Podcasts about iowa economic development authority

Debi Durham, the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) joins Dennis to discuss the role of a state economic development director.  Fifteen years ago, what was the state of economic development? Fast forward 15 years, and how has economic development changed? Through two main divisions – business development and community development the IEDA administers almost 50 state and federal programs to assist individuals, communities, and businesses. That is a lot of plates to spin at one time. How big is the IEDA team? As a state, does Iowa target specific sectors for projects? Every state has advantages and disadvantages. How do you work to sell the sizzle for Iowa? How competitive are projects between the states? At the local level, we are used to projects from the state, utility, or rail partners. How do projects flow to the IEDA? Let's talk about the changes in the economic development landscape for projects, starting with the rise of certified sites. Incentives are always a controversial topic. How have incentives changed during your tenure, and what are your views on incentives? What advice for frontline economic development professionals do you have when competing for projects or existing industry expansions? What do you wish every economic development professional knew about when responding to RFIs? Debi, look into your crystal ball. What do you think economic development will look like in 10 years? Debi Durham Debi Durham is a longtime economic and community development professional who serves as Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). Durham was named to the positions by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in January 2019. Durham was first appointed to lead IEDA in 2011, and during her eight-year tenure, has turned the agency into a successful public-private partnership, landed billion-dollar economic development projects for Iowa and worked tirelessly on expanding trade and investment opportunities for the state. She prides herself on building coalitions, supporting new ventures and strengthening the state's industries and communities. Prior to joining IEDA, Durham served as president of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. Her several accolades include being recognized as one of the "Most Influential Business Leaders" in the 2019 Des Moines Business Record Book of Lists and receiving the Technology Association of Iowa's "Legislative Advocacy Leader" award in 2017. Durham also was recognized by the Business Record as a "Woman of Influence" in 2016. Durham holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing and Management from Missouri Southern State University. The Iowa Economic Development Authority's (IEDA) mission is to strengthen economic and community vitality by building partnerships and leveraging resources to make Iowa the choice for people and business. Through two main divisions – business development and community development – IEDA administers several state and federal programs to meet its goals of assisting individuals, communities and businesses. Expand Your Business Accelerated Career Education (260G) Angel Investor Tax Credit Business Expansion & Strategic Trends (BEST) Business License Information Center Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Program Community College Consortium Demonstration Fund Economic Development Set-Aside (EDSA) Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) Entrepreneurial Investment Awards (EIA) Program High Quality Jobs (HQJ)  IASourceLink Industrial New Jobs Training (260E) Innovation Acceleration Fund Innovation Fund Tax Credit International Trade Office Iowa Apprenticeship Programs Iowa Jobs Training (260F) Iowa Student Internship Program New Jobs Tax Credit Proof of Commercial Relevance Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit Research Activities Tax Credit SBIR & STTR Outreach Programs Stem Internship Program Targeted Jobs Withholding Tax Credit Targeted Small Business Program Wage Requirements Grow Your Community Annexation, Discontinuance and Land Planning Clean Cities Program Community Catalyst Building Remediation Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Programs Community Facilities & Services Destination Iowa Disaster Recovery Disaster Workforce Housing Tax Credits Downtown Resource Center Downtown Revitalization Fund Employment Transportation Empower Rural Iowa Endow Iowa Energy Infrastructure Revolving Loan Program Enhance Iowa Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program Housing Rehabilitation Iowa Energy Center Grant Program Iowa Energy Office Iowa Green Streets Iowa Reinvestment Districts Main Street Iowa Nuisance Property and Abandoned Building Remediation Opportunities and Threats Fund Opportunity Zones Redevelopment Tax Credits Rural Housing Assessment Grant Program Rural Innovation Grant Program Shop Iowa Sustainable Land Use Planning Water & Sewer Fund Workforce Housing Tax Credit  

Iowa Business Report Friday EditionAug. 30, 2024      Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi Durham discusses state/local partnerships as being key to economic development efforts.

Iowa Business Report Tuesday EditionApril 30, 2024         Debi Durham of the Iowa Economic Development Authority says attracting new business to Iowa requires a partnership between the state and local officials.

On this edition of the Iowa Business Report: The opportunities and challenges of attracting business to the state is discussed by Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi Durham.Congressman Zach Nunn (R-IA03) is working to reduce government red tape adversely affecting small businesses through introduction of a new bill on the topic.   And in this week's "Business Profile",  you'll hear about Around the Corner Productions in Cedar Falls in a conversation with founder and president Eric Braley.For more, go to totallyiowa.com and click on the "radio programs" link.    Support for the Iowa Business Report radio program and podcast comes from the Iowa Business Council, online at iowabusinesscouncil.org.      

Iowa Business Report Monday EditionApril 15, 2024      Iowa Economic Development Authority director Debi Durham on what many misunderstand about the agency's work.

In this episode, Kemin production team members Guillermo Garcia and Jeff Grenier talk about Kemin's plans for a $28M expansion at its global headquarters, how they are recruiting globally to meet demands in their Des Moines headquarters and globally to become Kemin's largest pet food manufacturing plant in South America and its acquisition of GLF Ingredienti Alimentari to strengthen its position in the EMEA meat industry. As they open their new manufacturing facility in Verona, Missouri, to produce its Proteus® line of clean-label functional proteins, they become the first facility to do so. Jeff and Guillermo talk about global recruiting, production, and dig deep on how this new warehouse facility will bring a whole new level of efficiency and coordination for the global giant.  With its roots in Des Moines, Kemin's story is a treasure trove of best practices in culture, automation, biotechnology and agriscience.  Take a listen!  You'll be glad you did.  For more information on this amazing company, go to: https://www.kemin.com/na/en-us/company/curiosity. They epitomize innovation and create a valuable manufacturing titan to showcase all things possible.   Thanks to the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Toggle for their generous sponsorship.  Hear the full show:  https://iowapodcast.com/kemin-manufacturing               

