(Omaha, NE) – The Audubon County Community Foundation awarded $42,310 to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects during its Fall 2025 grant cycle.

The following organizations are Fall 2025 grant recipients:

Organization/Project/Grant amount

Audubon County Public Health –  Clinical and Home Health Equipment, $9,500

Exira Fire and Ems Association – New skid unit for fire truck, $5,000

Friendship Home – Project Warmth and Wellness, $5,000

Audubon County Agricultural Society – New Septic System for Horse/Rodeo Bathroom, $5,000

Audubon County Tourism – T-Bone Trailhead Monuments, $1,405

City of Brayton – Brayton Welcome Sign, $1,405

Exira Lions Club – Exira Lions Building Roof Replacement and More!, $10,000

Exira Public Library – Stories on Our Walls: Book Spine Mural at Exira Public Library, $5,000

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions that support community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Of the grants awarded, 25% supported health, 50% supported public/society benefit, 12.5% supported arts/culture/humanities, and 12.5% supported “other.” Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible to apply.

The Audubon County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It receives funds annually from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and
grantmaking throughout the county. This cycle of grants was made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

The Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To inquire about donating to the Audubon County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member listed below. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Audubon County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Advisory board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Pat Kaiser, Dr. Michelle Sprague, Doug Carter, Claire Asberry, Colton Jones, Cristie Knudesen, and Travis Nelson.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Sunni Kamp, Southwest Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or sunni@omahafoundation.org   For information about our grantmaking program, please contact Sarah Beth Ray, Southwest Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org

DNR News – Iowa snowmobilers are no longer required to purchase and display an annual trail user permit, according to a new law that went into effect July 1, 2024. The law folded the trail user permit into the annual snowmobile registration fee, which will now be $30 plus administration fees. The previous price for each type was $15.

Registration and permit fees for snowmobiles are placed in a dedicated account for snowmobile programs in Iowa, including the Iowa Snowmobile Trail Grant Program, which is administered through the Iowa State Snowmobile Association. The grant program supports snowmobile trail development and grooming; equipment purchases and maintenance; and trail signage in cooperation with snowmobile clubs all across Iowa. 

Snowmobilers who own a new machine or have not yet entered the snowmobile into the state registration system need to go to the County Recorder’s office in their county of residence to start the registration process. To renew an existing registration, visit the County Recorder or go online to www.gooutdoorsiowa.com.

Nonresident snowmobilers will still need to purchase and display the trail user permit, which are available at any County Recorder’s Office, through retailers that sell hunting and fishing licenses, or online at www.gooutdoorsiowa.com.

Learn more about Iowa’s snowmobile programs at: www.iowadnr.gov/snowmobiles.

(Radio Iowa) – While many Iowans are thinking of Thanksgiving next week, others are making plans to see live music in the steamy summer of 2026. The acts are being announced for the popular Hinterland Music Festival that’s held in the southwest Iowa town of Saint Charles. A total of 29 acts are being released now, with more to come. The four headliners over the four-day fest are: KATSEYE, Lorde, Mumford & Sons, and Kali Uchis, with other acts including: Jessie Murph, Santigold, Geese, Wet Leg, and Minneapolis-based Porch Light.

Founded in 2015, the concert series is billed as a music and camping festival, curated for people who love both music and the outdoors. The dates are July 30th through the August 2nd and tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday.

The venue is the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in Saint Charles, about 30 miles south of Des Moines.

www.hinterlandiowa.com

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T recently approved restarting two traffic cameras on I-380 in Cedar Rapids. D-O-T Traffic Engineer Chris Poole (Pool) says those two cameras were part of the appeals process after a new law required approval of the cameras in 2024. “We received 15 appeals. And I think we’ve we’ve gotten through seven of them,” Poole says. The appeals were required to be into the D-O-T in September of 2024. Poole says the law is very specific on what they must review for cameras. “We need to determine whether the use of a speed camera system at a location is appropriate, necessary, and the least restrictive means to address the critical traffic safety issues present at that location,” he says.

