The 16 largest chambers of commerce in Iowa are urging legislators to allow state officials to offer cash rather than just tax incentives when trying to lure new business to the state. The Iowa Chamber Alliance is also advocating tax cuts for individuals and corporations as well as incentives to expand broadband access in Iowa. Iowa Chamber Alliance executive director John Stineman admits those goals may be out of reach in 2016 as legislators struggle with a tight state budget.

“It’s certainly in the pathology of the Iowa Chamber Alliance to be optimistic,” Stineman says. “We’re not afraid to take on issues that are challenging or take a longer period of time to affect.” Greater Burlington Partnership president and C-E-O Jason Hutcheson says a “new, front-end incentive fund” to provide CASH incentives to lure new business to Iowa “ought to be a top budget priority” for lawmakers.

“While there is always competiton among different priorities,” Hutcheson says, “the incentives that help fuel economic growth and job creation are critical as they drive economic opportunity for Iowa families and enhance government revenue at all levels to help fund other public priorities.” Chris McGowan, president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, says Iowa’s corporate income tax is “among the highest” in the country and Iowa’s personal income tax is overly complicated.

“Explaining a cumbersome tax system to prospective businesses can be an obstacle to closing a deal,” McGowan says. “It is worth reiterating — as we have said in the past — in economic development, if you are explaining and defending, you are losing.” The Iowa Chamber Alliance is calling for a “comprehensive study” of Iowa’s workforce to identify problems and solutions.

“Iowa needs to keep more Iowans in the state, attract new Iowans and welcome new Americans to make their home here in Iowa and contribute to Iowa’s economic growth.” That’s Dee Baird, president and C-E-O of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. She is this year’s chair of the Iowa Chamber Alliance. The group’s leaders say they would “encourage a dialogue” about immigration that’s “more constructive” than the debate that’s occurring on the campaign trail.

The Chamber Alliance says immigrants can be a “central part of our economy” because there aren’t enough Iowa residents to fill the jobs “of today and tomorrow.” In addition to the economic development groups from Cedar Rapids, Burlington and Sioux City, chambers of commerce from Ames, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Muscatine, Iowa City, Marshalltown, Mason City and the Quad Cities are part of the Iowa Chamber Alliance.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce has extended the Athena Award nominations until Friday, December 11th at noon. The Chamber continues the partnership with Deter Motor Company to present the ATHENA Award.

Athena Award

The award recognizes an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in her/his business profession, has served the community in a meaningful way, and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.

If you know someone who has had a meaningful impact on the lives of others nomination packets can be picked up at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Chestnut Street. Nominations are due by December 11, 2015 at noon to the Chamber Office. The ATHENA Award will be presented at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner on Saturday, January 23, 2016.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa has quietly awarded no-bid contracts worth $320,000 to a prominent Republican Party consultant for polling and social media services. The university obtained a waiver claiming no other firm could perform the polling work, which was then delivered through a subcontractor.

The Associated Press discovered UI’s contracts with former Iowa GOP chairman Matt Strawn’s company through a public records request. The university avoided a policy that normally requires competitive bidding. Critics say it looks like cronyism between former GOP colleagues and a waste of money.

University spokeswoman Jeneane Beck says Strawn’s company was chosen because it “provided better communication options across multiple platforms” than others. Strawn says his services are adding value. Former university vice president Joe Brennan says he had no idea Strawn was involved.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Wedndesday), approved an amended 28-E Unified Law Enforcement District (ULED) agreement. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reminded the Board the agreement adds the City of Marne to four other communities in the County. Voters in November approved the agreement.

Sunderman said the Board must approve the agreement because the public measure passed by the voter approved the use of funds for Marne’s share of the service. Other communities who pay a share of the cost include Cumberland, Lewis, Massena and Wiota.

The Board also approved the annual abatement of taxes on certain properties owned by the City of Atlantic (including the airport and related buildings and land), along with a parcel near the Schildberg Recreation Area. They also heard from Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Director Ouida Hargens and Iowa Western Community College Corporate Training Coordinator Shalimar Mazetis, who asked the Board to attend a special meeting this Friday on workforce issues affecting the County.

Hargens said local employers, especially those in manufacturing, realized from past meetings on economic development, that they need to work together to bring in, educate and train workers, instead of fighting for those employees. The meeting set to take place from 11:30-a.m. until 1-p.m. Friday, at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce office, will include about 20 members of the Community, in addition to any members of the Supervisors who might attend.

Hargens said the purpose of the meeting is to expand on previous sessions and take action on creating a strategic plan to identify workforce issues and how to address them. Mary Warren, former Director of Workforce Development at Iowa Western, will facilitate the meeting.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Montgomery County was arrested Monday on drug and other charges. 60-year old Rodolfo Morales, Jr., of Villisca, faces charges that include felony Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd/Subsequent, Prohibited Acts/Prescription Drug Violation 2nd Offense, and Driving While Revoked. Morales was taken to the Cass County Jail and released Tuesday on $8000 bond.

Also arrested Dec. 7th, was 32-year old Bryan Matthew Kirby, of Plattsmouth, NE. Kirby was taken into custody on two district court warrants for Failure to Appear. He was brought to the Cass County Jail and released later that same day on his own recognizance.

Sheriff’s officials said also, a collision between a pickup and a cow early this (Wednesday) morning caused $6,500 damage, but the driver of the vehicle was not injured. The accident happened just before 7-a.m. on 750th Street near Pella Road, or about two-miles north of Massena. A 2007 GMC Sierra driven by 69-year old Earl Hafner, of Panora, was traveling southbound on 750th Street when the vehicle struck a cow standing in the roadway.

Retired Griswold teacher, former coach and current Griswold School Board member Tom Moore won his party’s nomination in November as candidate for the Special House District 21 Election held Tuesday in four area counties, and he got the nod from a majority of the voters in all but one of those counties during Tuesday’s election. The exception was Adams County, the home of Democrat candidate Tim Ennis, from Corning. Moore received a total of 1,409 votes. Tim Ennis received 853 votes.

Tom Moore

Moore told KJAN News he was honored to have received the support he got, especially from those in the Griswold area. Moore says he thanks all the citizens who took the time to get out and exercised their Constitutional right to vote, especially the residents of Griswold, who “Gave me an outstanding vote and voter turnout.” He said those from Griswold, Noble and Pleasant Townships that “Led the way as far as the number of voters” who cast ballots. He says “I’m proud to say Griswold backed me.”

Moore has lived in Griswold for 34 years. In addition to his more than 33 years of teaching and coaching experience, both at the Grinnell and Griswold Community School Districts, he served as the Assistant Manager at Southwest Iowa Egg near Massena for seven-years.

Moore says that kind of experience will give him talking points and credibility with farm organizations. He says his work at SW IA Egg, especially on the manure management side of the business, gives him the insight needed to deal with several issues, including those affecting Iowa’s waterways

Before he’s sworn-in to office, Moore will have to resign from the Griswold School Board, where he was serving his second term. House District 21 covers all of Adams and Union counties, a small section of eastern Pottawattamie County and a large part of Cass County.