April 19, 2024 (Des Moines) – Main Street Iowa hosted the annual Main Street Iowa Development Awards celebration Friday evening in Des Moines. The program honors the efforts of local leaders who work tirelessly to revitalize Iowa’s downtowns and Main Street districts.

Fourteen projects were recognized with Main Street Iowa Development Awards and 47 leadership award recipients were honored for exceptional leadership and volunteer contributions to their local Main Street programs. Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Director Debi Durham said “The Main Street Iowa program stands as one of the nation’s most distinguished, as witnessed from the award-winning projects in rehabilitation, business recruitment and support, façade improvement, housing, placemaking and special events. It’s evident that Main Street Iowa communities thrive under passionate leadership, achieving remarkable success.”

Main Street Ottumwa received the 2024 Spirit of Main Street Award, a prestigious honor awarded annually to an individual or community that truly demonstrates the spirit of Main Street at work in Iowa.  The recognition honors their groundbreaking partnership with Main Street America, Main Street Iowa and Google through the Grow with Google initiative, which teaches local business owners and entrepreneurs the skills that are essential to reaching customers in today’s digital economy. The partnership impacted more than 1,000 businesses.

2024 Main Street Iowa Development Award Winners:

• Building Rehabilitation (Over 5,000 Population): Hopkins Willard Project, Marshalltown
• Building Rehabilitation (Under 5,000 Population): The Serving Café, West Branch
• Business Recruitment (Over 5,000 Population): Something Blue, Nevada
• Business Recruitment (Under 5,000 Population): Tour of Dreams, Grundy Center
• Business Support (Over 5,000 Population): Main Street Micros Grant Program, Spencer
• Business Support (Under 5,000 Population): Influencer Marketing Collaboration, West Branch
• Façade Improvement (Over $50,000): Art on the Fly & Imagination Alley, Jefferson
• Façade Improvement (Under $50,000): Cox Law Firm, Centerville
• Housing: The Pub Lofts, Jefferson
• Placemaking (Small Scale Activity): Mayfly Mayhem Murals, Burlington
• Placemaking (Comprehensive Effort): Bridges to Renewal Projects, Lansing
• Special Event (Under 5,000 Population): First Fridays, Albia
• Special Event (Under 5,000 Population): Saving a Slice of History Building Tours, Woodbine
• Special Event (Over 5,000 Population): District Street Party, Cedar Falls

Six communities were recognized for reaching new milestones in the amount of private investment in their commercial districts:

$100 Million – Cedar Rapids – Czech Village and New Bohemia
$3 Million – Monticello
$2 Million – Nevada
$1 Million – Albia, Coon Rapids and Jewell

Main Street Iowa was established in 1985 and operates as a part of the IEDA’s Downtown Resource Center. Since its inception, the Main Street Iowa program has had a significant impact on Iowa’s economy, including more than $2.7 billion in private investments, more than 3.8 million volunteer hours, more than 5,500 new businesses created and more than 16,600 jobs.

A detailed list of all 2024 Main Street Iowa Award winners is available here.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) on Thursday, April 18th, 2024, to view the recent addition.

SWIPCO’s main location has been in Atlantic since 1975 and has continued to grow throughout the years, providing more services for more projects throughout Southwest Iowa. The current building was originally designed for seven employees and the organization has had 17 staff members working out of the building. The renovation began in early 2023, which added an additional 1800 square feet of open office space, additional restroom, and many windows to brighten the space. The addition also allowed the conference room to once again be used for meetings instead of acting as an office space.

Southwest Iowa Planning Council serves all of Cass County, along with Fremont, Harrison, Montgomery, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby County. SWIPCO promotes regional cooperation in Southwest Iowa by improving community assets and infrastructure, promoting and enhancing economic and business development, and maintaining and improving the quality of life for all residents.

Back Rows (Pictured left to right): Lana Westphalen, Kathie Hockenberry, Bill Saluk, Sue Liston, Ashley Hayes, Karen Mauer, Nicole Rhodes, Daurine Petersen, Erin Hudson, Barb Boggs, Dolly Bergmann, John McCurdy, Elaine Otte, Julie Waters, Tori Gibson, Jeff Christiansen, Jim Kickland, Chris Parks, Jeremy Butler, Tammy DeBord, Steve Andersen, Jennifer McEntaffer, Alden Harriman, Dr. Keith Leonard
Front Row (Pictured left to right): Bailey Smith, Aaron Koontz, Krysta Hanson, Kelsey Beschorner

SWIPCO is located at 1501 SW 7th Street, Atlantic. For more information about Southwest Iowa Planning Council, contact 712-243-4196 or visit https://www.swipco.org/.