The new law dealt with all cameras operating as of January 1st of 2024. Cities and counties are required to send in a safety report each year, but Poole says the D-O-T can’t take any action on the reports for fixed cameras that don’t move. “The annual report is simply a requirement in code. We are not re reviewing anything at that time,” he says, “we are just confirming that they submitted the report and there’s no requirement for us to reanalyze anything and make a determination at that point whether we should rescind the permit.” Poole says the D-O-T can review the use of mobile speed cameras which are on trailers or in moveable vehicles. “The new law allows the D-O-T to write administrative rules regarding mobile systems. It did not provide the dot such authority for fixed systems. So we have since drafted administrative rules for mobile systems,” he says. He says the rules for mobile systems include a review of the annual reports , and other issues.

“Such as that they’re they’re not following the rules, they’re not following the law, they’re not placing them in a safe manner, or they’re not meeting the other requirements of the code,” Poole says. Cities and counties won’t have a chance to request new camera locations until the summer of next year. “We cannot issue any new permits for new systems until July 1st of 2026,” he says.

The traffic camera law was passed after years of failed attempts to ban the cameras altogether.

(Anita, IA) – A Special, electronic meeting of the CAM COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT’s Board of Education will take place beginning at 7-p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20th. The Google session is available for viewing through this link:

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jrs-kgjz-nim
Or dial: (US) +1 646-653-5550 PIN: 664 519 194#

The only action item on their agenda is “Approval of [a] Public Hearing on December 8, 2025 @ 6:30 PM to renew the district’s Instructional Support Levy.”

(Atlantic, IA) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Tuesday) morning, agreed to extend, on a month-by-month basis until June, a Fourth Judicial District/Dept. Of Corrections lease for office space at 601 Walnut Street, Suite 1.

Supervisor Mark O’Brien said since there hasn’t been a lot of forward momentum on a more permanent arrangement at this time, he made a motion to extend it through at least December, but further discussion resulted in the agreement to do so through June, assuming Court officials agree to those terms as well.

The Supervisors passed a Resolution approving the Second-Tier Certification (Canvass) of the Nov. 4, 2025 City/School Elections in Cass County. Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken provided an update on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

He said they’re wrapping up some pipe projects, and Wolken updated the status of the bridge by Massena.

Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber provided the Supervisors with a monthly report. And, the Board discussed, but took no action on reinstating a Compensation Board. Their general consensus was that there was no interest or intention in doing so at this time. Supervisor Wendy Richter…

The move means more work for the Supervisors before the budget process gets underway, but it’s a job they are willing to take on.

(Atlantic, IA)  –  Officials with the Atlantic Elks Lodge have announced, that on the evening of November 15th, in conjunction with a free meal provided to Atlantic area veterans and guests, the Atlantic Elks
Lodge was able to award ENF grant monies to three organizations. Four-thousand dollars was awarded to Natalie Ritter, Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) Nutrition Director, for the ACSD Superhero Fund, a fund set up in part to pay down the negative student meal account balance. Across the Atlantic school district, unpaid meal charges continue to accumulate as many families struggle to keep up with meal fee payments. While students are never denied a meal, the resulting debt must be paid from non-federal sources, as federal regulations prohibit the use of food service funds to cover bad debt. The Atlantic Elks say they are gratified to be able to provide funds to reduce the debt in this account which currently has a deficit of over $28,000.

Pictured are: Vicki Nordskog, Atlantic Elks Lodge grants coordinator; Natalie Ritter, ACSD Nutrition Director; and Darla Casady, Atlantic Elks Lodge grants committee member

Two-thousand dollars were then awarded to the Atlantic Kiwanis Club to help fund the Atlantic Head Start Backpack Program. The local Kiwanis Club created the Backpack Program eight years ago and has  maintained it for Atlantic Head Start families over the ensuing years. The program encompasses meal planning and working with Cass Health hospital staff regarding special dietary needs. There is coordination with local grocery stores and other food sources to acquire the produce and other meal items, along with recipes and other food preparation tips, to fill student’s backpacks at the end of each week of the school year. This year the Kiwanis Club hopes to expand the program to provide summer assistance as well as cooking classes and kitchen supplies. In addition to assistance with funding, Atlantic Elks Lodge members participate in crafting and reading activities with the children, and will also help with cooking classes and the acquisition of the kitchen supplies.

