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For the past eight years, Debi Durham has been a champion of economic improvement throughout the entire state, leading the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and now the Iowa Finance Authority. She and her team have nurtured invaluable public-private partnerships and reeled in development projects worth a billion dollars, and they are only just beginning. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, Durham will be the keynote speaker for the Carroll Area Development Corporation’s (CADC) Annual Partners Luncheon. Executive Director, Shannon Landauer, says the state recently did an exercise in New York to showcase the Iowa lifestyle, and it was an eye-opener for many.
That video can be found below. The visit by Durham is timely as new initiatives in the county and through the Carroll Chamber of Commerce are being rolled out. One of these is being developed around the different alcoholic products being produced right here.

More details and a sneak preview of Alcohology will be coming soon. Following the luncheon on Oct. 9, Durham will travel to Manning for a valve-turning ceremony, celebrating the completion of the Manning Municipal Utilities natural gas line expansion. The public is invited to attend this event as Durham will give a brief speech and refreshments will follow. A photo timeline of the project will also be displayed.

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One of the three task forces formed as a portion of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Empower Rural Iowa Initiative will meet this week in our region. Lt. Gov., Adam Gregg, will be leading the Growing Rural Iowa task force meeting at the Hausbarn Konfrenz Centre in Manning on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The group, which includes local leaders Ron Reischl of Manning and Justin Wagner of Harlan, will convene the meeting at 1:30 p.m. as they work toward their mission of encouraging leadership development and strategic development in rural communities. This is one of three task forces formed within the initiative. The Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force is focused on making recommendations for ways to improve access to quality housing in rural Iowa and the Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force explores effective and sustainable ways to finance rural connectivity. Gregg, a co-chair of Empower Rural Iowa, adds these are merely starting points for the groups and they will broaden their scope and work on other issues in the years to come. Reynolds says the initiative is meant to help create concrete solutions to the unique challenges faced in rural portions of the state and to ensure that there is opportunity in every corner of Iowa.

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Ever wonder what today’s students are getting to do in their classrooms on a daily basis? Have you heard all the talk about 21st Century technologies and curriculums that place an emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)? Well if you want to get a first-hand look that helps answer these questions and many more, you are invited to Explore STEM next week in the parking lot of the IKM-Manning school building in Manning. A DNR trailer and Iowa State University’s FLEx virtual reality will be on hand, along with the Iowa Corn Trailer, local representatives from the ambulance, police and utility departments as well as Puck Enterprises. Attendees will see drone demonstrations, thermal imagery and GPS tools as well as a crop monster used during ag in the classroom presentations. The Tuesday, Sept. 10 event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include a free meal of pork sandwiches, chips and cookies.

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A special community grill-out has been planned as a way to not only raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association, but to also celebrate Grandparents’ Day and the opening of a new memory care unit at Manning Senior Living. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, meals will be provided for a free-will donation at their location, 203 11th Street in Manning. There will also be giveaways throughout the day.

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The IKM-Manning Community School District Board of Education has selected HAILA Architecture, Structure and Planning, Ltd. as consultants in the development of a long-term Facilities Master Plan. The next steps in the process are workshops and a kick-off meeting, which will be held for all interested district residents on Thursday, Sept. 5 beginning at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium in Manning. HAILA will outline the process during the presentation and provide a projected timeline. Buildings will be assessed prior to the Thursday meeting with other workshops slated for October, November and December with a proposed completion date for the Master Plan in January of 2020. Community members, parents and students are encouraged to attend. An outline of the process is included below.

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