Meet Emily Steele, a successful Iowa-based business owner, who's sharing the 3 things that have had the most influence on her career journey including her unique twist on influencer marketing. You'll learn:The impact your location can have on your career successDefining your own version of success—and how that drives your purpose at workThe power of local networking with Iowan entrepreneurs How Emily is building a thriving business without sacrificing lifestyleShow Notes:Iowa Economic Development Authority: This episode is sponsored by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Learn more about what it's like to build a life and career in Iowa: https://bit.ly/41Tm4B3https://www.facebook.com/iowaeconomicdevelopment https://www.linkedin.com/company/iowa-economic-development-authority-ieda-/ Guest Resources:Emily Steele Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emily.steele/ Hummingbirds: https://www.instagram.com/hummingbirdshqCareer Contessa ResourcesWeekly Newsletter Sign-Up: http://bit.ly/37hqtQWFollow Career Contessa: http://bit.ly/2TMH2QP Book 1:1 career coaching session: https://www.careercontessa.com/hire-a-mentor/Take an online course: https://www.careercontessa.com/education/Get your personalized salary report: https://www.careercontessa.com/the-salary-project/Browse open jobs: https://www.careercontessa.com/jobs/This episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct, or indirect financial interest in products, or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear MediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the weekend!This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Saturday, November 25th, and Sunday, November 26th, 2023.According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be cloudy, with a high near 36. Saturday nightwill be cloudy with a low of 27 and a 60% chance of snow with potential accumulation of around an inch.Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35 and a chance of more snow in the early morning with about a half inch of potential accumulation.Cedar Rapids picks HACAP to run Wellington Heights affordable housing projectOnce rehabilitation work is complete this spring on a once-blighted building in Wellington Heights, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program will own and operate the old Colonial Centre property that the city of Cedar Rapids is transforming into affordable housing.The Cedar Rapids City Council this week approved HACAP's proposal to own and manage the building now dubbed “The Heights” at 1500 Second Ave. SE. When construction is complete in March, this city project will offer 25 affordable rental units and be turned over to HACAP to run.Guaranty Bank site among five Cedar Rapids projects awarded redevelopment tax creditsAmong the five Cedar Rapids projects that were recently awarded redevelopment tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, local developer Steve Emerson's proposed transformation of the old Guaranty Bank block received a major boost.The former Guaranty Bank and World Theater building at 222 Third St. SE, as well as the building that once housed the Dragon Chinese restaurant at 329 Second Ave. SE, received brownfield/grayfield redevelopment tax credits from the IEDA board.These tax credits help transform sites that are abandoned, blighted or underused. Brownfield sites are industrial or commercial properties where there's environmental contamination. Grayfield sites are public buildings, industrial or commercial properties that have infrastructure in place, but the property is otherwise underused.Complaints pile up as Iowa ranks 49th among states in nursing home inspectorsA federal report suggests Iowa has one of the nation's worst ratios of nursing home inspectors to care facilities, and that the state's use of private contractors to inspect homes is extraordinarily costly to taxpayers.The report, published in May by the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, highlights some of the issues Iowa regulators have acknowledged with regard to nursing home oversight.One of the Iowa homes that recently caught the attention of regulators is the Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines. This past July, state officials visited the home to conduct an inspection, but not before the home had racked up 13 complaints — the oldest of which dated back 109 days, to March 3.Have a good weekend, everyone.

Sheri Penney, Director of the Iowa Women's Foundation Employment Engagement, works with communities across Iowa to develop childcare solutions driving thousands of working parents back into the workforce.  With over 300,000 childcare openings statewide, there's a long way to go.  Funded by the Iowa Economic Development Authority through a three-year grant, Sheri has already seen success.  Communities like Hamilton County have seen over 100 employees go back into productive careers because of increased capacity in their childcare system.  The key to these partnerships is employer input and engagement.  Many manufacturers are partnering to serve their employment base. Full show details are at https://iowapodcast.com/sheri-penney-manufacturing            *** You just got a free box of teeth whitening strips from Brady Dental Care! Sign up as a new patient to get your free kit. https://bradydentalcare.com/hello 

Welcome to the weekend!This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Saturday, September 23rd, and Sunday, September 24th, 2023.According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 82 with a 10 percent chance of showers after 5pm. Saturday night will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Chance of precipitation is 70% and the low will be 61.Sunday, showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm with a high near 70. Sunday night will be Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.Iowa lowers top corporate income tax rateIowa's top corporate income tax rates will fall for the second year in a row to 7.1 percent.Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a tax law in 2022 that included a trigger to decrease corporate tax rates if revenue exceeded $700 million. Taxes in fiscal year 2023 were $838 million, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue.Based on the 2022 law's formula, corporate tax rates will fall to 7.1 percent in the highest two brackets. The tax rate for those brackets was 8.4 percent last year.For businesses that bring in up to $100,000, the tax rate will remain at 5.5 percent, which is intended to be the flat tax rate for all businesses by 2028.The same 2022 law included individual income tax cuts, gradually phasing Iowa's tax rate at a flat 3.9 percent by tax year 2026. Iowa's revenue is expected to drop by $1.89 billion once the tax cuts take full effect.Lost solar project exposes obstacles to luring big business to IowaA large solar energy manufacturer at one point was looking to build in Iowa but chose Louisiana instead, in part because Iowa could not offer the same public incentives, according to the state's economic development chief.Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, told The Gazette that Iowa lost out on the opportunity to attract the manufacturer that was looking to build in Waterloo. The state “would have won” but “didn't have enough incentives” to keep the company from looking to Louisiana.Durham did not provide details of the proposed project or the name of the company. An authority spokeswoman said she could not share more information, and that communications with and about business prospects are confidential.A bill proposed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority to provide a package of state tax incentives to try to lure a major business development to Iowa stalled in the Iowa House on the final day of the 2023 legislative session.University of Iowa wants $50M from state to improve rural health careTaking a cue from last year's Legislature, which tied its full Board of Regents funding increase to specific campus initiatives, Iowa's public universities for the upcoming session have made significant “special purpose” funding requests — on top of their ask for $14.8 million more in “general” appropriations.In total, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa are seeking $23.5 million more for “special” projects and initiatives in the 2025 budget year that starts July 1. And UI's $10 million portion of that ask will only start what the campus envisions as a five-year, $50 million “rural Iowa health care partnership.”When combined with the regents' request for $14.8 million more in “general” appropriations, the board's full ask amounts to a $38.3 million bump over this year — for total education appropriations of $599 million in fiscal 2025. The board last year wanted a total increase of $34.7 million — with the vast majority sought in the form of general dollars the universities could use broadly toward their campus missions and operations.But lawmakers gave them no general

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for August 24, 2023.There will be one more day at or near 100 degree peak Thursday before we head back down the temperature slope again. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 102 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area.Although most schools and universities in the area have air conditioning to deal with the heat, that doesn't necessarily account for living arrangements.Of UNI's six traditional halls, three apartment-style halls and one suite-style hall, six — including Dancer — don't have air-conditioning.Of Iowa State University's 20 residence halls, half include rooms that aren't air-conditioned — meaning about one-third of ISU's thousands of on-campus residents are sleeping in the excessive heat.Although all the 11 University of Iowa residence halls are equipped with air, the campus has shared safety information with students, warned that departments holding events might need to “make decisions” and said officials are “closely monitoring the high heat indices.”The ISU Department of Residence has made cooled dorm dens available around the clock and disseminated other tips on how to stay comfortable and on where to go to get out of the heat. ISU has made available a supply of fans at residence hall front desks for students to check out.“Here are some tips,” according to a message ISU Housing posted on Instagram. “Go swimming at State Gym. Go to the library. Veteran dorm residents: what are your favorite tips for staying cool during the first couple weeks?”“Please put AC in all the dorms,” one person replied, echoing several other comments.A motorcycle that crashed into the rear of a sport utility vehicle was what caused a massive backup Tuesday afternoon on northbound Interstate 380, according to police.Officers were called to the scene at 4:52 p.m. Tuesday on I-380 near the Seventh Street NE exit, on the S-curve through downtown. A motorcyclist heading north had rear-ended an SUV traveling in the same direction, throwing the driver from the motorcycle.The motorcyclist was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries, police said. No other injuries were reported. The crash remains under investigation and charges are pending, according to the police department.Several housing projects in the Corridor will get a boost from workforce housing tax credits recently awarded by the state — adding 458 residential units in the area, with Cedar Rapids projects driving the influx of housing.Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority recently announced $38 million in workforce housing tax credits across 59 statewide housing projects, supporting the creation of more than 2,000 residential units in Iowa, according to a news release.Six Cedar Rapids projects were awarded $3.4 million combined, supporting 320 new housing units — more than any other city received in value, and equal to Des Moines in number of projects.

