The Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors recently approved more than $4 million in grants and initiatives funding to 22 nonprofit organizations and government entities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

The Council Bluffs Community School District received $404,000 in initiative funding to continue implementing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School Program at both Kirn and Wilson Middle Schools. CBCSD also received $100,000 to continue the implementation of BLink – Council Bluff’s free Wi-Fi – across the city.

Additionally, Tri-Center Schools received $50,000 to launch their preschool program for 3-year-olds and start a before- and after-care program for students in the district. AHSTW Community Schools received an $85,492 grant to purchase equipment in support of their career and technical education programming.

The Iowa West Board also approved Phase 1 funding totaling $1,700,000 for the West Broadway Reconstruction project. Pottawattamie County received $222,500 for the implementation of a rural recycling center to be located just north of Oakland. The centralized location will offer recycling to rural Pottawattamie County residents for the first time, and allow for the sale of items that can be repurposed, such as construction material and paint, items that previously were deemed waste.

In addition, the Foundation awarded nearly $50,000 to five Pottawattamie County fire departments as part of its ongoing commitment to rural southwest Iowa communities. The Avoca, Neola and Treynor Volunteer Fire Departments and the Macedonia Fire and Rescue each received $10,000 and the Minden Fire and Rescue Department received $9,752, all for equipment upgrades.

The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $400 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on economic development, education, placemaking and healthy families. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.iowawestfoundation.org.

Grants and Initiatives:

• Avoca Hancock Shelby Tennant Walnut (AHSTW) Community Schools – Career & Technical Education Equipment, $85,492
• City of Council Bluffs – Sternhill Park – Art in the Park, $54,500; West Broadway Beautification/Phase 1 $1,700,000
• City of Shelby – Sewer System Improvement $150,000
• Council Bluffs Community School District – Blink IV City Wi-Fi network $100,000;Middle Schools’ International Baccalaureate Program, Year 2 $404,000.
• Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs – Neighborhood Network $70,000
• Pottawattamie Arts Culture & Entertainment (PACE) – Arts and Culture Center, $408,195.
• Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors – Rural Recycling Center, $222,500
• Red Oak Grand Theatre, Inc. – Phase II – Theatre Addition, $90,000
• Tri-Center Community School District – Preschool/Before & After School Programming, $50,000
• Fire Departments:
• Avoca Volunteer Fire Department – $10,000
• Macedonia Fire & Rescue – $10,000
• Minden Volunteer Fire & Rescue – $9,752
• Neola Volunteer Fire Department – $10,000
• Treynor Volunteer Fire Department – $10,000

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A $1 million donation will create a permanent home for a theater, ballet company and community orchestra in Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil reports Polina and Bob Schlott’s donation will be used to transform the empty Harvester II building into the Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center, in Council Bluffs.

The culture center will include the Polina and Bob Schlott Performing Arts Center, which will house the Chanticleer Community Theater, the Kanesville Symphony and Ballet Nebraska. Ballet Nebraska will rename itself the American Midwest Ballet beginning in the 2018-19 season. The company will continue to perform in Omaha and Council Bluffs.

Renovations are estimated to cost $18.5 million. Construction is expected to begin next spring and the building should be ready for occupancy in 2019.

MUSCATINE COUNTY, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources law enforcement conservation officers have charged two men after an investigation of illegal netting in an Iowa river.

The DNR received a tip in June about a hoop net in the Cedar River in rural Muscatine County believed to be being used for illegal netting. After DNR law enforcement conservation officers conducted their investigation, on June 2nd, 31-year old Cody Frye, of Nichols, Iowa, and 30-year old Derek Brase, of Wilton, Iowa, were charged with running illegal commercial fishing gear on the Cedar River, among other charges.

DNR officer Joe Fourdyce said the men were intending to catch catfish, “But because of their lack of experience and knowledge of commercial fishing, they did not catch any catfish. However, because they were not attending the net frequently enough, they ended up killing some rough fish and soft shell turtles.”

Both Frye and Brase were each charged with one (1) count of the following:

·         Unlawful use of commercial gear in prohibited water

·         Failure to attend commercial gear

·         No valid commercial fishing license

·         Unlawful take of softshell turtles

·         Unlawful take of buffalo

·         No commercial fishing gear tag.

Each of the men was fined a total of $792. The DNR encourages the reporting of poaching or other illegal activity related to our natural resources by anonymously calling the DNR Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-532-2020.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report two men were taken into custody, Tuesday, on warrants. 20-year old Joshua Poe and 19-year old Alex Lauenroth, both of Glenwood were arrested on Mills County warrants for Assault with a weapon. Both men later posted a $2,000 bond or surety.

