State, county and local government leaders announced plans for another massive data center Friday, that’ll be built in West Des Moines. Microsoft will build a four-phase center that will end up being nearly two million square feet by the time it is done in 2022. It’ll cost between one-and-a-half and two billions dollars and sit in Warren and Madison County. It will be the third data center in the city along with one in Altoona and one in Council Bluffs. Governor Terry Branstad says the new data center will create construction jobs as it is built and then eventually some 130 permanent jobs.

The governor says the history of the other three data centers helped sell Microsoft on the new center. “Once they saw the benefits of Iowa and the fact that we have low-cost reliable energy, we’re a good low-cost place to locate. And then it’s renewable — we lead the country in terms of renewable energy — over 31 percent of our energy generated by wind,” Branstad says.

West Des Moines Mayor Steven Gaer says a lot of planning went into getting the center in his city and it was not a given Micrsoft would build here. Known as “Project Osmium”, it will be the largest data center Microsoft has ever built in the United States. Gaer says the city did not offer any property tax rebates to the company to keep with its longstanding policy. That means the company will pay more than 12 million dollars in property taxes once the data center is completed.

Waukee has been one of the fastest growing cities in the state, and Gaer says that means they have to be prepared. He says they have to plan ahead and meet frequently to map our what the city is going to do from a planning and investment standpoint. The state Economic Development Board approved four-point-seven million dollars in tax benefits for the project. The announcement of the new data center comes on the same day that state unemployment numbers showed another increase to four percent. Manufacturers lost more jobs last month and Governor Branstad says that is a concern.

Branstad says it all has to do with the loss of farm income as farmers are not buying equipment and manufacturers like John Deere, Kinzee and Vermeer have to lay people off. He blames the Obama Administration and the cutting of the amount of renewable fuels required to be sold as a major reason for the drop in the farm income.
Branstad returned from the Republican National Convention in Cleveland for Friday’s announcement and says he talked with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump about the R-F-S and its importance to the farm economy.

(Radio Iowa)

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack was rumored to be one of the finalists to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, but she announced Friday evening her final choice is Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. Vilsack and Clinton have known one another for four decades.

Vilsack’s first connection to Hillary Clinton runs through his wife and late brother-in-law. Tom Bell worked with Clinton on the investigation into the Watergate scandal. Clinton responded to the call when Tom Vilsack was running for governor in 1998, trailing badly in the polls and short of campaign cash. Clinton, who was the nation’s first lady at the time, hosted a fundraiser for Vilsack in Washington, D.C.

Clinton has described the speech Vilsack gave at the event as one of the best she’s ever heard. Vilsack and his wife have backed both of Clinton’s bid for the White House. Vilsack served two terms as Iowa’s governor. Hehas been President Obama’s first and only agriculture secretary. Vilsack and his wife own a home in central Iowa, near where his son, daughter-in-law and grandkids live.

Vilsack, who is 65 years old, talked last year about life after the Obama Administration. He said he wants to move back to Iowa full-time — at some point. That leaves the door open to staying in Washington and working in the next administration, if Clinton wins in November.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CDT

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Woodbury County jury has found a Sioux City man guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of another man in the northwest Iowa community of Sloan. The jury found 30-year-old Timothy Schroeder guilty Friday for the Jan. 9, 2015, death of 29-year-old Dustin Wilder at Wilder’s home. The verdict came only hours after closing arguments in the case were made.

GRIMES, Iowa (AP) — Police in a suburban Des Moines city say a young boy has been found dead and his mother unresponsive inside a home. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that police and medics responded to the Grimes home following a 911 call just after 10 a.m. Friday. Polk County Sheriff’s Major Brent Long says a child about 7 or 8 years old was found alone outside in the yard when officers arrive. The mother and dead boy were found inside.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An idled steel castings foundry in Keokuk may come to life again and create 200 jobs with approval of state incentives. The Iowa Economic Development Board on Friday approved $1 million in loans and additional tax breaks to reopen the former Keokuk Steel Manufacturing Co.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say heavy rainfall caused a section of roof on the former Dubuque Brewing & Malting building to collapse. The Telegraph Herald reports that the collapse happened after storms dropped about 1.5 inches of rain on the area Thursday night. The building, erected in 1920, currently houses Auto & Truck Parts Inc.

Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) say as of July 1st, CCHS is now the official public health agency for Cass County. Public Health’s goal is to improve and protect the health of area residents, and the department will continue to partner with the Local Board of Health, healthcare providers, organizations, and the Iowa Department of Public Health to provide quality services for Cass County residents.

Public Health Staff

Beth Olsen, RD, who is the new director of Cass County Public Health, says “Our goal as your local public health agency is to prevent injuries, promote healthy behaviors, protect against environmental hazards, strengthen the public health infrastructure, prevent the spread of disease, and manage public health emergencies.”

Current Public Health programs include: Parents as Teachers, Care for Yourself, Wise Women, maternal child health, family planning, lead poisoning surveillance, immunization programs, disease surveillance and volunteer transportation.

