(Radio Iowa) – Five Iowa mayors are joining more than 250 of their counterparts from across the country for the winter meeting of the U-S Conference of Mayors in Washington D-C. Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, who’s just started his fifth term, says one of his goals is to improve the availability and affordability of mental health care services in his northeast Iowa city. Hart says leaders from other, larger communities are already tackling the issue. “It’s a really good opportunity to hear the challenges that other communities face because sometimes you can believe that you’re on an island and that you’re the only one, but you’re actually not,” Hart says, “so it’s really good to hear them talk about the resources they have.” In Hart’s Vision 2030 program, he’s calling for making public transportation free to all in Waterloo, more affordable housing, and solutions to the area’s challenges with people who are homeless.

“The city of Waterloo just opened up our warming center because the weather was so difficult for people that may be living out on the streets or with no home,” Hart says. “We need to figure out pathways to be able to deal with our homelessness problem in a way that’s beneficial for our community.” The mayor says he’s getting to do a little bragging at the conference, too, about a Waterloo offering. Something novel in Iowa, Waterloo Fiber hooked up its first customers just last month, as Hart says they’re now offering internet service as a city utility.

“It’ll be accessible, great customer service, the costs will be lower, we’re really looking forward to that,” Hart says. “We want to make sure that it provides access. COVID showed us how vital affordable, trustworthy internet is and the municipal telecom that we have will be able to provide that.” Other Iowa mayors at the conference include: Tiffany O’Donnell of Cedar Rapids, Connie Boesen (BO-zin) of Des Moines, Brad Cavanagh of Dubuque and Bruce Teague of Iowa City.

The event opened on Wednesday and concludes today (Friday).

Impacts in Audubon, Chickasaw, Clarke, Greene, Humboldt, Jackson, Linn, Monona, Montgomery, Muscatine, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Story, and Union counties

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Friday) announced that the Agency is investing over $1.2-million dollars in 13 grants and nearly $44-thousand dollar in 5 loans to projects in Iowa that promote rural small businesses, provide technical assistance, and support public works infrastructure.

The 18 investments were made through three different USDA programs: the Rural Business Development; Rural Economic Development, & Community Facilities Direct grants.

The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small businesses.

-Greene County Development Corp. received a $95,703 grant to provide technical assistance to emerging businesses in Greene County, Iowa. The project will provide training and planning assistance to develop Nueva Vida en Greene County into a resource for rural residents. The project is expected to advance economic development and create six jobs in this rural area.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides zero-interest loans to local utilities organizations which in turn pass the funding through to local businesses.

The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Recipients include:

• Loring Hospital in Sac City, which received a $37,137,700 loan to construct an addition. The project will provide 9,400 square feet of additional space to be used for a primary care clinic, an emergency patient walk-in entrance, an emergency department renovation and expansion, an updated and expanded pharmacy, a renovated laboratory, a consultation center, a new hospital entrance, specialty clinic pods with an infusion center, and therapy, cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation space. Once completed, this project will improve medical services and promote the health and safety of residents and visitors of this rural Sac County community.
• The City of Villisca received a $50,000 grant to purchase equipment for the city of Villisca. This project will provide two automated external defibrillators to the city’s ambulances. These medical devices are designed to analyze heart function in emergency situations, then deliver a shock to restore normal heart rhythm. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of residents and visitors to this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Villisca also received a $28,900 grant to purchase hydraulic rescue equipment. This project will provide a new Jaws of Life for fire department operations. This equipment will facilitate emergency response services and promote the safety of residents and visitors of this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Exira received a $28,900 grant to help replace the roof on the fire station. This project will provide a reliable roof to protect essential emergency service vehicles and stored equipment used by the city’s volunteer fire department. Once in service, the new fire station roof will better serve the safety needs of residents of this rural Audubon County community.
• The City of Afton received a $17,700 grant to help purchase a new early warning storm siren. This project will alert people inside the city limits during emergency situations. The siren is essential equipment which will improve public safety measures during severe weather and will help protect the residents of this rural Union County community.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Officials in Pottawattamie County say the final stages of construction for a 22,000 square foot addition to the courthouse in Council Bluffs, are approaching, and the news entrance will officially open to the public on Monday, January 22nd. Construction on the east side of the courthouse began in June 2021. Recent winter weather events have prevented the completion of a few final items for the project, but the wide-ranging scope of work is expected to benefit citizens of Pottawattamie County in several ways.

Enhanced Safety & Security:
The new entrance is the only public entry and exit for the building. The west side doors off 6th Street will now be used for Emergency Exit only. The decision to limit entry and exit to one side of the building comes after much discussion with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and is an adjustment to enhance safety and security measures.

