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​The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced today (Tuesday) that they have awarded more than $1.3 million to five Iowa Great Places projects. The community of Manning has once again been awarded a grant, this one for phase two of the Trestle Park Project. The total cost for the phase two goal of using non-traditional materials to develop the area into a unique experience for the local residents as well visitors is estimated at $62,760. The Iowa Arts Council, which oversees the Iowa Great Places program, has partnered with Manning, providing a 50 percent grant of $31,380. “These projects enhance the quality of life and generate economic opportunities for their communities while celebrating their local character,” says Matthew Harris, administrator of the Iowa Arts Council. There were a total of five projects receiving grant awards and they include: restoration of the Madison County covered bridge damaged by fire; the Wapsipinicon River Scenic Overlook in Linn County; Harvester II Arts & Cultural Center in Council Bluffs; and expansion of the Turkey River Recreational Corridor Trail in Fayette County. Plans for the Trestle Park were created in 2014, which were designated for funding from Iowa Great Places in 2015. Most of the initial phase is already completed around the 102-year-old railroad trestle. The park area will include a shelter house, a train-themed informational kiosk, a concrete IOWA sculpture a natural play area and conceptual, interactive art pieces.

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​Manning Regional Healthcare Center has been recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) for patient-centered care. The healthcare facility has received the NCQA’s Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition (PCMH) for their use of evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term, participative relationships. “PCMH gives our clinic the opportunity to give a higher quality coordination of care, all while still focusing on our patients and their satisfaction,” says MRHC’s Health Coach and registered nurse, Shelby Dickson. The NCQA is a model of primary care, combining teamwork and information technology to improve care, the patient’s experience and to help reduce cost. Assistant Director of Nursing at the Manning Plaza, Karen Nelson, says that the application process took a full year, and that everyone came together to put in the effort and hard work needed for this honor. She adds that the true benefit will be to the patients for many years to come in this three-year long recognition program.

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It was a blustery, cold afternoon for the reveal of four new pieces of artwork placed along the Manning city sports complex on Highway 141. That, however, did not keep a large contingent from showing up Monday to take part in this momentous occasion. A key member of the group organizing the efforts, Karen Reinke, says the metal pieces, engineered by JEO Consulting and constructed by Puck Custom Enterprises, Ten Point Construction and Warner Welding, were designed through the collaboration of two different groups of students.

Manning Municipal Utilities will be lighting the artwork, and just like so many projects in Manning, there was one person in-particular who was behind seeing this one come to life.

Professor Reinaldo Correa, who is a lector in the Department of Architecture and teaches design and visual communications at Iowa State University (ISU), says they use art to revitalize and contribute to small towns in Iowa. They became involved in this project after working with the community through the ISU Extension and Outreach. He adds that he attends many ceremonies like this across the state, but Manning, as usual, has left a lasting impression. He says the best part of this project is not necessarily the artwork, but in seeing all of the people and the impact it has on the entire community. City Manager, Dawn Meyer, says the idea of doing “something” along Highway 141 was brought up through the visioning process in 2012. It really took shape in 2016, with the concept of incorporating the four iconic items in the Manning logo: the German Hausbarn; the High Trestle Bridge; the water tower; and Trinity Church. These groups will be bringing more artwork like this to Main Street and Trestle Park in the coming months.

Link to article and audio: www.1380kcim.com/news/2017/47852/

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Rebecca McKinsey

Venture stemmed from partnership between Iowa State and Manning residentsThe wind turned blue tarps into fluttering sails before they slipped away to reveal a piece of artwork made from corten steel and etched with an simple image depicting Manning’s German Hausbarn.
“Oh, wow,” a member of the audience murmured after the first glimpse of the piece. 
“Should we clap?” another asked. “Let’s clap.”
Down Highway 141, another tarp was removed, this time revealing a piece representing Trinity Lutheran Church.
Then Manning’s railroad trestle.
Then the water tower.
On Monday, the city revealed the four-part art installation that now stands along Highway 141 next to the city’s sports complex at Park Avenue. It’s a partnership that ran the gamut from the IKM-Manning High School students who dreamed up the initial concept, to the Iowa State University student who designed the pieces, to the hands in Manning that created them — and the countless other people who moved the idea forward, raised funds and wrote grants to make it happen.
The concept was born several years ago when members of IKM-Manning teacher Judy Jacobsen’s multimedia class were drafted to create initial designs for public art in Manning.
“Our part was giving them a piece that didn’t exist,” Jacobsen said. “I like live projects. I don’t teach out of a book. Sometimes our projects work, and sometimes they fail miserably — for this, it worked.”
Three of those students — Natalie Bauer, Mariah Klocke and Shauna Reitan, now seniors — attended the unveiling ceremony Monday, two years after they initially helped create the starting designs.
Their designs were used to apply for grants and were provided to Iowa State University students in Department of Architecture lecturer Reinaldo Correa’s design class as a starting-off point earlier this year in a partnership that provided students with design experience, and the opportunity to see their designs brought to life, and Manning with opportunities for public art.
After some back and forth, Manning representatives used designs from Izac Roberts, who graduated from Iowa State in May, for the Highway 141 installation. Those were sent on to area businesses who turned the designs into reality, including Puck Custom Enterprises, Ten Point Construction, Warner Welding and JEO Consulting Group.
Members of a visioning committee were involved in various ways throughout the process, including Karen Reinke, who spoke at the unveiling ceremony Monday.
“Projects like this often start as a dream,” Reinke said. “The road to reality can often be arduous. We are extremely proud of the results.”
Correa said he was impressed with the dozens of people who turned out for the event Monday.
“I came here today and I’m truly in awe,” he said. “All of the people involved to make a vision and idea truly become a reality are the best part. It’s been truly an honor for Iowa State to be a part of this vision.”
Each art piece is framed and mounted on concrete footings. The corten steel, also called weathering steel, used to create the pieces will change color with time.
Manning plans to incorporate other designs from Correa’s students into additional public art installations in Manning.
“Seeing a design go from an idea to a tangible, physical form in the real world is very gratifying,” Correa said in a previous interview. “As (students are) transitioning from academia to the professional world, it’s a story future employers would be very captivated to hear.”
Monday was particularly special for Roberts, the Iowa State student who spent hours dreaming up and tweaking the designs that eventually would become reality alongside Highway 141.
“It was really awesome,” Roberts said with a laugh. “I wish there was a better word. It’s strange — I feel accomplished. It’s hard to put into words.”
Roberts, 25, works as a design engineer with Art’s Way Manufacturing in Armstrong, Iowa, about 130 miles north of Manning.
“I get to design things every day and see things put into action every day, and it’s never not exciting,” he said. “It’s always a good feeling to see stuff go from just an idea in your head to a physical form, but at work, it’s tough because I design something, I get to see it really quick and then away it goes and I never see it again. And this is something that’s going to be there indefinitely. It’s crazy to see something I made be almost immortalized.”