Questions about Cass County Public Health services should be directed to 712-243-7546 or their office at 1408 East 10^th Street.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports three roads will be closed to thru traffic from 9-a.m. to 7-p.m. Sunday, July 24th, due to RAGBRAI. The roads are:

• 120th Street (J-18) from US Highway 275 to US Highway 59.
• 330th Avenue (L-68) from Waubonsie Avenue to State Highway 2, and
• 190th Street (J-32) from 330th Avenue to US Highway 59.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports ballots for the September 13th, 2016 Atlantic Community School District public measure election are now available at the Cass County Auditor’s office. If you are a resident of the Atlantic Community School District and will be unable to go to the voting center on September 13th or you choose to cast your vote early for any reason, you may vote by mail by sending a request for an absentee ballot to the Cass County Auditor’s office. Alternatively, you may stop and vote at the Cass County Auditor’s office in Atlantic, Iowa during office hours: 8 a.m. thru 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.

PUBLIC MEASURE B: ” Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District in the Counties of Cass, Pottawattamie, and Audubon, State of Iowa, be authorized for a period of ten (10) years, to levy and impose a voter approved physical plant and equipment tax not to exceed eighty-five cents (85¢) per one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of assessed valuation of the taxable property within the school district, and be authorized annually, in combination, as determined by the board, to levy a physical plant and equipment property tax upon all the taxable property within the school district commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, and to impose a physical plant and equipment income surtax upon the state individual income tax of each individual income taxpayer resident in the school district on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the 2017 calendar year, or each year thereafter, (the percent of income surtax not to exceed twenty percent (20%) to be determined by the board each year), to be used for the purposes permitted by Iowa law, it being understood that if this proposition should fail to be approved by the voters, such failure shall not be construed to terminate or restrict authority previously granted by the voters to levy a special tax for any one or more of the purposes permitted by Iowa law?”

The ATLANTIC COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT consists of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie counties. The polls will open at 12-NOON and close at 8:00 P.M. Sept. 13th. The election is “AT LARGE,” meaning that all residents of the entire school district may vote for the public measure. If you are not sure where you vote in the SCHOOL ELECTION (which may differ from that of other elections), please call the office of the Cass County Election Commissioner (County Auditor): 243-4570.

NOTE: ONLY TWO VOTING CENTERS WILL BE USED FOR THIS ELECTION: VOTING CENTER 1: Voters living in Wards 1, 4 and 5 of the City of Atlantic will vote at HERITAGE HOUSE, 1200 Brook Ridge Circle in Atlantic. VOTING CENTER 2: Voters living in the remainder of the Atlantic Community School District, being those voters residing in Audubon and Pottawattamie counties; Bear Grove, Benton, Brighton, Cass, Franklin, Grove, Pymosa and Washington townships of Cass County; the City of Marne; the City of Wiota; and Wards 2 and 3 of the City of Atlantic will vote at the ATLANTIC PUBLIC LIBRARY (507 Poplar), Atlantic.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Woodbury County jury has found a Sioux City man guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of another man in the northwest Iowa community of Sloan. The jury found 30-year-old Timothy Schroeder guilty Friday for the Jan. 9, 2015, death of 29-year-old Dustin Wilder at Wilder’s home. The verdict came only hours after closing arguments in the case were made.

Prosecutors say Schroeder and his wife met Wilder after midnight the day of Wilder’s death at a Sloan bar. Investigators say Schroeder acknowledged that he and his wife later drove an intoxicated Wilder to his home. Schroeder maintained his innocence, saying he and his wife only helped Wilder find his phone, then left after about 20 minutes.

Sheriff’s deputies in Audubon County arrested an Atlantic man this (Friday) morning on an outstanding Audubon County warrant for a Sex Offender Registry Violation. 57-year old Mark Anthony Martens was taken into custody at around 11-a.m., following an ongoing investigation into Martens’ place of residence.

Martens was brought to the Audubon County Jail, where he was being held on $2,000 bond. The incident remains under investigation. Atlantic Police and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office assisted in conducting the arrest.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Ayers is asking the public to pay special attention to the bicyclists going through the county in the next few days toward Glenwood, in advance of RAGBRAI. Ayers says he’s seen many bikes all over the county roads today (Friday).

Police in Council Bluffs say two Bellevue, Nebraska men are in custody in connection with the July 1^st robbery of the Bucky’s Express convenience store, in Council Bluffs. Warrants were issued for 20-year old Kayvon Berry-Smith and 19-year old Kyntral Watkins charging both men with Attempted Murder, Robbery 1st Degree, Assault while Participating in a Felony and Going Armed with Intent.

Authorities say at around 12:35-a.m., July 1^st, two black men entered the Bucky’s Express on Madison Avenue. One of the suspects pointed a black semi- automatic pistol at the clerk and demanded the money from the register. The suspect was handed an undetermined amount of cash. As the suspects exited the store the suspect fired one shot toward the clerk. The suspects then ran from the store.

The suspects were later identified with the assistance of the Bellevue and Lavista, Nebraska Police Departments, and Sarpy County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Office. Kayvon Berry-Smith was arrested in Bellevue, Nebraska by the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force and Bellevue Police Department. Kyntral Watkins is currently incarcerated at the Diagnostic & Evaluation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska on an unrelated charge. Both men are currently awaiting extradition to Iowa.