The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents, averaging $2.73 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

• The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $.24 per barrel over last week, currently priced at $71.77.
• Brent crude oil rose $.07 and is currently priced at $77.34.
• One year ago, WTI crude sold for $80.18 and Brent crude was at $84.38.

Motor Fuels

• As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.73 across Iowa according to AAA.
  • Prices fell 4 cents from last week’s price and are down 46 cents from a year ago.
  • The national average on Wednesday was $3.09, up 1 cent from last week’s price.
• Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 1 cent this week with a statewide average of $3.59.
  • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.17 in Iowa.
  • The current Iowa diesel price is 35 cents lower than the national average of $3.94.
• Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
• The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.82 for U87-E10, $2.16 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.38 for ULSD#2, $2.67 for ULSD#1, and $1.79 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

• Propane prices averaged $1.56 per gallon statewide.
• Home heating oil prices averaged $2.83 per gallon statewide.
• Natural gas prices fell 19 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.83/MMbtu.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

House File 718 continues to be the topic on many people’s tongues, as department heads meet with the Henry County Board of Supervisors to discuss their new budget. HF718 will cause Henry County to cut their budget by 1.3 million dollars. Rich McNamee, the Henry County Sheriff, proposed the new Sheriff Department budget on Tuesday, January 16^th.

He was originally told that he must cut $105,000. Through careful accounting, McNamee proposed a cut of over $600,000. One example of clever saving comes from schedule changes for deputies. They will switch to 5 days on, three-days-off system, which also provides more consistency for the worker. This will save a whopping $14,000 in the first year. They will save $101,000 by foregoing 2 clerk positions, which are vacant at this time.

Sheriff McNamee would like to get something out of the deal too, asking for a new jail van. The current one has many issues and they have had it since 2009.

They are beginning to explore new ways to bring in additional revenue, such as housing federal inmates at the jail.

One guarantee is that there will be more discussion regarding department budgets as long as House File 718 is around.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced the launch of the brand-new Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program, which has been created to increase on-farm dairy processing, reduce farm labor costs, and expand the availability of Iowa dairy products for consumers.

The grant program, which was authorized during the 2023 legislative session and is administered by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, has an overall budget of $750,000 for the first year. With the legislative intent of assisting smaller dairies and farmers, the highly competitive program 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.

“Choose Iowa is our state’s signature brand for local food and beverages, and it is about connecting consumers to the great Iowa products that are grown, raised and made here in Iowa. By helping Iowa dairy farms cost-share the addition of new on-farm processing equipment or labor-saving technology through Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant Program, Iowa consumers will ultimately benefit from the availability of more Iowa-made and locally produced dairy products,” said Secretary Naig. “We are excited to identify the most innovative and creative dairy projects through this program, which we know will create new markets for farmers, more choices for consumers, and additional economic activity in our rural communities.”

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 9, 2024. Grant recipients will be announced in March 2024. Questions about the Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Fund Grant Program may be directed to Choose Iowa Director Beth Romer at chooseiowagrant@iowaagriculture.gov.

The Mount Pleasant Music Department needs your help. With the recent weather related cancellation of the Jazz Band clinic and Variety Show, efforts have been shifted to the annual Show Choir Invitational which will take place on Saturday, February 3rd.

This is the 30^th Anniversary of this event, which was started by choir director Bob Anderson and band director Jim DePriest. Over the course of 30 years, this has blossomed into a proud community event, and they need the community. This is a large fundraiser for the choir students, band students, and even elementary students.

Here’s how you can help:

Any person that volunteers to work 2 shifts the day of the event gets in for free.

FOOD/KITCHEN DONATIONS:

https://m.signupgenius.com/…

KITCHEN VOLUNTEER:

https://m.signupgenius.com/…

CONCESSIONS VOLUNTEER:

https://m.signupgenius.com/…

EVENT VOLUNTEER:

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094AA9AE23A1F49-46951643-mtpleasant&source=gmail-imap&ust=1703739708000000&usg=AOvVaw2sLBJ4byvprhr8Jzgg-q_b

They appreciate all those who have already signed up and volunteered your time. They would appreciate any and all help they can get for this fun and exciting weekend of show choir!

The 30^th Annual Music InMotion Show Choir Invitational at the Mount Pleasant High School will take place on Saturday, February 3^rd.

There are certain rules that the citizens on Mount Pleasant must follow regarding the new trash pickup system. Whichever container you have, it must be at the curb by 6 AM on your scheduled trash pickup day. The carts must be placed with the handle and wheels facing the house and be six feet away from any objects. You cannot place the container directly under a tree, as there must be atleast 15 feet of clearance above the container. Please only place the trash can out when it is full, and close the lid. A reminder that no other trash containers will be accepted. It must be the city approved container.