Business News

Buena Vista University (BVU) and Century 21 The Professional Group have entered into a strategic partnership that will benefit both organizations as they work to strengthen Storm Lake, the surrounding area, and the people they serve. Under the agreement, Century 21 The Professional Group employees, as well as their spouses and dependents, may receive grant funding to lower the overall cost of education while enrolled in classes at BVU’s Storm Lake campus. ...

The Star Spangled Spectacular will partner with Storm Lake Fareway Meat and Grocery for the third year to raise funds for its annual fireworks show on July 4, 2021. The “Round up for Fireworks” fundraiser will take place Monday, June 7 through Saturday, June 19...

Jennifer Sievert has joined Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative as the new Vice President of Customer and Corporate Relations. As vice president of customer and corporate relations, Sievert will lead a team of over 10 dedicated employees. Sievert’s leadership responsibilities are robust and are a vital part of the cooperative’s service to their member-owners, encompassing marketing, member services, economic development, communications, billing and customer service...

As Pride Month begins, I’d like to describe how I came to an important decision I made as an ally of the LGBTQ community. I do my best to be inclusive of all sorts of people. I have a lot of friends in the LGBTQ community. I like to think people know I’m a safe person, and I value different types of people...

Despite a growing momentum for initiatives aimed at creating more diverse and inclusive work spaces, several barriers still exist that limit the success of these efforts. To implement meaningful change, a team of researchers says a holistic and systematic approach is needed to ensure practitioners, educators and researchers are all working from the same playbook. ...

There has been a lot of buzz about the use of cover crops in the last few years. The benefits are: • They grow and pull nutrients out of the soil and into the growing biomass. • They protect the soil from erosion during the season when corn or soybeans are not growing...

Having the skills to be successful in remote work can open employment possibilities for Iowans no matter where they live, and Iowans can gain these skills through the Remote Work Certificate. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers this virtual course in partnership with Utah State University Extension. The four-week course is open to adult learners and requires approximately 30 hours to complete...

The health and safety of Hy-Vee’s customers and employees have been the company’s top priority since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and the grocer has consistently followed the CDC’s recommendations as guidance is provided. Given the CDC’s mask announcement on Friday, starting this week Hy-Vee no longer requires fully vaccinated customers and employees to wear face coverings in its stores, except where it’s required by local ordinances. ...

Tyson Foods Storm Lake facility has awarded $1,000 scholarships to area students through their annual local scholarship program. The scholarships will assist eight individuals with college or university education-related expenses, such as tuition, books, academic fees and room and board. Tyson awards scholarships annually to children of current Tyson team members based on student performance, involvement in school and in the community, and financial need...

Benchmark Woodworks in Storm Lake has always been known for high-quality home and office remodel work in northwest Iowa and why they continue to move forward with cutting edge designs should come as no surprise. Modernizing kitchens, bathrooms, and other home areas has been a specialty of Benchmark, as they have kept on the latest trends in bringing homes up to speed. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “Many farmers across Iowa were grateful for the much-needed rainfall we received over the weekend,” said Secretary Naig. “With cooler and drier conditions for much of last week, farmers made significant planting progress and are ahead of schedule this year.”...

Jadeyn Metzger has recently joined Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) in Storm Lake as a customer service specialist.  “We are glad to have Jadeyn join our team”, said Angie Vaughan, FCSAmerica’s regional vice president of retail operations for northwest Iowa. “Jadeyn is looking forward to meeting and working with our customers. We invite our local producers to stop by our office to meet her.”...

The nation’s leading experts in the field of farm management, rural appraisal and ag consulting gathered in Las Vegas this week at their Spring Executive Council meeting and annual business planning session. Dennis Reyman (back row, second from left), AFM, ARA and partner at Stalcup Ag in Storm Lake, serves as president of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, the nation’s largest professional association for rural property land experts. ...

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig this week commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November. “The weather over the past several days provided a great window for farmers to plant,” said Secretary Naig. ...

It was late summer 2020, and I was painting and doing maintenance on my old 1880’s farmhouse when a friend asked a simple question, “Would you like to do an art show? My simple answer, YES! And then, another artist asked. And this is what happened! It was perfect. Yes, it was that slight hint of hope, a suggestion – a nudge to get the Rocking M Farm Store concept launched...

The day Joe Powell began working at Buena Vista University Golf Course at Lake Creek in May 2019, he was greeted by Evan Krause, a BVU sport business and marketing major who had just completed his sophomore year. It was Krause’s first day on the job as well...

Tyson Foods, Inc., is celebrating the five-year anniversary of its on-site education program, Upward Academy. The innovative program provides educational opportunities to frontline team members at no cost to help build a strong workforce and strong communities...

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) today announced that local community banker Verlin Gus Barker, President/CEO of First Community Bank, Newell, Fonda, Pomeroy & Rockwell City was named to serve as chairman of ICBA’s Ag-Rural America Committee as well as serving as a member of the Federal Delegate Board. ICBA is the nation’s voice for community banks...

Hy-Vee, Inc. announced this week that it has made USA Today’s 10Best Supermarkets in the nation list in the 2021 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Hy-Vee ranked No. 2 on the list among grocery retailers across the country. Hy-Vee is a Midwestern grocery retailer with more than 275 stores across Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. ...

As a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, western Iowa congressman Randy Feenstra this week participated in a hearing entitled, “Rural Broadband -- Examining Internet Connectivity Needs and Opportunities in Rural America.” Feenstra has made broadband a top priority since taking office in January, quickly joining the bipartisan Rural Broadband Caucus. ...

The Make It OK campaign in Iowa, led by the Healthiest State Initiative, has released resources for employers and announced events to raise awareness of mental health and take steps to end the stigma during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Make It OK is a community campaign to reduce stigma by starting conversations and increasing understanding about mental illness. Mental Health Awareness Month, observed annually in May since 1949, is a globally-recognized mental health awareness event first started by Mental Health America.. ...