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 Details on the Father's Day weekend 2015 celebration of our heritage can be found at: http://www.manningia.com/party-on-the-bricks-2015.html Details of the new Manning It's Refreshing banners can be found at http://www.manningia.com/party-on-the-bricks-2015.html Want to stay abreast of further details? "LIKE" the Main Street Manning and Manning Chamber Facebook pages!!! Updates will be posted there!  Ron Reischl, left, Main Street Manning board president, and Jason Ehlers, IT technician for Manning Municipal Communications & Television Systems Utility, helped the town become the first town under 5,000 to become a Certified Connected Community by Connect Iowa. January 28, 2015 4:00 am • By Tim Hoskins, Iowa Farmer Today MANNING — An agribusiness located several miles out of this rural Carroll County town relies on its access to reliable, high-speed internet. Puck Custom Enterprises makes manure pump systems that can be monitored and controlled through the internet, says Operations Manager Jeff Blum. The company has a direct connection to Manning’s high-speed internet via a tower antenna on a hill near town and a receiver on the company’s building. Jason Ehlers, IT technician for Manning Municipal Communications & Television Systems Utility, says community leaders in the town of 1,500 decided in the 1990s to invest in high-speed internet as an economic development tool. Earlier this year, the town was recognized as a Certified Connected Community by Connect Iowa. It was the first town under 5,000 residents to be certified by the organization that works to promote broadband access and use. Ron Reischl, Main Street Manning board president, says they have several public wi-fi hot spots throughout the town. The school uses the high-speed internet, and there is a dedicated connection for the hospital, he says. Ehlers says the town has seen an increase in the amount of young people returning or staying in the community in the past decade, and Reischl points to high-speed internet access as one contributing factor. Just like in more urban, well-connected areas, residents of Manning are using that high-speed internet to watch programs through Netflix and Amazon Prime, he says. Ehlers says they work with local telephone companies in the area to help lower costs to provide the service and reduce interference with each other’s systems. Dave Daack, Iowa Connect community technology advisor, says Iowa has some very strong rural telephone companies that are active in bringing high-speed internet to rural areas. “They are extremely pro-active,” he says. Daack says a recent Iowa Connect survey found rural Iowa internet access is not as far behind urban counties as many might think. Urban counties account for 43 percent of the access to 3 megabits per second (Mbps) internet and rural counties represent 40 percent of the access. The numbers do widen at faster internet speeds. For 10 Mbps, urban counties are 40 percent of the access and rural counties are 30 percent. At 25 Mbps, 40 percent of the access is in urban counties and only 25 percent is in rural counties, he says. Mobile broadband is very strong in rural areas, he adds. Rural access differences mostly come down to local provider differences. There are some challenges for even top providers with such population density and terrain. Iowa Connect works with communities to find solutions. The Manning tower antenna can provide 25 Mbps over 4 miles away, Ehlers says, but some hills and valleys can affect access for specific locations. Ehlers says talent is another challenge for smaller internet providers. While larger companies have enough staff to specialize in certain areas, smaller companies have fewer people to cover more job duties. When it comes to using high-speed internet, Daack says relevance, not cost, is the top reason for lack of usage. That has changed recently. The average person now has three devices that depend on internet access, and Daack thinks that number will continue to grow. This means rural communities with high-speed internet access and usage now need to continue to plan for the future. Manning did that with a recent upgrade, Ehlers says. At Puck Custom Enterprises, they sell their manure pumps throughout the country in areas with high hog and dairy production. Blum says Iowa and Minnesota are near the top when it comes to access and stability of the internet signal for their purposes. In some cases, the company uses a mobile phone connection to upload information from each pump. Blum is also seeing more operations adding routers to spread wireless network access over the entire farm. Currently, the company’s manure pumps can send information to a website, but they don’t “talk” to each. In the future, he thinks the pumps will communicate with each other — allowing one pump to automatically shut down if there is something wrong with another pump down the line. Copyright 2015 Iowa Farmer Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed MANNING, Iowa — This past week rural Iowa has been under the spotlight, not just from President Obama, but also Governor Branstad. Obama visited Cedar Falls to highlight that town’s rural high-speed connectivity. Branstad continues to recognize Iowa Certified Connected Communities. That means towns have taken inventory of their broadband and have at least a 10 megabit per second download.
