MONDAY, APRIL 16, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
 
Dee Baird 
The Greater Omaha Chamber today named Dee Baird of Cedar Rapids as its senior vice president for economic development.
 
Ms. Baird was introduced at a press conference by David Brown, president and CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber, who stressed her strong experience in targeted marketing, workforce development and talent development.
 
She will also lead the day-to-day operations of the Greater Omaha Economic Development Partnership, the chamber's comprehensive, collaborative initiative for economic development encompassing six counties in the eastern Nebraska-southwest Iowa region. 

"More important, she's been a community leader when major strategies were not only discussed, but dreamed about and brought to reality," Mr. Brown said, noting her work with community leaders to bring Cedar Rapids back from the flood of 2008.
 
Ms. Baird, 54, served as the first CEO of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance for four and a half years. She resigned in April 2016, saying in a prepared statement that she had a daughter in high school and wanted to spend more time with family. She had previously served in leadership roles at Kirkwood Community College and Priority One, the economic development agency that became part of the economic alliance.
 
In accepting the position, Ms. Baird said she took the Omaha position seriously when she was recruited because of the Greater Omaha Chamber's outstanding reputation. She praised the organization's efforts to create a regional brand and identity for the area, which includes Council Bluffs.
 
"I am thrilled to have the opportunity be part of this bold new vision and humbled to be the candidate chosen to perform this role," said Ms. Baird, whose daughter will soon graduate from Washington High School. She discussed workforce retention and attraction as a top challenge for Greater Omaha, saying it will have to succeed in attracting workers from other parts of the Midwest like the one she comes from.
 
Inside the rehabilitated Ideal Social Hall in NewBo. PHOTO CINDY HADISH 
Corridor communities shined at the 32nd-annual Main Street Iowa Awards celebration, held on Friday in Des Moines, with representatives for Belle Plaine, Cedar Rapids, Central City, Marion, Mount Vernon, Washington and West Branch all receiving honors for their Main Street districts.
 
Cedar Rapids' Czech Village-New Bohemia Main Street District was honored for two rehabilitation projects: The Ideal Social Hall, a historic theater that recently reopened as an event venue, and the White Elephant building, a 135-year-old, two-story structure saved from demolition after being relocated within the district.
 
Uptown Marion was awarded Best Beautification Project for its Uptown Artway project, which saw the alley behind Seventh Avenue transformed into a gathering space, along with the Fantastic Fundraiser award for Eat.Drink.& Be Marion.
 
During the event, 13 communities were also recognized for reaching significant benchmarks for the private dollar investments made in the purchase and revitalization of properties within their respective commercial districts. Marion, Mount Vernon and Washington all attained the $10 million benchmark level, while the Cedar Rapids' Czech Village-New Bohemia district reached the $50 million dollar benchmark.
 
Al Dvorak of Belle Plaine, Scott Kruger of Cedar Rapids' Czech Village-New Bohemia district, Karla Koehler of Central City, Molly Lurth of Marion, the West Family of Mount Vernon, and Daniel Haub of West Branch were all honored with the 2018 Leadership Award, which recognizes inspirational leadership and volunteers who make significant contributions to local Main Street programs.
 
"The Main Street Iowa program is a powerful catalyst for local revitalization and community investment," Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a press release announcing this year's award winners. "As I travel across the state, I see over and over that Main Streeters are passionate, innovative and creative. They're also committed to making their downtowns - and our state - a stronger, more sustainable place to live, work and raise a family."
 
See the full list of this year's honorees here.
Story4Kirkwood dedicates Statler Agricultural Sciences Center 

Larry and Jan Statler and family, shown following the dedication of the Statler Agricultural Sciences Center at Washington Hall. PHOTO KIRKWOOD 
Kirkwood Community College dedicated the Statler Agricultural Sciences Center at Washington Hall last Thursday in honor of the contributions made to Kirkwood by Larry and Jan Statler.
 
Mr. Statler founded Kirkwood's agriculture program in 1968 and led the department until his retirement in 1990. His wife, Jan Statler, served an important role as a department assistant for nine years. Together they worked to build a foundation of excellence that led to Kirkwood's recognition today as the leading two-year agriculture department in the nation.
 
The Statler Agricultural Sciences Center contains a variety of laboratories and classrooms related to diesel mechanics, GPS/GIS technologies, applied chemistry, ag business and commercial wine making. The Kirkwood ag campus also includes 800 acres of working farm, 6,000 square feet of greenhouse, prairie and wildlife areas, a farrow-to-finish swine education center, a cow-calf operation, a vineyard, a par-3 golf hole and turf labs, according to the college's website.   
 
Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich, who spoke at the event, said it was important for the college to recognize the Statlers' impact.
 
"Even in 1968, the Statlers ensured that Kirkwood was committed to providing the necessary training opportunities to keep pace with the advancing technology of modern agriculture," Mr. Starcevich said. "Without their vision, decades of commitment and hard work, we couldn't have achieved our status today as number one in the nation."
 
In honor of the Statlers' service to Kirkwood, the Kent and Julie Statler family have made a $1 million gift commitment to the Kirkwood Foundation to fund student scholarships. Kent is the son of Larry and Jan, and is also a member of the Kirkwood Foundation board of directors.
 
For more information on scholarships available through the Kirkwood Foundation, visit the foundation website.
 
Casey's General Stores opened its first Michigan location on Friday, marking the 16th state of operation for the Ankeny-based convenience chain.

The new store is located in Watervliet, a rural community located about an hour south of Grand Rapids. The company plans additional locations in the future.
 
The 4,500-square-foot store will be open 24 hours, and will offer a six-pump setup along with Casey's pizza, a fresh sub sandwich station, bakery items and more.

"We are very excited about opening our first store in Michigan. I believe Watervliet is an ideal community for us," Terry Handley, Casey's president and CEO, said in a statement.

Casey's now counts more than 2,000 stores across the Midwest, and is the fourth largest C-store chain in the United States.
Story5Video on CBS2/FOX 28: Corridor businesses fight the cold
 
This April has been the coldest since 1975, and not only is it a problem for anyone who has seen enough of snow, but also for businesses across the region, news partner CBS2/FOX 28 reports. The Sag Wagon, a bar along the Cedar River, actually lost its outdoor bar and patio area to the strong winds of the past week - a problem for a bar that sees one of its busiest times of the season in April and May. "It's been pretty challenging," Monica Pfremmer, a bartender at the Sag Wagon says. "Last year around this time, we had lots of people in, this year has been pretty slow. We are just going to hope Mother Nature gives us a break and gives us some nice weather."

Watch the full report here.
EventHeadlinesShort-Term Event Planner
 
April 16
Spring Joint Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Big Grove Brewery, 1225 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Get updates from the chamber and hear from speaker Jennifer Daly, president and CEO of ICR Iowa as she introduces the new name and brand of the region's joint venture. Registration: $15. For more information, visit bit.ly/2pIAD8U.
 
April 18
1 Million Cups, by by 1 Million Cups, 9-10 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, startup pitches and free coffee. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR.
 
April 19
Culture Change in the Workplace, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Learn how to evaluate your company's current culture, and experience hands-on activities for building a positive, goal-oriented culture. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2pPwK1T.
 
BizMix: Ohnward Bank & Trust, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and Marion Chamber of Commerce, 4-6 p.m.,665 Marion Blvd., Marion.BizMix brings together area professionals for an evening of casual networking over complimentary hors d'oeuvres and cocktails, and is hosted by a different member business each month. Free.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
Cedar Rapids Police have now confirmed to CBS2/FOX28 News that an 18-year-old was killed after his pickup truck rolled April 14. Jacob Lee Markwell, of Cedar Rapids, was ejected from his truck and pronounced dead at the scene. The deadly crash happened along the 2300 block of Otis Road SE near Cedar Valley Park on Saturday afternoon. There were no other passengers in the pickup and no other vehicles were involved in the accident.

Children in Cedar Rapids can now begin building their personal library, thanks to the Cedar Rapids Public Library and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL). On Saturday, a DPIL event at the Cedar Rapids Public Library encouraged children's love of reading, and invited families to sign up for the program. There were games and guest story readers, all designed to get students into the spirit of reading. The free program provides one book each month mailed directly to the child's home from birth until they turn five years old. Each book is carefully selected based on age and reading level, starting with "The Little Engine That Could" and ending with "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!" on their fifth birthday. DPIL mails more than 1 million books each month to children around the world.
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

It's the 106th day of January with snow on the ground a chill in the air. Today will be cloudy, cool and windy with temperatures in the low to upper 30s across the area. There will be more sunshine tomorrow and temperatures will climb into the mid to upper 40s. Another storm, though, is already setting it's sights on the Midwest. Late Tuesday, precipitation will start to move into Eastern Iowa, primarily as rain. Showers will continue through the day as the storm moves across the area. As colder air moves in, there will be a wintry mix and snow north of Highway 20. That is also where there is a greater chance of accumulating snow. As the night goes on and colder air moves in, there could be a transition to light snow across the area. The pattern calms down and temperatures gradually start to warm up through the end of the week.