(Radio Iowa) – Iowa could be poised to join 27 other states that have so-called “Safe Harbor” laws for victims of human trafficking. Karl Schilling of the Iowa Organization for Victim Assistance says while he’s worked with victims for more than 30 years, he’s still stunned by the depravity and brutality of human traffickers.

Advocates say the bill will help turn victims into survivors and give them immunity to testify against sex traffickers. Senator Brad Zaun of Urbandale says the bill IS a priority, but the bill won’t pass the Senate in its current form.

Bill backers say it’s important to erase prostitution convictions on a victim’s criminal record so they can qualify for loans, get jobs and turn their lives around. Iowa Department of Public Safety commissioner Stephan Bayens says he’s not opposed to the concept, but the bill as written actually provides blanket immunity to victims of human trafficking.

Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines says she’s concerned about another provision in the bill. It calls for placing minors in foster care rather than criminal detention after they’ve been arrested for prostitution.

She says pimps might try to harass and threatened foster parents AND the minors involved. Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs says arresting a minor accused of prostitution and holding them in jail or detention may be better than placing them in a foster care home.

Dawson says teens picked up for prostitution often return to a human trafficker because that person has been their only source of food and shelter. The bill is eligible for debate in the Iowa Senate. It passed the House on a 95 to one vote earlier this month.

(DES MOINES, Iowa), — A physician from Pottawattamie County has officially entered the 2022 race for the U-S Senate, in Iowa. Dr. Glenn Hurst, from Minden, filed papers Thursday with the Iowa Secretary of State’s office.

“I’m proud to have received so much support from my family, friends, and activists through this process. Primary day is right around the corner, and I hope Iowa Democrats will entrust me as their general election candidate this November.”

Dr. Hurst provides care and oversees clinics in his hometown of Minden, and the surrounding Pottawattamie County area. He is a leader in the Iowa Democratic Party as Chair of the Rural Caucus, a Councilman in Minden, and former Chair of the Third Congressional District Central Committee, where he worked tirelessly on the successful re-election of Congresswoman Cindy Axne.

Dr. Glen Hurst

Atlantic, Iowa – Across the state, over 350 trained volunteer counselors assist thousands of Iowans each year to understand their Medicare benefits and avoid health insurance fraud through individual counseling sessions and community education. Cass Health is currently searching for individuals interested in serving as SHIIP counselors.

What is SHIIP? The Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) is a free and objective health insurance counseling service of the State of Iowa Insurance Division sponsored locally by Cass Health.

Who makes a good counselor? SHIIP volunteer counselors enjoy tackling new challenges and learning new information. They gain satisfaction from helping people, are happy to work with diverse populations and value being an objective and trusted source of information.

For more information about becoming a SHIIP volunteer counselor, contract Beth Spieker, Community and Guest Relations at 712-243-7545 or spibe@casshealth.org.

March 18, 2022 (DES MOINES, IA) – Today, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for three companies, which will assist in the creation of 56 jobs and result in over $76 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Ames, Peosta and Underwood. The board also approved innovation funding in support of five startups located in Coralville, Des Moines, Riverside, Waukee and Wayland.

Berdex locates U.S. headquarters in Ames
Berdex USA manufactures livestock trailers with a focus on biosecurity measures and animal well-being. The company plans to locate its U.S. headquarters at an existing facility in Ames where it will manufacture three different livestock trailers for swine and cattle producers. The project represents a capital investment of just over $1 million and is expected to create 20 jobs at a qualifying wage of $28.87 per hour. The board awarded tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program.

Camso expands product line in Peosta
A subsidiary of Camso Holdings USA and thus a subsidiary of Michelin North America, Camso Manufacturing USA designs, develops and manufactures specialized components, subsystems and assemblies for original equipment manufacturers. The company plans to rework its facility in Peosta with new equipment to implement a new line. The board awarded this $20 million capital investment project tax benefits through the HQJ program. It is expected to create 33 jobs, of which 17 are incented at a qualifying wage of $21.13 per hour.

Link Snacks expands facility in Underwood
Link Snacks, Inc. is a manufacturer of meat snacks operating in the U.S. and internationally. The facility in Underwood serves as a national distribution hub and the company plans to expand it, approximately doubling the current capacity. They also plan to purchase an automated storage and retrieval system. The project is expected to create three jobs at a qualifying wage of $22.94 per hour and was awarded tax benefits through the HQJ program. It represents a capital investment of just over $55 million.

Awards made to five startups

FBB Biomed, doing business in Coralville, is a biotech company with a mission to expand the reimbursable diagnostics market to brain diseases. The company plans to demonstrate the performance of its prototype in a laboratory setting on patients with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The company was awarded a $125,000 Demonstration Fund loan for additional testing and hiring of key personnel.

Riverside-based Harvest Increase Agriculture develops a series of fertilizer additives, called SUPRGrow, to increase corn yields. They continue to investigate the chemical and physical properties of the fertilizer, application rates to achieve the most effective results, and the application itself to save farmers time and money without having the need to make an extra pass over their fields. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for product refinement.

Des Moines’ Dhakai is a clothing sourcing marketplace that connects small to midsize fashion brands and retailers directly to compliant and verified apparel manufacturers. The technology platform allows buyers to find the perfect fit with regard to materials used, minimum quantity requirements, and sustainability and social welfare practices, which removes the often-inefficient middlemen and significantly saves costs. The company was awarded a $100,000 Demonstration Fund loan for product refinement, market planning and entry activities, key personnel, and equipment.

Bristola, based in Waukee, is a renewable energy technology services company. Their patent pending anaerobic digester technology, known as the Submersible Robotic Cleaning System (SRCS), allows the cleaning and inspection of tanks and covered lagoons. The SRCS does not require a disruption in operations nor human entry, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution that improves the overall operation and offers significant environmental benefits. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for product refinement.

