Iowa
Iowa Premium halts major beef processing factory in Tama
A significant beef processor has halted its enlargement plans in jap Iowa.
Blaming elevated building prices, Marcy Johnson, spokesperson for Iowa Premium, stated Thursday that the corporate has “indefinitely paused” constructing the brand new manufacturing unit, which was slated to exchange a smaller one within the metropolis. She stated the corporate will take into account whether or not to renew the venture later.
Tama County Financial Growth Director Katherine Ollendieck stated in an electronic mail that native leaders will work to be prepared if Iowa Premium revives its plans.
“Iowa Premium is a invaluable a part of our enterprise and business neighborhood,” Ollendieck stated. “We plan to proceed efforts to supply extra reasonably priced housing choices for native staff, construct the primary streets in Tama and Toledo stronger and supply any assist we will to assist Iowa Premium transfer ahead sooner or later.”
Iowa Premium introduced plans for the larger manufacturing unit in March 2021. It stated it could rent 400 extra staff there by the top of 2024, bringing its complete employment to greater than 1,200. The bigger manufacturing unit would have doubled manufacturing capability to 13,500 head every week.
The information was a promising signal for the financial system within the county of about 17,000. The enlargement additionally was a welcome signal for Iowa’s cattle producers, who’ve complained that patrons within the concentrated beef-packing business aren’t paying sufficient for his or her livestock.
Johnson stated in an electronic mail that operations on the present Tama plant will proceed at present manufacturing ranges and it’ll preserve its present workforce.
Extra:This is why Iowa shoppers can count on increased meals costs to persist into subsequent yr
“On behalf of our CEO, Tim Klein, and Basic Supervisor, Jon Surman, we thank the town, county, and state management, our Iowa cattle suppliers, and the Tama neighborhood for his or her enthusiastic assist for the venture,” she stated. “We are going to proceed to spend money on our workers, our present Iowa Premium manufacturing facility, and this neighborhood.”
The Iowa Premium venture isn’t the primary main improvement to hit a roadblock in Iowa due to growing building costs.
Citing rising prices for metal and concrete, in addition to challenges determining when suppliers may give them supplies, the builders behind Des Moines’ deliberate professional soccer stadium introduced a delay of at the very least a yr Monday.
The Iowa Financial Growth Authority awarded Iowa Premium as much as $14 million in tax incentives in December. Town of Tama deliberate to provide Iowa Premium a three-year property tax abatement, in line with the IEDA.
On the time, Iowa Premium disclosed that it deliberate to spend $562 million on the venture, together with $230 million on building and $293 million on equipment. The corporate stated in December it deliberate to start out building this spring.
Extra:Developer of $450 million Iowa beef processing plant asks state to kick in a 3rd, dwarfing different grants
A spokesperson for the IEDA didn’t reply to an electronic mail searching for remark Thursday. Corporations don’t obtain the state’s tax incentives till they hit sure targets, equivalent to sure spending quantities and hiring will increase.
When he voted to approve the incentives in December, then-IEDA board member Chris Murray stated the brand new manufacturing unit may increase Tama’s small neighborhood, situated about midway between Ames and Cedar Rapids.
“It should doubtlessly drive workforce housing and different financial improvement in these communities,” he stated.
Iowa State College economist Lee Schulz has stated there may be loads of room for extra beef slaughtering amenities within the space. In a 2017 report, he wrote that farmers within the state ship about 6,800 head of cattle to processors exterior of the state day by day. The three greatest Iowa beef packing vegetation slaughtered a few quarter of that quantity day by day.
Tyler Jett covers jobs and the financial system for the Des Moines Register. Attain him at tjett@registermedia.com, 515-284-8215, or on Twitter at @LetsJett.
Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes Connected to Overwhelming Bowl Expectation
Kirk Ferentz and the Iowa Hawkeyes were able to take care of business on Saturday against the Maryland Terrapins. Now, they head into their final game of the regular season this coming Saturday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers with a 7-4 record.
