(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) passed amendments to the City of Stuart and City of Adair Urban Renewal Plan (URP). Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg says the City of Stuart will hold a meeting on Monday, Oct. 28^th at 10-a.m., and a Public Hearing will be held 6-p.m. Nov. 12^th. Berg explained the changes being made to the URP and the projects involved. She said the City of Stuart is partnering with a few different groups of people to make improvements to certain buildings.

It was subsequently clarified to note that the group taking on the American Legion Building in Stuart is not buying the building, but they are assisting the Legion in improving its condition, as it is in a blight situation and in need of a new roof and other improvements. The Board acknowledged receipt of the URP before holding a Public Hearing on the issuance of (not to exceed) $1.5-million in General Obligation Urban Renewal Bonds or Capital Loan Notes. There were no comments received on the issuance of bonds. Following the hearing, the Board passed a Resolution instituting the proceedings necessary to take additional action.

In other business, the Adair County Supervisors authorized Board Chair Jerry Walker to sign an Iowa DOT “Safe Streets for All” Pledge as necessary for grant applications. The Board also authorized Walker to sign the final voucher for the N-19 Lincoln (Township) Bridge Project.

County Engineer Nick Kauffman provided the Board with his weekly report on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

New concrete slab bridge located on a heavily traveled portion of 130th St. south of Stuart

On Tuesday, the department announced Murphy Heavy Contracting Corp. finished up a 100′ x 30′ concrete slab bridge in September, just in time for harvest. The new bridge is located on a heavily traveled portion of 130th St. south of Stuart and was designed and built to handle that traffic for many years to come. The final cost of the project – which was paid for through the use of TIF bond funds – was a little more than $707,369.

Impacts in Bremer, Butler, Cass, Clayton, Clinton, Hardin, Johnson, Lee, Madison, Polk, Sac, Sioux and Wayne counties

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 23, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Wednesday) announced that the Agency is investing $3,807,390 in 11 grants and $13,000,000 in three loans to projects in Iowa that spur economic development through rural cooperatives, promote small businesses, support infrastructure, assist with disasters, and create jobs. The 14 investments were funded through six different USDA programs.

The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small businesses. Projects include (in western Iowa):

• Sac Economic And Tourism Development LTD received $90,000 in a grant from the Rural Business Development Grants program to facilitate business development in rural north central Iowa. This project will provide planning, analytical and technical assistance to certify Sac City as a bioeconomy development opportunity zone to assist in attracting new bio-based businesses to the area. This project will also help provide technical assistance to local feedstock producers and supply chain businesses. The project will promote rural economic development in Sac County.

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. Western Iowa recipients include:

• Winterset Municipal Utilities received a $300,000 grant from the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will provide a loan to MCDP Real Estate, LLC/Madison County Dental Partners, LLP to help construct a new dental clinic in Winterset, Iowa, and to purchase equipment for the clinic. This project will create 10 new jobs. This project will promote economic development in rural Madison County.

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 in western Iowa area include:

• Dordt University in Sioux County received a $9,800,000 loan as additional funding for renovation and expansion from the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Guaranteed Loan program. This project will construct a new dining hall, offices, and classrooms on its existing campus center. The project will also renovate and expand the auditorium.

The Community Facility Disaster Grant program is designed to provide eligible rural communities with grants that address eligible disaster parameters. In Cass County:

• The City of Cumberland received a grant for $40,800 from the Community Facility Disaster Grants program to purchase essential equipment. This project will provide a new warning siren, a snow blower, a dump trailer, a snow plow, and accessories for the equipment. This project will promote the safety of the 251 residents and visitors of this rural Cass County community.

(Radio Iowa) – Retail studies find consumer spending on Halloween is into the billions of dollars and is second only to Christmas, but Iowans don’t have to scare themselves into exceeding their budgets. Lisa Schiller, with the Better Business Bureau, says spooky spending can quickly get out of hand, if you’re not mindful.  “Spending money on decorations and pumpkin carving and parties and costumes and giving away candy,” Schiller says. “Candy is expensive, too. So not just candy, but everything else.” Schiller says instead of buying pricey costumes, try thrifting instead, renting a costume, or see if you have something in storage that will still work.

