01/05/23: Area Happenings & Accomplishments

Grassley sworn in to 8th Senate term

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), on Tuesday took the oath of office to begin his eighth term in the Senate. Grassley, 89, will also become the dean of the Senate, or longest serving member, with the beginning of the 118th Congress, which convenes today for the first time.

"Serving my fellow Iowans in the Senate continues to be an honor of a lifetime. I love Iowa and I love my work for the people of Iowa," Grassley said in a news release. "Today, Iowa holds the No. 1 spot in the Senate with my leadership. I look forward to continuing to deliver for Iowa. I'm humbled and grateful to be entrusted with the honor to continue working for our great state."

Grassley will continue to serve on the Senate Judiciary, Finance, Agriculture and Budget committees. He is expected to become the ranking Republican member of the Senate Budget Committee.

OCEDC receives $10,000 Iowa Tourism Grant

Nearly $300,000 in Iowa Tourism Grants was recently awarded by the Iowa Tourism Office to 33 organizations around the state. The program funds tourism-related marketing initiatives, meetings and events that benefit both local economies and the state's economy with awards ranging from $2,500 to 10,000, with a 25 percent cash match.

O'Brien County Economic Development Corporation (OCEDC) received a $10,000 grant to fund the O'Brien County Tourism Blogger Itineraries Project.

"With this grant, we will be able to build on the Ambassadors Project from this past year and create unique 'Blogger Approved' itineraries for the public," said OCEDC Executive Director Kiana Johnson in a news release. "We will utilize Social Media Influencers to create positive perceptions of Iowa with a focus on how easy it is to travel and reside in our beautiful state."

Visitors spent more than $6.1 billion across Iowa's economy in 2021, an expansion of 35 percent over 2020 spending and within 5 percent of a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels. This direct visitor spending impact generated a total economic impact of $9.4 billion in Iowa, sustained nearly 65,000 jobs and generated $1 billion in state and local tax revenues in 2021.

"Tourism is a vital component to Iowa's economy," said Amy Zeigler, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office. "The $6.1 billion in visitor spending means nearly $16.7 million was spent daily by our visitors."

The Iowa Tourism Office, part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, works closely with community partners, attractions and events to promote the state's beautifully vast scenery and unique history.

Seasons Center receives $5,000 grant for food bank

Seasons Center for Behavioral Health in Spencer received $5,000 in specialized funding from Care Connections of Northern Iowa to expand Seasons' internal food bank and the assortment of items offered.

In recent years, Seasons has experienced an increase in the frequency with which individuals need to access food bank services. In addition, Seasons has seen a need to increase the types and quantities of food items available for clients.

The funding provided by CCNIA allowed Seasons Center to purchase 2,302 food items for clients in need in Clay, Osceola and Palo Alto counties. From October through December 2022, food was distributed to 46 households, benefiting 87 individuals.

"We are thankful for the opportunity this specialized funding presented for our agency and the clients we serve," said Sarah Heinrichs-Wurm, Grant Project Administrator for Seasons Center. "It allowed us the opportunity to assist with daily living needs so individuals and families could focus on their overall physical and mental health."

5-year grant awarded to Seasons Center

As part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative, Seasons Center for Behavioral Health in Spencer will receive $400,000 a year for the next five years.

The grant funding will be used to enhance partnerships in rural northwest Iowa and increase access to specialized, trauma-informed and evidence-based mental health services for foster, adoptive, and kinship children and their families.

Seasons Family Support Center will focus on children and families from a variety of placement settings, including return to biological family, relative placement, fictive kin placement, foster care and adoptive children. Programs will include outpatient therapy, family peer support, care coordination, respite care and training/education. Through employment of staff with lived experience as foster, adoptive or kinship parents, a strong focus of this program is to walk alongside other families in navigating systems, working through change and providing necessary training and support.

"Thanks to the SAMHSA grant, Seasons will offer increased access to specialized services for foster, adoptive and kinship youth and their families," said Dan Ries, President and CEO of Seasons, in a news release. "With the support of this grant, we can ensure foster, adoptive and kinship children and their families have access to appropriate supports and treatment and agencies, and professionals have the resources and supports needed to provide high quality foster/adoptive services."

As a grantee for this project, Seasons joins The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSI) whose mission statement is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States.

NWI fishing report

Most lakes have 9-plus inches of ice. Larger lakes may have holes that have more recently iced over; use caution when going out, especially if using an ATV or vehicle. Recent weather is slowly melting the surface snow, making most areas wet/slushy; reading ice conditions is more difficult. Check ice thickness often and bring a friend.

East Okoboji Lake: Ice thickness was around 10-plus inches in most areas last week.

Black crappie, good. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow or tube jig and bobber. Bluegill, good. Use tube jigs, plastics, or other small jigs. Northern Pike, good. Tip-ups are working well. Yellow perch, fair. Minnows work well; some sorting may be needed.

West Okoboji Lake: Most bays have safe ice for small machines. The bluegill bite in Little Emerson Bay has been very good. Ice thickness last week was about 8.5 inches at Emerson Bay and about 12 inches at Haywards Bay.

Black crappie, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Bluegill, good. Use tube jigs, plastics, or other small jigs. Yellow perch, fair. Try small jigs tipped with a minnow. Sorting may be needed.