At a recent meeting of the bipartisan Iowans Supporting Israel the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority , Debi Durham, spoke about her experiences while visiting there and what opportunities there are in both Iowa and Israel for future expansion. Here you'll learn about the verticals Iowa excels in, a discussion about other nations and the workforce issue that nearly every business here and...everywhere...is facing. A conversation with Debi Durham. Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

One of the stories we just didn't have time for is about beef prices and here it is: USDA released retail meat prices detailing what consumers were paying for meat in June. All fresh aggregate retail prices of beef hit new all-time highs in June, increasing to $7.57 per pound, about 3 cents per pound over the previous record high in October of 2021. Retail fresh beef prices are 3.1% higher than last year at this time. Retail pork prices continued to decline, coming in at $4.68 per pound, about 5% lower than last June. Broiler retail prices ticked higher. The composite price is 2% higher than last year but just under a new cord high by 4 cents. Now you know and welcome to the Business News Headlines for Thursday the 27th of July.  Don't miss out on the conversation below with Debi Durham from the Iowa Economic Development Authority as we talk about Iowa, Israel and the unique location of the Hawkeye State.  Click ahead for the news and, if you're on Threads you can find us @Insight_On_Business. And you can hook up with us all day on Twitter @IOB_NewsHour and on Instagram.  Here's what we've got for you today: Tick Spit and Red Meat...no, this is real; Surprise says the U.S. economy; The White House weighs into housing issues; Tesla and a "secret suppression" group; Tipping...getting out of control and why; The Wall Street Report; Today is "Black Women's Equal Pay Day". What that means. For the interview we're joined by Debi Durham the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority who recently addressed Iowans for Israel about economic opportunities, the unique location Iowa enjoys and so much more. To listen to that conversation just click here. Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

It's the Business News Headlines for Tuesday the 18th day of July, thanks for coming by! A quick programing note: We'll be featuring a couple of new interviews this week one is about a metro based no-kill shelter that takes in "special needs" cats and dogs and we'll also chat with the Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Debi Durham about Iowa, Israel, workforce and innovation. Yes, we cover it all it would seem. Those stories and more coming to you this week. Oh, on Threads you can find us @Insight_On_Business. And you can hook up with us all day on Twitter @IOB_NewsHour and on Instagram.  Here's what we've got for you today: Aviation and Congress what it's about; Taco Tuesday, Taco Johns and Taco Bell; The retail report some good news and well... Asking for retail pharmacy help to lower drug prices; Living alone has become quite the thing; The Wall Street Report; Banks Healthy...Startups Not-So-Much. Thanks for listening! The award winning Insight on Business the News Hour with Michael Libbie is the only weekday business news podcast in the Midwest. The national, regional and some local business news along with long-form business interviews can be heard Monday - Friday. You can subscribe on PlayerFM, Podbean, iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or TuneIn Radio. And you can catch The Business News Hour Week in Review each Sunday Noon on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. The Business News Hour is a production of Insight Advertising, Marketing & Communications. You can follow us on Twitter @IoB_NewsHour...and on Threads @Insight_On_Business.

In this podcast episode, Leisa Fox explores the significance of manufacturing in Iowa with guest Debbie Durham, Director at Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority. Iowa has a rich history of supplying the world with various products, and manufacturing holds the largest share in the state's GDP. The industry has a substantial impact on employment, with 3.6 supportive jobs created for every manufacturing job. Iowa received top marks for manufacturing health in 2020, highlighting its strong economy and diverse manufacturing sector. Despite agriculture's association with Iowa, manufacturing surpasses it as the leading industry. While agriculture contributes around 8-9% to the GDP, manufacturing makes up approximately 18%. However, the foundational role of agriculture is also recognized as many manufacturing plants are located in Iowa due to its agricultural resources.  Full show details are at https://iowapodcast.com/debbie-durham-manufacturing  

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Thursday, April 6.Thursday will have a bit of a chill to it, but it will be sunny. This will set a sunny, and increasingly warm, trend for the next week. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 52 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The wind will calm down a bit as well, sticking at 5 to 15 mph with mild gusts. Thursday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 31 degrees.Mercy Iowa City held a series of “all staff” meetings Wednesday to announce upcoming changes for the 234-bed hospital — including a new chief executive, another operations improvement consultant and a plan to end its relationship with partner MercyOne.Mercy Iowa City's 13-member board appointed Tom Clancy, who serves as chair of the board, to take the reins as Mercy's new CEO tasked with turning the hospital's fortunes around after recent financial hardships.In his email, Clancy acknowledged fiscal challenges facing the hospital and said the board has hired ToneyKorf Partners to develop and implement a plan to help Mercy “improve its operations.” ToneyKorf is a New York management and advisory firm specialized in “helping health care organizations address complex and critical challenges.”MercyOne will continue to serve Mercy patients during the transitional period as it has before. Mercy Iowa City considered seeking a new partner before, but did not find a partner organization that matched its needs, pulling back to MercyOne in 2022.A Cedar Rapids man already in prison on a burglary conviction now faces a murder charge in a 2020 fatal shooting.Damontie Haggstrom-Wells, 20, has been moved from prison to the Linn County Jail to face charges of first-degree murder, first-degree attempted burglary and going armed with intent, in the May 22, 2020, shooting of Daniel Spangler, according to a news release from Cedar Rapids police.Spangler, 69, was found dead in his home in the 500 block of B Ave NW that day after police were asked to do a welfare check.Iowa was one of only four states to turn down $3 million in federal money for planning to prevent climate change after a state official advised against it because there were “strings attached.”The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offered each state $3 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to come up with a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create green energy jobs, lower energy costs for families and reduce air pollution, among other objectives.Governors had until last Friday to file notice they planned to apply for the grants. Iowa, Florida, Kentucky and South Dakota were the only states that declined to participate, the EPA confirmed Wednesday.Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Finance Authority and the Iowa Economic Development Authority, told the finance authority board Wednesday she recommended Gov. Kim Reynolds not seek the federal money, saying there were “strings attached.”