And, 44-year old John Molnar, of Glenwood, was arrested this (Wednesday) morning, for Domestic Abuse Assault and Criminal Mischief. Molnar was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending a court appearance.

Authorities say a traffic stop in Shenandoah Tuesday resulted in two people being arrested on drug charges. Shenandoah Police Department stopped a vehicle for having no license at Orchard Corners near Highway 59. Following an investigation and deployment of the K-9 Unit, officers located methamphetamine, marijuana, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Taken into custody was 32-year old Kenton Schooling and 30-year-old Tiffany Wood, both of Shenandoah. They were being held in the Fremont County Jail on $100,000 bond each, on charges that include possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The driver of the vehicle, Monte Newton, of Shenandoah, was cited for operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The office of U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is seeking Iowa college students and recent graduates for internship opportunities in the Washington, D.C. and Iowa offices for fall 2017. Internship applications are available here:

https://www.ernst.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/internships

Ernst said in a press release, that “Whether in Washington, D.C. or one of our state offices, a congressional internship provides the next generation of leaders with insight into the issues most important to Iowans and gives them the opportunity to learn more about policy, constituent services, communications and more. She encourages any Iowa college students and recent graduates that are interested to apply for an internship.

Interns will have the opportunity to experience a wide-range of responsibilities. In the Iowa offices, interns will assist constituents and attend local events. In the Washington, D.C. office, interns will learn about communications, the legislative process, give tours of the U.S. Capitol and help with constituent services.

Applications for fall 2017 can be submitted to Ernst_Internships@ernst.senate.gov. For student/parent questions, please contact Erica Wenig at Erica_Wenig@ernst.senate.gov.

Senator Ernst was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate. In Washington, Senator Ernst serves on four Senate committees: Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Environment and Public Works; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

Officials with Exira Fire and Rescue report Washington Street in Exira is once again open to traffic. The street had been closed since early last Friday morning, when crews from at least 30 different departments from as far as 45 miles away battled a stubborn blaze that destroyed four businesses on a city block.

Exira Fire Chief Mike Bintner said today (Wednesday), that the State Fire Marshal is expected to update him on the status of the investigation later today, and that some insurance company investigators will be in town as well. No new flare-ups have been reported since Sunday.

The incident remains under investigation.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for a Nebraska man accused of threatening Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa. U.S. Magistrate Judge Helen Adams on Tuesday ordered the transfer of 64-year-old Robert Simet, of Omaha, from the Pottawattamie County Jail in Council Bluffs, to the Douglas County Jail in Omaha, where he’ll be held while undergoing an evaluation. Simet is charged with threatening a U-S official.

An arrest affidavit says employees of a motorcycle shop in Pacific Junction, Iowa, told an FBI agent that Simet had been there July 5th. During that visit, Simet made several statements about Ernst, including that he believes she is a member of the Islamic State group and that he “could kill” her during a July 10 event at the motorcycle shop.

Officials with the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) have announced the release of the Community Services Network (CSN) 3.0. The system is used by county community services professionals and providers to manage budgets, payments, client information, and outcomes data.

CSN is a robust, web-based management information system that is currently used by 98 counties in Iowa. Polk County will begin using the system this year. CSN launched in January 2010 for the primary purposes of tracking and managing mental health data by county community services departments. CSN now handles all aspects of client care coordination including case notes, funding authorizations, financial services such as claim payments, integration with county auditor’s accounting systems and budgeting.

Within the past two years the system has expanded to offer functionality to additional county departments including General Assistance, Substance Abuse, and Veteran Affairs. The latest release has improved the experience of the end user, enhanced and improved security, added many new features, as well as integrated community services providers into CSN.

CSN is regularly audited and has been certified as fully HIPAA compliant. The system also incorporates the additional Iowa Code security regulations, and users are required to follow strict security guidelines to keep consumer information safe and secure. The mental health disability services system recently shifted from a county to a region-based system. CSN helped to allow counties to undertake the transition more easily.

Bill Peterson, ISAC Executive Director stated, “CSN 3.0 will continue to help government employees do their job efficiently and accurately while saving costs for the tax paying citizens of Iowa.”

If interested in learning more about how your agency or entity can use CSN, please contact ISAC’s IT Manager, Jeanine Scott, 515.244.7181

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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