(DES MOINES, IA) – Officials with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) have announced innovation funding for four startups through Iowa’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The companies are located in Ames, Des Moines and Solon. The SSBCI program invests in Iowa’s small businesses through federal assistance targeted at expanding access to capital that supports growth. The Innovation Fund, one of four areas established under the initiative, increases funding opportunities across Iowa’s innovation continuum to assist entrepreneurs through concept, launch and expansion.

1. Ames-based Distynct, Inc. provides a remote monitoring system that deploys reliable internet connectivity to rural areas and sensors that collect critical barn data to support precision livestock farming. The Distynct Smart Alarm, powered by the Connectivity Engine, replaces inefficient, antiquated alarm systems, decreasing labor time and costs and increasing safety and protection. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund loan for key personnel and product refinement.
2. Headquartered in Ames, Haber Technologies, Inc. develops products through their Ag-Automations platform to help farmers dry, store and manage grain. Powered by proprietary technology, their products include the DRI-Stack system for in-bin drying, conditioning and monitoring and the Auto-Bin system for monitoring and managing bin fans. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund loan for key personnel and market planning and entry activities.
3. A global provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications in Des Moines, Pitchly, Inc. offers customers the ability to access, search, edit and share data to fellow employees and connect the data to common work tasks. The software can significantly save employee time by generating reports with the most current version of data. The company was awarded a $1 million Innovation Acceleration Expansion Fund loan for key personnel and product refinement.
4. SwineTech, based in Solon, offers software and services for pork producers to improve operational efficiencies, employee engagement and pig care. PigFlow, their workforce management and point-of-care platform, accomplishes that by improving communication and organization while streamlining daily workflows and reinforcing compliance. The company was awarded a $250,000 Innovation Acceleration Launch Fund loan for key personnel, product refinement and market planning and entry activities.

Award recommendations for the SSBCI innovation funding are made by the SSBCI Review Committee to the IEDA executive director for approval. The committee met on May 16, 2023, to review eligible applications. Additional information on application process, deadlines and eligibility can be found at iowaeda.com/innovate.

(Radio Iowa) – Federal lawmakers have yet to reach a deal on lifting the debt ceiling, which could impact some Iowans’ health care. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns if lawmakers don’t come to an agreement, the U-S could be unable to pay its bills as soon as June 1st. Josephine Gittler, director of the National Health Law and Policy Resource Center at the University of Iowa College of Law, says this could impact federally-funded health programs like Medicare. “Because Medicare makes up so much of what hospitals and other health care providers receive for their services,” she says, “that they would then either not get the money that they’re owed, or they would have delays, possibly in payments.”

In addition to Medicare, Gittler says a federal government default could affect Iowans who rely on Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act subsidized health plans. “In a worst case scenario, the system is at risk,” she says, “the whole healthcare system is at risk if it loses a major source of its funding for its infrastructure, so to speak.”

Gittler says it’s unclear what will happen if lawmakers don’t reach an agreement because the federal government has never defaulted on its debt before.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports eight arrests took place from May 19th through the 25th. Those arrested include:

• On May 19th, 44-year-old Amy Marie Vance, of Council Bluffs. Vance was arrested on a warrant for Failure To Appear (FTA) on a Sentencing Order. She was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond.
• On the 21st, 23-year-old Ciarra Nicole Rainey, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.
• There were three separate arrests in Mills County on Monday (May 22): 33-year-old Joseph Steven Tyler Harris, of Sidney, was arrested at the Mills County Courthouse on a Fremont County warrant. His bond was set at $10,0000; 59-year-old Joseph Ray Hedrick, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Domestic Abuse. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail; and, 45-year-old Chad Michael Hill, of Red Oak, was arrested at the Montgomery County Jail, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.
• This past Tuesday (May 23), 38-year-old Joshua Dean Cooney, of Villisca, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for 2 counts of Possession of Controlled Substance (Bond: $7,000)
• On the 24th, 34-year-old Seth Ryan Peters, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Harassment/1st Degree (No Bond).
• And, at around 1:40-a.m. today (Thursday, May 25), 41-year-old Bret David Hauptman, of Omaha, was arrested at the Mills County S/O on a warrant for FTA on a Driving While Barred charge (Bond: $5,000).

The Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest on Wednesday (May 24), of 39-year-old Aaron Hamner, of Milton, Iowa. Hamner was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. He posted a $300 bond, and was released.

Des Moines, Iowa — Police in Des Moines are investigating a shooting that happened late Tuesday night. The incident happened in the 1800 block of Arlington Avenue at around 11 p.m., Tuesday. Police say after an adult male suffered a gunshot wound to his upper torso, the man manage to walk to the 1400 block of 2nd Avenue. Officers and medics were dispatched to his location.  The victim, who is expected to survive, was not cooperating with police.

Marshalltown, Iowa — (UPDATE 11:11-a.m.) The Marshalltown Police Department is investigating an apparent murder-suicide that took place Wednesday afternoon. Officers responded a little before 4:30-p.m., to a residence in the 600 block of East Church Street, Wednesday. At the scene they found 57-year-old Hermelinda Alcala-de-Villagomez dead from a gunshot wound. Police also found 72-year-old Jose Carmen Villagomez-Torres, who was shot and suffering from life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a hospital and later died. The couple were married, but living in separate residences.

Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene. A preliminary investigation determined Villagomez-Torres shot Alcala-de-Villagomez before shooting himself.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was assisting the Marshalltown Police Department with the investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge landmark that has hosted some of the biggest names in the music business will soon reopen to the public. The Laramar Ballroom sat empty for years, but last June it was purchased by a group of Fort Dodge investors. Brady O’Brien is the production coordinator for the restoration project. “When my dad first took me in there and he first showed me that they were going to buy it, I was a little skeptical. It just looked horrible inside,” O’Brien says. “Now being able to see…It’s just turned into something really special that I think the community is going to love.”

The building opened in 1904 and was originally the Fort Dodge Armory. After World War I, the brick building became a venue for live music. According to the Fort Dodge Community Foundation Facebook Page, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash are among the artists who’ve played gigs at the Laramar. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper performed at the Laramar on January 30th, 1959 — three nights before their tragic deaths after a concert in Clear Lake.

O’Brien says a relative of one of those performers will be part of the grand re-opening of the Laramar. “We have Richie Valens; sister, Connie, singing and talking a little bit about her history with the Laramar and her brother Ritchie Valens,” O’Brien says. Connie was eight when her brother died at the age of 17. Tickets for the June 22nd opening of the Laramar go on sale this Friday morning.

“We have our house band for that night which will be accompanying tons of local artists performing,” O’Brien says. The State of Iowa provided a 100-thousand dollar Community Attractions grant to help pay for the facelift of the 119 year old building.

The Laramar was a regular venue for Friday night dances and is part of the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District.

(Radio Iowa) – South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is spending his Wednesday in Sioux City — his first trip to Iowa since officially launching his campaign for the Republican nomination for president this week. Scott’s first stop was the Siouxland Christian School. “The closest thing to magic in America is a quality education,” Scott said. “As a kid, I attended four different elementary schools by the fourth grade and being raising in a single parent household and mired in poverty, one thing I can tell you finding the right place for your kid is really hard when you’re moving a lot.”

Scott touted the state-funded savings accounts that will be available this fall to cover private school expenses for some low income Iowa parents. “Frankly, the governor of this state has done a fabulous job with what has been a signature issue since I started my ‘Opportunity Agenda,’ which is focusing on education,” Scott said. Scott toured the private school, then met with teachers and administrators. Scott was asked about providing better security for schools — and he talked about a proposal from Senate Republicans after the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that would have provided federal grants to train law enforcement and purchase equipment like metal detectors, surveillance cameras and bulletproof whiteboards.

“Providing the resources for communities to make the best decisions that they can to protect their kids,” Scott said. Scott ultimately voted against the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act which included tighter background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 and incentives for states that enact so-called “red flag” laws to confiscated guns from people considered a potential threat to themselves or others. Scott said at the time that mass shootings are a painful reminder that congress has failed to have a meaningful and honest debate about the issues surrounding gun violence.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Member of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education this (Wednesday) evening, approved the purchase, from the City of Atlantic, residential property at 1014-1016 East 3rd Street Place, near the Mollett City Park.  The purchase price was One-dollar. The properties will be used toward the construction of a home by students in the Construction Trades Program. Construction is slated to begin in the 2023-24 school year.

During their meeting on May 11th, the Atlantic Community School Foundation approved $150,000 in funding for the Construction Trades Program. The group unanimously voted to fund a request from Atlantic High School Industrial Technology teacher Dexter Dodson, on behalf of the Construction Trades Program, for $150,000 to allow the construction trades students to build a home from start to finish in Atlantic.

According to the press release, six years ago, a steering committee was created to build a program where students could gain hands-on experience in the trade professions. From that committee work, the construction trades program was established, and since then, the students in this program have built a garage and helped erect the greenhouse at Atlantic High School. From the inception of these conversations, the committee’s goal has always been to have this class someday build a home in the community.

The Industrial Tech Program is spearheaded by Dexter Dodson, instructor for the Building Trades class, and Noah Widrowicz, Middle & High School Industrial Tech teacher, who plays a significant role by providing the prerequisite classes to the building trades class. Dodson said “This project will connect our construction trades program to all aspects of construction. It will provide them with real-world experiences and build necessary soft skills while creating a sense of pride for them in the community and continue to connect the school to many business partners to build relationships for potential future employment.”

With the help of Randy Watts, the drafting classes have produced a floor plan for this home construction project that would include a single-car garage.

Ted Robinson, President of the Atlantic Community School Foundation, said, “I am grateful the Atlantic Community School Foundation is to be able to provide financial support to the Construction Trades Program to build a home in our community. The students participating in this project will gain invaluable experience that they can carry with them for their entire life, and hopefully, working on this project will inspire them to go into the Trade profession. “The financial support for this project has been made possible by the generous donations of community members through annual donations, gifts of property, bequests, and memorials.”

Current Foundation members are President Ted Robinson; Vice President Stacey Bean; Treasurer Steve Tjepkes; Secretary David Wiederstein; and Board Members Kevin Garrett, John Becker, Brad Henningsen, Lucas Mosier, Sue Hunt, Jessie Shiels and non-voting member, Superintendent Steven Barber.

To learn more about the Atlantic Community School Foundation, visit https://www.atlanticiaschools.org/foundation. If you would like to donate to the Foundation, or need more information, contact AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes, or Ted Robinson at First Whitney Bank and Trust.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce congratulates Jadyn Reid on receiving the 2023 Silver Cord Scholarship. The Silver Cord Program is a graduation incentive program to promote volunteerism in the Atlantic Area. Atlantic High School seniors who volunteered a minimum of 200 hours throughout their high school career graduated this year with a silver cord and were eligible for a $1,000 scholarship provided by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. The program encourages volunteer opportunities with all Civic Organizations and benefits the entire community.

“The Silver Cord program was started as a way to educate students about the importance of community service. It gives students the opportunity to see firsthand how investing their time can enhance and grow their community,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said.

Chamber Exec. Director Bailey Smith and Jadyn Reid

The 2023 Silver Cord Scholarship recipient was Jadyn Reid. Reid volunteered her time towards the Downtown Beautification, the Chamber of Commerce Nine and Wine program, and other various community engagement activities.

“By volunteering, I have found that I enjoy being involved in making decisions that have a positive effect on community events, fundraisers, and the general benefit of the people and the community I live in. Having the opportunity to volunteer for a variety of organizations has enriched my knowledge of community and business affairs and has opened relationships with adults who conduct important decisions in my community. By participating from the creation to the completion of an event, I feel great satisfaction knowing the impact my involvement has on the people surrounding me,” Jadyn Reid, Silver Cord Scholarship recipient stated.

Chamber officials say they “are happy to recognize this student for her dedication to our community, and we wish her all the best as she heads to the University of South Dakota this fall.”

(Adair County, Iowa) – In honor of Memorial Day, Greenfield artist Ray “Bubba” Sorensen is repainting the 12-foot tall, approximately 60–90-ton boulder located south of Interstate 80 at Exit 86,  to pay tribute to our military men and women.
Sorensen started painting the original Freedom Rock® the second week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2023.

Sorensen says “For the 25th version of the original Freedom Rock®, rather than a collection of random Veterans stories, I wanted a constant theme all the way around the giant boulder. Also, since the original Freedom Rock is visited by all 50 states and many other countries, I consider it, “America’s Rock”, and I didn’t focus on Iowa Veterans, rather, the Veteran’s incredible stories.

2023 FreedomRock

“This year’s version,” Sorensen says, “is of Medal of Honor recipients who gave their life in service to our country. For each recipient I’ve illustrated their Portrait, a freeze frame of what their action may have been like, their Medal, and their gravestone. It starts on the front (highway facing side) with WWI Veteran, Freddie Stowers, moves to the south side (gravel road facing) with WWII Veteran Samuel D. Dealey, then on to Korean War Veteran Jack Glennon Hanson, then on to a couple of Vietnam Veterans William H. Pitsenbarger and Miguel Keith, and finally, ending back on the front side with Afghanistan Veteran and Navy Seal Michael Murphy.

“All these men accomplished amazing feats in the face of overwhelming odds to save the lives of their brothers-in-arms, truly going above and beyond the call of duty.” Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® in Menlo, Iowa but works as an independent mural artist having completed the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour last September. Sorensen is working on the 50 State Freedom Rock Tour. He says “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans, promote tourism and provide for my family.”

Sorensen’s oldest two children, Indie and Michael, enjoy helping him in the early stages of many Freedom Rocks® including the original, filling in sketched areas at his discretion, and his littlest, Liberty, has even scribbled a bit of paint on as well.

For a list of the Tour and other info, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com. Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock® over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars as well as other merchandise are also available to help offset costs for the original Freedom Rock® project.