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, April 5.It'll be breezy again Wednesday, but we'll swap in colder temperatures instead of severe weather. According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with temperatures falling to around 40 degrees by 10 a.m. The high temperature will settle in at about 51 degrees. It will remain windy throughout the day, with gusts as high as 35 mph. On Wednesday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 29 degrees.Severe weather mostly missed Eastern Iowa Tuesday, but of course last week we weren't so lucky.Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity's warehouse in southeast Iowa City is a “total loss” after last week's tornado outbreak in Eastern Iowa.The 5,760-square-foot warehouse was the organization's main storage space for everything necessary to build and repair homes, including construction tools, safety equipment, new appliances, vehicles and trailers, the group said in a news release Tuesday.Habitat for Humanity's warehouse, built in 2016 at 4764 420th St. SE, also was used for volunteer space and workshops in addition to storing materials and other needed items. The nonprofit works to provide affordable housing in Johnson, Cedar, Iowa and Washington counties.Construction Manager Christy Shipley added how the warehouse was “my dream project for more than a decade.”It hasn't been confirmed yet, but Hawes said it is likely a tornado hit the warehouse and the group's neighboring HabLab classroom during the March 31 storms.The neighboring HabLab facility still is standing but “sustained significant damage” and will need “several critical repairs,” the release said. This building includes a classroom, kitchenette, bathroom, staff office and additional storage.A massive reorganization of the executive branch of state government, proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds and informed by a consulting firm, was signed into law Tuesday.Reynolds signed into law the nearly 1,600-page bill, Senate File 514, which reduces the number of cabinet-level state agencies from 37 to 16 and eliminates scores of vacant state government jobs.Reynolds and supporters of the realignment note that Iowa's state government has not undergone a structural review in roughly 40 years and said the proposal will make state government more efficient in its operations and services to Iowans.Critics have asserted that it places too much authority with the governor and have described it as a “power grab” by Reynolds.A project to convert the upper floors of the Iowa Building in downtown Cedar Rapids into multifamily housing got a $5.5 million boost from the state last week.Developer Steve Emerson's redevelopment of the Iowa Building, located at 211 Fourth Ave. SE, received historic preservation tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The program supports projects that rehabilitate historic buildings while keeping their character-defining features.Emerson will convert the third through seventh floors of the Iowa Building into downtown housing units. The first and second floors will be renovated into office space. Jimmy John's will continue to operate on the first floor.Once complete, the project will add 41 market-rate rental units — all one-bedrooms. Emerson said work started in January and is slated to wrap up late this year or early 2024.The IEDA also previously awarded $975,559 in workforce housing tax credits toward the...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I'm here with your update for Saturday, March 18 and Sunday, March 19.If Saturday will be the cold snap, Sunday will be the gentle thaw.According to the National Weather Service it will be a tad frigid today in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 26 degrees, and wind chill values at -10 degrees.It will remain breezy, with wind gusts up to 30 mph, and there will be chances of snow flurries from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m.Sunday it is predicted to be sunny, with a high of 39 degrees. The wind will slightly lessen, dropping to 25 mph gustsThe week ahead is predicted to typically feature highs in the 50s and 60s, with the possibility of rain almost every day.There was more good news for a major microchip expansion project in Cedar Rapids.Collins Aerospace — the city's largest employer — was awarded $1.85 million in state financial incentives toward its proposed $22 million expansion of its northeast Cedar Rapids campus to begin the production of microchips.The Iowa Economic Development Authority board on Friday approved the incentives toward the project for Collins, a division of Raytheon Technologies, to renovate an existing building on its campus between Collins Road and Blairs Ferry Road NE.This award supplements the local match the Cedar Rapids City Council approved on Tuesday of just over $1 million in tax incentives.The company will use the building to develop and manufacture microelectronic — microchip — technologies for Collins Aerospace communications products, with production expected to grow.In sports, Purdue was at the center of two major upsets on Friday evening, with Iowa's Spencer Lee serving as the unlikely victim in the second.In arguably the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history, the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, the shortest team in the tournament, stunned top-seeded and very tall Purdue 63-58 on Friday night, becoming only the second No. 16 seed to win a game in March Madness. The Boilermakers were sad to learn that having a player a foot taller than everyone else does not help if the other 4 players are unable to shoot, pass, or handle the ball.Meanwhile, Iowa's Lee was upset by No. 4 ranked Matt Ramos of Purdue Friday night. Ramos secured a pin in the last second of the match to beat the almost undefeatable Lee, who had recovered from a serious knee injury before searching for his 4th National Title.Lee was seeking to become the first Iowa wrestler to win four national championships, a feat only completed by 6 collegiate wrestlers.Iowa's wrestlers still rank No. 2 in the nation in points, with more wrestling to go this weekend.With Iowa State and Drake also falling in men's basketball Friday, the chance for March glory is on the shoulders of the women.Iowa advanced easily over its first round opponent, Southeastern Louisiana, 95 - 43. They play 10 seeded Georgia on Saturday. Drake and Iowa State also play Saturday, matching up against Louisville and Toledo, respectively.