Manning was one of those towns recognized, but the rural Carroll County town is now taking its internet speed to use as a recruiting tool. Manning has put out the call for Manning alumni to return home and take up telecommuting. Ron Reischl moved back to his hometown Manning in 2009. Due to Manning’s high-speed connection, Reischl was able to work for five years for IBM. “Actually tele-commuted from home for five years here in the local area,” said Reischl. “My primary contacts within IBM were in Rochester, Minnesota and Austin, Texas, and all that work was done over the internet.” Now with the recognition Manning is getting from the Governor, they are putting out the call for others. “Just like myself telecommuting, we intend to encourage Manning alumni who work across the United States, those who have the ability to telecommute to come back to Manning to telecommute.” Reischl, now in retirement, serves as the volunteer Manning Main Street board president. He is enthusiastic about all the town has going, including a new hospital and thriving businesses. The town recently spent $1 million on improvements to the Main Street area.  An artist’s rendering of the proposed Trestle Park, development of which will receive $25,000 from an Iowa Great Places grant awarded to Manning last week. The goal of the park is to provide recreational opportunities for adults. Economic Development Manning designated Iowa ‘Great Place’ $150K grant will boost trails, public art, Trestle Park By AUDREY INGRAM, Times Herald Staff Writer January 13, 2015 Last week the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs recognized something Manning residents have known for years — Manning is a great place to live. The city received $150,000 in grant money through the Iowa Great Places program, funding that will be used for Manning’s trail system, three new public art pieces and development of the proposed Trestle Park. Manning was one of five new communities to receive the Great Places designation. A sixth existing Great Places community also received part of this year’s funding, which totaled $1.3 million. The grant will contribute to more than $1 million in total projects that will take three years to complete, Manning City Administrator Dawn Rohe said. A portion of the grant money will be used on trail sections to connect Manning Regional Healthcare Center and IKM-Manning schools to the city’s proposed nine-leg $3.6 million master trail system. The three public art pieces will include four sculptures along U.S. Highway 141 that will depict Manning’s four skyline features — the German Hausbarn, the water tower, Trinity Church and the historic Milwaukee Railroad trestle; at least five bronze statues throughout the community — a statue of children playing leap frog already stands in the city park, and other ideas include a statue of firefighters to display at the fire station or a statue of a baseball player near the field; and a statue water feature in the city park. The remaining $25,000 of the grant will go toward development of Trestle Park. The goal of the park is to provide recreational opportunities for adults. Suggestions from public input meetings have included sand volleyball courts, Nishnabotna River access for canoes and kayaks, grills, camping hookups, scattered hammocks and large industrial signage as a focus point. Manning applied for the Great Places grant and designation last year but was unsuccessful. “Our focus last year was on the trails,” Rohe explained. “We broadened our horizon this year.” The program recognizes partnership and collaboration, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs representative David Schmitz explained. “Every community has a wish list of projects, whether a small town or a city,” he said. Great Places designees have leaders who seek public input, recruit partnering organizations and have already sought other sources of funding, Schmitz said. Manning’s work with Drake University, Iowa State University, the Iowa Restaurant Association and the Iowa Economic Development Authority “speaks to its ability to get things done and think outside the resources in their own community,” he added. Manning was one of a dozen communities that applied this year. Other recipients included: — Linn County, awarded $400,000 to expand the Indian Creek Nature Center into a new environmental-education and recreation center called Amazing Space. The project seeks to become Iowa’s first facility to achieve Living Building status. — Sixth Avenue Corridor in Des Moines, awarded $250,000 to increase walkability and streetscapes near the historic and ethnically diverse River Bend and Cheatom Park neighborhoods. — Grinnell, awarded $200,000 to expand Central Park and enhance downtown entrances. Those projects coincide with plans to develop