The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship announced today that the deadline to apply for Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program has been extended by two weeks, from February 9 at 12:00 p.m. to February 23 at 12:00 p.m. Initial interest in the grant program has been strong, however industry feedback expressed that a two week extension will provide more dairies with additional time to gather information to complete the application on ChooseIowa.com.

The Iowa Legislature authorized the grant program during the 2023 legislative session with the intent of helping smaller dairies and farmers increase on-farm dairy processing, reduce labor costs, and expand the selection of Iowa dairy products. The highly competitive grant will match up to $100,000 per project. The concept builds off the success of other recent Iowa cost-share grant programs, including the Choose Iowa Value-Added Grant and the Butchery Innovation and Revitalization Program, both of which are also aimed at increasing the availability of local food and boosting local processing capacity. The program has an initial overall budget of $750,000.

“The Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program will help Iowa dairy farms cost-share the addition of new on-farm processing equipment or labor-saving technology, both of which will ultimately lead to the availability of more Iowa dairy products for consumers to enjoy,” said Secretary Naig. “Because this highly competitive grant will create more markets, more consumer choice, and more economic opportunities in rural Iowa, it should come as no surprise that the initial interest from dairy farmers has been very promising. This two-week deadline extension will ensure more farmers can gather the information they need to get a strong application submitted by February 23.”

The cost-share grants could, for example, help dairies invest in pasteurization equipment, processing vats, packaging and labeling products, robots, health monitoring, automated feeding systems or cleaning assistance. The program funds are not eligible to cover start-up costs, advertising, public relations, salary/benefits/wages, existing debt or any expenses incurred prior to awarding the grant.

The following are example scenarios that would be eligible for the cost-share grants:

• Farmer A wants to purchase a $120,000 rotary cup filling machine to fill yogurt. Farmer A requests $60,000. Farmer A must have $60,000 of his own funding with either personal cash or financing to match.
• Farmer B is purchasing health monitoring equipment for his herd for $65,000. Farmer B is requesting $32,500. Farmer B must have $32,500 in funding with cash or financing for the match.
• Farmer C is purchasing two robotic milkers for $380,000. Farmer C can apply for up to $100,000. Farmer C must provide the remaining $280,000 to receive $100,000.

Successful applicants must be located in Iowa, have fewer than 50 employees, and be in good standing with pertinent regulatory agencies. Only dairies permitted and inspected by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship are eligible. Full details about the cost-share grant program, including financial matching requirements, application, eligibility and scoring are available on the Choose Iowa website.

Applications should be submitted through the online portal on the Choose Iowa website and are due by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, February 23, 2024. Grant recipients will be announced in April 2024. Questions about the Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Fund Grant Program may be directed to Choose Iowa Director Beth Romer at chooseiowagrant@iowaagriculture.gov.

Over this past weekend (Saturday) the Veteran’s Memorial in Salem was hit by a vehicle and the driver fled the scene.

If you have any information about this incident, please give us a call at city hall and leave a voicemail or email city council member Haley Swinscoe.

Number:  319-258-4531

Email: haleyswinscoe.salem@gmail.com

The Iowa State Patrol recently conducted a traffic stop on Highway 78 in District 13 near Richland. The driver was travelling at a speed of 118 miles per hour before being pulled over just west of Richland.

As the ice and snow clears from the roads and the sun starts to shine, it can be tempting to take your car to the limits. However, speeding is speeding and speeding can kill. Watch your speed, follow all traffic laws, and always watch for other vehicles as well.

The Henry County Sheriffs Office received two E-911 calls reporting a burglary on Thursday. An investigation then revealed that a Mount Pleasant man had attempted to enter a neighbor’s residence. He then forcibly attempted to enter another. Jonathan Bowers, 36, was then arrested. He was charged with Burglary in the Second Degree, Attempted Burglary in the Second Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the Fifth Degree,

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Mount Pleasant Police Department in this case.

On February 1, 2024, investigators with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Ottumwa Police Department, and Keokuk County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at 21891 Highway 78 near Ollie. The search warrant was part of an effort to locate 40-year-old Craig Smith of Ottumwa, who was reported missing on January 20, 2024. His roommate advised he had not seen Smith for two weeks at that point. It was revealed to investigators that Smith may have been heading to Keokuk County to see a friend.

During the search, investigators found the remains of an adult. The condition of the remains is preventing law enforcement from making a positive identification. Evidence and statements collected during the investigation have led investigators to tentatively identify the remains as those of Craig Smith. The State Anthropologist, the Office of the State Medical Examiner, and the DCI Crime Lab are working to make a positive identification.

This afternoon, DCI agents charged 44-year-old Jeffrey Gautreaux with Murder in the First Degree and Abuse of a Corpse. Gautreaux, who lived with his stepfather, 63-year-old Steven Grant, at the Ollie address, was arrested without incident at the Keokuk County Sheriff’s Office on February 1. Gautreaux and Grant were initially charged with drug offenses. Grant has been released from custody.

This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the DCI at 515.725.6010 or at dciinfo@dps.state.ia.us.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.