(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters are calling for temperatures to climb back in the upper 80s and low 90s for the next several days, and Iowans who will be out enjoying the summer weather need to remember to take precautions with their picnics. Kristi Zweifel, a dietician at Van Diest Medical Center in Webster City, says it’s wise to keep hot foods hot, and cold foods cold. “Normally, perishable foods can be left out for about two hours before they need to be chilled or discarded,” Zweifel says. “That keeps your food out of that danger zone too long. That’s where germs can grow and cause foodborne illness.” Zweifel says to take particular care with foods like chicken salad, potato salad and desserts, especially when it’s getting steamy.

“In the summertime, it’s hot and it’s humid outside, so then that the time amount changes,” she says. “We really don’t want you to leave your food out longer than an hour if the temperatures are above 90 degrees.” Larger entres might be safe for a while in a casserole container with built-in freezer packs, but most everything else needs to go in a cooler.

Picnic food safety (US FDA photo)

“When you’re serving food outside, extra cold sources to keep that food cool,” Zweifel says. “Packing your coolers with bags of ice, gel packs, or even freeze some bottles of water to keep it cold so that food stays cold and safe for as long as possible.” The F-D-A says cold, perishable food should be kept in the cooler at 40-degrees or colder, while hot food needs to be kept hot, at or above 140-degrees.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks is among House Republicans questioning co-authors of an academic paper on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper was published in March of 2020, just as government shutdowns were being ordered. The scientists concluded it was unlikely that the strain of the coronavirus had been created in a lab, but had spread from wild animals to humans. “It’s not as conclusive as you’d like us to believe that it emerged through nature,” Miller-Meeks says.

Miller-Meeks says understanding the origins of COVID helps officials prepare for the next pandemic. “The international community and scientists in particular have a vested interest in understanding what type of laboratory research is done and what type of laboratory safety, ” Miller-Meeks said. “Critically important.”

Miller-Meeks made her comments during a House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. Republicans on the panel have accused the scientists of covering up the origins of the virus. Democrats on the panel accuse Republicans of pushing a partisan narrative and attacking public health officials.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Hitchcock House near Lewis, Tuesday, spoke with the Cass County Board of Supervisors about structural issues with the historical building that need to be addressed as soon as possible, and the possible need for funding to make the repairs happen. Hitchcock House Board Chair Sharon Guffey-Lewis said the issue is with the south basement wall of the historic landmark.

Guffey-Lewis said a representative with the National Park Service in Omaha, came to inspect the building last Fall. He returned in the Winter.

Because of the amount of deterioration of the basement wall requires the Hitchcock House to stop offering tours of the building, effective July 23^rd. Because the structure is a National Historic Landmark, any repairs must be approved by the National Parks Service. The Hitchcock Board received from the Parks representative a list of five approved restoration contractors. One is in Chicago.

She said they never even received a cost estimate from that company. The Advisory Board therefore decided the company would not be acceptable, for that and other reasons. The second restoration company was also out of Illinois. The company flew out a crew to personally inspect the situation.

Hitchcock House. (photo from Hitchcock House Facebook page.)

Their bid was $317,300, due to the travel and equipment costs. The third restoration company is in Crescent, with experience in restoration work in Omaha’s Old Market area and buildings the age of the Hitchcock House. The company has been in business for 46-years. Their cost estimate was $72,000, with a down payment of $22,000 required.

The company owner has said he wants to get started on the project as soon as possible, preferably by August 1^st.

Guffey-Lewis said the Hitchcock Board has applied for a Network to Freedom Grant in the amount of $150,000. They should know by August 1^st if their grant request was approved. In the meantime, she said they are searching for other sources of grant funding, as well. The Board of Supervisors took no action on any funding,Tuesday. Instead, they chose to get an update on what funds the Hitchcock Board is able to acquire before the Supervisors offer to commit toward the project.

Atlantic, Iowa – As businesses in the area continue to grow and commute costs continue to increase, Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) is creating improvements to the transit system to attract workers to the area while reducing expenses for commuters. In partnership with Commute with Enterprise, SWITA is helping to continue to provide an innovative and sustainable shared mobility option: vanpooling.