Link to article and additional pictures: carrollspaper.com/Content/Default/Homepage-Rotating-Articles/Article/Manning-unveils-public-art-along-Highway-141/-3/449/25953

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The beach ball IKM-Manning students bopped across an auditorium late last month had a simple message printed across its red surface: “Special Olympics — play unified.”
Their dedication to “playing unified” earned IKM-Manning students and staff members a “Unified Champion School” designation from Special Olympics Iowa this fall.
About 20 schools throughout the state were selected to receive the award, which recognizes schools’ efforts to be inclusive to all students, including those with disabilities, not only through Special Olympics but in all school activities, according to a news release.
“It’s an honor,” said Beth Hagedorn, IKM-Manning’s Special Olympics coach.
IKM-Manning Special Olympics athletes, band members, cheerleaders and other students participated in a pep rally Nov. 21, during which Bryan Coffey, director of unified programs with Special Olympics Iowa, presented IKM-Manning with the award.
The award recognizes three aspects present at a school, according to the Special Olympics Iowa website: “unified sports,” or providing students both with and without disabilities the chance to play sports together; youth leadership and advocacy, which involves providing all students the opportunity to lead their peers in efforts to include everyone; and “whole-school engagement,” which involves providing opportunities for all students to participate in school-wide activities of any type.
“Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools … brings together students with and without intellectual disabilities through education, sports and youth leadership to provide them with the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to create and sustain school communities that promote acceptance and respect,” the website states.
IKM-Manning has a leadership team with students who have a Class A volunteer certification with the Special Olympics. High-school student members include Peyton Gross, Shyanne Sporrer, Payton Sporrer, Tiffani Beck, Megan Swanson, Neeka Jacobsen and Liam Carter.
This year, IKM-Manning Middle School added Special Olympics as well. Middle-school student members on the leadership team include Katherine Wooster, McKenna Benton and Olivia Bachman.
IKM-Manning’s Special Olympics athletes were recognized at the pep rally, including former athlete Eric Lage, Taylor Gross, Coby Fineran, Albert Holloway, Heaven Holloway, Ben Niles and Kaleb Borosko.
Although sports are at the root of the award — in addition to its other Special Olympics activities, IKM-Manning was selected for the last two years to host the Western Iowa Softball Skills competition, a qualifying event for the Special Olympics state softball tournament in Ankeny — it goes beyond athletics.
The Unified Champion School designation recognizes schools that are free from bullying and exclusion, combat stereotypes and negative attitudes, eliminate hurtful language, promote healthy interactions and value the engagement of all students, according to a description from Special Olympics Iowa.
“These (schools) offer a unique combination that equip young people with tools and training to create sports and school climates of acceptance,” the description states. “These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included and valued in all activities, opportunities and functions.”

Link to story and more pictures: carrollspaper.com/Content/Local-News-Archive/Education/Article/IKM-Manning-recognized-for-inclusion-efforts/1/19/25892

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As IKM-Manning Middle School students were asking friends and family for donated cans of food this fall, they had an extra incentive to gather as many nonperishable items as possible:
“Sliming” their principal and superintendent.
The middle-school student council sponsored the school’s “Cans-giving” food drive in November, during which students gathered nonperishable food items for two weeks to benefit the Manning Food Pantry.
They had early incentive with elementary and middle-school principal Sharon Whitson’s promise to let students “slime” her if they gathered 500 items.
Then IKM-Manning superintendent Trevor Miller upped the ante, agreeing to let students slime him as well if they brought in more than 1,000 items.
Their take at the end of the drive: 1,638 food items. A total of 700 cans were added in a final push on the last day of the drive.
The single class gathering the most items was Amy Rohe’s fifth-grade class, which contributed 397 items to the total and was awarded with a pizza party.
The sliming incentive pushed the food drive, which typically gathers between 400 and 500 food items, to a new level this year, organizers said.
For three years, the Manning Food Pantry — a product of the Manning-area C3 organization, promoting Christ, community and celebration, New Opportunities and volunteers from area churches — has served residents in the IKM-Manning School District communities. In 2016, it served 324 individuals in 184 households, and between January and August of this year, it served 277 people in 118 households.
Those needing assistance from the Manning Food Pantry can contact New Opportunities at 712-792-9266. New Opportunities also can provide information about how to support the food pantry. Donations can be sent to C3 at P.O. Box 251, Manning, IA 51455.

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