‘Crypto bros' donated to Iowa Democrats in 2022The Iowa Democratic Party said Wednesday it is looking into a $250,000 campaign donation from Nishad Singh, a former executive of the cryptocurrency company FTX. Singh's large donation was first reported by the Des Moines Register.But that was not the only donation Iowa Democrats received from FTX leaders in 2022.A separate $10,000 donation from Singh to the state party on the same date is recorded in federal campaign finance records.Sam Bankman-Fried, FTX's founder and CEO, donated $9,756.20 to the Iowa Democratic Party on Aug. 31, $2,900 to Democratic Representative Cindy Axne, on Oct. 17, and $5,000 to a PAC that supported Axne on Sept. 28 according to federal campaign finance records.Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas recently and faces myriad charges of fraud and money laundering.Singh donated more than $8 million to Democratic candidates and causes in 2021 and 2022, according to federal campaign finance records. Bankman-Fried donated more than $40 million to various political candidates and causes, from both major political parties, according to federal records.Pearson lays off 50 in Iowa City, closes officePearson is laying off 50 employees at its Iowa City facility on North Dodge — an office it recently closed “and opened opportunities for employees to work in one of our Cedar Rapids facilities,” a spokesman for the company said.The Iowa City layoffs were part of changes Pearson is making “to invest in priorities that will better serve our customers and drive growth in a rapidly changing market,” Dan Nelson, vice president of Pearson's global media relations, told The Gazette on Wednesday.“We understand that these changes are difficult for those whose jobs are affected,” Nelson said in an email. “We have been transparent with all impacted employees, offering ample notification, a generous severance package, and outplacement services.”Marion Methodist Church project may be among CDBG grant applications A renovation that seeks to breathe new life into Marion Methodist Church — a historic building that was saved from demolition through a last-minute deal this year — is among several projects looking for city support letters to apply for a Community Development Block Grant program.The Marion City Council will vote Thursday night on approving letters of support for the five projects that are looking to submit applications.The federal block grant disaster funds are allocated to the Iowa Economic Development Authority through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Linn County will receive 80 percent of the overall $57.6 million, while the other 20 percent — about $11 million — will be used in Marshall, Tama and Benton counties. The IEDA has six years to fully spend the funds.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, December 9.The overnight rain will dance close to freezing as Friday greets you. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 70 percent chance of rain Friday morning as a continuation of what fell overnight. The high on Friday will only be 37 degrees, just high enough hopefully to avoid freezing. On Friday night it will be cloudy, with a low of around 34 degrees. The wind will also calm to 5 mph Friday evening.A blaze at a Marengo biofuel plant continued to burn into the night Thursday following two explosions earlier that day that left several people injured.Five people were transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, according to a city of Marengo news release. An unknown number of people also were taken by personal vehicles to UIHC and Compass Memorial Healthcare in Marengo.UIHC said in a statement Thursday afternoon that the hospital “has received multiple patients following today's explosion in Marengo and anticipates others may be en route.”Iowa County Sheriff Rob Rotter said there were no confirmed fatalities.According to Rotter, two late morning explosions ripped through the plant at 810 E. South St. The initial fire call was received at about 11:20 a.m. A second explosion took place about 45 minutes later. Rotter believes the explosions most likely were caused by solvents or fuel, or a combination of the two. He noted there had been a previous fire involving fuel tanks at the same facility earlier this fall.“This was a much larger version of that,” he said of Thursday's fire. “Right now, they're just containing it.”Meanwhile a Cedar Rapids residential fire was also devastating to property, but thankfully did not cause similar bodily harm.The Cedar Rapids Fire Department took on a fire in southwest Cedar Rapids Thursday afternoon that caused extensive damage to a building that housed retail, office space and a church.No injuries were reported from the fire in the building at 3300 Southgate Court SW. The fire was called in at 1:50 p.m., and by 3:30 p.m. it was mostly put out, with crews still fighting small flare ups in pockets of the building, according to Cedar Rapids Public Safety Communications Specialist Mike Battien.Wind speed and direction prevented firefighters from getting inside the building during the fire -- instead, they used aerial trucks and crews on the ground. A later search of the building found no occupants, according to a news release.The building was damaged extensively, if not catastrophically, Battien said.The news release states that the building housed retail and business office space, as well as a church. A planned “Field of Dreams” television series that was slated to film in Iowa has declined a $6 million state tourism grant, saying the series will not be made next year.NBCUniversal, which was developing the series based on the hit 1989 movie, declined the funds in an email to the state agency that runs the grant program. The email was first reported Thursday by the Des Moines Register.“Our plans have changed and we will not be making the TV Series ‘Field of Dreams' in the coming year,” Morgan Sackett wrote in an Oct. 24 email to the Iowa Economic Development Authority. “We greatly appreciate your help getting the grant and are disappointed not to be filming in Iowa.”Sackett did not respond to a message seeking comment on the series' future.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, July 23, and Sunday, July 24. It will be a hot weekend to start, a wet weekend at times, and a breezy weekend all the time. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high near 96 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday with a heat index as high as 104. After some rain early Saturday morning there will be a good chance for rain late Saturday night into Sunday morning. There will be a reduced chance for rain of about 30 percent until about 1 p.m. on Sunday. It will also be much cooler, Sunday, with a predicted high of 86 degrees and a low of around 64 degrees. Winds will hover between 5 to 15 mph for the weekend and could gust as high as 25 mph at times. Next week, it is looking to be a bit cooler still, with a chance for rain returning again. Three family members from Cedar Falls were killed while camping Friday at Maquoketa Caves State Park, and the suspected Nebraska gunman then shot and killed himself, law enforcement officials said. Officers were called to the park's campground before 6:30 a.m., the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a statement. Officers found three people fatally shot in a tent at the campground, DCI Assistant Director Mitch Mortvedt said. The DCI identified the three Friday evening as Tyler Schmidt, 42, Sarah Schmidt, 42, and Lulu Schmidt, 6. Investigators did not say how the three were related or provide a motive for the attack. The suspected gunman was identified as Anthony Orlando Sherwin, 23, of Nebraska. Investigators do not believe he had any prior relationship with the Schmidt family, Mortvedt said. The nation's winningest high school softball coach, Larry Niemeyer died at 84 Thursday night, following a longtime battle with illness. Niemeyer won 2,089 https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/07/21/iowa-high-school-softball-state-tournament-winterset-dallas-center-grimes-dcg-score-ighsau/10122055002/ (softball games) over a decorated career at Adel and Cedar Rapids Jefferson, while also racking up 871 wins and a state title as Jefferson's girls basketball coach.  “In my opinion, he is the greatest high school coach there has ever been,” Waterloo West girls' basketball coach Tony Pappas said. “To coach for 52 years, two sports and excel at that high of a level, it's unbelievable. A state panel gave final approval Friday to awarding Cedar Rapids $9 million that will give a boost to development in Cedar Rapids' urban core, funding new recreational amenities and infrastructure that will support the area's growth. The Iowa Economic Development Authority board okayed the funds as part of the Reinvestment District program, a competitive program that reinvests sales and hotel-motel tax revenues produced over a 20-year period into projects that enhance the quality of life and create or expand recreational opportunities  Most of the millions the IEDA gave the city will go toward the $81.5 million mhttps://www.thegazette.com/local-government/work-to-start-this-spring-on-cedar-rapids-81-5-million-development-featuring-big-grove-brewery-wit/ (ixed-use First and First West development t)hat features a Big Grove brewery. Cedar Rapids specifically will put $6 million toward a city-owned, 550-stall parking ramp to support the project

