(Council Bluffs, IA) The Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors recently approved $6.4 million in grants and initiatives funding to 21 nonprofit organizations and government entities with projects and programs that directly impact southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska. For the first time ever, the Foundation awarded multi-year funding to seven nonprofit organizations in Pottawattamie County.

The multi-year funding program is designed to provide essential general operating funds over a three year period to organizations who fulfill the most critical roles in Pottawattamie County.

IA West Foundation logo

Among the selected organizations is: The Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands ($85,000); FAMILY, Inc. ($120,000) for Birth-Three Parent Education programming; Green Hills AEA, ($1.1-million) for Pott. County Preschool; Heartland Family Service  ($330,000) for Iowa Family Works, Homeless Link & Substance Abuse Prevention; Justice For Our Neighbors, ($65,000) for legal assistance to low income immigrants in southwest Iowa; Lutheran Family Services ($35,000) for the Pott. County Center for Healthy Families & RSafe Program, and the MICAH House ($70,000).

The level of support awarded to each organization over the three year period is based on due diligence findings, with consideration to recent funding levels. The sole restriction for the general operating funds is that it must be used to support the organization’s operations in southwest Iowa. At the conclusion of the three year period, based-on ongoing community need and additional due diligence, organizations may be recommended for renewal of multi-year funding.

The Foundation also announced $500,000 in funding for its most recent initiative, which brings together five local community development organizations in Council Bluffs to focus on proactive “placemaking.” Placemaking includes real estate development, neighborhood engagement, design and activation of public spaces. The organizations merging to form the coalition include Bluffs Downtown, Live Well Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County Development Corporation, which will work in alignment with the Council Bluffs Housing Trust Fund and Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs. The yet-to-be-named nonprofit is currently in the process of hiring a CEO.

The City of Council Bluffs was another major recipient of funding. The City received $175,000 for the fourth annual Loessfest to be held over the Memorial Day weekend as well as an additional $1,515,000 for a landing park at the Riverfront, bringing the total IWF funding amount for Phase II of the park to $3.5 million. Located off the foot of the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge on the dry side of the levy and just east of Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park’s Great Lawn, the landing park will be a crowned jewel for Council Bluffs.

Pending City Council approval, construction is slated to begin in early spring, with projected completion in summer of 2017.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors met in a regular session this (Wednesday) morning. Prior to the start of the session, 5th District Supervisor Frank Waters, from Cumberland, announced he would be running for re-election in advance of the June 7th Primary. If re-elected, it would be Waters’ third term in office.

In other business, the Board accepted bids for two bridge replacement projects. A State bid-letting was set 17th of January on two bridges, #347 and #20. Cass County Engineer Charles Marker said there were two bids for the bridge #347 project, located in the northeast part of the County, on the Cass-Audubon County line, near the “Tree in the Road.” Both bids, from Gus Construction, in Casey, and Murphy Construction, in Anita, came in over the Engineer’s estimate of almost $321, 594. Even the low bid was 34% higher than the engineer’s estimate.

Marker says he’s crunched the numbers, and doesn’t understand why the bids for both projects came in much higher than estimated. Marker recommended, and the Bridge #347 contract was awarded, to Gus Construction, of Anita, for slightly more than $433, 033. That was about $2,000 less than the bid from Murphy’s. 80-percent of the cost is paid by the County’s Highway Bridge Fund, and 20-percent from the Road Use Tax or Property Tax, all of which is included in Marker’s Budget. Marker said there was only one bid – from Gus Construction – for the Bridge #20 triple concrete box culvert construction project, located about two-miles south of Cumberland. Their bid was just under $559, 700.

Prior to accepting bids for the bridge projects, the Cass County Supervisors received bids for two dump truck bodies that will be mounted on two new truck chassis. Marker recommended and the Board approved a bid of $57, 841 from Henderson Truck Equipment, from Manchester. The bid includes the truck boxes, reversible snow plow, tailgate sand-spreader and front mount blade wing.

And, the Supervisors approved a Resolution adopting an Indigent Disposition (Burial and Cremation) Policy, which pays benefits to a funeral home for funeral or cremation services, for any eligible Cass County resident, up to a maximum of $1,500, including the mandatory Medical Examiner certification fee. Determination of eligibility for Disposition Services will be made by the Cass County General Assistance or Veteran’s Affairs Offices.