Lastly, $4,000 was awarded to the STEPS Family Treatment Court. S.T.E.P.S. stands for ’Success Through Empowering Parent’s Sobriety’. Family treatment courts (FTCs) are a specialized type of court where the courts and communities partner to support parents involved with the child welfare system who are struggling with substance abuse or mental health issues. The primary goal of FTCs is to safely reunite families by addressing parental substance abuse disorder and mental health needs, promoting long-term recovery, and ensuring children’s well-being. This is accomplished by intensive case management, frequent judicial monitoring, and access to a range of services and supports to address the unique needs of each family. Treatment teams include a judge, child welfare professional(s), substance use treatment professionals, attorneys, Iowa Department of Human Services case worker(s), family in-home services workers, mental health providers, domestic violence advocates and other agencies as needed.

Pictured are: Dianna and Bob Essington, Kiwanis Club members, and Carol Rosenbaum, Atlantic Elks Lodge grants committee.

In addition to completing their addiction or mental health treatment, individuals undergo regular drug screening, are asked to perform community service work and, at the appropriate point in their recovery,
are given the opportunity to participate in supervised family reunification activities. There has been an eighty percent reunification success rate for the families involved in the FTC program versus only seventeen percent without the program. The monies provided by the Atlantic Elks Lodge will assist the FTC program by providing funding to purchase incentives, fund family events, and purchase graduation gifts. The Elks will also provide venues and activities for the parents in the program to fulfill their community assistance requirements, and for the parents and children to participate in family reunification events.

Annually, B.P.O.E. (Benevolent Protective Order of Elks) Lodges nationwide are eligible to apply for various grants from the Elks National Foundation (ENF). The mission of ENF is to help Elks build stronger communities by investing in communities where Elks live and work.

Pictured are: District Court Judge Justin Wyatt; Karen Mailander, attorney and child advocate; and Sherry Kramer, FTC board member and Atlantic Elks Lodge grants committee member.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa –  Officials with Iowa REALTORS report the State’s housing market showed continued resilience in October, capitalizing on a surging September. With a noticeable influx in new listings and steady sales activity, all signs point to an active and strong winter market to come. According to Iowa REALTORS organization President Travis Bushaw, “[the] Iowa real estate market is an exception to the most the country through October, and we are confident our state’s affordability will continue to drive more sales.” Bushaw says “There is strong optimism as we wrap up the last quarter of 2025. Our single family residence appreciation is well ahead of the the nationwide median, and we are multiple percentage points ahead of the rest of the US when it comes to closed sales. With the potential for another interest rate cut, this could be a busy holiday season as buyers see significant inventory still coming to the market.”

New listings continued to provide a bright spot for the fall market, jumping 14.3% to 4,497 new listings in October from the 3,936 of one year ago. Monthly, the jump remained sizable, increasing 6.5% from 4,222 new listings joining the market in September.  Active inventory advanced to nearly 10,000 homes on the market in October. In total, active inventory reached 9,968 single-family properties, a 15.2% increase from the 8,654 properties listed in October 2024, and a 6.5% increase from the 9,426 listings of a month ago. Closed sales saw positive gains in both yearly and monthly measurements. The 3,111 closed sales of single-family homes in October represent a 2.1% increase from the 3,049 homes sold in October 2024. The increase in sales was slightly higher monthly, increasing 3% from the 3,022 sales recorded in September.

