Impacts in Audubon, Chickasaw, Clarke, Greene, Humboldt, Jackson, Linn, Monona, Montgomery, Muscatine, Pocahontas, Sac, Sioux, Story, and Union counties

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 18, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Friday) announced that the Agency is investing over $1.2-million dollars in 13 grants and nearly $44-thousand dollar in 5 loans to projects in Iowa that promote rural small businesses, provide technical assistance, and support public works infrastructure.

The 18 investments were made through three different USDA programs: the Rural Business Development; Rural Economic Development, & Community Facilities Direct grants.

The Rural Business Development Grant program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small businesses.

-Greene County Development Corp. received a $95,703 grant to provide technical assistance to emerging businesses in Greene County, Iowa. The project will provide training and planning assistance to develop Nueva Vida en Greene County into a resource for rural residents. The project is expected to advance economic development and create six jobs in this rural area.

The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant program provides zero-interest loans to local utilities organizations which in turn pass the funding through to local businesses.

The Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial, or business undertakings. Recipients include:

• Loring Hospital in Sac City, which received a $37,137,700 loan to construct an addition. The project will provide 9,400 square feet of additional space to be used for a primary care clinic, an emergency patient walk-in entrance, an emergency department renovation and expansion, an updated and expanded pharmacy, a renovated laboratory, a consultation center, a new hospital entrance, specialty clinic pods with an infusion center, and therapy, cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation space. Once completed, this project will improve medical services and promote the health and safety of residents and visitors of this rural Sac County community.
• The City of Villisca received a $50,000 grant to purchase equipment for the city of Villisca. This project will provide two automated external defibrillators to the city’s ambulances. These medical devices are designed to analyze heart function in emergency situations, then deliver a shock to restore normal heart rhythm. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of residents and visitors to this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Villisca also received a $28,900 grant to purchase hydraulic rescue equipment. This project will provide a new Jaws of Life for fire department operations. This equipment will facilitate emergency response services and promote the safety of residents and visitors of this rural Montgomery County community.
• The City of Exira received a $28,900 grant to help replace the roof on the fire station. This project will provide a reliable roof to protect essential emergency service vehicles and stored equipment used by the city’s volunteer fire department. Once in service, the new fire station roof will better serve the safety needs of residents of this rural Audubon County community.
• The City of Afton received a $17,700 grant to help purchase a new early warning storm siren. This project will alert people inside the city limits during emergency situations. The siren is essential equipment which will improve public safety measures during severe weather and will help protect the residents of this rural Union County community.

USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. Office locations include a state office in Des Moines, along with area offices in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton and Waverly.