(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith is celebrating 529 Day with College Savings Iowa account giveaways throughout May. “I encourage all Iowa families to sign up for our five giveaways this month,” said Smith. “Each winner will receive a $529 contribution to a new or existing College Savings Iowa account. Now that’s an education savings boost!” The first giveaway opens May 1 and a new giveaway starts each Thursday in May. Giveaways end May 31. To register, visit Iowa529Contest.com.

As a nationwide celebration, 529 Day raises awareness about the value of using a 529 plan, such as College Savings Iowa, to save for future education expenses. “It’s no secret the cost of post-secondary education is rising,” Smith said. “By saving as early as you can, you are able to help reduce the amount your children have to borrow to chase their dreams. Every contribution makes an impact.”

College Savings Iowa allows anyone to save for education on behalf of a future scholar. Qualified withdrawals from an account can be used to pay for tuition, room and board, books and supplies at any eligible education institution in the U.S. and abroad. More than $5 billion has been invested in the Plan by current savers.

State Treasurer of Iowa, Roby Smith

There are also tax advantages for those saving with College Savings Iowa. Account assets grow deferred from federal and state income taxes, and Participants will not pay federal or state taxes on qualified withdrawals. Iowa taxpayers receive added tax benefits, including an annual state income tax deduction. In 2023, up to $3,785 per beneficiary account can be deducted.

To learn more about the Plan, visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com or call (888) 672-9116. Connect with College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Twitter to stay informed on current events and updates. For additional details about the Plan, read the Program Description.

(Lewis, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board asks, “Have you ever wondered how the pioneers made their own rope or dipped their own candles?” Maybe you have even thought about trying your hand at spinning wool. If so, they invited you to the Hitchcock Pioneer Skills Festival this weekend. The Festival will be held on Saturday, May 6th at the Hitchcock House, which is located 6 miles south of Atlantic and 1.5 miles west of Lewis, IA. The festivities will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. You will have an opportunity to visit the historic Hitchcock House and see many of the skills and crafts that people of the late 1800’s used in daily living.

You could begin your visit with a tour of the Hitchcock House that is also a National Historic Landmark. This two-story home was built in 1856. It features thick sandstone walls, window seats, native hard wood trim and a secret room that hid the freedom seekers. The secret room is located in the basement where there is also a stone fireplace where the freedom seekers could cook food and keep warm. It is said that the famous John Brown preached around this fireplace.

Hitchcock House. (photo from Hitchcock House Facebook page.)

Head to the barn, where the hub of the festival activities will take place. Once you make it to the barn you will be able to observe the skills and crafts of the past and even try your hand at a few of them. There will be rope making, candle dipping, tin punching, and woodcarvings.

The festival will be held rain or shine. Families are encouraged to come and share the day together as they might have in the 1800’s. There is a $5 fee/adult for a tour of the Hitchcock House. All activities in the barn are free of charge; donations to the Hitchcock House will be accepted.

(Anamosa, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections, Tuesday, said that at around 1:10-p.m., Tuesday, staff at the Anamosa State Penitentiary Prison Industries sign shop were alerted to what appeared to be a chemical reaction inside one of the shops scrap metal storage containers. Department staff immediately removed the storage container from the sign shop and chemical safety protocols were initiated. No staff or inmates were harmed during the incident.

It was ultimately determined by department staff, out of an abundance of caution, that the container be moved outside the facilities secure perimeter for remediation in a remote facility storage lot. Local fire department personnel were requested and assisted in the remediation process. Upon their arrival they were able to successfully dilute the chemical reaction without further incident.

While it appears it was an isolated incident, the department will investigate the cause and ensure the sign shop work space is safe for staff and inmates. The department thanks the Anamosa Fire Department for their timely and professional response to the incident.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say two men were arrested the past couple of days on OWI charges. A little before 3-a.m. today (Wednesday), 36-year-old James Nicholas Wilson, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for OWI/1st offense. His bond was set at $1,000, which Wilson posted, before being released.

