(Des Moines) – Keep Iowa Beautiful is announcing the 12th Annual Keep Iowa Beautiful Photography Contest. Iowans have the next six months to grab their cameras, or phones, and enter one or all of the five categories. “This is a great way for Iowans to share what they like about Iowa,” said Kevin Techau, Keep Iowa Beautiful Executive Director. “There are five categories to enter your favorite photo of what makes you proud to be an Iowan and captures the beauty and spirit of Iowa,” added Techau. “Again, this year our contest will feature over $2,000 in cash awards.”

The two-phase contest begins now with entry deadline on December 18, 2021. Each of the five categories will be awarded 1st place: $100, 2nd place: $75, and 3rd place: $50.

January 17-31, 2022, the five first-place winners will be featured on Keep Iowa Beautiful social media for voting and selecting the Public Favorite Photo. The winner will receive an additional $100. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show Awards, determined by a distinguished panel, will also be announced at that time. The Robert D. Ray Best of Show award amounts are as follows; 1st place: $500, 2nd place: $250 and 3rd place: $100.

Randi Ray, Robert and Billie Ray’s eldest daughter, has agreed to serve on a panel of judges. “Photography was one of my Dad’s favorite pastimes,” said Randi. “During his 14 years as governor, he and my Mother traveled to many places around the world and he always had a camera around his neck.” Randi added, “Dad was so proud of Iowans and their efforts to make Iowa a great place to live.”

The five categories are:

Iowa Landscape – Capture Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s landscape, including but not limited to: farm fields, rolling hills, and wooded forests.

Iowa Water- Feature Iowa’s beautiful water systems with depictions of Iowa rivers, streams, ponds and lakes.

Iowa Cities – Iowa’s urban centers are hubs of history, culture, and beauty. This category features depictions of Iowa’s cities, street scenes, and urban landmarks.

Iowans in Action – This category aims to capture the spirit of Iowa through depictions of the people that live, work, and play in Iowa. All means of action that can be captured: biking, running, fishing, hunting and hiking are but a few.

Iowa Wildlife – Iowa is home to a variety of beautiful critters. This category aims to showcase Iowa’s beauty through depictions of Iowa’s wildlife animals: mammals, fish, birds, bugs and more!

A $5 fee is required for each photo entered. Contest rules and entry guidelines are on KIB’s website: https://keepiowabeautiful.org/photography-contest/

(Des Moines, Iowa) – 2021 has been declared the year of the road trip and Iowa is ready to be at the center of it all. With an increase in road trips and RV travel this summer, the Iowa Tourism Office announced today it will provide a financial incentive for those taking a road trip to and across the state.  The Fuel Your Road Trip initiative will provide a $25 gift card via email to anyone who plans their road trip using the Build a Trip tool available at traveliowa.com (while supplies last). In addition, each week through August 31, the Iowa Tourism Office will give away a $200 gift card.

“We know that travelers are ready to hit the road, and Iowa offers endless adventure,” said Amy Zeigler, state tourism manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. “Our research shows Iowans and residents in our neighboring states are more interested in taking trips closer to home this season. Whether they’re looking for natural lakes, historic caves, fine dining or local breweries, it’s all here waiting for them in Iowa. We’re excited to help fuel that journey and assist with our industry rebound.”

As an additional incentive, participants will receive a confirmation email including hashtags for use along their road trip. Those who engage via social media during their visit will have the chance to win additional gift cards.

Tourism in Iowa generates nearly $9 billion in expenditures and $517.5 million in state taxes, while employing 70,200 people statewide. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. For more information, visit traveliowa.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa – With the fiscal year having wrapped up on June 30th, State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald’s Great Iowa Treasure Hunt passed a milestone in seeing more unclaimed property being returned, to the tune of $300 million.

Fitzgerald says “In fiscal year 2021, which ran July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021, over $18.5 million was paid out to more than 20,000 past and present Iowans through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.” He added, I look forward to what we will accomplish in the upcoming year!”

The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt has been safeguarding and returning unclaimed property since Fitzgerald created the program in 1983. Unclaimed property refers to money and other financial assets that are considered lost or abandoned when an owner cannot be located after a specific period of inactivity. Forgotten bank accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, unpaid life insurance policies and safe deposit box contents are all examples of unclaimed property.

According to Fitzgerald, “With the complexities of the pandemic, it comes as no surprise this past year was difficult for many Iowans. The average claim amount paid during this fiscal year was $925.78, so it’s great to know we were able to provide a financial relief when many needed it most.”

