A meeting will be taking place tomorrow regarding the possible closure of the city’s post office.

Cumberland Mayor Virginia Coughlin called the special meeting which will take place Thursday at 7:00 PM at the Cumberland Community Building.

Coughlin says the focus of the meeting is to answer questions from the public about the possible post office closure.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority is pleased to announce the receipt of a State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP) grant in the amount of $370,258.00 from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The STEP Pilot Grant Initiative provides grants to states for small business exporting assistance programs. The aim of the STEP Initiative is to increase the number of small businesses that are exporting and increase the value of exports for those small businesses that are currently exporting.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority will disburse grant funds via the following programs to help eligible Iowa companies develop or expand their export markets:

Technical Trade Assistance Program (TTAP) – Iowa Economic Development Authority’s International Trade Office will provide an assessment of a company’s export needs, provide consultation and linkage to a variety of export resources at the local, state and federal levels

Domestic Trade Assistance Program (DTAP) – Provides up to $3,000 assistance per occurrence to participate at a domestic trade show with an international buyers program

Expanded Export Trade Assistance Program (ETAP) – Provides up to $4,000 per occurrence, up to three times in the fiscal year, to help defray expenses when participating at a trade show or on a trade mission outside of the U.S.

Product Trade Assistance Program (PTAP) – Provides up to $5,000 per occurrence to assist a company in adjusting product or product certification to expand export opportunities

Funding will be available October 1 through the International Trade Office of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. To learn more about the STEP grant , e-mail: international@iowa.gov or contact Lisa Longman at 515.725.3139.

The Iowa Board of Regents has chosen University of North Carolina Vice President for Research Steven Leath to be the president of Iowa State University.

The regents made their decision Tuesday afternoon at a meeting at the Ames campus after meeting with Leath and Kumble Subbaswamy, provost at the University of Kentucky.

Leath will replace current Iowa State President Gregory Geoffrey, who has announced he will retire next year. Leath will become the 15th president in Iowa State history.

–AP

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds will be in southwest Iowa today.

At about 1:00 this afternoon Reynolds will hold a town hall meeting at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

Reynolds will then tour flood affected areas this evening starting at about 5:00 in Fremont County.

Following her tour she will speak with the media in Pacific Junction near County Highway L 40.

Reynolds had also been in southwest Iowa earlier this week when she held town halls Monday in Jefferson, Guthrie Center, and Winterset.

Adair County 4-H’ers claimed two championships at the Ak-Sar-ben Livestock Exposition held in Omaha this past weekend. Tyler Long of Creston exhibited the top Simmental heifer. Long is the son of Rob and Gina Long and is a senior at Orient-Macksburg. Kysa Downing of Creston earned her championship title in the feeder calf division with her steer calf. She is the daughter of Steve and Karen Downing and a junior at Nodaway Valley. Kysa also won her class with her feeder calf heifer.

Adair County exhibitors also picked up more honors. Chisum Downing won a 2^nd place purple with his feeder calf enter and Heath Downing claimed 3^rd place purple in the same division. Leah Gilman of Stuart also captured a purple with her shorthorn breeding heifer. Adding the Adair County collection of purple ribbons was Cody Long of Creston with his market lamb.

A crash in Adair County has claimed the life of a teen and injured two others Monday afternoon.
At approximately 2:45 Monday afternoon, a 2003 Acura RSX driven by 21-year-old Boby Vangkham of South Sioux City, Nebraska was eastbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 75 in Adair County. Meanwhile, a semi driven by 33-year-old Shayne Clousing of Ida Grove was westbound on Interstate 80.

Vangkham’s vehicle crossed the median on the interstate and crashed into Clousing’s semi.

A 17-year-old passenger from Des Moines in Vangkham’s vehicle was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. The passenger was transported by Life Net Helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, where she was pronounced dead. She was not wearing her seatbelt.

Also injured in the crash were Vangkham and another passenger in the vehicle. Vangkham was transported by Anita Rescue to Cass County memorial Hospital while the other passenger was transported by Life Net Helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Vangkham was wearing a seatbelt while the passenger was not. The status of their injuries is unknown.

The accident remains under investigation.

The deadline is approaching for some homeowners and businesses who suffered losses during the flooding along the Missouri River to file claims.

Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency regional office in Kansas City, Mo., say flood insurance policy holders have 120 days from the date of the damage to file a claim and submit a “Proof of Loss” statement. For some, that could be as soon as Thursday.

FEMA officials say policy holders should call their insurance agent to open a claim.

The deadline is normally 60 days from the date of damage but it was extended to 120 days this year.

FEMA Administrator Beth Freeman says officials are concerned that some people have not been able to inspect their properties and may not know of the upcoming deadlines.

–AP