“It sounds really easy, cliche, but really, look around your house, check your closet,” she says. “There might be some hidden items in there that you can throw together to make a really great costume, and that’ll save you a few bucks as well.” Schiller says you should judge the amount of trick-or-treaters you’re expecting, and don’t overspend on candy. “Consider buying it in bulk, buying more can save you money, we know that,” she says. “It can lessen the cost of the item and budgeting really can be super handy on a night like Halloween.”

Radio Iowa photo

Schiller suggests holding back a little on candy this year, because that’s seen the same price increases as other food items. Plus, candy keeps well, so don’t be afraid to share your leftovers at other parties or events.

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School Board met in a regular monthly session Monday evening. Superintendent Dave Henrichs says he updated the Board on the district’s enrollment numbers. He said while the Certified Enrollment figures show a decline of 17 students (for a total of 443), the more important BEDS (Basic Educational Data Survey) information shows a decline of 7.6, or some 389 students who are served every day.

Dave Henrichs said Griswold “had a kind of rough go of enrollment over the years.

The Griswold School Board, Monday, approved bids for: Door Alarms; Visitor Management System, and Video Access, but they held-off on approving bids for flooring.

Henrichs says the Board set a Work Session for 6-p.m. November 5th, to review the capital projects, resources and facilities, and a concession stand relocation projectt. The other project bids that were accepted will be paid for through the Governor’s Safety grant.

The bid came in at $419 for 12 door alarms. The bid for a Visitor Management System came in at $3,470.

And, a Video Access System bid of $5,275 was approved, for use on doors not currently covered. Henrichs stressed again, that those items will not cost the district a dime.

He said also, the Griswold School Board discussed relocation of the concession stand, and approved a letter of agreement for design services pertaining the conversion portions of a couple of classrooms, by cutting the sizes down of those spaces, and using those areas for a concession stand. The current concession stand is run out of the lunch room, which Henrich said is an inconvenience to the kitchen staff and Booster Club. The cost of the design service, which includes architectural fees, etc., is $22,000.

The Board is expected to receive some updated design plans by the time of their Nov. 5th work session. Dave Henrichs said it’s hoped the district can solicit bids in January, with the project completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year. In other news, the Griswold Board approved the resignation of Blair Rush – School Nurse, effective Oct. 30th, and the hiring of Lyn Sliger – MS/HS Cook, retroactive to Oct. 9th.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 19-year-old Aileen Exschel Villapando, of Creston, was cited Tuesday afternoon, for allowing an animal to run at large. She was released at the scene with her citation. And, at around 11:30-p.m., Tuesday, officers with the Creston Police Department arrested 47-year-old Brandie Sue Whitney, of Creston. She was taken into custody at her residence for Driving While Barred. Whitney was transported to the Union County Jail and later posted a $2,000 bond before being released.

(Radio Iowa) – A non-profit that worked to bring concerts and other music events to central Iowa has shut down. The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition started in 2005 and announced on its webpage that it is dissolving after what it says were many years of passionately trying to grow central Iowa’s music scene. The announcement says things have changed dramatically with dozens of venues, successful events, and a sophisticated pool of local talent.

It also says there are now many music-related organizations and businesses in central Iowa that are well-positioned to continue the work. One of the bigger events the group hosted was the 80/35 Music Festival. The announcement says the future of the 80/35 Music Festival is not currently determined.

(Atlanta, GA) – Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday  (Oct. 22nd), that E. coli food poisoning linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one person who died and 10 who were hospitalized, federal health officials said Tuesday. The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications.

Infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Colorado has the most cases, 27, followed by Nebraska with nine. Everyone interviewed in connection with the outbreak had reported eating at McDonald’s before falling ill and most mentioned eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the CDC said. The U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials are also investigating.

The specific ingredient tied to the outbreak has not been identified, but investigators are focused on onions and beef. McDonald’s reported to the CDC that it had removed slivered onions and beef patties used for Quarter Pounders from stores in the affected states. The burgers may be temporarily unavailable in those states.