an event center and boutique hotel, repair historic facades and rehabilitate a historic manufacturing facility into 80 apartments. — Raccoon River Valley Trail, awarded $200,000 through the City of Waukee to develop public art along the trail, which sees more than 150,000 visitors annually. See story and photos on Page 3. — Hamilton-Webster counties, an existing Great Place, awarded $125,000 through the City of Fort Dodge to reinvest in its historic downtown core. According to the Great Places website, the program has invested more than $14 million in 36 Iowa communities and regions since 2005. Every $1 invested through the program has leveraged an average $22 in local and private support, according to a 2010 economic report also cited online. Coon Rapids is the only other Great Places designee in the area. It was recognized for work to open and promote Whiterock Conservancy as an eco-tourism and recreation destination. Channel 13 Des Moines, WHO-TV.com
MANNING, Iowa- Last week Governor Terry Branstad recognized the Carroll County town of Manning as the first town in Iowa under 5,000 population as a Certified Connected Community. That mean’s the town provides for residents and businesses high speed internet access of 10 megabits per second download. “Like the rest of Iowa, and the nation, the internet is a major portion of doing business anymore,” said Ron Reischl, who serves as President of the Main Street Manning Board of Directors. “It’s one of the must-haves anymore.” Reischl said all businesses in town use the community-based broadband service. “It’s key for growth of rural America, it really expands our marketplace,” said Reischl. The Governor has named his statewide campaign to improve high-speed internet as “Connect Every Acre.” For Puck Custom Enterprises, south of Manning, the “Every Acre” part is very important. The company uses broadband cell service to operate liquid manure pumps for customers with hogs, cattle or dairy operations. The system can be controlled by one person, who may access the web via cell service from a tractor. The pumps operate on remote farms where often the only broadband internet is via cell service. Jeff Blum is the Operations Manager for Puck Enterprises. He said 5 years ago crews counted on multiple people talking via FM radios to control a system. Now, it can be done with just one person. “One operator from the tractor cab can see everything,” said Blum. “He can control the entire system locally there from the tractor cab.” “Every unit that pumps is equipped with a cellular modem, so that pump is able to communicate to the internet,” said Blum. He said in the future he expects to see more networks to help systems communicate with the internet, or local systems to help machines talk to one another. Puck Custom Enterprise operates it’s manufacturing and corporate offices four miles south of the town of Manning. For conventional broadband, a tower beams the internet from Manning, to the company’s complex. Governor Branstad Recognizes Manning as Certified Connected Community
Manning completes technology plan aimed at bridging technology gap, boosting economy, paving way for improved quality of life. Media Contact: Sarah Synovec For Immediate Release ssynovec@connectiowa.org January 8, 2015 (515) 421-3326 Des Moines, IA – Today, Governor Branstad, legislative leaders, and local officials joined Connect Iowa to recognize the City of Manning for becoming a certified Connected community and releasing its technology action plan. Manning is the first community of less than 5,000 people to become certified in Iowa. “Iowa communities continue to lead the way to improve access, adoption, and use of broadband technology,” said Gov. Branstad. "Lt. Gov. Reynolds and I congratulate Manning for being recognized as a certified Connected community. Manning has taken important and essential steps to move Iowa forward, improving both economic development opportunities and quality of life for Iowans. I encourage all Iowa communities to complete the Connected community certification process presented by Connect Iowa and keep the momentum going.” The City of Manning Broadband Committee has been working since April 2014 with Connect Iowa on the Connected Community Engagement Program. This initiative assesses the local broadband landscape, identifies connectivity gaps, and establishes technology-driven goals and objectives to increase broadband access, adoption, and use for families, organizations, and businesses throughout the community. The City of Manning met the requirements necessary to achieve the certified Connected community status. “Connect Iowa and Connected Nation join Gov. Branstad in congratulating the City of Manning on its distinction as a certified Connected community,” said Tom Ferree, Connected Nation president