(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved more than $4.7 million in federal and state grants to assist 44 agencies with homelessness assistance initiatives during the 2023 calendar year. IFA Executive Director Debi Durham says “The homelessness assistance awards announced today will have a direct impact in helping thousands of Iowans in their time of need. Iowa’s homeless service professionals work tirelessly to help get Iowans back on their feet and into permanent housing and this funding will aid in those efforts.”

The funding is made available through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant program and the State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund. IFA conducted a two-year combined ESG and SAF competition for funds in 2021. Applications were scored in several categories, including project design, experience and capacity, community partnerships, performance, budget and grants management. 

In Pottawattamie County, three agencies received grants:

• Heartland Family Service received an Emergency Solutions Grant in the amount of $61,790;
• MICAH House Corporation received a Shelter Assistance Fund grant award of $132,232;
• and, New Visions Homeless Services receives a Emergency Solutions Grant for $77,793, AND a Shelter Assistance Fund grant for $144,076.

The complete awards list is available here.

Individuals in need of homelessness assistance should contact the coordinated entry system, online at iowahousinghelp.com or by phone at: 833-739-0065. Residents of Des Moines or Polk County should call the local centralized intake: 515-248-1850.  Additional information….

Emergency Solutions Grant Program
The primary purpose of the Federal Emergency Solutions Grant program is to help Iowans and their families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Examples of eligible services include street outreach, shelter, homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing (rental assistance paired with case management and supportive services). The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Iowa Finance Authority in Iowa. Twenty-seven agencies were awarded a total of more than $2.9 million in 2023 Emergency Solutions Grant Program funds.

Shelter Assistance Fund

The State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund program provides assistance to help with the costs of operations of homeless and domestic violence shelters, essential services for the homeless and evaluation and reporting services. Thirty-three agencies were awarded a total of nearly $1.8 million in 2023 Shelter Assistance Fund grants.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports the Sheriff’s Department’s “Operation Blessing,” which strives to make sure every child in the rural areas of the County receives a Christmas gift, will be slightly different this year, from years past. Sheriff Palmer says “We will be taking requests from November 12, 2022 through December 10, 2022. This is to hopefully ensure that requests for gifts can be filled without running into a shortage of items to purchase.”

The Page County Sheriff’s Office “Operation Blessing program covers children from birth to age 14, who reside in the communities of Shambaugh, Braddyville, College Springs, Yorktown, Coin, Blanchard, and Northboro as well as the rural areas, of Page County. The child must be a resident of the aforementioned communities, or rural Page County. The requests must come from a parent or guardian of the child and can be called into the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193, or reported in person by the parent or guardian at the Page County Sheriff’s Office located at 323 N 15th Street in Clarinda, IA. Each child will be given a first and second choice. It is suggested that a toy and clothing be requested.

Anyone wishing to donate money to the Page County Sheriff’s Office Operation Blessing program can either stop by the Page County Sheriff’s Office or mail the monetary donation to the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 323 North 15th Clarinda, Iowa, 51632. Monetary donations are taken year-round at the Office. The Page County Reserve Program started Operation Blessing in the mid 1980’s to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County had the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for almost 40 years. In these times, the program is adapting. Department deputies and staff will be delivering gifts just prior to Christmas Eve.

Sheriff Palmer says “Our current times are to say the least trying and unsure. We as an Office strive to find some normalcy for the children of our County in these unsure and trying times. I would once again like to thank everyone for their donations and support of the program throughout the years, for without monetary donations, this program would not be able to continue.” He thanks also the staff at the Sheriff’s Office / Jail for their assistance in everything they do with this program. He says they go above and beyond with the call taking, shopping, wrapping and organization of this program. They along with the organizations, businesses, and individuals who donate make this program a success every year. THANK YOU!!!

May everyone have a joy filled and safe Holiday season.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests over the past few weeks. On Oct. 24th, 39-year-old Andrew Grieshaber, of Cumberland, was arrested on the charges of Burglary 2nd Degree and Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree.  Grieshaber was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond. And, on Oct. 22nd, Deputies arrested 38-year-old Fernando Villa-Diaz, of Atlantic, on the charge of OWI 3rd Offense.  Villa-Diaz was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

This past Tuesday (11/1), 38-year-old Megan Schroder, of Griswold, was arrested for OWI 2nd Offense.  Schroder was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held until her later release on her own recognizance. And, on Wednesday Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 53-year-old Randy Rush, of Atlantic, for OWI 2nd Offense.  Rush was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held until his later release on his own recognizance.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report a woman was arrested at her home Wednesday morning. 51-year-old Crystal Alaine Conley, of Creston, was charged with Attempted Burglary in the 3rd Degree. She was taken to Union County Jail and posted bond.

Wednesday night, 18-year-old Rowan Davis Pope, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 900 block of N. Division Street. He was charged with Violation of Probation.  Pope was being held without bond in the Union County Jail, until seen by a Judge.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans heard dire warnings last month about the possibility of rainbow fentanyl showing up in kids’ trick-or-treat bags, but Emily Murray, spokeswoman for the regional U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency office in Omaha, says they had no reports of the drug appearing anywhere in the five-state area. “DEA agents have yet to see or seize rainbow fentanyl, I think that’s important to know,” Murray says. “We’re not naive enough to think that it’s not out there but DEA agents have not seized it. State and locals were reaching out, working with them to kind of see what they’re seeing, but Halloween has come and gone and we have not seen the rainbow fentanyl.”