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, July 21. It will be back above 90 again Thursday. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 93 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Thursday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 65 degrees. There will be a small chance of rain Thursday night going into Friday morning. Johnson County Public Health has confirmed the first case of monkeypox within the county, making for the fifth confirmed case in the state — and the first one in the Corridor. County public health officials said in an announcement they were working with the Iowa Department of Public Health to investigate the circumstances of the individual's exposure and to inform close contacts of the exposure. No other details were shared on the case. Infection from the monkeypox virus occurs through skin-to-skin contact and through contact with an infected individual's rash or sores or touching the clothing and bedding that has been in contact with those rashes or sores. The virus can also spread through respiratory secretions during prolonged face-to-face contact, such as kissing. Monkeypox is not considered a sexually transmitted infection, but it often spreads through intimate contact. Monkeypox causes flu-like symptoms such as fever and chills, and a rash that can take weeks to clear. Not to be outdone, COVID-19 is continuing its rise in Iowa.  After reporting a significant spike in case counts last week, Iowa reported new COVID-19 infections statewide reached 5,301 cases in the past seven days. Last week, the state reported 5,187 new cases — a 30 percent jump from the 3,980 cases reported the week before. The spike came after infections remained in the 3,900 range for a month. The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past week reached 256 statewide. That's an increase from the 229 patients reported last week.  The state public health department has confirmed 41 more Iowans have died as a result of the coronavirus in the past week. Last week, the state had confirmed 15 deaths. A new coronavirus subvariant — BA.5 — that has an increased level of transmissibility has become the dominant variant in the United States. As case counts and hospitalizations increase statewide and nationally, local public health and health care experts are urging residents to use increased caution. In addition to being highly transmissible, this subvariant can infect some individuals with vaccine immunity as well as those who have had the virus before. In non virus news, the city of Cedar Rapids is paring down its request for a share of $100 million in state-awarded federal funds from $27 million down to $8.4 million. The reduction was done after a suggestion by staff members from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, which is overseeing the rewards for projects across the state.  State officials created the Destination Iowa program with federal COVID-19 economic relief funds and invited local governments to apply for a share of the money. The revised application includes major destination features from the original application in a “LightLine Loop” project totaling $25.6 million that hones in on the Czech Village greenway space. This largely encompasses a roundhouse, recreation zone and plaza area, with a focus on how the funds would boost tourism and recreation.  So far, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the IEDA have awarded $16.5 million in grant money to four projects in the https://www.thegazette.com/article/field-of-dreams-tv-series-trails-and-lakefront-project-awarded-16-5m-in-iowa-tourism-grants/ (first round of funding) through Destination Iowa, including the development of a “Field of Dreams” television series, new trail construction and new Des Moines lakefront amenities.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, June 28. We'll get another sub 90s day Tuesday before it warms back up in the middle of the week. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny for much of the day in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 87 degrees. On Tuesday night after 4 p.m. there will be a 20 percent chance of showers up until around 7 p.m. Then Tuesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 63 degrees. The Iowa City Church on American Legion Road is searching for a place to hold services after an early Saturday morning fire “fully engulfed” the building “in flames and smoke”  before it was declared a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office said Monday. “It is standard practice for the (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) to investigate a fire involving a church and the primary focus at this point is to determine the cause.” The Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center received a call at 4:22 a.m. Saturday about a structure fire at 4643 American Legion Road. West Branch Fire Department and https://www.facebook.com/IowaCityPublicSafety/posts/pfbid02ChAVQWk6wR3xoktc8GD1BmmudFZbU87JrLo8twrTo3QsyuZ2GTfgGb5ixQF2XH2el (Iowa City Fire Department) responded to the fire on the east side near Iowa City, as did the Iowa City Police Department and the Johnson County Sheriff's Office. The fire was in West Branch's jurisdiction. Fire crews extinguished the fire after several hours due to the size of the building and bad weather in the area, the Sheriff's Office said. The state of Iowa will invest in the development of a “Field of Dreams” television series, new trail construction and new Des Moines lakefront amenities with a tourism development program funded by federal dollars. Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority on Monday announced $16.5 million in grant money awarded to four projects in the first round of funding through Destination Iowa, a $100 million program supported by the federal American Rescue Plan act. The two biggest allotments of this chunk of funding were $6 million to Universal Television for the development of a “Field of Dreams” television series, and $7 million to the Siouxland Regional Trail System to develop 100 miles of continuous trail projects connecting Sioux City, Le Mars, Hinton, Merrill and Sergeant Bluff.  In May the city of Cedar Rapids decided they would seek $27 million in funds from the program for a project to transform the greenway along the Cedar River and to boost outdoor recreational amenities. Meanwhile, Marion is seeking over $3.5 million in funding toward two major projects that will contribute to the city's goal of making Marion a regional destination. Marion is seeking funding for the Uptown Central Plaza project as well as the final phase of the long-awaited CeMar Trail through the Destination Iowa Grant process. The total cost of the two projects is just over $9 million.

Learn about what Manufacturing 4.0 is with Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, and Kevin Gaul, Director of Operations at Pella Corporation.

Learn about IEDA's efforts and support of the manufacturing industry with Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, and Jill Lippincott, Team Leader, Innovation and Apprenticeship at the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The age of robotics is upon us! Jill Lippincott of the Iowa Economic Development Authority joins us to discuss Advanced Manufacturing 4.0 and how robots, cloud computing, and integrated systems all relate to manufacturing in Iowa. Lippincott helps to dispel the myth that technology will replace jobs and explains how it will instead allow Iowa's manufacturers to upskill their workforce.  

Our guest on this episode of the Industry Iowa Podcast is Jill Lippincott of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Jill has many roles at the IEDA and most recently has been the point person for the Manufacturing 4.0 Technology Investment Grant Program. While our main focus was the grant programs, Jill also shares some exciting news about a new supply chain resource initiative as well as manufacturing trends and what's needed in our educational systems to support the increasingly important role technology is playing in manufacturers across the state. Did you know: There are two grant programs currently available for Iowa Manufacturers 3-75 employees - https://www.iowamfg.com/technology-investment-program/ 76-250 employees - https://www.iowagrants.gov/insideLinkOpps.jsp?documentPk=1634306143520 – Deadline to apply is 12-31-21 Manufacturing accounts for 18% of Iowa's GDP 53% of Iowa's manufacturers are in rural areas of the state