and COO. “The City of Manning Broadband Team, representing all sectors of the community, is committed to improving broadband access, adoption, and use for all residents, businesses, and organizations for the years to come.” "The City of Manning is honored to receive this important distinction as a Connected community,” said Ron Reischl, Manning local champion and Main Street Manning Board President. “The Connected community certification and the recognition of Governor Branstad reiterate what we have long known - Manning is a great place to live and conduct business. This will be added to our economic development tool kit and will complement our recent $1 million investment in downtown revitalization. The Manning Broadband Committee is especially proud of Manning being recognized as the first Iowa community under 5,000 to achieve the certification." For more information about the project or to join a Connected community technology team, please contact Connect Iowa at info@connectiowa.org. # # # About Connect Iowa: Connect Iowa is a subsidiary of Connected Nation and operates as a nonprofit in the state of Iowa to promote broadband access, adoption, and use. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is leading the initiative to increase broadband Internet access throughout rural Iowa. Connect Iowa was commissioned by the state to work with all broadband providers in Iowa to create detailed maps of broadband coverage and develop a statewide plan for the deployment and adoption of broadband. For more information visit: www.connectiowa.org.  Manning was recognized in Des Moines Thursday afternoon for the community’s access to and use of broadband Internet. Attending the presentation are (from left) Phillip Brown, Connected Nation; Ron Reischl, Main Street Manning board president; Manning Mayor Harvey Dales; Gov. Terry Branstad; Colleen Nelson, Main Street Manning director; Dawn Rohe, City of Manning administrator; and State Rep.-elect Brian Best, R-Glidden. Economic Development Manning recognized for broadband access, use Gov. Branstad to continue efforts to connect all Iowans to high-speed Internet service By AUDREY INGRAM, Times Herald Staff Writer Manning Mayor Harvey Dales (left) and Main Street Manning board President Ron Reischl (center) talk to Gov. Terry Branstad in Des Moines where Manning was recognized Thursday afternoon for the community’s Internet access. • • January 9, 2015 DES MOINES Economic-development efforts and education connect through broadband, Gov. Terry Branstad told Manning representatives in Des Moines Thursday afternoon. Manning was recognized this week as the first city of fewer than 5,000 people to receive Certified Connected Community status for its high rates of access, adoption and use of broadband Internet. High-speed access boosts the local economy by increasing opportunities for local businesses and individual entrepreneurs, especially in small towns, Branstad said. “So much business is done today over the Internet. That’s why access is so critically important,” he said, praising the community’s “spirit.” Branstad visited Manning last summer and toured Puck Custom Enterprises during the company’s 35th anniversary celebration. He commended the “dynamic” company for attracting a talented workforce of young employees and families — efforts aided by the region’s and local school system’s work to provide high-speed access, he said. “The economy is changing. To remain competitive, we must be connected to the world,” he said. Main Street Manning Board President Ron Reischl, top leader on the connectivity project, agreed that broadband access increases the potential of rural communities. “As we look at population growth, one opportunity is to attract alumni who can work from home,” he said. Reischl himself is an example — after spending several decades in Texas working for the computer-hardware company IBM, he returned to Manning and finished his career with the company via telecommunication. In 2013 and 2014, Branstad promoted a Connect Every Iowan initiative to increase access, adoption and use of broadband statewide after Iowa was ranked 11th of 12 Midwestern states on the TechNet State Broadband Index. This year, Branstad plans to continue that work under a new title — Connect Every Acre, selected to highlight the importance of connectivity in the agricultural industry as well, he said Thursday. Manning leaders began working on the city’s certification in April 2014. Through the Connected Community Engagement Program, Manning completed an assessment of its broadband and technology status and developed a technology action plan that includes a technology-mentorship program, training for small businesses, Internet access in all school classrooms and a community computer refurbishment or recycling