Thousands of Christmas presents will be left by mail carriers outside homes across Iowa in the coming weeks and police warn that “porch pirates” are watching and waiting to steal those packages. Jason Cloudt is with S-E-I Security Solutions, which has an office in Des Moines. He says if you’re not home to monitor what is delivered to your doorstep, you should take steps to protect your purchases.

“The most popular things out there today are video doorbells,” Cloudt says. “They’re simple little devices that can replace the button you have by your front door now. They have a camera built in.” The video doorbells come in a wide range of prices.

“The do-it-yourself items can start under $100. The professional doorbells that we install are between $250 and $350,” Cloudt says. Many of the video doorbell systems can be linked to your phone.

“Some of the less expensive options may not be tied to your smart device, but the most common devices have the ability for you to just launch an app on your phone and watch live or get an alert when there is live video – someone either pushing the button or someone who is within view of that camera on your front door,” Cloudt says.

If you’d rather not spend money on a camera system, police suggest having packages delivered to your workplace.

(Radio Iowa)

State and local authorities are investigating this (Friday) morning’s death of a child in Carroll. Law enforcement officials and Carroll County Emergency Medical Services were called to the 500 block of West 3rd Street at approximately 7:10 a.m. on the report of a four-year-old male who was not breathing. The child was transported to St. Anthony Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The name of the child is being withheld pending notification of family members. The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene.

(Radio Iowa)

A black bear was hit and killed by a vehicle on Interstate-80 near Victor last (Thursday) night.  Authorities say a 27-year-old Texas man was driving west on Interstate 80 shortly before 9:30 Thursday night when his minivan hit the bear. The driver of the minivan wasn’t hurt and neither was his passenger, but the 250-pound bear died instantly.

The van wound up in a ditch and had to be towed away. Officials say the male black bear is the same one that’s been sighted several times recently in Poweshiek County.

(Radio Iowa)

The Empowering Adair County Foundation (EACF) has awarded funding for fifteen projects for the new annual grant cycle of 10-15-17. Organizations and their projects that received funding include:

• Adair County ISU Extension with their Project: Youth Hunger & Nutrition
• Adair County Fair Foundation with their Project: Adair County Fairgrounds Restroom & Shower Facility Improvements
• Adair County Farm Bureau Federation with their Project: Growing Ag Adventure & Who’s Your Iowa Farmer?
• Adair County Health Foundation with their Project: Adair County Memorial Hospital Structure Safety
• Adair County Historical Society with their Project: 1896 Penn Avenue Church Exterior Beautification
• Adair Public Library Board of Trustees with their Project: Façade Improvements
• Boys & Girls Club of Central Southwest Iowa, Inc. with their Project: Technology Learning Center and Advancement
• Casey Historical Society with their Project: The Abram Rutt Park Citizen’s Improvement
• Greater Fontanelle Community Foundation with their Project: 2018 Fourth of July Celebration Publicity, Sound and Entertainment
• Iowa Aviation Museum with their Project: Iowa Aviation Museum & Adair County Outreach Program
• Orient Rural Fire District with their Project: Jaws of Life
• Stuart Library Foundation: People Advocating for Library Success with their Project: Replacing Aging and Failing Computers, Part II
• Sunshine Day Care Center with their Project: Increased Safety
• The Wallace Centers of Iowa with their Project: Improving Country Life Center Grounds-Keeping
• Warren Cultural Center with their Project: Warren Cultural Center Programming 2018

Grant applications were scored and reviewed by the Empowering Adair County Foundation Committee members. Applications were scored on the following criteria: Completeness of Application; Benefit to Adair County Residents; Support of Entrepreneurial Activity, Community and Leadership Development; Identification of
Community Needs; and Addressing Community Needs. The Committee’s recommendations were sent on to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines for final approval of grant disbursements.

Empowering Adair County Foundation (or EACF) was formed in 2005 to coordinate and provide philanthropic support for community betterment and to enhance the quality of life for communities in Adair County. The Foundation is governed by a 9-member board representing all areas of the county. Since inception, Empowering
Adair County Foundation has granted $1.38 million to help fund excellent projects in Adair County.

The Foundation has made some new policy changes this year. From this point forward, there will only be one grant cycle with an October 15th grant application deadline, For more information, visit the website www.extension.iastate.edu/adair and scroll down the homepage to the EACF logo and links. Other policy changes include the requirement that all grant recipients must complete a Six Month Progress report and Grant Final Report within twelve months (deadline for project completion is twelves months from receiving grant distribution checks). Photos of each project in progress and completed must be provided with the Final Report.

There are currently two seats open on the EACF Committee—one needs to represent the Bridgewater area and the other should reporesent the Stuart area. If you are interested in applying for the EACF Board please contact Deena Wells or visit the website for an application form.

For more information regarding EACF’s grant program, contact Deena Wells, Adair County ISU Extension at 641-743-8412 or dwells@iastate.edu.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce report Rob Stamp has been named the 2017 “Scrooge” for the City of Atlantic. Stamp earned his title by collecting the largest amount of donations for the Atlantic Area Chamber’s 15th Annual Scrooge Contest sponsored by Hockenberry Family Care. All contributions are donated to the Atlantic Food Pantry. The 2017 candidates included: Jack Jensen, Robinson True Value; Rob Stamp, Stamp Construction; Cody Weaver, MAHLE Engine Components and Nick Harris, Brocker, Karns & Karns. They collected a total of 9819.50 points. Two non-perishable food items equal one point and every dollar collected equals a point. The contestants will all serve as Grand Marshal in the Lighted Parade tomorrow evening beginning at 6 PM.

Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “I love seeing a community come together for such a great cause,. The candidates did a great job getting the word out and collecting as many donations they could, whether it was cash or food donations. The Food Pantry benefits a lot of people in our community, so being able to have a contest like this that benefits so many individuals and families is great.”

Eleanor Hoover has been coordinating the contest since 2002 just one year after the inaugural Lighted Parade. She said “I am so proud of our Scrooge Candidates and our community for supporting the Atlantic food Pantry. Winning is not everything, but making the effort to win is.” The Atlantic Area Chamber would like to thank everyone who donated.

Less than two months after a long-term Union County employer announced it would be eliminating 250 jobs in Creston, there’s word another plant is closing. According to the Creston News Advertiser, CHS, Incorporated is closing Jan. 30th, 2018. The plant in Creston processes food ingredients. In a letter to the employees this (Friday) morning said the closure would be permanent. There was no immediate word on how many people were losing their jobs.  According to the CHS, Inc. website, the company is a farmer-owned cooperative, a Fortune 100 company that operates in more than 450 communities in 16 states and Canada.

In October, an Illinois-based company announced production at the Ferrara Candy Company in Creston, would be closing later this month, after more then 30-years in business. It’s 256 workers were offered “Severance and transition assistance.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — New construction activity on the Iowa side of the Missouri River may benefit an eastern Nebraska city. The Omaha World-Herald reports that work will begin Friday on a mixed-use campus in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The River’s Edge development is a part of a spike in construction across the river from Omaha, Nebraska.

Co-developers Noddle Cos. and the Iowa West Foundation expect the riverfront development to attract $170 million in investment along the river’s eastern side. A Noddle Cos. official says River’s Edge could also spark development across the river in Omaha and strengthen ties between businesses and communities on either side of the river.

The Riverfront Revitalization Planning Committee is continuing to plan for ways to improve the riverfront corridor. The group includes representatives from both Omaha and Council Bluffs.