The Browns Receive State Grant For Proposed Bed and Breakfast
(Des Moines) — The Iowa Economic Development Authority on Wednesday awarded $933,300 in Main Street Iowa Challenge Grants to 14 different communities around the state. One of those grants was given to a Le Mars Business. The musical
family group, The Browns, were awarded $75,000 for plans to convert the upper level of the Century Events Center into a five room, and two suites “Bed and Breakfast.” The total cost of the project is estimated to cost $314,530.
Michaela Brown says she is thankful for the city of Le Mars, and to the Le Mars Main Street organization with their assistance in writing and securing the state grant.
Mary Reynolds with the Le Mars Main Street Organization explains the formula for
the grant, and explains how the matching challenge grant involves a committment
from the city, state, and from the Browns themselves.
Reynolds says the city of Le Mars and many businesses have benefited from the Main Street of Iowa challenge grants. Three businesses have been a past recipient of the challenge grant.
The Challenge Grant program is funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature. Since the first appropriation in 2002 through 2016, approximately $6.8 million in state and federal funds have leveraged over $45 million of private reinvestment. Over the life of the program, 138 projects in 49 Main
Street Iowa commercial districts across the state have received funding. In the past, Le Mars has received the same challenge grants for the renovation of the American Legion Hall, Beauty College, and Claussen’s. Michaela Brown says construction will begin once all the contracts are signed and completed. She is
hopeful the Bed and Breakfast will be open for business sometime during the summer of 2018.
West Des Moines Having To Pay Man For False Arrest
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The city of West Des Moines has paid $450,000 to a man who spent more than 10 days in jail charged for a sex abuse crime he didn’t commit.
The Des Moines Register reports that the city reached the settlement with Matthew Rodrigues in August. As part of the agreement, the city says Rodrigues was arrested “due to a case of mistaken identity.”
Police were called to a motel on April 29 after a woman reported being sexually assaulted in her room. Rodrigues says he was arrested simply for being at the motel and having darker skin, like the assailant.
Rodrigues was held in jail until May 9, when another man, Salvador Junior Pineda, was arrested and charged.
Pineda is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for the assault.
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Pig Used For Therapy For Special Education Students
MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) – An elementary school in eastern Iowa is using a therapy pig to help special education students manage emotions and focus on learning.
The Muscatine Journal reports that Frankie the pig serves as a calming mechanism. Students showing signs of emotional distress are asked to sit and read to the therapy pig for 15 minutes. The practice has proven to help students recover and return to learning more quickly.
Students are also in charge of feeding and caring for Frankie. It has created a sense of ownership and responsibility in the classroom.
Special education teacher Trina Hepker knows her students might not want to tell her everything. She says Frankie can be a confidant when her students are upset.
She says that thanks to Frankie, her young students are excited to come to school.
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Gaming and Racing Commission Say No To Cedar Rapids Casino
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission voted down for the second time a request from Cedar Rapids for a gambling license on a 3-2 vote today .
The vote was tied 2-2 and came down to Commissioner Kris Kramer of New Hampton. She says her decision was based on the impact on existing casinos.
Kris Kramer
“It has been said that if Cedar Rapids does get a license that the neighboring casinos will feel the negative affect, but will bounce back. I disagree with that statement,” Kramer says. Kramer says the impact could hit especially hard on the casinos in smaller cities and the surrounding community.
“The income from the nonprofits would be substantially decreased –which in turn would devastate some rural communities that rely on it,” Kramer says. “Rural Iowa does not have all the advantages that the larger cities have. At this time, I cannot approve a license.”
Commissioner Delores Mertz of Algona pointed out that she was the only one to vote for a Cedar Rapids license when it was reject on a 4-1 vote three years ago. “I felt like the second largest city in the state deserves something, and I still feel that way,” Mertz says.
Rich Arnold
Commission Chair Rich Arnold of Russell was the other vote in favor of the Cedar Rapids license. He acknowledged the concerns about the impact on existing casinos.
He says he recognizes the impact on the other casinos, but feels the overall investment in a new Cedar Rapids casino would outweigh the negative impact.
Arnold went on to say he liked the proposal for a smaller Cedar Rapids casino out of the three submitted.
“I will support the Cedar Rapids project two, two-point-oh. I want to emphasize that my support is not an invitation for smaller size or more casinos,” Arnolds says. “The project is unique in my mind because it will bring in over 100 million dollars in investment into the community and into the state without increasing the overall number of gambling devices by a material amount.” Commissioner Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny says he did not decide on voting against the new license until just recently and says it was not easy to vote against Cedar Rapids again.
“More difficult than three years ago. I think some things have changed, I think we have great proposals before us. I tried to take into account the factors we set forth in our rules and they are competing, and it makes it difficult because there are great arguments on both sides of this process.,” Lamberti says. But he says in the end it comes down to maintaining the casinos that are already operating in a market that isn’t expanding.
“The overriding factor for me is I simply don’t see much of a change. I don’t see any growth in our market– it has been relatively stagnant,” according to Lamberti. “I don’t see anything that tells me that we are going to enter into some period of significant growth.” Commissioner Karl Heinrich was the third no vote. Heinrich of Council Bluffs says he made his decision based on what was best for the entire state.
“I’m right not sure that adding a new license ill help the state in any way…if any of the proposals were approved, it would shift our resources,” Heinrich explained. He says that shift would be away from the rural areas that rely in the casino funds.
“So, I don’t think now is the time to change the dynamics of what we are seeing working well at this time — so I am not in favor of a new license,” Heinrich says. The commission made its decision during its meeting at the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque.