Murray says the rainbow fentanyl comes in a wide array of colors and is the same, dangerous drug as regular fentanyl. “The fake pills that you’re seeing that are blue and made to look like oxycodone or Xanax or Adderall, any of those prescription medications, now it’s just that they’re coming across in rainbow colors,” Murray says. “They might be targeting a younger audience with that, but it’s also a marketing ploy, too, when you’ve got something that looks a little bit different. It’s new. It’s exciting because it’s a bright color.” Iowans need to know, Murray says, that while fentanyl can be a killer, so can many other pharmaceuticals.

“The only prescription medication that they should be taking is the one that’s prescribed specifically for them,” she says. “We don’t want anyone to take a legitimate prescription medication that’s not coming from their doctor and filled at a pharmacy. Always be cautious. It’s the same messaging that we tell students or tell kids you know, don’t take something when you don’t know where it’s coming from.” A state report says 258 Iowans died of opioid overdoses last year. Murray says meth is still the number-one illegal drug being seized in the region.

(Radio Iowa)- The new owners of a chicken processing plant in Charles City are getting nearly $46 million in federal assistance to reopen the facility. The Simply Essentials plant closed in August of 2019. Pure Prairie Farms, the facility’s new owner, is getting a nearly $39 million USDA loan, along with a grant of about $7 million. U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said it’s part of the agency’s push to expand meat and poultry processing. “New opportunity, new choice for both producers and consumers,” Vilsack said.

The USDA has also given Upper Iowa Beef in Lime Springs a nearly $9 million grant. The company’s expansion project should increase slaughter capacity by 50 percent, according to the USDA. A more than half a million dollar grant will support the relocation and expansion of the Cherokee Locker, a meat processing facility in Cherokee. The Region XII Council of Governments, based in Carroll, is getting $15 million from the USDA to support new or expanding meat processing facilities.

This week the USDA has awarded $223 million in grants and loans to 32 companies in 19 different states. “We think it’s going to expand capacity in beef and pork and mixed processing by over 500,000 head per year,” Vilsack said. “We think it’s going to expand capacity in poultry nearly 34 million birds per year.”

Pure Prairie, the farmer-owned company that’s reopening the poultry plant in Charles City, expects to begin operations in mid-November.

(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City officials are breaking ground on what will be a new flight school serving as Morningside University’s training center for pilots and other aviation professionals. Assistant City Manager Mike Collett sees the program as a major opportunity for economic growth in the community.

“One of the first questions asked of our economic development department when they have a lead is, ‘Do you have an airport?’ and a lot of these businesses have to be supported with air facilities that we offer,” Collett says. “The fact that we’re now able to train pilots and mechanics, both combined, is a big deal.” Morningside is partnering with Omaha-based Oracle Aviation to launch the flight school. The new department will include a professional flight program for aspiring pilots and aviation management for those interested in airline operations.

Morningside University President Albert Mosley says these curriculums will help students find jobs in a growing industry.  “Nationally, the need for pilots and aviation management professionals is at a historic high,” Mosley says. “That is also true here in Siouxland, we all know that firsthand.” The school is projected to begin accepting students as early as next fall. Morningside officials hope it can help curb pilot shortages felt in Sioux City and around the nation.

Earlier this year, Sioux City Gateway Airport’s commercial carrier pared down its flight schedule due to a pilot shortage. City and community partners estimate the new facility’s construction will require a ten-point-seven million dollar investment.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Residents of the small western Iowa town of Ricketts were briefly evacuated early Wednesday afternoon as a large field fire started spreading in the area. According to Crawford County Emergency Management, a field of standing corn ignited and strong winds pushed the fire toward Ricketts, a town of about 100 residents.

Firefighters from departments in Crawford, Ida and Woodbury Counties were able to stop the fire before it reached the community and residents were allowed back into Ricketts at about 3 p.m. Officials say the fire did burn a three-to-four mile area before it was contained, though.

The wind carried smoke from the fire more than 50 miles to the north.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at a rally tonight (Thursday) in Sioux City. Trump’s political action committee says the event is meant to boost two candidates that Trump previously endorsed — Senator Chuck Grassley and Governor Kim Reynolds.

“We’re excited to have him back in the state,” Reynolds said last week during a campaign stop in Sioux City. “We’re excited to continue to energize Republicans to continue to get out and vote.” The rally site is in Iowa’s fourth congressional district, where Republican voters outnumber Democrats by 95-thousand. University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle) says during a midterm election — when there’s no presidential race on the ballot — both political parties have to find ways to maximize turnout among their voters.

“One of the other things that we know about Trump voters in Iowa is that a lot of them were independents,” Hagle says. “They often even have a bigger drop in turnout in a midterm election, so it may be a way to energize those folks.” Trump will join a long list of potential 2024 presidential candidates who’ve campaigned here for Iowa Republicans on the 2022 ballot.

“There have been hints — fairly strong ones — that he’s going to run at some point, but other people are thinking that he’s not going to, so who knows,” Hagle says. “At the very least, Trump being Trump, he likes stay in the conversation and so showing up in Iowa….certainly helps him to do so.” Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn says Grassley and Reynolds will be standing with a traitor who wanted to overthrow our government and continues to support attacks on our democracy.

Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says Iowans are ready for President Trump’s message of pushing back against Democrats’ woke ideology and President Biden’s agenda. Trump’s rally will be held at the Sioux City airport and some people camped out overnight to be ready when the parking lot opens at 8 a.m. Tickets are required for entry into the venue and doors will open at 2 p.m.