Winn-Worth Betco News

Governor Kim Reynolds reaffirmed her commitment to strengthening Iowa’s child care system by launching a new Statewide Solutions Fund, extending the successful Child Care Assistance pilot program that supports child care workers, and introducing a Continuum of Care grant to encourage preschool and child care partnerships to provide a full...Continue Reading

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has recognized The Quilted Forest of Winnebago County as her Small Business of the Week."Since 1998, The Quilted Forest has woven creativity into the fabric of Forest City, celebrating a vibrant community of quilters," Ernst said. She praised the Robson family for creating a welcoming space...Continue Reading

One Day Summer Camp in Mason City, Charles City, and Forest CityThe NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center will hold the IDEA Camp for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students in Summer 2025 at locations in Mason City, Charles City, and Forest City.IDEA Camp helps students practice some of life’s key...Continue Reading

The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently awarded $25,000 to the City of Sioux City to support the creation of the state’s first Homeless Court Program (HCP). The program, funded through IFA’s Emergency and Innovative Housing Fund, is designed to help individuals experiencing homelessness resolve legal barriers that...Continue Reading

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center and the North Iowa Area SBDC will host a free virtual Business Transition Planning Workshop on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm via Zoom. Registration is required.Small business owners are invited to learn how to protect their legacy and plan...Continue Reading

A legislator who’s been a volunteer fire fighter for 33 years is sponsoring legislation that could lead to a five-hundred dollar property tax credit for first responders who are volunteers.Republican Senator Adrian Dickey of Packwood said the idea came after new fire alarms were installed in a local school, prompting...Continue Reading

Nation’s top honor for excellence in preservation-based commercial district revitalizationMain Street America announced today that Jefferson Matters in Jefferson is one of three recipients of the prestigious Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA), which recognizes Main Street communities for their excellence in preserving and revitalizing their historic downtowns and commercial...Continue Reading

The North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center is now accepting applications for the 2025 Youth Entrepreneurial Academy (YEA), taking place from Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20, 2025. A concluding pitch competition will be held on Monday, June 23, 2025, where students will present their...Continue Reading

The top Republican in the Iowa House says state budget plans will weather the turbulence of President Trump’s latest round of tariffs, while Democrats say the legislature needs to react to the economic warning signs.House Speaker Pat Grassley said Republicans will continue to budget conservatively and he pointed to the...Continue Reading

MidAmerican Energy has filed a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission seeking approval to add a capital investment charge to the bill of Iowa residential gas customers.MidAmerican spokesman Geoff Greenwood says the charge would be .4%.  “The capital investment charge helps cover costs that Mid-American has already paid out that...Continue Reading

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry was founded by manufacturers more than 120 years ago. Since that time, ABI member companies have weathered many economic challenges. The people behind the member companies have also experienced major changes since their founding – increased regulations, modes of communication with customers, automation,...Continue Reading

The Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) was founded by manufacturers in 1903. For more than 120 years, ABI members have been manufacturing products in Iowa that are used in our everyday lives from the food we eat to the cars we drive. We applaud the Trump Administration’s continued...Continue Reading

Enhancing connectivity and expanding essential infrastructure creates a welcoming environment for retaining and attracting businesses. Updated infrastructure helps companies reduce production costs, enhance and expand operations, add jobs, and increase efficiency for companies. In Winnebago and Worth Counties, Alliant Energy is a crucial partner for economic growth and works alongside economic...Continue Reading

Site selection decisions include evaluating available infrastructure and transportation, and relevant incentives and programs. This week’s Infrastructure & Incentives Update from Business Facilities features several of the latest developments and announcements from locations across Tennessee, Virginia, Colorado, Missouri, and Norfolk Southern service regions, too.Norfolk Southern Has Nine New REDI SitesNine...Continue Reading

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins will visit six international markets in her first six months as Secretary to expand markets and boost American agricultural exports. At a time when the agricultural trade deficit is at nearly $50 billion following the previous administration’s little to no action in the international...Continue Reading

Natilus, an aerospace manufacturer of blended-wing-body aircraft, has begun the process of selecting the site of its first U.S. manufacturing facility. The large-scale facility will produce Natilus’s regional blended-wing-body freighter KONA, the first of its kind in the world. A signal of the momentum in commercializing blended-wing-body aircraft, the facility...Continue Reading

Efficient port operations ensure not only a smooth flow of goods, but mitigate often inevitable delays and circumstances that can, overall, lead to disruptions in critical supply chains and lead to price hikes for consumers.Our nation’s ports “play a vital role in the U.S. economy, moving goods into, out of,...Continue Reading

The global economy is facing massive changes, with major impacts on the site selection landscape. At this year’s Site Selectors Guild Annual Conference in Orlando, FL, four experienced site selection consultants came together to discuss what’s next for the industry during the closing “Crystal Ball” session moderated by DCI’s Andy...Continue Reading

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will release previously obligated funding under the Rural Energy For America Program (REAP), Empowering Rural America (New ERA) and Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) programs. This announcement underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to rural communities...Continue Reading

Rural communities hold immense potential for growth, innovation, and development. However, capitalizing on this potential requires strategic efforts highlighting your rural community and its unique advantages. At Golden Shovel Agency, we specialize in empowering economic developers to promote their regions effectively.Why Promoting Rural Communities MattersEconomic development in rural areas is...Continue Reading

Is the zeitgeist right for ‘agrihoods’?Would you rather invest in a golf course community or one where valuable property is profitably used to grow food?“Agrihoods” are gaining steam as an alternative real estate strategy targeting affluent, younger demographics that are jazzed by the prospect of living and raising families among...Continue Reading

The number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) grew to 1,136 at the end of 2024, according to new data from Synergy Research Group.While the number of these facilities has doubled over the last five...Continue Reading

The NIACC John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center hosted the Everyday Entrepreneur Pitch Competition on Thursday, March 20, 2025. The Everyday Entrepreneur Program is sponsored in conjunction with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), helping to provide access to entrepreneurial education and funding for students to take their businesses from...Continue Reading

Innovation funding awarded to startupThe Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board approved awards for companies established in Ankeny and Cedar Rapids, which will assist in the creation of 16 jobs and result in $72.7 million in new capital investment for the state. The board also approved assistance for startups in...Continue Reading