E. coli bacteria infections can cause severe illness, including fever, stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek health care immediately and tell the provider what they ate. Symptoms of E. coli start 3 to 4 days after ingesting the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.

The type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak, E. coli O157:H7, causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths. Infections are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and can cause acute kidney failure.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s been a week since Iowans were able to start voting early and many counties are reporting heavy turnout. Over 112-thousand Iowans had cast ballots through the first five days of early voting and Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is among them. “I presume that Democrats are having heavy numbers because they traditionally do,” Grassley says, “and then the additional record-breaking numbers, I think, come from Republicans realizing that we’re losing the game on early voting, and Republicans better vote early.”

Top Republicans in the state, like Governor Kim Reynolds, cast their ballots last Wednesday, on the first day Iowans could vote at their county auditor’s office or other designated locations. The Grassley family did as well. “Barbara Grassley and I, and Wendy Speckerman — my daughter, and her husband, and a couple other people in my family have followed my advice and voted early,” Grassley says. “Barbara and I opened up the Butler County Courthouse at 7:30 last Wednesday to cast our first votes.”

Grassley predicts when the numbers are all tabulated next month, we’ll see that Iowa voters from -both- parties are embracing the convenience of early voting. “I think Republicans are finally waking up to the fact that sometimes we have lost an election before Election Day,” Grassley says. “So you’ve got to learn from your mistakes, and our mistakes are that we haven’t been encouraging early voting, and we’re doing that now.”

Democrats have been urging Iowans for months to have a plan to vote. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart was a congressional candidate in 2020 — and lost by just six votes. “The worst thing that can happen, which happened to me, is to have people come to you the day after the election and say: ‘Oh, Rita. I totally forgot to vote. I’m really sorry. I thought you had this in the bag.’ That is really horrible to hear,” Hart said. “…That’s why I want every vote to understand that their vote really counts.”

Between July and October, there was a three-point-four percent increase in the number of registered Democrats in Iowa. Hart says it’s unclear if those are brand new voters or Iowans who’ve switched their party registration. “Not everybody changes their voter registration when they have changed their mind on who they’re going to vote for, right?” Hart asks. “So when this election is over, we’ll be able to go back and look at where the movement is and who we’re talking about.”

Hart made her comments during a recent appearance on Iowa P-B-S. October 16th was the first day Iowans could vote in-person at their county auditor’s office, the same day those offices started sending out absentee ballots. Iowans who are voting by mail can track their ballot online at www.voterready.iowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – All four Republicans who represent Iowa in the U-S House are seeking reelection, including fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra. Feenstra’s 2024 race is a General Election rematch with Ryan Melton, a Democrat from Webster City. Feenstra’s Republican opponent in the June Primary got 40 percent of the vote and that candidate — Kevin Virgil — endorsed Melton in August. The primary reason? Melton and Virgil both oppose the use of eminent domain to seize land for a carbon pipeline. Feenstra says he’s also opposed to eminent domain, but the pipeline is a state issue, not a federal issue and he calls Virgil anti-agriculture.

“He wants to side with the liberal progressives and Ryan Melton and the Democrat Party,” Feenstra says. Melton says he expects to get some protest votes from Republicans. There are 90-thousand more registered Republicans than Democrats in the district and Iowa State University political science professor Dave Peterson says that’s a big advantage for Feenstra. “Melton is running a valiant campaign,” Peterson says, “but he’s just outmatched in this district and Feenstra’s going to win this one pretty easy.”

Melton says his candidacy is partly a party-building exercise, as there are more Democrats in the fourth congressional district running for other offices. “I know this is going to be a mid-to-long term build,” Melton says, “but I’ve played a role in recruiting those candidates and hopefully building a new direction for the party in our district.” Feenstra, who is from Hull, says his top priorities for 2025 would be securing the southern border and extending the Trump-era tax cuts. “We’ve got to quit spending,” Feenstra says, “and get to a balanced budget.”

The fourth district covers 36 counties and includes the cities of Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Spencer, Algona, Fort Dodge and Marshalltown.