On today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville, we visit with Stacy Ballard with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and artist Ben Schuh about Thursday’s reception to celebrate Knoxville’s new mural.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24. If you have chores or recreation that requires being both dry and outside this weekend, I recommend doing all that on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, after widespread frost in the morning it should be sunny with a high near 56 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday. Saturday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 42 degrees. On Sunday there will be rain possible early and rain likely late, with a near 100 percent precipitation prediction after 1 p.m. There will be a high near 51 degrees. Thunderstorms are also possible, with rainfall totals of more than an inch accumulation predicted for the day. Officers investigating a https://www.thegazette.com/crashes/iowa-city-native-fighting-for-his-life-after-being-shot-as-he-drove/ (Sunday night shooting) in south Iowa City that has a 20-year-old Marine fighting for his life have identified a person they suspect to be “responsible for the driver's injury” and believe the shooting was “unintentional.” Although police say they know who the person of interest is, they have not made an arrest and are not releasing their name while investigation into the incident continues. At 6:37 p.m. Sunday, officers found Gabriel Heefner with a gunshot wound to the head and unconscious in his vehicle, which had crashed into a median west of the Highway 6 and Sycamore Street intersection. He was the only person in the car. Heefner remains hospitalized as doctors work to control the swelling caused by the shooting. The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Friday awarded $1.5 million in tax credits to fuel the redevelopment of two downtown Cedar Rapids housing projects. Together, the projects will add 84 housing units. The first proposal from developer Steve Emerson will convert the upper floors of the Iowa Building, 211 Fourth Ave. SE, into downtown housing units. The state will give $750,000 in tax credits to the project. Another Emerson project also will receive $750,000 in tax credits to convert the old Skogman Realty headquarters, at 411 First Ave. SE, into the Palmer Building housing development. Starting Sunday, Oct. 24, Iowans in the 319 and 515 area codes will need to dial all 10 digits of a phone number to make a call. The https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/10-digit-dialing-for-319-and-515-area-codes-required-to-make-way-for-988-suicide-hotline/ (new requirement from the Federal Communications Commission) makes way for 988, a new three-digit number that will connect callers to the https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (National Suicide Prevention Hotline )starting in July 2022. The national change will affect 82 area codes in 32 states. Are you a fan of trying in new restaurants? Get the latest restaurant openings & closings and more chewy tips from The Gazette's Chew On this newsletter. Sign up at http://thegazette.com/ (thegazette.com) slash chew  Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, September 22. Appropriately enough, it is going to feel a lot like fall on the first day of fall. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 69 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The wind will range from 5 to 15 mph. Wednesday night will be clear, with a low around 43 degrees. Another area school district is adding a mask mandate.  Masks will be required to be worn by College Community School District students and staff in kindergarten through sixth grade in a move unanimously approved Monday by the school board. Board President Randy Bauer said he personally is not in favor of a mask mandate. “But we need to protect those young kids,” he said. A COVID-19 vaccine has not yet been approved for children under 12 years old. College Community joins a large number of school districts instituting masking mandates, more commonly in urban areas in Iowa. The Iowa Economic Development Authority announced Tuesday it was awarding several Corridor communities over $11 million in workforce housing tax credits — out of $29.9 million granted across the state — to help bring new housing units online. The 49 projects in Iowa that received the tax credits will help with the construction and rehabilitation of 1,944 new housing units, according to the authority.  Cedar Rapids was awarded $4,499,659 for five projects, which will help build 436 new units: Despite a setback, combat veteran U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst continues to push for a memorial on the National Mall to honor the men and women who have served in the nation's longest war, the Global War on Terrorism. Ernst, an Iowa Republican who commanded 150 troops during Operation Iraqi Freedom asked for unanimous consent to proceed with building the memorial to honor the service members killed in combat there, including former Iowan Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, she said during Senate debate Monday. However, West Virginia Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin objected, raising concern about building the memorial on the National Mall. Manchin, who chairs a committee overseeing national monuments, called for it be built in a “high profile” area, but not on the mall. On Tuesday Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover sentenced https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/man-allegedly-kidnapped-woman-at-gunpoint-from-cedar-rapids-residence-police-say/ (Nicholas J. Hallman,) 27, of Cedar Rapids to 22 years in prison for the armed burglary and kidnapping of a woman and her boyfriend, Antonio Hill, on Oct. 27 of last year, and in a separate burglary conviction for a previous incident Aug. 2. Hallman previously pleaded to a lesser charge of second-degree burglary for the Aug. 2 incident, in which he broke into the same former girlfriend's residence but that time assaulted her mother, according to a complaint. At the hearing, he also pleaded in the Oct. 27 incident to second-degree burglary, false imprisonment, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and domestic abuse assault while displaying a dangerous weapon. According to a criminal complaint from Oct. 27, Hallman, armed with a gun, broke into the woman's residence on Center Point Road NE about 6:15 a.m. Oct. 27 and confronted Hill and fired his weapon into a wall behind Hill. Hallman then kidnapped the woman and forced her into a vehicle, the complaint stated. He directed others in the vehicle to take them to 5239 Midway Dr. NW, where he forced the woman into a bedroom and assaulted her “while he interrogated her about other relationships.” Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever... Support this podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, August 24. There will be a slight chance for rain again on Tuesday, mostly on Tuesday evening. According to the National Weather Service forecast, it will be sunny and hot in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 96 degrees. Heat index values could be as high as 105 degrees. A 20 percent chance of rain Tuesday night could turn into a 40 percent chance early on Wednesday morning. And that rain chance will continue for much of the week. The Iowa State Fair did not set record numbers this year, although it did draw an admirable crowd considering we are still in the midst of a pandemic. The annual extravaganza of farm animal exhibits, grandstand entertainment, and a wide variety of foods fried up and served on a stick did attract 1,094,480 this year according to unaudited numbers released by the state. Last year's state fair was canceled due to the pandemic. The Iowa State Fair is the single largest event in the state of Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. The Cedar Rapids Community School District is considering removing school resource officers from middle schools and ensuring that the officers in high schools not be involved in enforcing school rules or discipline, among other recommendations being considered by the school board. The proposed changes come as the district and Cedar Rapids Police Department set joint goals of reducing arrests and charges filed of all students by 50 percent or more, and of bringing a 50 percent or greater reduction to the skewed number of arrests of Black students. Before this school year, the district had school resource officers — city police officers serving a different role — at two of its six middle schools: Roosevelt and McKinley. Officers departed those schools before the new academic year started Monday. Tyson Foods received $537,337 in tax credits from Iowa Economic Development Authority last week to upgrade its slaughtering process at its Columbus Junction facility. The $15.4 million project will replace the process of electrically stunning pigs before slaughter with the use of carbon dioxide to kill them. The carbon dioxide process “results in superior meat quality and avoids the contamination associated with ingesta that is common with traditional stunning systems,” according to an IEDA document. The U.S. gave full approval to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine on Monday, a milestone that may help lift public confidence in the shots as the nation battles the most contagious coronavirus mutation yet in the Delta variant. The vaccine made by Pfizer and its partner BioNTech now carries the strongest endorsement from the Food and Drug Administration, which has never before had so much evidence to judge a shot's safety. More than 200 million Pfizer doses have already been administered in the U.S. since emergency use began in December. U.S. vaccination rates bottomed out in July, but as delta fills hospital beds, shots are on the rise again. Pfizer's shot still has emergency authorization for 12- to 15-year-olds, and it remains to be seen when it will be approved for younger children. School started in Iowa without a mask mandate on Monday. If you love all things Iowa Football, don't miss Leah Vann's Talkin Hawks Newsletter. In her weekly email you'll get exclusive Hawkeye coverage, trivia, food reviews, podcast highlights and more. Sign up today at the thegazette.com/hawks Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes or wherever else you find your Podcasts. Support this podcast

This podcast episode is sponsored by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Today I'm excited to introduce our guest, Mary Beth Hart, Director, Community and Diversity Relations at Hy-Vee.  In today's episode it's going to be a little different. We are going to go behind the scenes of Mary Beth's career journey from where she started to where she is today. She is going to share her advice and tips and we are also going to contrast growing your career in a city like Washington DC and a rural area like Iowa. 

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, June 25th. We have entered into a cooler and wetter cycle, with Friday likely seeing a little rain. According to the National Weather Service, besides some isolated showers after 3 p.m. it should be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area Friday with a high near 86 degrees. Friday night will have a higher chance of isolated showers, with more than a half of inch rain possible overnight. Up to 30 Iowa State Patrol officers will be redeployed for about two weeks to the U.S.-Mexico border to help law enforcement and border security efforts there, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the state Department of Public Safety announced Thursday. Reynolds said she approved the action in response to requests from Republican Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Doug Ducey of Arizona under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact between states. Neither the department nor the governor's office responded to questions after the announcement Thursday of whether the border duties would require any special training or what powers Iowa troopers have outside the state. Iowa Economic Development Authority staff are recommending a state panel provisionally award $9 million to Cedar Rapids to fuel “transformational” developments in the urban core, according to documents released Thursday — far less than the $39.5 million the city had sought from the board to boost downtown growth. The authority's board is scheduled to make provisional awards Friday, allocating $100 million to six Iowa communities under the state's Reinvestment District program. Under the agency staff's recommendations, Cedar Rapids — despite requesting the most — would receive the smallest award of all communities, which asked for a combined $151.6 million through the competitive program. Roman Catholic priests who victimized Iowa children decades ago cannot be prosecuted despite https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-attorney-general-report-details-complaints-on-catholic-clergy-sexual-impropriety/ (a new law) eliminating the statute of limitations for child sex abuse, the state attorney general says. The law, signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds last month, does not apply to cases in which the statute of limitations has already expired, Attorney General Tom Miller's office said https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowa-attorney-general-report-details-complaints-on-catholic-clergy-sexual-impropriety/ (in its report) Wednesday that found the amount of abuse in the Catholic Church “overwhelming.” At least nine retired or defrocked priests and one retired nun have recently been accused of decades-old abuse in Iowa and are still alive, according to summaries of victims' complaints received by Miller's office. They include https://apnews.com/article/iowa-us-news-ap-top-news-fort-dodge-ia-state-wire-604b14d73268410b96c9f7bf948c1de1 (the Rev. Jerome Coyle), who allegedly admitted in 1986 to sexually abusing dozens of Iowa boys before church officials transferred him to New Mexico. The 20-year-old Cedar Rapids man charged with killing his parents and sister last week wants to prevent prosecutors from accessing his medical records and any statements he made to emergency responders and other medical personnel who treated his foot for a gunshot injury that day. https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/cedar-rapids-triple-homicide-suspect-alex-jackson-to-be-held-on-3-million-cash-bond/ (Alexander Ken Jackson was charged )with three charges of first-degree murder in the fatal shootings of his father, Jan Perry Jackson, 61; his mother, Melissa Ferne Jackson, 68; and his sister, Sabrina Hana Jackson, 19, on June 15 inside their northeast Cedar Rapids home. Jackson's defense attorneys are attempting to resist the prosecution's request for information about the injuries, citing health privacy rights. The Iowa Ideas 2021 virtual conference will be here before you know it, and we would like you to be our guest on the... Support this podcast