Headquartered in Wayland, ChopLocal provides an alternative meat supply chain through an online marketplace that connects consumers to butcher shops, meat processors and farmers. With more consumers purchasing meat online, it is hard for the smaller operations to provide that benefit, so the ChopLocal platform offers those suppliers with easy access to create an online storefront, manage orders and organize information. The company was awarded a $25,000 Proof of Commercial Relevance loan for IP development and evaluation and market analysis.

Award recommendations for these funds are made by the Technology Commercialization Committee to the IEDA Board for approval.

(Ames, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Beef Industry Council report Iowans submitted their nominations between February 14 – March 14, to kick off the quest to find the best burger in Iowa. Nominations were accepted online by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The number of votes each restaurant received determined the 2022 Top Ten restaurants. The restaurants making the Top Ten list (in alphabetical order) include:
Arty’s Ice Cream & Grill, Wilton                                                   Pally’s Bar & Grille, Clive
Cattlemen’s Steakhouse, Sac City                                             The Flying Elbow, Marshalltown
Flaming Office Bar and Grill, Toledo                                          The Handlebar, Dallas Center
Foodie Garage Eatery, Dubuque                                                Victoria Station, Harlan
Lachele’s Fine Foods, Des Moines                                             West Towne Pub, Ames

To qualify, the burger must be a 100% real beef patty served on a bun or bread product. Burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese or toppings. Kylie Peterson, Director of Marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council, said “In total, we had more than 5,400 votes from 265 cities and towns across Iowa. This year’s Top Ten restaurants are award-winning worthy, but are only a few of the many restaurants in Iowa that do an outstanding job of promoting and serving our beef products to their customers on behalf of Iowa’s beef farmers.”

Eight of the Top Ten restaurants are new qualifiers. Returning contestants include Arty’s Ice Cream & Grill and Foodie Garage Eatery. The final phase in the quest for the 2022 Iowa’s Best Burger will now begin. All Top Ten restaurants will be visited by a panel of anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, and proper doneness (160 degrees Fahrenheit). The judges’ scores and comments will be accumulated and the winner will be announced on May 3 to kick off May Beef Month. According to Bob Noble, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association President, “Iowa cattle producers work tirelessly to provide high-quality beef to consumers across the state, country and globe. We are proud to support the Best Burger contest, and would like to congratulate the Top Ten, who serve 100% real beef. We thank you for serving our product and bringing out the best of beef.”

Last year, Bambino’s of Ossian took home the title of 2021 Iowa’s Best Burger. Winners in previous years include: 2020 – Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon of BeeBeeTown; 2019 – Wood Iron Grille of Oskaloosa; 2018 – Café Beaudelaire of Ames; 2017 – The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

To learn more about the contest and the Top Ten restaurants, including addresses and hours, visit www.iabeef.org.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular session Tuesday morning. According to the meeting minutes (courtesy of Shelby County Auditor Mark L. Maxwell), Chris Nelson of Gronewald Bell and Kyhnn was on hand to present the board the results of the fiscal year 2021 audit to be filed with the State of Iowa. The review concluded that the County was in sound financial shape on June 30th, 2021.

• Two temporary liquor licenses were then approved by the Board after a motion by Parkhurst and a second by Haake. These licenses are for two events at the Pink Petunia North of Irwin near the town of Manilla. A vote was held with Haake, Kenkel and Parkhurst all voting in favor of approval.
• Todd Valline of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce announced that this Saturday will be another legislative coffee and Valline advised the supervisors of other upcoming activities in the Chamber.
• Shelby County Roads Superintendent and County Engineer, Brand Burmeister, presented the 5-year plan for fiscal years 2023-2027 and the currently planned projects.  The Board voted in favor of the proposed 5-year plan.

Supervisor Burmeister presented a Utilities in Right of Way Policy that had not been updated in over 20 years, a bituminous road policy that has needed to be rewritten and a Training Reimbursement Policy to adapt to the new commercial drivers license procedures. The policies were approved by the Board. A change in the Entrance Policy for secondary roads was tabled until more information can be received.

Maxwell reports the Shelby County Board of Supervisors has been presented the Tentative Agreements with AFSCME 1014-4 Iowa Council 61 concerning the Shelby County Emergency Management and Shelby County Sheriff’s office employees as well as AFSME Iowa Council 61 Local 1014-2, Secondary Road employee organization. It was moved by Parkhurst , seconded by Haake , to approve the Tentative Agreements for three-year contracts, effective July 1, 2022, with these Unions and to authorize the Chairman to sign the final contracts, pending signatures from the Union representatives. There were no objections. A Resolution (presented below) regarding the publication and hearing date for an amendment to the fiscal year 2022 budget, was approved as written.

RESOLUTION 2022-19 ENTRY RECORD OF THE FILING AND CONSIDERATION OF THE COUNTY BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022

BE IT REMEMBERED on this 15th day of March 2022, the Board of Supervisors of Shelby County, Iowa, met in scheduled session for filing and considering the amendment of the County Budget for Fiscal Year 2022. There was present a quorum as required by law. Entry record for filing of said budget amendment was established and approved for publication. The Board, being fully advised, find that the date of the hearing on said amendment should be fixed, and it does fix, the 5th day of April 2022, A.D., at the hour of 9:00 a.m. as the date and time of hearing to be held in the Supervisor’s Chambers in the Courthouse in Shelby County, Iowa. The proposed service areas amended are as follows:

Explanation of Changes: Revenue from bond proceeds and ARPA proceeds and expenditures.