The Commute program is a coordinated vanpool program available to people who live inside or outside of Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties and wish to access jobs in the area. The program coordinates participants who indicate their interest through various channels such as at their jobsite or via an online portal. The program then matches riders who have similar work shifts in similar areas and are interested in riding together. Each vanpool is customized to the specific needs of the group. Once four or more people are matched, a Commute with Enterprise representative will work with the group to identify needs and provide solutions. Commute with Enterprise provides the 7-15 passenger vehicle, insurance, maintenance, and ongoing support. SWITA chose to work with Commute with Enterprise to bring their expertise, scalability, and professionalism to the southwest Iowa region to ensure program success.

“Our new partnership with Enterprise allows SWITA to support the vanpool program and employment needs of local businesses in our community, while introducing our community to a proven, efficient form of public transportation,” said Mark Lander, Transit Director with SWITA.

The vanpool program will be partially subsidized by SWITA using local state and federal grant funds. The remaining cost is split among the employer and/or participants, with each vanpool rider paying a set fee per month. Enterprise will provide coordination services and technology, vehicles, liability insurance, scheduled vehicle maintenance, and 24-hour roadside assistance, as well as best practices for cleaning.

Participants can choose a qualifying vanpool vehicle from Enterprise’s selection of makes and models that includes crossovers, SUVs, minivans, and large passenger vans. Vanpoolers may choose to upgrade their vehicles with optional high-end features such as satellite radio and in-vehicle Wi-Fi service.

People who commute to or from the eight county southwest Iowa service area and are interested in joining the program can visit https://www.swita.com/services/work-routes/ or https://www.commutewithenterprise.com/content/commute/en/partners/swita.html.

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 13, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that USDA is making $21 million in technical assistance grants available through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to help agricultural producers and rural small businesses access federal funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements. The USDA Rural Development state office in Iowa will be allocated between $400,000 and $500,000 to award in a competitive process to providers of REAP technical assistance.

“This technical assistance grant opportunity will provide hands-on support to farmers, ranchers and rural small business owners seeking federal funds for renewable energy systems,” said Director Greenfield. “The Biden-Harris Administration is helping ag producers and rural small businesses lower energy costs by championing climate-smart technologies, including wind, anaerobic digesters, geothermal, and biomass systems in Iowa.”

The application window for the technical assistance grants opens July 15, 2023, and closes on August 15, 2023.

Eligible recipients for these grants include state, Tribal or local governments; colleges and universities; electric cooperatives and utility companies; and for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Recipients may use the funds to:

• Help rural agricultural producers and small business owners apply for REAP funding.
• Provide information on how business owners and agricultural producers can improve the energy efficiency of their operations and use renewable energy technologies and resources.
• Conduct required energy assessments and audits.
• Help agricultural producers and small business owners plan, build or develop renewable energy or energy efficiency projects.

This announcement is part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and the Bidenomics strategy to grow the American economy from the middle out and bottom up by rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, driving over $500 billion in private-sector manufacturing investments, creating good-paying jobs, and building a clean-energy economy to tackle the climate crisis and make our communities more resilient. REAP is also part of the Justice40 Initiative, which is advancing environmental justice by ensuring that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal investments reach disadvantaged communities that are marginalized and overburdened by pollution and underinvestment.

USDA will give funding priority to applicants proposing to assist disadvantaged communities, applicants pursuing projects using underutilized technologies and applicants seeking grants under $20,000.

The Rural Development state office in Iowa will hold a brief webinar regarding this announcement on July 13, 2023, at 3 p.m. Central Time. Click on this hyperlink to participate virtually: https://usdard.zoomgov.com/j/1600323028?pwd=UVo2TEcrVGZidWpyV0s1dTQybjkwdz09

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says there were four arrests made over the past few days. Two people were arrested on drug charges at around 11:40-p.m. Monday, in the area of 221st St./Elderberry Road in Mills County: 39-year-old Laura Eileen Bunten and 40-year-old Joseph William Patten, both of Council Bluffs, were charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. Their bonds were set at $25,000 each.