Iowa will be headed to a bowl game following their game against Nebraska. However, the real question ends up being, which bowl game will they play in?
At this point in time, the Hawkeyes seem to be trending towards playing in one bowl game in particular.
Here are a few of the bowl game projections that have been put out there by analysts:
Obviously, the ReliaQuest Bowl seems to be the clear favorite when it comes to what game Iowa will play in.
Looking at some of the matchups that have been suggested, there is the potential for a very entertaining game.
Going up against Ole Miss, South Carolina, or Alabama would be a very difficult test for the Hawkeyes. Any of those three games would give them a great test to end the 2024 season.
There is still one game that needs to be played. A win over the Cornhuskers would have them ending their season at 8-4. After that game, it will be a wait and see approach as to which bowl game Iowa will play.
All of that being said, seeing this projections should bring excitement to the Hawkeyes’ fan base. None of them would be easy games, but the matchups would give Iowa a chance to end the season with a major upset and to head into the offseason on a high note.
Iowa
SYC: Iowa Big project focuses on helping unsheltered
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – A group of Cedar Rapids High School students are making sure people without a home have the essentials this winter.
Gavin Cornwell and his team of Iowa Big students filled 100 bags this week with a little bit of everything.
“We have some fruit roll-ups, some gushers, and a granola bar,” said Cornwell.
For this team, it’s more than just a class. Once done, the bags will go to the unsheltered population living at the winter overflow homeless shelter.
“People really don’t understand, everyone has their own story,” said Cornwell.
These care packages will go to each person who stays at the low-barrier shelter this winter.
“We kind of grabbed the basic necessities to include in these care packages to give them some cheer this holiday season,” he said.
The homeless population in Linn County grew by more than 40% in 2024. Denine Rushing oversees operations at the overflow shelter and said the bags provide items that those who sleep at the shelter might not otherwise get.
“Being able to have these bags that they can just throw in their backpacks or in a bag or just carry with them and utilize throughout the day,” said Rushing. “I think it is going to be really helpful for people.”
Rushing expected to see more people utilize the shelter this year, especially during snow events and bitter cold temperatures.
“You really have to kind of have things on the go, things that you can kind of just grab and take with you while you are out and about throughout the day,” said Rushing.
Cornwell said they planned to hand the bags out this Monday at the shelter. A place this Prairie High School senior is now closer to, a place that was more visible thanks to this school-based project.
“You might drive by and you might see somebody experiencing homelessness but you don’t really know what they’re experiencing,” said Cornwell.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa
Iowa State women get back on track, hold off in-state rival Drake
Returning to Hilton Coliseum was just what the Iowa State women needed, as the eighth-ranked Cyclones held off Drake Sunday afternoon in Ames, 80-78.
Returning sophomore standout Audi Crooks had the game-winning bucket with just :00.3 seconds left in the game, finishing off a 33-point effort to lead Iowa State (5-1).
Crooks, a preseason honorable mention All-American, added four rebounds to her night while shooting 15 of 25 from the field.
Emily Ryan had a double-double, scoring 11 points while dishing out 12 assists. Addy Brown added 13 points and Mackenzie Hare chipped in 10. Brown led the team with eight rebounds while Ryan had six with two steals.
Arianna Jackson had three steals and no turnovers in almost 31 minutes of action.
For Drake, another former Iowa prep standout put up a big number vs. the Cyclones, as Katie Dinnebier knocked down eight 3-pointers and scored a game-high 39 points. Anna Miller had 18 with eight rebounds, as Dinnebier also had five rebounds, two steals and two assists.
The win marked the 300th non-conference victory for Iowa State under Bill Fennelly all-time, as he improved to 616-314 with the Cyclones and 782-367 overall in his coaching career.
Iowa State added to its NCAA-record streak for consecutive games with a made 3-pointer, stretching it to 933 straight.
Up next for the Cyclones will be defending national champion South Carolina on Thanksgiving at 12:30 p.m. on FOX. The Gamecocks had their 43-game win streak snapped with a 77-62 loss in Los Angeles.
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