More than $423 million is still waiting to be claimed. Visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to begin your search and make your claim today. Keep up with all of Treasurer Fitzgerald’s programs on Facebook and Twitter.

(Updated 2:15-p.m.) Council Bluffs- Officials with Pottawattamie County Emergency Management, Saturday afternoon, said Emergency  Drinking Water can be picked up today between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm for Regional Water Association Customers  impacted by the loss of water service. Pickup locations are at the Avoca Fire Station (212 W Crocker St. Avoca IA 51521) and the Minden Fire Station (205 Main St. Minden, IA 51553).

Emergency bottled water will be available for Regional Water Association Customers with Account Codes that begin with the letters: A, C, CO, W, T, K, or P.

Officials are continuing to monitor the situation and future water distribution sites will be announced as needed. For Pottawattamie Residents that have those account codes, go to https://pcema-ia.org and register your need. The registry will ask for your contact information, address, customer code prefix identified above, and how many people are in your household. This will assist and help officials estimate water quantities.

For more details about the outage and status you can go to the Regional Water Website at https://rwrwa.org/home ,
stay tuned to your local media outlets, as well as follow our agencies Facebook and Twitter pages.

ANKENY – Iowa 3rd District Congressional Representative Cindy Axne has announced she will host two Connect With Your Congresswoman a town hall meeting in Guthrie County next Friday, July 9th.  The event  will be held at the Casey Creamery at 103 E. Logan St. in Casey, beginning at 1:30 p.m.

Rep. Axne will provide attendees an update on her legislative work in Congress and hear concerns directly from her constituents.

Cindy Axne

PALO, Iowa – Two deceased individuals were found inside a parked vehicle at Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area on Friday, July 2, 2021 around 10:45pm, when DNR parks staff were conducting routine patrols.

A DNR Park Ranger noticed a parked car in the first lot on the north side of the dam, an area that closes nightly at 10:30pm, and approached the vehicle. The ranger discovered one male and one female, both deceased, inside the vehicle.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is conducting a death investigation into this incident. Authorities believe this is an isolated incident and do not believe the public is any danger. Pleasant Creek State Recreation Area remains open for visitors and all recreational activities.

The DNR will issue a press release when more information is available.

AFTON, Iowa–The Iowa DNR received a call on Friday, July 2, 2021 regarding a milky white substance and chemical odor in an unnamed tributary that runs into Star Branch near the east edge of Afton in Union County.

DNR investigated the spill and found a milky white liquid flowing north in the small stream. Upon further investigation, a tile outlet located approximately 600 feet upstream had discharged approximately 250 gallons of Boundary herbicide.  It is believed to have come from the chemical shed at United Farmers Coop located in Afton, Iowa. Water samples were taken and will be analyzed.

A dirt berm was constructed downstream to contain the flow. An environmental contractor was contacted to assist with the cleanup. No dead fish were observed. The DNR will continue to monitor the site and consider appropriate enforcement action.

(Radio Iowa) – A donor is giving 300-thousand dollars to finance improvements at the Prairie Heritage Center in northwest Iowa. The center showcases Iowa’s tall grass prairie and features live buffalo. It’s located just off Highway 10, between Sutherland and Peterson. Gregg Struve says his donation is in honor of his parents Dan and Jean Struve. “My father was a county supervisor for 32 years here in O’Brien County and during his time the Prairie Heritage Center fundraising occurred to build the place in 2006. He was part of that, was very passionate that the center should be built down here in the southeast corner of O’Brien Country where it sits today.”

Two-hundred thousand dollars of Struve’s donation to the center is creating an endowment and the other 100-thousand is going into a fund named after his parents. There are nine miles of walking trails around the center, canoe access to the Little Sioux River and a building that houses educational displays about Iowa’s tall grass prairie. Abbie Parker, a naturalist with O’Brien County Conservation, says they are currently working on the design process for new exhibits.

“Hopefully an exhibit that will focus on the glacier times, you know, how our land was formed; Native American culture, which was super important to this area, and then how the prairie people got here as well,” she says ,”so having a sod house and a wagon that you can interact with as well as celebrating the flora and fawna of the local area as well as Iowa in general.”

Parker says they hope to start these projects in the spring of 2023. The center is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Saturday afternoons from 1 to 4.

The 8:06-a.m. broadcast News from Ric Hanson.

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