(Radio Iowa) – A report from the U-S Department of Energy found Iowa churches are below the national average for use of renewable energy, though a church in northeast Iowa is helping to change that. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Decorah is one of just 17 houses of worship in Iowa that uses solar power, according to the report. Jim Fritz has been a member of the congregation for about 30 years and first proposed the idea. He says it started in his own backyard.

“We had also done a lot of solar at our house, and I’d done about all I possibly could, and didn’t feel like I’d done enough,” Fritz says, “so we live two blocks from the church and I thought, ‘Ok, let’s just go down there instead.’” In the past year, the church has devoted itself to switching over to renewable energy. Fritz says three of the church’s rooftop furnaces were failing, and all five were ugly, so the solution was simple.

“You either go back to what you’ve been doing for the last however long and continue to spew emissions,” Fritz says, “or you can do something creative and clean up an eyesore.” The church replaced all five furnaces with 102 solar panels and is now operating at net zero. The switch to solar will allow the church to offset an estimated 25 tons of carbon emissions per year.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Governor Reynolds today (Thursday) announced $1 million in initial funding for competitive grants available through the Iowa Department of Education to support school districts that partner with or create local child care centers to help more high school students earn a national child development credential. With 246 districts across Iowa currently offering family and consumer science pathways as part of their career and technical education, the new Credentials for Child Care Careers grant will help schools support a strong child care pipeline.

“Preparing Iowa’s future workforce begins in our schools. Our investment in work-based learning opportunities introduces students to in-demand careers and offers programs that provide the training necessary to earn a credential while still in high school,” Governor Reynolds stated. “This forward-looking approach not only prepares young Iowans to be career ready upon graduation, it also supports local businesses in building their workforce pipeline.”

“The Credentials for Child Care Careers grant will expand access to high-quality child care, while supporting an early childhood workforce of and for local communities,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “By aligning existing programs to the attainment of an industry-recognized credential, this innovative program will strengthen pathways to in-demand child development careers.”

The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is a nationally recognized credential in early childhood education awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, a leader in the credentialing of early childhood educators worldwide. Obtaining the CDA credential requires coursework, experience in the field and a demonstration assessment during which the student is observed while working with children. Districts that are awarded funding will receive course curriculum that meets both the professional development requirements outlined by Iowa Health and Human Services for employees of Iowa licensed child care centers and the classroom requirements for a CDA credential.

Eligible school districts that partner with a licensed child care center, including school-operated child care programs, can apply for up to $15,000 for each of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, for a total of $30,000. Allowable costs include student exam fees, textbooks, CDA course materials, student stipends, licensed child care partner stipends, and other approved expenses that help remove barriers to participation.

Applications for the Credentials for Child Care Careers grant will be accepted in IowaGrants.gov beginning today, Feb. 29, 2024.  The application deadline is noon on March 29, 2024.

More information about the Credentials for Child Care Careers grant is available on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.
Initial funding for the Credentials for Child Care Careers grant is made available through the state’s allocation of funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Governor Reynolds recently announced that 16 communities have been awarded a total of $8 million in grants to advance water quality projects. The funding is made available through the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program, which was created as a part of Senate File 512, the first legislation signed into law by Governor Reynolds in 2018. Among the Drinking Water Financial Assistance grants, was $500,000 to the Guthrie County City of Jamaica.

The Governor says  “This was the first bill I signed into law as Governor in 2018s.  Since then, the program has assisted 68 communities through a total of nearly $26 million in grants and an additional $550 million in other funds leveraged to advance water quality infrastructure projects throughout the state.”

The 2023 program received 48 applicants requesting more than $23 million in water quality grants. A committee consisting of designees from the Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship judged the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program applications based on the program’s priorities.

Priorities for grant awards include: Disadvantaged communities; Projects that will significantly improve water quality in their watershed; Projects that use alternative wastewater treatment technologies; Communities with the highest sewer or water rates; Projects that use technology to address nutrient reduction; and projects to address improvements to drinking water source waters. The program receives a portion of the tax on metered water and had $8 million available for allocation in 2023. Grants will be awarded through the program on an annual basis through 2039.

