Impacts in Bremer, Butler, Cass, Clayton, Clinton, Hardin, Johnson, Lee, Madison, Polk, Sac, Sioux and Wayne counties

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 23, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Wednesday) announced that the Agency is investing $3,807,390 in 11 grants and $13,000,000 in three loans to projects in Iowa that spur economic development through rural cooperatives, promote small businesses, support infrastructure, assist with disasters, and create jobs. The 14 investments were funded through six different USDA programs.

The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small businesses. Projects include (in western Iowa):

• Sac Economic And Tourism Development LTD received $90,000 in a grant from the Rural Business Development Grants program to facilitate business development in rural north central Iowa. This project will provide planning, analytical and technical assistance to certify Sac City as a bioeconomy development opportunity zone to assist in attracting new bio-based businesses to the area. This project will also help provide technical assistance to local feedstock producers and supply chain businesses. The project will promote rural economic development in Sac County.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides zero-interest loans to local utilities organizations which in turn pass the funding through to local businesses. Western Iowa recipients include:

• Winterset Municipal Utilities received a $300,000 grant from the Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program to establish a revolving loan fund. This project will provide a loan to MCDP Real Estate, LLC/Madison County Dental Partners, LLP to help construct a new dental clinic in Winterset, Iowa, and to purchase equipment for the clinic. This project will create 10 new jobs. This project will promote economic development in rural Madison County.

The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Recipients in western Iowa area include:

• Dordt University in Sioux County received a $9,800,000 loan as additional funding for renovation and expansion from the Community Facilities Direct Loan and Guaranteed Loan program. This project will construct a new dining hall, offices, and classrooms on its existing campus center. The project will also renovate and expand the auditorium.

The Community Facility Disaster Grant program is designed to provide eligible rural communities with grants that address eligible disaster parameters. In Cass County:

• The City of Cumberland received a grant for $40,800 from the Community Facility Disaster Grants program to purchase essential equipment. This project will provide a new warning siren, a snow blower, a dump trailer, a snow plow, and accessories for the equipment. This project will promote the safety of the 251 residents and visitors of this rural Cass County community.

(Radio Iowa) – Retail studies find consumer spending on Halloween is into the billions of dollars and is second only to Christmas, but Iowans don’t have to scare themselves into exceeding their budgets. Lisa Schiller, with the Better Business Bureau, says spooky spending can quickly get out of hand, if you’re not mindful.  “Spending money on decorations and pumpkin carving and parties and costumes and giving away candy,” Schiller says. “Candy is expensive, too. So not just candy, but everything else.” Schiller says instead of buying pricey costumes, try thrifting instead, renting a costume, or see if you have something in storage that will still work.

“It sounds really easy, cliche, but really, look around your house, check your closet,” she says. “There might be some hidden items in there that you can throw together to make a really great costume, and that’ll save you a few bucks as well.” Schiller says you should judge the amount of trick-or-treaters you’re expecting, and don’t overspend on candy. “Consider buying it in bulk, buying more can save you money, we know that,” she says. “It can lessen the cost of the item and budgeting really can be super handy on a night like Halloween.”

Radio Iowa photo

Schiller suggests holding back a little on candy this year, because that’s seen the same price increases as other food items. Plus, candy keeps well, so don’t be afraid to share your leftovers at other parties or events.

(Griswold, Iowa) – The Griswold School Board met in a regular monthly session Monday evening. Superintendent Dave Henrichs says he updated the Board on the district’s enrollment numbers. He said while the Certified Enrollment figures show a decline of 17 students (for a total of 443), the more important BEDS (Basic Educational Data Survey) information shows a decline of 7.6, or some 389 students who are served every day.

Dave Henrichs said Griswold “had a kind of rough go of enrollment over the years.

The Griswold School Board, Monday, approved bids for: Door Alarms; Visitor Management System, and Video Access, but they held-off on approving bids for flooring.

Henrichs says the Board set a Work Session for 6-p.m. November 5th, to review the capital projects, resources and facilities, and a concession stand relocation projectt. The other project bids that were accepted will be paid for through the Governor’s Safety grant.

The bid came in at $419 for 12 door alarms. The bid for a Visitor Management System came in at $3,470.

And, a Video Access System bid of $5,275 was approved, for use on doors not currently covered. Henrichs stressed again, that those items will not cost the district a dime.

He said also, the Griswold School Board discussed relocation of the concession stand, and approved a letter of agreement for design services pertaining the conversion portions of a couple of classrooms, by cutting the sizes down of those spaces, and using those areas for a concession stand. The current concession stand is run out of the lunch room, which Henrich said is an inconvenience to the kitchen staff and Booster Club. The cost of the design service, which includes architectural fees, etc., is $22,000.

The Board is expected to receive some updated design plans by the time of their Nov. 5th work session. Dave Henrichs said it’s hoped the district can solicit bids in January, with the project completed by the start of the 2025-26 school year. In other news, the Griswold Board approved the resignation of Blair Rush – School Nurse, effective Oct. 30th, and the hiring of Lyn Sliger – MS/HS Cook, retroactive to Oct. 9th.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 19-year-old Aileen Exschel Villapando, of Creston, was cited Tuesday afternoon, for allowing an animal to run at large. She was released at the scene with her citation. And, at around 11:30-p.m., Tuesday, officers with the Creston Police Department arrested 47-year-old Brandie Sue Whitney, of Creston. She was taken into custody at her residence for Driving While Barred. Whitney was transported to the Union County Jail and later posted a $2,000 bond before being released.

(Radio Iowa) – A non-profit that worked to bring concerts and other music events to central Iowa has shut down. The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition started in 2005 and announced on its webpage that it is dissolving after what it says were many years of passionately trying to grow central Iowa’s music scene. The announcement says things have changed dramatically with dozens of venues, successful events, and a sophisticated pool of local talent.

It also says there are now many music-related organizations and businesses in central Iowa that are well-positioned to continue the work. One of the bigger events the group hosted was the 80/35 Music Festival. The announcement says the future of the 80/35 Music Festival is not currently determined.

(Atlanta, GA) – Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Tuesday  (Oct. 22nd), that E. coli food poisoning linked to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states, including one person who died and 10 who were hospitalized, federal health officials said Tuesday. The death was reported in an older person in Colorado, and one child has been hospitalized with severe kidney complications.

Infections were reported between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11, in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Colorado has the most cases, 27, followed by Nebraska with nine. Everyone interviewed in connection with the outbreak had reported eating at McDonald’s before falling ill and most mentioned eating Quarter Pounder hamburgers, the CDC said. The U.S. Agriculture Department, the Food and Drug Administration and state health officials are also investigating.

The specific ingredient tied to the outbreak has not been identified, but investigators are focused on onions and beef. McDonald’s reported to the CDC that it had removed slivered onions and beef patties used for Quarter Pounders from stores in the affected states. The burgers may be temporarily unavailable in those states.

E. coli bacteria infections can cause severe illness, including fever, stomach cramps and bloody diarrhea. People who develop symptoms of E. coli poisoning should seek health care immediately and tell the provider what they ate. Symptoms of E. coli start 3 to 4 days after ingesting the bacteria. Most people recover without treatment after 5 to 7 days.

The type of bacteria implicated in this outbreak, E. coli O157:H7, causes about 74,000 infections in the U.S. each year, leading to more than 2,000 hospitalizations and 61 deaths. Infections are especially dangerous for children younger than 5 and can cause acute kidney failure.