Median sales price increased across the board to $250,000; jumping 6.4% from the $235,000 of a year ago, and 2.5% from the $244,000 of September. Following suit, days on the market increased 10.5% to 21 days from the 19 recorded in October 2024, and 5% from the 20 days last month. Continued momentum in the market could bode well for both buyers and sellers as we enter the typically slower winter housing market season, said Les Sulgrove, Iowa REALTORS® statewide housing analyst. “As we head into the winter months, we typically see a seasonal slowdown, but the current momentum suggests activity may stay stronger than usual,” Sulgrove said. “With more inventory available and buyer confidence holding steady, we could see continued movement even in what’s traditionally a quieter market.”

Condo & Townhomes
The condo and townhome market continued to grow in mid-fall, increasing inventory and seeing a stable sales period. New listings grew 2.6% to 591 listings in October from the 576 new listings joining the market a year ago. The metric saw a 5% increase when compared to the 563 new listings of the prior month. Active inventory saw substantial growth year-over-year, increasing 17.9% to 1,963 condo and townhome properties listed in October from the 1,165 active listings of October 2024. Monthly, the increase was more subtle – a 4.2% jump – from the 1,884 active listings of September. Closed sales remained mostly stable both yearly and monthly, decreasing 0.2% in both measures to 417 closed sales for October from the 418 recorded previously.  Median days on market increased to 28 days in October, a 16.7% increase from the 24 day median days of the prior year. Days on market dropped 22.2% from the high of 36 days last month. Median sales price decreased 0.6% to $243,995 year-over-year, and increased 6.1% monthly from the $230,000 median sales price of September.

A deeper look at statewide metrics showed that sales were recorded in every county in the state, a measure that can be seen on the Iowa REALTORS® all-county market statistics map. While metro areas of the state led the way in number of sold homes, smaller counties still claimed at least one sale in October. “We’re seeing median sales price outpacing figures from a year ago, which means that prices aren’t rising dramatically, but at a normal, healthy increase,” Sulgrove said. ” It’s good to see that we’re on track where we were last year. Almost exactly on track.”

(Guthrie Center, IA) – The Guthrie Center CSD Board of Education will hold their Annual meeting of the retiring school board and an organizational meeting of the New Board on Wednesday, Nov. 19th. Their meetings begin at 7-p.m. In the AC/GC High School Media Center. During the annual meeting, the retiring board will act on approving an Abstract of Votes from the Nov. 4, 2025 School Election, and a bid or bids s for High School Front Stairs. They will conclude with recognition of retiring Board Members.

The agenda for the New Guthrie Center School Board includes:

• The administering of the Oath of Office to Newly Elected Board Members
• The election of a Board President & Vice-President, along with administering the Oath of Office.
• Setting the regular meeting dates/times/location of Board meetings.

The Board will also act on approving the resignations of:

• Custodian Shawn Worline
• Head Cross County Coach & Asst. Track, Rick Blake

They will also act on a Contract Recommendations for Justin Slaybaugh – Volunteer Wrestling Coach.

Discussion items for the GC Board include:

• A Whole Grade Sharing Agreement
• General Fund Financial 5-year Projection, and
• GC Elementary Playground.

Other Board Action Items include:

• Grandwood Consortium Agreement
• Approve the sale of Bus #12
• Approve a lawn mower purchase, and,
• Approval of 600-through 900- series Board Policies (1^st Reading).

(Radio Iowa) – Alliant Energy is seeking a construction permit for a project in northern Kossuth County that would add a battery storage system to the Golden Plains Wind Farm. Alliant Project Manager Justin Foss says the system would be between Lakota and Buffalo Center. “We are trying to urgently respond to rapidly growing demand on our system and the overall power grid a whole,” Foss says. The Iowa Utilities Commission approved the battery storage project this fall and Alliant is now seeking a local permit. If approved, construction would begin early next year.

The Golden Plains Wind Farm went online in March of 2020. Its 82 wind turbines are located in northern Kossuth and Winnebago Counties, producing around 200 Megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power an average of 73,000 homes each year.