4196.

The Cass County Conservation Board regretfully must cancel the Cabin Fever Escape program due to poor road conditions inside the park. The program/open house was to be held on Saturday, January 21^st from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Outdoor Educational Classroom near Massena.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of 35-year-old Richard Dean Pierce III of Council Bluffs on a valid Shelby County Warrant for Theft 2nd Degree. Pierce III was arrested at approximately 4:33 p.m. in the 700 block of East Market Street in Red Oak and taken to the Montgomery County Jail. He was held on $5,000 bond awaiting extradition by Shelby County.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds is open to repealing the requirement that state and local officials ensure there’s an equal balance of men and women appointed to boards and commissions.

A bill to repeal that gender balance requirement is eligible for debate in the Senate State Government Committee. Reynolds is not committing to sign the bill into law, but the concept is something she supports.

“First of all, I think you need to want to be a part of it, that you want to be on a board because you have a passion about it,” Reynolds said during an interview with Radio Iowa. “…I just feel like the best, most qualified and somebody who wants to do it is the person we should put in that position.”

General balance has been required on all boards and commissions in state government since 1987. In 2009, the legislature passed a law to require gender balance on city and county boards and commissions established by state law.

“Boy, sometimes things go full circle. I actually spoke against that bill when I was a senator in the Iowa state Senate,” Reynolds said.

It has become increasingly hard in rural Iowa to find people to serve on local boards and commissions, according to Reynolds and others who support the bill, and this added requirement makes even it tougher.

Iowa governors are responsible for appointing the members of all boards and commissions in state government. Reynolds said her approach to filling those positions isn’t likely to change if the gender balance requirement is lifted.

“Intuitively I do that anyway because I just think I’m always looking for balance. I think it’s important. I think you need that kind of dynamics to really drive a healthy discussion, get a balanced discussion, so I think that inherently would happen,” Reynolds said. “I just have never have felt good about that: ‘We need three women here to fill three slots.’”

Supporters of the gender diversity requirement say the law helps bring women who might be overlooked into leadership roles on boards and commissions. Iowa is among eight states that have a gender equity requirement for government boards. Last summer, a Los Angeles court ruled California’s gender diversity requirement was unconstitutional. The State of California is appealing that ruling.

(Radio Iowa) – The Marshall County Sheriff is looking for the people who left an SUV stolen in State Center at a train crossing in Marshalltown.

The operator of a passing train noticed a vehicle along the railroad tracks. As deputies responded, a second train struck the vehicle around 3:48 a.m. The 2017 Chevrolet Traverse was found with no occupants and signs that they had fled. There were no indications of injuries. The railroad has resumed operations on one track and full operations are expected once the vehicle is removed.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact the Marshall County Sheriffs office. 641-754-6380.

(Radio Iowa) – The state unemployment rate held steady at 3.1% in December. Iowa Workforce Development director, Beth Townsend, says there were some positive signs as the year wrapped up.

“Iowa employers added 2,400 jobs in December — we’ve had 10, out of 12 months of job growth, over 2022. That’s a good sign,” Townsend says. “Added 34,200 jobs over the past year. So that’s also a good sign. We have 45,600 Iowans working now that we didn’t have in 2021.”

The labor force participation rate dropped slightly as Townsend says about 1,700 people dropped out of the workforce. “It’s hard to say why or attribute it to a single factor. At the end of the year, we traditionally see that’s when people retire,” she says. “So it could be some folks who retired at the end of 2022. That might explain some of it.”

Townsend says the state entered 2023 on good footing in the face of some ongoing national issues. “It’s solid is how I would rate it. Because when you look at what’s going on nationally, in terms of, you know, fiscal markets, and the high inflation and instability in the supply chain, those types of issues are still around in 2022 and causing problems,” Townsend says. ” So the fact that we added, you know, over 34-thousand jobs in the last 12 months, is a good sign.”

Employers continue to cite the need for more skilled workers, and she says that’s one thing IWD will continue working on. “That’ll remain our focus is making connections between employers and employees, trying to help people find the right training programs they need. You know, we have a lot of workforce training opportunities in Iowa. Our community colleges have a lot of different programs. We have other registered apprenticeship programs,” Townsend says. She says there are lot of good programs trying to create employee pipelines that are crucial to fixing the workforce crisis employers face.

(Manning, Iowa) – A collision this (Friday) morning in Carroll County between a pickup truck and a Mack truck, resulted in the death of an Audubon County man. The Iowa State Patrol reports 34-year-old Michael Snyder, of Audubon, died, when the pickup he was driving failed to stop at a controlled intersection and was struck by a 2019 Mack Anthem registered to the Farmer’s Co-Op in Arcadia. The crash happened at the intersection of Highway 141 and Eagle Avenue, east of Manning, at around 6:45-a.m., Friday.

The Patrol says Snyder was traveling north on Eagle Avenue in a 2004 Chevy Silverado pickup truck when his vehicle was struck by the Mack truck as it was eastbound on Highway 141. Following the collision, the pickup came to rest on the eastbound shoulder. The other vehicle came to rest in the north ditch.

Michael Snyder died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the other vehicle, 53-year-old Craig Gruhn, of Manning, was not injured. The accident remains under investigation. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene.

January 20, 2023 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today (Friday), the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for three companies, which will assist in the creation of 579 jobs and result in nearly $156 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Lime Springs. The board also approved innovation funding in support of three startups located in Carroll, Cedar Rapids and Clive.

A school-based telehealth company in Carroll, Classroom Clinic provides school districts with timely and convenient access to children’s mental health services. The “team-based care” model allows service providers and school staff to connect, communicate and collaborate using technology. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for market planning and entry activities and key personnel, as part of Innovation funding.

Read more about the IEDA awards, HERE.

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira-EHK School District Board of Directors met in a regular session Monday evening. According to the meeting minutes, courtesy Business Manager & Board Secretary/Treasurer Mallory Meyer, the Board discussed the Superintendent, SBO (School Business Official), and HR (Human Resources) sharing agreements for 2023-2024. The consensus was to continue those sharing agreements currently in-place with the IKM-Manning School District.

The Exira-EHK Board acted to set Feb. 21, 2023 at 6-p.m., as the date and time for a Public Hearing on the 2023-24 District Calendar. The meeting will take place in the Elk Horn Conference Room. They also appointed representatives to the Audubon and Shelby County Conference Boards, and approved the following:

• A request for the Band/Choir Trip to Branson, MO.
• A 2022-23 Therapist Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Family Connections.
• An Elementary School Counselor Sharing Agreement with the Coon Rapids-Bayard CSD.
• The 2nd/final reading of certain policy reviews, and
• the hiring of Randy Kelly as Head Baseball Coach.