(Radio Iowa) – Two southwest Iowa counties that were swamped by flooding two years ago show different trends in their economies as they continue to recover. Economic data shows Fremont County gained businesses from 2019 to 2020 while Mills County lost businesses. The flood-ravaged towns of Hamburg and Pacific Junction largely mimic those trends. Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson says Hamburg — in Fremont County — will likely be able to bounce back because it was not substantially destroyed like the Mills County town of Pacific Junction. “Small communities that get hit hard never come back the way they were before,” Swenson says. “It just depends on how much was destroyed in terms of built capital.”

A few new businesses have popped up in Hamburg and more are on the way. Swenson says that’s a sign of restoring parts of the lost economy, but it doesn’t necessarily signal economic development. Kayti Hayes co-owns specialty coffee shop Relax and Unwind with her husband, Josh. They started off as a mobile business, but opened a shop in Hamburg last October.  “Josh was really wanting to come back to his hometown because he doesn’t want to see Hamburg die. He wants to see it thrive,” Hayes says. “So we can be another business that adds a couple more employees to help out around town.”

Hamburg is also getting a golf simulator and there are plans for a hotel, since the town’s only motel closed and is for sale.

(By Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

The 8:05-a.m. newscast w/Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Organizers in Pella are planning to bring back the city’s annual tulip festival in one month. Festival board member, Cyndi Atkins, says they are excited about the return after COVID-19 forced the cancellation of last year’s festival. “Our theme this year — Back in Bloom — so we are going to be back with thousands and thousands of tulips, lots of people in Dutch costumes,” Atkins says. The annual festival, which started in 1935, had only been canceled once before, back in 1946. “Last year was hard because it definitely was a hit to the Pella Historical Society budget. They cut their budget, here, there, and everywhere. They were documented as a 150-thousand dollars that they needed to cut out of their budget,” she says.

Atkins says the event from May 6th through the 8th will have some modifications to keep everyone safe. “We’re trying very hard to make sure we can make this one be a successful festival, so that we can continue to raise funds to support the local historic village,” according to Atkins. “And also so there is a way for a lot of the non-profits who run the food stands, and the vendors in the West Market Park craft area, to have a chance to actually make some of the funds this year that they would make in a normal year.” Atkins says many of the vendors are local churches and organizations that fund projects with the money they make. “So many of these other vendors — they’re raising money for wonderful causes — it’s heartwarming,” Atkins says.

Atkins says she’s already seen tulips poking out of the ground and expects that to continue as things warm up. “The city and the historical village and Central College and others who plant large, large gardens do a really good job of planting tulips that bloom, early, mid and late,” Atkins says. “So that some might have bloomed and be gone before people arrived, but there’s always some that are coming that will still be blooming and continue as we push into late May. That’s just the way it works so that we can have something and we can see them bloom.”

Activities will begin each day in Pella around 9 a-m and continue until the lighted parade floats go dim around 9:30 p-m.

The Creston Police Department reports four arrests took place over the past few days. At around 2:18-a.m. today (Monday), 24-year-old Keegan Williams (No address given) was arrested at 301 W Adams on the charges of Trespass and Interference with Official Acts. Williams was being held in the Union County Jail on a $600 bond. A little before 2-a.m., Sunday, Creston Police arrested 21-year-old Ashley Clymer, of Mt Ayr, in the 300 block of W. Adams. Clymer was charged with Urinating in Public. She was released from the Union County Jail on a $300 bond.

Saturday night, 39-year-old Scott Lemon, of Creston, was arrested at his residence on the charge of Domestic Assault causing injury. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $2000 bond. And, at around 1:20-a.m., Saturday, 21-year-old Paige Aeschliman, of Corning, was arrested in Creston for OWI 1st Offense. She was released from the Union County Jail on a $1000 bond.

The 7:06-a.m. report from News Director Ric Hanson.

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A Public Hearing will be held 7-p.m. Tuesday (April 6th) in the Audubon High School Board Room, with regard to the FY22 ACSD Budget. Once the hearing convenes, the proposed 2021-22 Budget will be presented and discussed. If there are no objections,, the Board will adjourn the hearing and convene a Special Session to approve the Budget as proposed. Anyone wishing to comment during the hearing and/or meeting, should contact Superintendent Eric Trager or Board President Mark Nissen, prior to the close of Tuesday’s regular school day.

A pickup ran into the back of a semi tractor-trailer, Saturday, in eastern Iowa, resulting in the death of a man from Colfax. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2005 Chevy pickup driven by 32-year-old Jaron Gibson, of Colfax, and a 2020 Freightliner semi driven by 24-year-old Parker Dove, of Bronson, MI, were both traveling eastbound on I-80, west of Colfax, when the pickup struck the rear of the semi. Gibson suffered serious injuries and was flown by Mercy One to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, where he died.

The accident, which happened at around 6:20-p.m., Saturday, remains under investigation.

A Clive man faces kidnapping and sex abuse charges following an investigation into an incident that happened earlier this year. KCCI reports, according to a criminal complaint Derek Alshouse is accused of taking a woman from one place to another while she was impaired in January. A search warrant states the woman said she woke up with her pants pulled down in the basement of a West Des Moines business after a night out at a bar. Alshouse owns the business and told officers he took the woman home after she was kicked out of a bar.

Alshouse allegedly told officers he and the woman “hooked up.” Investigators said the woman became upset when she heard that and said she would never have done that. He’s being held in the Polk County Jail on $110,000 bond.

A Polk County man died and another person was injured during a collision Sunday night. The Iowa State Patrol tweeted that authorities were called to a crash near Highway 17 and Northwest 158th Avenue at about 6:15 p.m. Authorities identified the victim as 65-year-old David Turner of Des Moines. The Patrol said Turner was driving on Northwest 158th Avenue when he went through a stop sign and T-boned a minivan. The driver of the van, 37-year-old Brooke Crooks, of Madrid, suffered minor injuries and was transported to the Boone County Hospital. Authorities said Turner was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.

(KCRG/KCCI) – In an update to our previous reports, authorities in eastern Iowa have identified a woman who died while tending a ditch fire. Investigators say 79-year-old Carol Woodson, of Marion, was found by emergency responders. She had been engulfed in smoke and flames and died at the scene.

The Iowa State Fire Marshal’s Office is helping with the investigation into her death. Emergency crews were called to rural Marion at about 3:14 p.m. Sunday for an out of control field fire. When authorities arrived, they found the ditch fire had spread and Woodson’s body on the ground.