And, at around 11:25-a.m., Tuesday, 18-year-old Austin James Breuklander, of Eagleville, MO., was arrested at the Union County LEC, for OWI/1st offense. He also later posted a $1,000 bond, and was released.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop Tuesday evening in the 1900 block of N. Broadway Street, in Red Oak, resulted in a man being arrested on an OWI/2nd offense, charge. Red Oak Police report 32-year-old Michael Todd Archer, of Red Oak, was arrested on the aggravated misdemeanor charge, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his bond was set at $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa motorists will need to be extra watchful for pedestrians this (Wednesday) morning as this is Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day. Matt Burkey, manager of the Safe Routes to School program at the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says the annual event encourages students to lace up their walking shoes or hop on their bicycles and find an alternative to riding the bus or getting a ride to school. “So if you’re in walking distance, go for it. If there’s a safe way to bike there, do it,” Burkey says. “If you’ve got rollerblades, or if you need help getting around, like if you have a wheelchair or other mode of transportation, just find a way to get to school that doesn’t involve being dropped off right at the curb.”

There are several motives behind the day, Burkey says, which includes promoting environmental sustainability, building communities, and physical fitness. “We’ve been talking a lot about mental health issues with adults and young people these days,” Burkey says, “and every study out there shows that even a little bit of exercise is not only good for you physically but also good for you mentally.” The day is a great opportunity to get students excited about walking and biking, he says, while also promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle, in addition to reducing their carbon footprint.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the school pick-up and drop-off lines in towns around Iowa and the country and it’s getting kind of bananas,” Burkey says. “The amount of cars there, the idling, the air pollution. That air pollution from idling cars is really bad, especially for kids since they’re so low to the ground.” Schools are encouraged to register their participation online and if they’re not taking part today, they can do so any day during May. Learn more at: www.walkbiketoschool.org

(Radio Iowa) – The drought has taken a toll in northwest Iowa, but two communities have found relief through hundreds of thousands of gallons of high-quality water from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System piped into their communities. Sioux Center and Hull had been waiting for more than 30 years for their hook ups that came one month ago. They celebrated Tuesday with a ribbon cutting, where Lewis & Clark Executive Director Troy Larson talked about getting the project to this point. “This has been a long slog, and it’s taken us a lot longer to get here than we ever thought it would,’ he says. “I mean, this idea of Lewis and Clark started in the late 80s. Back when parachute pants were still popular. It was incorporated in 1990. We thought we’d get here about 2016 but for unfortunately, we didn’t get the federal funding as quick as we thought.”

Larson says adding Lewis & Clark water, which comes from the Missouri River and an aquifer will be transformational for the communities of Sioux Center and Hull. Sioux Center will receive 600-thousand gallons each day, while Hull pumps in 400-thousand gallons a day to blend with their current water supply. There were originally 59 communities which signed up for the project in 1993 — but the latest two make the total hooked up at 20. “In 1993 the rubber met the road in terms of committing to the project from the late 80s to 93 it was what I call the dating phase in 93 they had to get married,” he says. Larson says the project is working on expanding the system from producing 40 million gallons per day to 60 million gallons by 2031.

Congressman Randy Feenstra, grew up in Hull, and served on the Lewis & Clark board for seven-and-a-half years. He recalled the condition of the water in his home town was so bad they gave visitors a warning. “People who came to our house, you know people from outside just don’t drink the water because you’re gonna get sick I mean you’re gonna have problems some from this is true in Hull,” Feenstra says. Feenstra also recalls the meeting when funding plans were made known. “I remember being at the meeting where we finally heard that it was gonna be an annual appropriation, that we we’re gonna get funded,” Feenstra says. “But probably didn’t understand what that annual appropriation really meant. What a battle, a literal battle it would be every single year to get funding. But here we are.”

Feenstra commends all those involved in connecting the 377 miles of pipe that was laid and the additional infrastructure. The remaining communities to be connected to the service include Sheldon, which should connect to the system late this year or early next year; Madison, South Dakota should connect in the middle of 2024; and Sibley should connect in late 2024 or early 2025.