(Radio Iowa) – U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack is unveiling hundreds of millions of dollars in new U-S-D-A grant and loans to do things like establish grocery stores in underserved areas, build more cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables and support training for employees in the meat and poultry industry. “With these investments, the transformed food system will mean more, new and better markets, generating better income for producers,” Vilsack says, “and better choices and prices for consumers.”

Vilsack says 155 million dollars in federal grants will be available to set up grocery stores in rural and urban communities that are considered “food deserts.” Six-hundred million will be awarded to expand or build new facilities that process and store fruits and vegetables. Three-hundred million is set aside to bolster organic food production. “The process for becoming an organic producer is complicated and financially difficult, especially during the early days of transition when expenses can be high and income limited,” Vilsack says. “I believe a transformed food system needs to make that process less complicated and the financial costs of that transition easier to bear.” Vilsack says other U-S-D-A initiatives will be expanded to support urban gardening as well as public schools that buy locally produced food.

Vilsack is using 400 million dollars to set up a new network of U-S-D-A centers that will help food producers and buyers connect on a regional basis and navigate their financial options. “Our transformed food system will expand capacity and competition and increase that competition in all sectors,” Vilsack says, “and, when it does, both producers and consumers will benefit.”

A new 100 million dollar fund will be for companies that come up with healthy, but less expensive menu items for school lunch programs. Vilsack says the goal is to spur innovation — but to also make school lunch options more attractive to the kids who eat the food. All of this new U-S-D-A spending was approved by congress in 2021 as part of the American Rescue Plan.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill passed late in the legislative session that places a two-year hold on new gambling licenses will impact the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s meeting Thursday in Emmetsburg. Racing and Gaming administrator, Brian Ohorilko says he anticipates the Commission will pause the licensing process. “At least at this point, it’ll be difficult to do much in terms of moving forward with an application process and until that moratorium is out — if indeed that bill goes into law,” Ohorilko.

Governor Kim Reynolds has not yet indicated if she will sign the casino moratorium bill into law. Organizers in Cedar Rapids wanted to Commission to consider an application for a casino there after the Linn County gambling referendum passed. “The Commission at the March meeting had indicated that they were prepared to accept applications and that occurred after the commission had been approached by stakeholders in that community that they were ready to file an application. Obviously, that was after the referenda had passed in November 2021,” he says. Ohorilko says the process was just getting started. “There really hasn’t been any due diligence or any considerable amount of time put in by the commission members with regard to the process,” Ohorilkoh says.

Many things could change in the Iowa casino landscape in two years if the bill goes into law. One of those is the start up of gambling in Nebraska. “Rules have been filed in that state, ground is broken in a number of locations, the different locations have different timelines. I think it’s possible that we’ll see some temporary facilities this fall or winter,” Ohorilko says. He says all of the Nebraska facilities will likely be up and running next year — which will have an impact on Iowa casinos. Ohorilko says it’s hard to know what other changes might happen if the moratorium happens. “Two years can go fast, but it’s also a lot of time in terms of economic conditions with respect to casinos,” he says. “If you were to look two years back from today’s date, no one would have expected the ups and downs that that industry would have gone through and so, so I can’t say for sure.”

Two other attempts to get a gambling license in Cedar Rapids were denied.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Changes with regard to recycling are coming to the Adair County. During a meeting this (Wednesday) morning in Greenfield of the Adair County Board of Supervisors, Board Chair Matt Wedemeyer explained the recycling bins will no longer be accepting plastic products, beginning in August.

He said it is costing the County money to take-in the plastic.

The Adair County Supervisors, Wednesday, met the Summer Seasonal Environmental Education Naturalist. Sabrina Ann Becker, from Stuart, said her position is made possible through ISU Extension and AmeriCorps. She spoke about her plans and activities for the Summer, including grade appropriate camps.

Becker recently completed her Freshman year at ISU, and began her duties in Adair County on May 16th. Becker is expected to work through the end of August, and not just for Adair County.

In his report to the Board, Adair County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson said the camping season got off to a slow start due to the cold and wet conditions, but this past week was very busy.

As of today (Wednesday), Johnson said the campgrounds have brought-in over $4,000 in revenue, for a total of $44,268.

He said also, tent camping is just not as popular as it used to be, but those who do still camp that way, like to use the pads with electrical sites. Johnson said the camping pads at Lake Orient have been re-rocked with four loads of crushed rock. More is expected to be delivered Thursday. And, during the Summer, his Department will be working on assembling park kiosks and parking barricades.