The Wastewater program has assisted 68 communities through a total of nearly $26 million in water quality grants since the first awards were granted in 2019. The program is expected to have approximately $7 million in available funds in 2024 based on the portion of tax that will be allocated to the program.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 29, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Thursday) announced that the Agency is investing $1,823,465 in three grants to provide telemedicine and distance learning services to increase access to education, training, and healthcare resources that are otherwise limited or unavailable in rural Iowa. Director Greenfield says “Modern hospital services are essential to quality of life in rural neighborhoods, and these grants announced today enable rural patients to access medical professionals without leaving home.”

The three awards for Iowa healthcare providers came through the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grants program. This competitive program helps rural communities use advanced telecommunications technology to connect to each other and the world to overcome the effects of remoteness and low population density.

–Clarinda Regional Health Center in Clarinda received a $399,670 grant to equip two hub/end-user and eight end-user sites throughout Page, Montgomery, and Taylor counties in Iowa and Lancaster County in Nebraska with a telehealth platform used to increase access to quality, local, specialty care. Medical professionals at Bryan Health, Clarinda Regional Health Center, and Clarinda Mental Health Center will deliver specialized care, close to home including mental health services to eight rural locations benefitting 15,000 area residents.

Clarinda Regional Health Care Center, Clarinda, IA

–Belmond Community Hospital in Belmond received a $463,644 grant to equip five hub/end-user sites, one end-user site, and multiple non-fixed locations throughout Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, and Wright counties in north central Iowa with telehealth computer software, cyber security software and at-home patient devices for telehealth appointments. Medical professionals at Iowa Specialty Hospital will deliver mental health care to six locations benefitting 2,900 individuals.

–Wayne County Hospital in Corydon received a $960,151 grant to equip one hub site, three hub/end-user sites, and three end-user sites in Wayne County, Polk County and surrounding south central Iowa with telemedicine carts and other necessary equipment to establish an electronic Intensive Care Unit and telepharmacy program. Medical professionals at MercyOne in Des Moines and at Wayne County Hospital in Corydon will deliver specialty electronic Intensive Care Unit services and provide easier access to pharmaceutical consultations, patient counseling, drug therapy monitoring, and refill authorizations to six locations benefitting 10,289 residents.

Application Window Opens for DLT Program Today—Closes April 29, 2024

Today (Thursday), the USDA is making approximately $60 million in funding available under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant program and begins inviting applications for these grants. This program funds distance learning and telemedicine services, like audio and video equipment, to digitally connect people to education, training and health care resources that are limited or unavailable in remote parts of the country.

For example, DLT funding expands opportunities for:

• Students to participate in classes that may be in places that are too far to access in person.
• Teachers to provide their expertise, trainings and educational services to students across the country.
• Patients to seek specialized care and treatment from medical professionals without needing to leave their homes or communities.

Eligible applicants include state and local governmental entities, federally recognized Tribes, nonprofits and for-profit businesses.

USDA is particularly interested in applications that will advance Biden-Harris Administration priorities to:

• Reduce climate pollution and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support to rural communities.
• Ensure all rural residents have equitable access to Rural Development programs and benefit from RD-funded projects.
• Help rural communities recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.

Applications must be submitted electronically through grants.gov no later than April 29, 2024. Additional program information is available online and via the Feb. 29, 2024, Federal Register.

(Shelby County, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident that was discovered early Tuesday morning in Shelby County, resulted in a fatality. According to the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the area of County Road M16 south of 1300th St., for a vehicle that left the roadway. Deputies located a 2004 F-250 pickup on the east side of road M16.

Authorities believe the pickup left the roadway the evening of the Feb. 26th. After investigating the scene, it was also believed the vehicle partially left the roadway while traveling south bound on the west shoulder. The driver identified as 34-year old Brett Gubbels, then made a corrective action to bring the vehicle back on the roadway and attempted to apply the brakes. The vehicle then went across the north bound land and into the east ditch, which caused the vehicle to roll over multiple times.

Gubbels was pronounced deceased at the scene.