In the latest episode of #WeekendAgMatters:  Dustin Hoffmann talks with Chance McDonald of Advanced Agrilytics Brent Barnett talks with Brad Frisvold, agricultural marketing manager of international trade for Iowa Economic Development Authority.  Russ Parker talks about priorities.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday April 17 and Sunday April 18. For weather we are looking at, overall, a pretty pleasant weekend to get out and do things. According to the National Weather Service, on Saturday it will be partly sunny with a high near 58 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with a wind speed of 5 to 10 mph. On Sunday, the wind will remain at the same speed, the skies will again be partly sunny, and the high will finally creep back up to 60 degrees. The rhttps://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/cedar-rapids-seeks-39-5m-in-state-aid-for-transformational-downtown-projects/ (equest by the City of Cedar Rapids for $39.5 million in aid )to fuel “transformational” downtown developments is among the six proposals in Iowa that remain eligible to potentially receive millions in state tax incentives. The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Friday narrowed down the proposals from Iowa communities to down to six from a pool of 10 competing for a total $100 million awarded through its Reinvestment District program. The program “reinvests” sales and hotel-motel tax revenues to cities for use in developments that boost the quality of life and create or enhance recreational opportunities, with the idea of attracting people from outside the region to visit. Cedar Rapids' proposal, which envisions more than $261 million in investments overall, is the largest of all the community proposals. Any funding awarded to Cedar Rapids would support cornerstone downtown developments that have struggled to get off the ground. The city's proposal encompasses the proposed mixed-use https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/optimistic-cedar-rapids-council-advances-entertainment-project-on-land-once-meant-for-casino-20200623 (First and First West) development featuring a Big Grove microbrewery; https://www.thegazette.com/IowaIdeas/stories/guaranty-bank-block-development-talks-resume-with-cedar-rapids-officials-20200907 (Marriott hotels) at the Guaranty Bank Building and Old World Theater site; and a https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/steve-emerson-high-rise-development-downtown-cedar-rapids-20190815 (high-rise) near the Paramount Theatre. It also includes an Eighth Avenue SW pump station, Fourth Avenue SE plaza and a https://www.thegazette.com/news/study-cedar-rapids-could-attract-visitors-with-white-water-course-and-recreation-options-on-river/ (5-in-1 Dam) bypass channel. According to the Associated Press, authorities said Friday they arrested an Iowa man who attempted to grab the service weapon from a police officer in the middle of the attack on the U.S. Capitol in January. Kyle Young, 37, of Redfield, was arrested Wednesday along with Albuquerque Head, 41, of Kingsport, Tenn. Both are accused of assaulting a Washington, D.C., cop who was dragged down the steps of the Capitol, electrocuted and beaten unconscious by the mob. Young is among a group accused in the incident that now faces a slew of assault and disorderly conduct charges. Having spent most of his first term on Iowa's Board of Regents as its president, https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/physician-and-political-ally-of-bruce-rastetter-appointed-to-board-of-regents/ (Michael Richards) could stay in the leadership role through 2027 with his reappointment Friday to another six-year term. Richards first was appointed to the board in May 2016 by his https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/branstad-defends-meeting-richards-before-regents-vacancy-was-public/ (friend, then-Gov. Terry Branstad), to fill the unexpired term of Mary Andringa, who resigned after just a year. Branstad's successor, Gov. Kim Reynolds, renewed this appointment on Friday. Richards' initial appointment was set to expire April 30, when president pro-tem Patty Cownie's term also will expire. Gov. Reynolds did not reappoint Cownie. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are...

This is Stephen Colbert with the Gazette Digital News Desk and this is your update for Thursday, February 25, 2021. Today's going to see some patchy fog before 10am, but otherwise it'll be partly sunny, with a high near 35. Tonight it'll be partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Iowa election limits clear Senate hurdle https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224)  The Iowa Senate voted Tuesday to shorten Iowa's early voting process to 20 days, close statewide election polls an hour earlier, condense absentee ballot rules and put in place tougher criminal penalties for “rogue” county auditors who fail to follow state rules. With Senate passage, the bill now heads this week to the Iowa House. During a news conference last week, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds indicated she would be willing to consider the election changes rapidly making their way to her desk to sign into law. University of Iowa Health Care optimistic about new North Liberty hospital, despite state rejection https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224)  One week after a state council narrowly denied a University of Iowa Health Care application to build a new $230 million hospital in North Liberty, UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Brooks Jackson said the hiccup wasn't surprising and he expects the project eventually will materialize. Despite fervent opposition from regional community hospitals and health care providers to the proposed 300,000-square-foot UIHC expansion planned for 60 acres at the southwest corner of Highway 965 and Forevergreen Road, Jackson described the planned facility “as a vital extension of our academic medical center in a community setting that is centered on the patient.” Despite COVID setback, Iowa economic development chief Debi Durham remains bullish https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224) Back in December 2019, Debi Durham predicted 2020 would be one of the best years of her decade as chief of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. She based her prediction on trade deals that had been signed, positive signals in the farm sector and a rebound in manufacturing. The coronavirus pandemic was a setback, but Durham remains bullish on Iowa's economy and economic development potential. Chuck Grassley backs proposed changes to Iowa's election laws https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-senator-chuck-grassley-legislature-republican-election-voting-restriction-bill-approves-20210224 States should take a closer look at their election laws to protect against fraud in mail-in voting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday. Grassley was asked during his weekly conference call with Iowa reporters about an Iowa bill that would shorten early voting, close polls earlier on Election Day and establish stricter standards for absentee ballots, among many other provisions. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.   Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.

As allocated by Governor Reynolds to six different programs administered by the Iowa Department of Ag OR the Iowa Economic Development Authority. LISTEN NOW as good Big Show Buddy Jake Swanson, Ag Advisor to Gov. Reynolds, joins Bob and Andy to explain which program(s) may apply to you.