CRESTON, Iowa – April 19, 2024 – You may notice a delay on eastbound Interstate 80 west of Des Moines overnight on Monday, April 29 into Tuesday, April 30. The Iowa Department of Transportation needs to close the road overnight between Jordan Creek Parkway and Grand Prairie Parkway to allow the contractor to install new sign trusses and digital message boards.

DOT contractors have planned an overnight road closure on Monday, April 29 at 8:30 p.m. until Tuesday, April 30 at 5:3- a.m., weather permitting.

While the roadway is closed, you will follow a marked detour route using Jordan Creek Parkway, University Avenue, and Grand Prairie Parkway (see map).

Help keep everyone on the road safer. Drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, you should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced April 17, 2024, to 144 months in federal prison for Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, on July 3, 2022, Chris Lee Gordon, 34, a two-time convicted felon, possessed a stolen and loaded pistol at an apartment in Iowa City, Iowa. While Gordon slept, a three-year-old child staying at the apartment, got out of bed, found Gordon’s pistol, and fatally shot himself. Gordon, heard the gun shot, got up and saw the injured child, picked up his pistol and ran out of the apartment. Several weeks later, the pistol used in this fatal shooting was found on a roof of a building, with the serial number scratched off.

On July 24, 2022, Gordon was arrested with another firearm, a loaded Polymer 80 nine-millimeter handgun with an extended magazine that was capable of holding up to 32 rounds of ammunition.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Gordon will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Coralville Police Department and the Division of Criminal Investigation.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa and SHARE Iowa today (Friday), announced “Do Good Days” will be held April 24 – 27, 2024. During Do Good Days, community members and nonprofits across western Iowa are encouraged to join SHARE Iowa and the Community Foundation for Western Iowa to honor and celebrate what doing good means to them.

In conjunction with National Volunteer Week, SHARE Iowa and the Community Foundation will celebrate volunteers and nonprofits, encourage volunteering, and provide trainings for nonprofits to better engage with volunteers. Community members are encouraged to find options to engage with nonprofits, explore creative ways to volunteer their time, and make
an impact in their community.

Donna Dostal, CEO of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa states, “At the Community Foundation, we know that when people do good where they live, great things happen. With SHARE Iowa, folks tell us all the time that ‘to do good makes you feel good.’ Now is the perfect time for everyone in our community to come together and take this opportunity to do good and create lasting impact.”

During Do Good Days, the Community Foundation for Western Iowa and SHARE Iowa support capacity building and sustainability of nonprofit organizations through education and sharing best-practices around volunteer engagement. Together, they are hosting two free training courses for nonprofits: Engaging Families in Service presented by Kamryn Ryan, AmeriCorps Seniors & Capacity Building Officer with Volunteer Iowa on the morning of Wednesday, April 24. What’s April Without AI zoom lunch and learn on Thursday, April 25, is presented in partnership with the Business Ethics Alliance and facilitated by AnnMarie Marlier Ph. D and Executive Director of the Business Ethics Alliance.

According to Dostal, “Helping nonprofits better connect to their volunteer supporters and to utilize new and improved resources is a priority for the Community Foundation and SHARE Iowa. We are very excited to invite our partners and share this wonderful information with them so they can engage with volunteers, create a culture of philanthropy, and build lasting relationships in the communities they serve.”

To honor volunteers in our region, the Community Foundation also created the “Do Gooder of the Year” award and will announce the second annual winner in the afternoon of Thursday, April 25. All nonprofit organizations participating on the SHARE Iowa platform were encouraged to nominate their volunteers or “Do Gooders” of the year.

SHARE Iowa is an initiative of the Community Foundation for Western Iowa and a community engagement conduit offering simple ways for neighbors, nonprofits, and businesses to come together and strengthen our local communities. It is a free dynamic online resource for our nonprofit partners that helps them to better reach and engage with people who want to have an impact into their community by donating dollars, shopping from nonprofit wish lists, attending events, or discovering volunteer opportunities.

Check out www.sharegoodiowa.org to learn more and support nonprofit organizations making an impact in western Iowa.