program. The certification process is conducted through Connect Iowa, a subsidiary of Connected Nation, an organization that works to foster economic and community development through public-private partnerships that increase access to and use of broadband and related technology. Tech is “the way of the future,” Connected Nation broadband policy and planning director Phillip Brown noted. According to Connect Iowa, online sales represented $20 billion in revenue for Iowa businesses in 2014 and 81 percent of Iowa business use broadband daily. More than 220,000 residents bank online and roughly 277,000 Iowans telecommute. Broadband is also vital to education, Brown said — 87 percent of Iowa parents say their children go online to complete homework, and schools increasingly promoting one-to-one computer initiatives need network infrastructure that can support hundreds of students being online at the same time. Additionally, communities that have gone through Connected certification — Manning is the ninth in Iowa and one of 40 across the nation — have shown job gains twice as high a year later as communities that have not completed certification. While this increase can’t be solely or directly attributed to the program, it “certainly demonstrates the power broadband can have,” Brown said. While all households in Manning have access to mobile broadband, the assessment highlights a need for faster Internet, Reischl said. Through Manning Municipal Communications, residents and local businesses can access up to 20 megabytes per second download speeds, technical manager Jason Ehlers said. “We’ve been doing a lot here in the last year to just really improve the backbone coming into town,” he said. Manning currently has four potential middle-mile providers, key in the city’s certification success, Ehlers said. The Manning communications company currently has 400 Internet users. The top users include the local Polaris call center and local banks. In the last two years, the company has seen an increase in the number of local businesses utilizing websites, at least for advertising purposes if not for sales, Ehlers said. Manning Regional Healthcare Center and IKM-Manning Community School District have their own networks. Residential use has also increased in recent years as Manning’s demographics have shifted, Ehlers said. Younger communities see greater use of online applications. MMCTSU began offering broadband around 2000 and upgraded its infrastructure significantly between 2004 and 2006. It is currently “working out the kinks” to offer additional upgrades, Ehlers said. “Internet is in demand, that’s for sure,” he said. “We’re always looking for ways to get the best bang for our buck.”  Manning Mayor Harvey Dales (left) and Main Street Manning board President Ron Reischl (center) talk to Gov. Terry Branstad in Des Moines where Manning was recognized Thursday afternoon for the community’s Internet access. Posted: Thursday, 08 January 2015 8:21PM Quinn Palmer Reporting - See more at: http://www.1380kcim.com/Manning-honored-at-Capital-as-9th-city-in-Iowa-cer/20673627#sthash.4bQD3cKt.dpuf
Manning, Iowa -- Representatives from the city of Manning were honored by Governor Terry Branstad and members of Connect Iowa at the State Capitol in Des Moines Thursday afternoon. Manning’s current broadband internet availability qualified the city as a certified Connected Community. The city is only the 9th in Iowa to be certified and is the first community with a population of fewer than 5,000 to earn the designation. Main Street Manning Board President Ron Reischl spoke with Carroll Broadcasting following the ceremony and talked about what the designation means for Manning. Reischl says Manning’s broadband availability was certified across a number of key scoring areas including access and usage. The city scored 108 points out of a possible 120 during a wide-ranging analysis. Manning’s highest broadband speeds are currently offered by local provider, MMCTSU, according to Reischl who says there’s always room for improvements. Reischl adds the award also recognizes Manning’s progressive stance and at the ceremony Governor Terry Branstad acknowledged some of the city’s other accomplishments. Reischl attributed the city’s progress to its people saying they “tend to band together and work together for the good of the town.” He added the Connected Community certification was made possible by representatives from the school, the city, MMCTSU, the business community, and the hospital. A certification plaque presented at the ceremony will be on display at either the city hall or at the Main Street Manning Office. © 2012 - 2015 Carroll Broadcasting Company. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. - See more at: http://www.1380kcim.com/Manning-honored-at-Capital-as-9th-city-in-Iowa-cer/20673627#sthash.4bQD3cKt.dpuf IOWA Department of Cultural Affairs Iowa Arts Council Produce Iowa State Historical Society of Iowa Mary Cownie, Director Chris Kramer, Deputy Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 8, 2015 Contact: Jeff Morgan, 515-281-3858 DCA invests $1.3 million in six communities to spur cultural development Des Moines’ Sixth Avenue Corridor, Grinnell, Linn County, Manning, Waukee’s Raccoon River Valley Trail and Hamilton-Webster Counties receive grants DES MOINES – The Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) continues to build and sustain a more culturally vibrant Iowa by awarding more than $1.3 million for projects in six communities designated Iowa Great Places. DCA approved an Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board recommendation to designate and award funding to the following five communities as Iowa’s newest Great Places: Sixth Avenue Corridor (Des Moines), Grinnell, Linn County, Manning and the Raccoon River Valley Trail (Waukee). Hamilton-Webster Counties was named an Iowa Great Place in 2010 and received additional funding for a new project during this most recent grant round. This year, the board reviewed applications from nearly a dozen Iowa communities requesting approximately $3 million. Common themes identified across the communities awarded funding include an emphasis on creating livable, walkable communities, revitalizing downtowns and urban neighborhoods, and capitalizing on outdoor recreational corridors. “The Department of Cultural Affairs is committed to empowering Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities,” DCA Director Mary Cownie said. “These communities awarded funding recognize their own unique sense of place and we are proud to invest in projects that foster economic growth and enhance the cultural identity of Iowa.” “These awards represent a diverse group of hard working Iowans who recognize the value of capitalizing on their most authentic community assets,” said Nick Glew of Marion, chair of the Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board. “The board was truly impressed by the local and regional collaborations these project demonstrate and the private sector investment they are leveraging.” The Iowa Great Places program challenges Iowans to create community development proposals that exemplify bold thought and innovation; encourage creativity and entrepreneurship; foster a sense of place and identity; and demonstrate a commitment to enhancing community vitality and quality of life. Proposals are submitted to and reviewed by the 12-person Iowa Great Places Citizen Advisory Board, which looks for the following criteria in making its recommendations: • a guiding vision plan and interrelated set of strategies • broad-based support for projects that include multiple local and regional partners and public-private partnerships • strong organizational capacity demonstrated by financial and programmatic performance and service to constituents The list of new Iowa Great Places announced today and projects receiving funding follows. Information about the presentation of the Iowa Great Places designations and funding will be announced as it is confirmed. Great Place Designee: Manning Applicant: City of Manning Grant Award: $150,000 • Project Trails, Public Art, Milwaukee Trestle Park • Project description Iowa Great Places funding will advance the vision of Manning, a rural community of 1,500 near Carroll in Northwest Iowa, to offer increased recreational, transportation, and social opportunities. Great Places support coincides with other major initiatives in Manning involving the Iowa Economic Development Authority, Drake University and the Iowa Restaurant Association. Manning’s proposal will reinforce its unique sense of place while encouraging creativity and highlighting its most historic attractions. Plans call for bronze statues and sculptural elements to be placed throughout the community and the creation of a new park around the historic Milwaukee Trestle Bridge. Additionally, a Park/Hospital trail connector will improve pedestrian access from a regional hospital to the community’s historic Main Street, supporting the community’s economic development goals. All of the projects are supported by multiple local and regional vision plans and partnerships with Iowa State University and Trees Forever. • Comment “The Manning community is very grateful for the Iowa Great Places designation and funding. Not only will it help fund three public art projects, two trail segments, and the new trestle park, it will help showcase some of the developments that make Manning one of the great places of Iowa.” – Dawn Rohe • Contact Dawn Rohe, City of Manning, 712-655-2176 |
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