The family or friends of a deceased person who applies for burial or cremation service, are responsible for the purchase of a cemetery space or lot, and interment. As an option, cremains may also be returned to the family or friends making an application for disposition.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Creston Police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that took place Monday night. Officials said according to a witness to the incident, a red pickup truck was traveling through an alley between N. Elm and W. Summit Street at around 8:45-p.m., when the vehicle drove into the yard behind a residence at 503 N. Elm, and struck the left rear side of a parked SUV. Damage to the 2006 Chevy Trailblazer was estimated at $3,000.

And, no injuries were reported following a collision Tuesday afternoon, at the intersection of S. Walnut and E. Lucas Streets, in Creston. Authorities say 51-year old Dawn Robins, of Weldon, was traveling east of Lucas Street when she ran a stop sign. Her 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup collided with a 2000 Chevy Blazer driven by 66-year old Rose Beaman, of Creston, causing $6,000 damage altogether. The accident happened as Beaman was traveling north on Walnut Street.

No citations were issued.

Researchers at Iowa State University say adding eggs to the diet could boost vitamin D levels for millions of Americans suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Matthew Rowling, an I-S-U nutrition professor, says vitamin D is important for bone health and protecting against cancer and other diseases, but diabetics have trouble retaining it and other nutrients because of poor kidney function.

“If they’re trying to get vitamin D in their diet, eggs are an excellent source,” Rowling says. “We’ve shown that the vitamin D in the egg that’s consumed, it sticks around longer and it is a rich source that can improve it more than if you took a vitamin D supplement.” The researchers in Ames found diabetic rats that were fed an egg-based diet had higher concentrations of vitamin D, improved blood glucose levels and gained less weight. Studies in humans aren’t yet scheduled, so Rowling couldn’t make any recommendations for egg consumption.

“I don’t want to make that statement yet,” Rowling says. “We’re still investigating it. Before we go out and say you need to eat five to ten eggs or whatever to get the vitamin D that you need, we don’t know what the quantity is yet.” The rats in the study were fed the equivalent of 17 to 18 eggs daily, but researchers expect a much lower dosage will be effective in people.

“I would say within the next year or two, we can probably put out something that’s reliable,” Rowling says. “Of course, we have to see this sort of study done in humans. That’s one of the next goals that we want to do.” The whole egg needs to be consumed, he says, as egg whites provide protein while the vitamin D is only in the yolk.

The research was funded by the Egg Nutrition Center and is being published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

(Radio Iowa)

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-
ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR-RINGGOLD COUNTIES
655 AM CST WED FEB 10 2016

…LIGHT SNOW THIS MORNING WITH SLICK SPOTS ON ROADS…

SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING. EXPECT REDUCED VISIBLITIES TO AROUND 2 TO 3 MILES IN THE SNOW. SLICK SPOTS FROM THE SNOW DUE TO WHEEL-TRACK ICING CAN BE EXPECTED. PLEASE SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING IN THE SNOW.

Authorities in Fremont County say Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office  conducted a narcotics investigation in eastern Fremont County. As part of the investigation deputies arrested four people early this (Wednesday) morning.

Stacey Budenholzer

Thomas Knipe

Alexia Law

• 53-year old Joules Gould, of Shenandoah, was arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant.
• 36-year old Thomas Knipe, of Tabor, was arrested for Delivery of Methamphetamine over 5 grams and Possession of Contraband inside a correctional facility.
• 32-year old Stacey Budenholzer, of Omaha, Nebraska, was arrested for Conspiracy to Deliver Methamphetamine over 5 grams and Possession of Contraband inside a correctional facility.
• And, 25-year old Alexia Law, of Union, Nebraska was arrested for Conspiracy to Deliver Methamphetamine over 5 grams.

Knipe and Budenholzer were being held at the Fremont County Jail on $105,000.00 bond. Law was being held at the Fremont County Jail on $100,000 bond. Deputies were assisted by the Fremont County K9 Unit, and the Southwest Iowa Highway Interdiction Team.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man for Driving While Suspended, late Tuesday night. 33-year old Brent Lee Wagaman, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 11-p.m. after being pulled-over at the intersection of N. Broadway and W. Washington Streets. Wagaman was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $300 bond.