Iowa Democrat Senator Tom Harkin has announced five Iowa regional planning organizations have been awarded a total of $304,000 to help establish a comprehensive economic development strategy in their regions.

Locally, the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency received $60,000 to serve the counties of Mills and Pottawattamie in Iowa, and Washington, Douglas, and Sarpy in Nebraska and the Southwest Iowa Planning Council received $60,000 to serve the counties of Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Montgomery, Page, and Shelby.

The projects will bring together the public and private sectors to create an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy. Specifically, it is expected these funds will help develop a process and strategy that supports job creation and private capital investment. The funding was made available through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). 

Many Iowans leave their dogs and cats outdoors much of the time during the warm months, but this week’s severe weather serves as a reminder that those pets need solid shelter, especially during storms. Pam Wiese, at the Humane Society, says Iowans can take other proactive steps to protect their pets, should they become separated in the case of a terrible storm. “We have learned from Katrina and many of the tornadoes, that microchipping pets is really a great way to insure that if there’s any way possible to get them back, you can,” Wiese says. “It’s a permanent form of ID, it doesn’t twist off or leave in high winds and it’s a much better way to permanently identify your pet than any other way that we know.”

Wiese says some animal shelters in the state offer microchipping of pets for as little as ten-dollars. “It’s great to have a collar and tags on your pet as well,” Wiese says. “Joe, on the street, may find him and bring him back but if he’s got a microchip, no matter if he’s caught in winds or under a building or stuck in mud or whatever, we will be able to find that microchip, and in fact, even if he’s deceased.”

Microchips aren’t just for dogs and cats, either. They’re only about the size of a grain of rice and can be implanted into every sort of pet from parrots to horses.

(Radio Iowa)

Area veterans who have signed-up to participate in the upcoming Honor Flight to Washington, D-C, also have an opportunity to see a movie featuring real footage of an elite group of U-S soldiers sent on a dangerous mission in Afghanistan, free of charge. A local veteran, Sgt. Nathan Allen, was shot in the chest during the March 29, 2011 mission, while trying to help another wounded soldier. Allen, a 2006 Atlantic High School graduate, is retired from the Army and currently resides in Manhatten, Kansas.

Melanie Petty, with the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund, says they’ve purchased 200 tickets for the “Hornet’s Nest” movie. The block of tickets was purchased because there is a prerequisite of 500 tickets being pre-sold in order for the film to be shown in Atlantic. It had previously only been shown in select theatres during the month of May, and opens nationwide today (June 6th).

The Frederickson Fund wants to donate a ticket to each veteran taking part in the honor flight later this month. Honor Flight Vets interested in a free ticket to see the movie the week of June 12th through the 18th should contact Melanie Petty by no later than Tuesday, June 10th.

Petty says she has a list of those going on the flight, so she’ll simply check their names off as they call her, at 249-3696. If you get her voice-mail, please leave your information.