Sunday evening, 21-year-old Collin Michael Huntley, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on Highway 275 in Mills County, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of an offensive weapon. His bond was set at $1,000. And, 49-year-old Christopher John Christensen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on I-29 in Mills County on Sunday, for Driving While Denied or Revoked. His bond was also set at $1,000.

AMES, Iowa (July 12, 2023) – The 37th annual Summer Iowa Games presented by Grinnell Mutual is set to commence on Friday, July 14 at Reiman Plaza, just south of Jack Trice Stadium in Ames. The Athlete Tailgate is set to begin at 4:30pm followed by the Parade of Athletes and Opening Ceremony. A free athlete meal will be provided by the Iowa Food and Family Project (IFFP) while supplies last. Along with fruit from Capital City Fruit and drinks provided by Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Attendees are also encouraged to purchase food from food trucks that will be located on site. In addition to food trucks, the Athlete Tailgate will feature vendors from various local companies along the Reiman Plaza.

Entertainment available at the Athlete Tailgate includes inflatables, yard games, and live music from a DJ. All entertainment provided during the Athlete Tailgate is free of charge and all athletes and other attendees are permitted to participate.

Athlete Tailgate, Reiman Plaza. Ames Iowa

Following the Athlete Tailgate, the Opening Ceremony will begin with the annual Parade of Athletes. During the Parade of Athletes, Summer Iowa Games athletes and teams will have the opportunity to join together to walk the parade route and have their group’s name read aloud. The Parade of Athletes will start at 6:30 and will follow a trail along the perimeter of the Reiman Plaza.

At the conclusion of the Parade of Athletes, attendees will have the opportunity to watch the ceremonial lighting of the cauldron to represent the official beginning of the 2023 Summer Iowa Games. The lighting of the cauldron is an honor that is granted to the previous year’s Athletes of the Year. For 2023, the cauldron will be lit by 2022 Iowa Games Marty McHone Female Athlete of the Year, Callie Brendeland, representing the sport of Taekwondo.

For complete details and Iowa Games information, visit www.iowagames.org. Help us kick-off another year of Summer Iowa Games events at the Athlete Tailgate and Opening Ceremony on July 14.

(Audubon,Iowa) – The Audubon County Fair rolls on through Sunday. The schedule of events/activities today (Thursday, July 13th), are as follows:

7:00-8:00 AM 4-H/FFA Swine check in
8:00- 9:00 AM 4-H/FFA Sheep & Goat check in
9:00-10:00 AM 4-H/FFA Beef check in
9:00 AM-6:00 PM Commercial Exhibit set-up
9:30AM-11:00 AM 4-H/FFA/Open Class Rabbit/Poultry check in
11:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horses must be stalled
11:30 AM Farm Bureau Meal – Hoop
Agriland Ice Cream
12:00 PM Open Class static must be entered
1:00 PM 4-H/FFA Exhibitor Meeting
4:00 PM Open Class exhibits must be in place
5:00 PM Sponsorship Dinner-Tent by Agrihall
4-H Pie Auction
Queen Coronation: Contestants include Emily Foran, Rylee Brittian, Elly Schultes, Sienna Albertsen, Michelle Brooks, and Ashlyn Pruitt.

2022 Audubon County Fair Queen Jaci Christensen (Center) & the 2023 candidates.

(Missouri Valley, Iowa) – Fire officials in Missouri Valley were asking residents to stay away from the area of Erie (Main Street), between 4th and 5th Streets, this morning, while crews fight a structure fire. In a statement on social media, officials said “We recognize this is going to be very disruptive but please try to avoid the area until crews have finished. A big thank you to the mutual aid departments that came to assist.” No injuries were reported. Additional information is currently not available.

Fire Chief Forrest Dooley has requested the State Fire Marshal investigate the scene. Initial reports seemed to indicate arson was not suspect as a cause of the fire.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Day two of the Adair County Fair in Greenfield is packed with activities and events. Here’s the posted schedule for today: