(Council Bluffs, IA) – When southwest Iowa students head back to school next month, they will have unique opportunities in the classroom and beyond thanks to Iowa West Foundation grants. A long-time supporter of arts & culture in southwest Iowa, the Foundation continues to financially assist organizations that provide outreach to southwest Iowa students for enrichment opportunities. This includes local museums, performing arts spaces, music venues, and play-based, interactive STEM facilities. A partial list of the grant recipients can be found below. The entire list can be found HERE.

“We want to support access to the amazing amenities Council Bluffs and the metro have to offer,” said Brenda Mainwaring, President, and CEO of the Iowa West Foundation. “By focusing on school outreach, we can help ensure our support is available to all families in our communities so everyone is able to take full advantage of what is in our own backyard. These attractions are one reason southwest Iowa is a place where people love to live,” she said.  

This includes the Arts Center at Iowa Western, which has featured a youth series for the past 16 years, said Director Tim Dickmeyer.  “Each year we bring over 4,000 students from Council Bluffs and surrounding districts to see either the Omaha Symphony or a nationally touring performing artist, free of charge,” he said. “These professional arts experiences uniquely help to develop well-rounded students and we could not provide these opportunities without the support of the Iowa West Foundation.”

In addition, the Foundation awarded two ASPIRE grants, a county-wide Iowa West initiative that provides funding for workforce development, including $350,000 to the Council Bluffs Schools Foundation to support parents returning to school. Woodbine’s IGNITE Pathways Regional CTE Center also received a $500,000 grant to support a workforce development initiative in Harrison County. 

“As we strive to connect students to career opportunities while finding employment solutions for our region, the financial support provided by the Iowa West Foundation comes at a critical time,” said Michelle Barry, Director of IGNITE Pathways, referencing the organization’s continued efforts to complete the capital project as well as develop innovative programming and community engagement. “This funding is another example of how the southwest Iowa region is committed to developing our future leaders. 

In response to community input, Iowa West is intensifying its focus on addressing the regional housing shortage. The Foundation awarded more than half a million dollars to increase housing stock with the construction of affordable homes, help homeowners repair existing properties, and provide rental assistance and resources to those in need in Pottawattamie County. This follows two IWF-hosted housing symposiums that brought together multiple organizations to collaborate on innovative solutions. The Metropolitan Housing Collaborative received a grant of $50,000 to streamline the application process for renters and property owners and managers. 

“Iowa West has shown their commitment to innovation in the housing ecosystem,” said Felicia Bonner, Program Manager of the Metro Housing Collaborative (MHC). “We are overjoyed that the Foundation has given MHC the means to address the barriers to housing in a new and innovative way. Together we are going to change the game!” 

Partnerships with local casinos Ameristar, Harrah’s, and Horseshoe make it possible for the Foundation to continuously award impactful grants in the community. Fees from gaming and income from Foundation investments provide funding for operating, capital, and programmatic grants throughout 14 counties in southwest Iowa. 

The Iowa West Foundation now accepts Letters of Inquiry (the first step in the grant application process) year-round. The deadline to be considered for the third and final funding cycle of 2023 is Sept. 1. For more information, visit www.iowawestfoundation.org and sign up to receive the newsletter via email. 

2023 Cycle 2 Grants and Initiatives (partial list)

City of Villisca
Building Demolition for Farmer’s Market & Performance Square 
$100,000 

East Mills Child Care Solutions 
Capital Support 
$75,000 

Food Bank of Iowa 
Pantries in Rural Counties (Adams, Audubon, Carroll & Taylor)
$30,000 

Golden Hills RC&D
Capacity and Operating Support 
$90,000 

Iowa Western Community College 
Arts Center 2023-2024 Programming 
$34,000 

Lewis Central Community Schools 
Titan Plastics 
$50,000 

Macedonia Fire & Rescue
Equipment 
$10,000 

Shenandoah Medical Center 
Community Garden 
$20,000 

Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund
Housing Repair 
$100,000 

The Rose Theater 
Educational Programming for Southwest Iowa Students 
$12,977  

Treynor Community School District 
ASPIRE Investments 
$25,000 

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Eligible nonprofits and governmental entities that are interested in applying for an Iowa West Foundation grant are invited to register for a free workshop to be held on Wednesday, August 2nd in Atlantic, IA in advance of the third and final funding cycle of 2023.

The purpose of Iowa West Foundation’s grant application workshop is to help interested applicants from nonprofit organizations and government entities learn about the grant process and for our staff to answer any questions you may have on your proposals.  Ideally, attendees will come to the grants workshop with a specific program, capital project, or use for operating funds in mind. You will have an opportunity to:

• hear from program officers
• ask questions about the grant application process,
• work through budget inquiries;
• and much more.
  

  Grant Application Workshop photo (courtesy Nicole Lindquist, IWF Director of Communications)

(Radio Iowa) – University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook says the U-S Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action in college admissions doesn’t alter the ways a prospective student’s application is evaluated. Nook says his university has never used quotas as a rigid means of admitting students of different backgrounds — and instead relies on metrics like the Board of Regent’s admissions index

“They said look if a student hits this mark with their grades and the classes they’ve taken and their test scores than they’re admitted to any of the Iowa Regent’s institutions if you hit that mark, you’re in,” Nook says. He says extracurricular activities are another way they evaluate a student to see if they are prepared for the coursework.  “We know we have students who may have missed it by a little bit but were extremely involved in other activities. … And it’s clear from their record that they have the abilities to be successful,” he says.

For the 2022 academic year, ten percent of U-N-I’s student population belonged to non-white minority groups. While some elite colleges have ended their practice of legacy admissions that give preference to the children of alumni following the court ruling, Drake University President Marty Martin says his school won’t end its program. “Our legacy program, as moderate as it is, is not one that impairs the attendance of other qualified students. With those other qualified students getting as well robust financial aid packages,” Martin says.

Martin says the school works hard to attract students from all backgrounds. “One-hundred percent of the entering class at Drake University receives financial aid from the institution, we work incredibly hard to make our education as affordable as possible for as many of our admitted students as possible,” he says. Martin says more than a quarter of Drake’s student body are students of color.

Martin and Nook made their comments on Iowa Public Radio’s “River to River”program.

(Radio Iowa) – The Army Times is reporting the 19-year-old from Pella who died earlier this month at a military base in Georgia fell and hit his head during a nighttime drill. The Army Times cites an accident report indicating J.T. Atchison was on a five mile march carrying a backpack when he tripped and fell onto the pavement and sustained a severe head injury. It happened just after midnight on July 12th.

Atchison was two days away from completing basic training. His obituary shows he had earned top shot for his company, was made team leader in his platoon and his ultimate goal was to become an Army Ranger.

Atchison’s funeral was held Monday afternoon at the Federated Fellowship Church in Pella. Atchison is survived by his mother, father and sister.

(Radio Iowa) – A recent court ruling means thousands of people will need to restart payments on their student loans this fall after more than three years of delays, and Iowans are being warned that scammers are lurking. Lisa Schiller, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, says this is the type of situation that will bring out crafty crooks.

“People will either receive an email or a letter or a phone call from someone claiming that they are eligible for student loan consolidation, or a payment reduction program or something similar,” Schiller says, “and this new benefit is allegedly, according to them, part of the new 2023 guidelines.” Schiller says the confusion over what’s happening with student loans gives scammers a hook to try and get your money.

If anyone asks you for money or personal banking information over the phone, she says to hang up and report the scam. Schiller says criminals use events like this as leverage to try and get you to hand over money or personal information. “This information might include them asking for your Social Security number, or your name and address, and even your FSA.gov login information,” she says, “so be aware of that and be very careful.”

As always, no government agency or lender will ask you for information they should already have, nor will they ask for money over the phone. Last month, the U-S Supreme Court rejected President Biden’s plan to eliminate up to 20-thousand dollars in federal student loans for eligible borrowers. The pause in payments ends October 1st and student loans will start accruing interest on September 1st.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA), announced today (Tuesday), they will provide free rides for anyone who needs them to the Cass County cooling stations, effective immediately, and through Friday, July 28th.  There are no eligibility requirements to ride.

To reserve a ride, simply call 1-800-842-8065 between 6am and 5pm.  Free rides are only available to the designated cooling stations during their normal business hours.

In Anita, Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, and Massena these are the public libraries.  In Atlantic the cooling stations are the public library and the Nishna Valley YMCA. 

Ride scheduling is subject to driver availability, so please plan ahead if possible to give SWITA staff time to arrange the transportation.  If you are experiencing a health emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.

SWITA is open to the public, and SWIPCO is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests and two accidents. Taken into custody on July 19th, was 38-year-old Brandon Keith Stogdill, of Shenandoah, for Violation of Probation.

On the 18th, 19-year-old Jacob Allen Dale, of Clarinda, was arrested for violation of probation.

July 15th, Page County Deputies arrested 35-year old John David Nelson, of Griswold, for domestic abuse first offense.

And, there were two arrests July 13th in Page County: 62-year-old Russell Dean Robinson, of Shenandoah, was arrested for failure to appear; 31-year-old Mark Andrew Devine, of Clarinda, was arrested for violation of city ordinances.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, that on July 10th, Larry Dale Mount was traveling east on Redwood Avenue in a 2018 Spar Motorhome that was pulling a 2007 GMC Envoy SUV. The Envoy came unhooked and went down into the ditch before crashing through two fences, one owned by Justin Walters and the other by Kenny Swanson. The Envoy sustained damage in this accident. No injuries were reported.

And, on July 16th, Tuesday Renee Rose was traveling north on Highway 71, when a deer entered the roadway. Rose was unable to avoid the collision. Her vehicle was damaged during the accident.

(Iowa DNR News) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry – Fire Program, working in coordination with the US Forest Service, has grant money available for Iowa’s rural fire departments to help battle wildfires. Applications are due on Oct. 16. The grant provides 50 percent reimbursement for wildland fire equipment with a maximum reimbursement grant of $4,500 per department.

The grants offer funding assistance for wildfire suppression equipment, slide-in units, hoses, nozzles, adapters, portable tanks and pumps, personal protective equipment and communications equipment.  Additionally, if a fire department has a special need that can be tied directly to wildfire suppression, this grant allows for such special requests.

Gail Kantak, state wildland fire supervisor for the Iowa DNR, said fire departments should send her a Wildland Fire Report whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire. Departments actively returning these reports receive priority points in the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant application scoring process.

All Iowa volunteer fire departments were mailed information about the 2023 Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant. The grant application package and the Wildland Fire Report form are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 25, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Tuesday), announced that USDA is investing $6,209,900 in ten grants to expand access to healthcare and food security in Iowa. Today’s investments are funded through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program.

“As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, USDA quickly delivered economic relief during one of the most critical times in our nation’s history,” said Director Greenfield. “The grants announced today will increase access to rural healthcare, help stabilize rural hospitals financially, and fight food insecurity in rural neighborhoods across Iowa by supporting the food pantry distribution system.”

Today’s news is part of a larger announcement. USDA is awarding $129 million in Emergency Rural Health Care Grants to improve health care facilities in rural towns across the nation. The Iowa investments are:

–Decatur County Hospital in Leon is receiving a $274,600 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to purchase and install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This project will provide energy-efficient air handling units to enhance air quality and infection control inside the hospital. Once in operation, the new HVAC systems will help eliminate airborne pathogens, including COVID-19 threats, increase the comfort of patients, staff, and visitors, and promote the health of residents in this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Food Bank of Iowa is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will reimburse the food bank for operating expenses associated with pandemic-related food distribution which took place on or after March 13, 2020, through September 30, 2022. The food bank, a non-profit organization based in Polk County, partners with other entities to distribute food to hungry Iowans. Once completed, the project will help fight food insecurity in rural areas across the state.

–Greene County Medical Center is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital in Jefferson with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding areas.

–Humboldt County Memorial Hospital in Humboldt is receiving a $249,900 grant to construct a new outpatient therapy and mental health clinic. This project will expand health care services, including services for mental health needs. Once completed, the project will implement preventive pandemic services and promote the health of residents of this rural county and surrounding rural areas.

–Knoxville Community Hospital is receiving a $699,900 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges and mitigate the expenses of staffing and testing. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community in Marion County.

–Lee County is receiving a $974,000 grant to construct a public health building in Fort Madison. This project will provide a public health facility with a main office, workspace for staff, ambulance bays, as well as space for testing for COVID-19 and future pandemics. Once completed, the project will better serve the health care needs of residents of this Lee County community and the surrounding rural area.

–Sioux Center Health in Sioux County is receiving a $125,200 grant to construct an infusion center. This project will build a separate entrance to the hospital for infusion foot traffic and will provide dedicated treatment bays to accommodate all types of intravenous treatments including those for chemotherapy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and infections. Once completed, this hospital expansion in Sioux County will improve medical services and promote the health of Sioux Center residents and residents of the surrounding rural areas.

–Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua is receiving a $419,700 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton is receiving a $466,600 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural Benton County community and the surrounding rural areas.

(Radio Iowa) – A dozen Republican presidential candidates have agreed to have Governor Kim Reynolds interview them at the Iowa State Fair. Reynolds is calling the 12 interviews Fair Side Chats. Former President Donald Trump has not accepted the governor’s invitation to join her on the fairgrounds, but the news release announcing the schedule indicated it is subject to change. Last week, the governor told reporters at the statehouse that she plans keep the questions consistent rather than tailored to each candidate.  “We might put together some fun ones that we think would be interesting to ask them,” Reynolds says. Her staff has set up a website, so Iowans can submit questions, too.

Reynolds says she’s glad for the opportunity to introduce her party’s presidential candidates to Iowans at an event that’s near and dear to her heart. “I think it’s a great way to see a different side to the candidates,” Reynolds says. “Who wouldn’t want to come to the Iowa State Fair? They were all planning on being there.” Reynolds says the state fair is the perfect venue for the candidates.

On the first day of the fair — Thursday, August 10th — former radio talk show host Larry Elder will appear with Reynolds. On the first Friday of the state fair, Reynolds will interview North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. On Saturday, August 12th, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are on the schedule. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Texas pastor Ryan Binkley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will speak with Reynolds on Tuesday, August 15th. On the last Friday of the fair — August 18th — Michigan businessman Perty Johnson and former Texas Congressman Will Hurd will join Reynolds on a stage at J-R’s Southpork Ranch, a food and beverage hall on the fairgrounds, near the Dairy Barn.

Donald Trump has campaigned at the Iowa State Fair before. In 2015, he flew a helicopter over the fairgrounds and later walked through the crowds on the same Saturday Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were making appearances at the state fair.