Free Two-Hour Parking:
Parking for the courthouse will experience a change in structure with the opening of the new entrance. Prior to its closure during construction, the parking lot on the east side of the courthouse included parking meters at each stall. Visitors previously paid 50 cents per half-hour of parking, with a two-hour time limit. Courthouse visitors can now park for up to two hours at no cost. A new gate and ticket system will be implemented in the coming weeks.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report a person from Gardena, California, was arrested early today (Friday), on a drug charge. 24-year-old Keifird Kewaun Griffith was taken into custody at around 3:30-a.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Griffith was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say no injuries were reported following two separate accidents that occurred in the past couple of days. At around 5:34-p.m., Thursday, vehicles driven by 28-year-old Emma Brightwell and 44-year-old Christina Williams, both of Creston, collided on Highway 25 near the intersection with Howard Street. Authorities say Williams was driving a 2003 Lexus and was coming down a hill northbound, when she attempted to turn into her driveway. She wasn’t able to slow down in-time, came to a complete stop and began to backup, so she could enter the driveway. At about that same time, a 2016 Nissan Rogue driven by Brightwell, came over the crest of the hill in the same lane as the Lexus. Brightwell attempted to go around the other vehicle, but was unable to do so due to the snow, and other traffic. Her SUV rear-ended the Lexus, causing a total of $8,000 damage. No citations were issued.

The other accident happened at around 3:45-p.m., Wednesday on Highway 34, in Creston. Authorities report a Southern Iowa Trolley (2015 Chevy Express van) driven by 73-year-old James Kneedler, of Creston, and a 2002 GMC Sierra pickup driven by 50-year-old Frank Mills, of Kent, were both traveling west on Highway 34, when the Trolley, which was in front, made a brief lane change, so it could make a wide right turn because of a snow bank at the parking lot entrance. Kneedler told Police he did not see the pickup, which was traveling in the inside lane. A passenger in the pickup said the the Trolley did not have its turn signal on.

The pickup continued straight and became parallel to the Trolley. The van struck the pickup driver’s side, broadside. Damage from the collision amounted to $8,000. Police later issued a citation to Mills, for Failure to Provide proof of financial liability (insurance).

Roads in western and southwest Iowa (with the exception of parts of I-80/880 & 29) for are generally partially covered with a  mix of snow/slush/ice, varying on/off ramp conditions, ice bridges and blowing snow, in the latest Iowa DOT report.

(Radio Iowa) Officials with the Iowa Donor Network are releasing numbers for 2023 to celebrate the extraordinary impact of organ and tissue donation. Network spokeswoman Heather Butterfield says during the past year, 123 “donor heroes” in Iowa gifted a remarkable 350 organs for transplant. She says a record was also set last year. “We had an unprecedented 1,027 tissue donors, and each tissue donor has the opportunity to enhance the lives of 50 to 300 people,” Butterfield says, “so we’re talking about thousands and thousands of lives saved, thanks to the generosity of donors from right here in Iowa.” Over the past few years, she says more Iowans have checked the box to identify themselves as donors on their drivers’ licenses.

“Iowa Donor Network has seen a remarkable 40% increase in organ donors since 2019 and a 21% increase in organs transplanted,” Butterfield says, “which just shows the incredible commitment that Iowans have to saving lives.” Regardless of age or medical history, she says anyone can register to save lives as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. “The most common way is at the DMV when people get their license. If they’re already a donor, it’ll say the word ‘DONOR’ right there on the front of your license,” Butterfield says. “If you aren’t registered, you can simply go online to our website, IowaDonorNetwork.org, click the ‘Register’ button, and it takes less than three minutes to sign up.”

Butterfield says the selflessness and generosity of Iowa’s donors creates a lasting legacy of hope and healing.

(Radio Iowa) – The manager of the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in western Iowa reports not as many birds flew through the area this past migration season. Desoto manager Tom Cox says the drought, left the refuge without the water to flood as much wetland for geese, ducks, and swans.“Birds tend to follow the habit. And with this kind of region-wide drought, they’re probably skirting around where they’re finding better habitat during their migration,” he says.

Cox says the dry conditions led to bird numbers dropping 50 percent.“It kind of opened your eyes up that what the birds are after is the habitat, and that’s what supports them.”

The refuge is along the Missouri River near Missouri Valley, Iowa. Cox says overall, he isn’t too worried because conditions usually bounce back, allowing for better birdwatching during a different season.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Thursday night, arrested 30-year-old Dallas Eugene Davis, of Red Oak, following a call about a domestic incident in progress in the 1000 block of E> Washington Street. Officers arrested Davis for: Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense;  Assault with bodily injury to a law enforcement officer; 3 counts of Child Endangerment, and Interference with official acts.

Davis was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.