SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Briar Cliff University in Sioux City has announced a $2 million gift from the Sisters of St. Francis. The money will be used to establish an endowed chair in theology and support Briar Cliff in the recruitment and retention of faculty. The private college was founded in 1929 by a Roman Catholic Franciscan nun from the order in Dubuque. Briar Cliff’s current enrollment is around 1,200 students.

(Radio Iowa) — Clinton firefighter Adam Cain, who was critically injured battling a blaze earlier this month, is being released from the hospital today (Friday). A news release from Clinton City Hall says Cain has met with his surgery team, trauma team and physical therapy team. All have agreed that Cain has done amazingly well in his healing process. They have decided he can be discharged and cleared to go home with follow-up outpatient therapy.

While fighting the fire at the city’s A-D-M plant on January 5th, Clinton Fire Lieutenant Eric Hosette was killed. The incident is still under investigation. Cain is 23. Hosette was 33.

Non-profit organizations in Cass and Audubon Counties are being reminded that applications for funds from the separate Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations are due in about a week. In each county, approximately $115,000 in grant funds are available for nonprofit organizations that submit their respective county applications by no later than Feb. 1st. Only organizations providing charitable services in Cass County or Audubon County are eligible, in each respective county, only. They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support, and be an IRS approved 501(c)(3) Public Charity or hosted by a fiscal sponsor. Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.

Detailed application procedures, fact sheets, and a link to the application form can be obtained online at http://omahafoundation.org/swiowa. Applications will only be accepted through the online system.

Contact any Cass or Audubon County Community Foundation board member in your respective county, for additional information. You may contact Stacey Goodman at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org, or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org, with grant application-specific questions. All completed applications will be considered at the March board meeting with notification of results in early April.

Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Barbara Johnson of Audubon; Bob Blomme of Audubon; Shelley Burr of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Joseph T. Rasmussen of Exira. Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are Chair, Nicholas Hunt of rural Atlantic; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold; John Curry of Massena; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic.

The Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), in conjunction with the Cities of Walnut and Griswold, is holding housing assessment meetings in the coming weeks.  In Walnut, the housing assessment meeting will be held 6-p.m. Thursday, January 31st, at the Walnut Community Building. In Griswold, the meeting takes place 6-p.m. Thursday, February 7th, at the Griswold Community Building.

The purpose of each meeting is to gather public input on the current condition of the housing stock in each city; to address the rehabilitation of current housing, development of new housing, and affordability of housing. This will also include setting goals to improve/maintain the housing conditions within the city and what avenues the city may explore to reach these goals. The information obtained will be added to other data to formulate a formal written housing assessment for the city and as part of the public participation requirement of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application the city is applying for in April 2019. The meeting will conclude with asking all participants, if they have not done so already, to fill out a housing survey and CDBG Pre-Application.

SWIPCO Lead Planner Alexsis Fleener says “Public participation is a critical component of the housing assessment and application process. In addition, the meeting gives residents an opportunity to be involved in the future of their city. Housing has been identified to be a major contributing factor to the growth or decline of our towns. A housing assessment is a pro-active approach to address those factors that could be detrimental and set clear goals for how to continue to thrive and grow.”

The CDBG owner-occupied housing repair program the city is applying for seeks to bring homes up to Iowa Minimum Housing Rehabilitation Standards. Items repaired may include furnaces, water heaters, windows, doors, roofing, siding, foundation, etc. up to $24,999. If anyone would like more information on the Housing Assessment meeting, plan, or CDBG application please contact Alexsis Fleener at 866-279-4720.