News

Curt Hopkins calls himself a developer, entrepreneur and restaurateur. If those are akin to an art-form, then Ottumwa, Iowa, is his canvas. The 47-year old lived most of his life in Ottumwa, before moving to Albia a few years ago with his wife and four children. After obtaining his Associat...Continue Reading

Tracy Goldizen | The Courier Demolition on the rear addition of 307 E. Main St. began recently. That portion of the former Iowa Southern Utilities was deemed unstable. As part of Main Street Ottumwa's 2020 Main Street Iowa Challenge Grant, the rear facade of the building, from the basement to th...Continue Reading

Regional Talent Attraction Initiative Aims to Help Local Businesses Ottumwa, IA – Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) has joined forces with economic development organizations in the 9-county area, including Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress, to develop a regional talent attraction initiative branded Iowa South. The primary goal of Iowa South i...Continue Reading

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a monumental problem to the cost-savings practice of offshoring manufacturing operations overseas that companies have used for decades. Reshoring is the logical solution for business executives across all industries, as 60% of U.S. manufacturing companies surveyed by Thomas reported COVID-19 business disruptions. According to The Reshorin...Continue Reading

TRACY GOLDIZEN • COURIER FEATURES EDITOR OTTUMWA: The nominations for this year's Gene Schultz Community Service Award recipient can be summed up in two words: passion and spirit. Despite not hosting its annual banquet this year due to COVID-19, Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress still managed to surprise recipient Jeff Hendred prio...Continue Reading

TRACY GOLDIZEN • COURIER FEATURES EDITOR OTTUMWA: Celebration was in the air of downtown Ottumwa Thursday evening. Not only were people out to celebrate the streetscape project's completion with a ribbon cutting, but the community was also being recognized with the Small Business Association Iowa Small Business Community of the Year Award. "I'...Continue Reading

U.S. President/Vice President Kanye West/Michelle Tidball (no party) (135) Donald Trump/Michael Pence (Republican Party) (124) Joseph Biden/Kamala Harris (Democratic Party) (109) Don Blankenship/William Alan Mohr (Constitution Party of Iowa) (4) Howie Hawkins/Angela Nicole Walker (Green Party) (4) Jo Jorgenson/Jeremy Cohen (Libertarian Party) (2) No votes: Roque Rocky De La Fuente/Darcy Richardson (Alliance Party); Ricki Sue King/Dayna Chandler (Genealog...Continue Reading

School board unanimous on purchase of Market on Main TRACY GOLDIZEN • COURIER FEATURES EDITOR OTTUMWA: The former Market on Main building is getting a new owner. In a unanimous vote Monday night, the Ottumwa School Board voted to purchase the building at the intersection of Jefferson and East Main streets. Superintendent Mike McGror...Continue Reading

GREELEY, Colo. Oct. 13, 2020 – Building on ongoing sustainability and social responsibility efforts, JBS USA and Plumrose USA today announced plans to invest $3.1 million to help Ottumwa, Iowa, respond to needs resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and invest in the community’s future. The companies have been working with local leaders t...Continue Reading

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RACY GOLDIZEN • COURIER FEATURES EDITOR OTTUMWA: Despite being the newest building in the Ottumwa school district, the Pickwick Early Childhood Education Center is in the midst of expansion. The need for the addition was first raised in the summer of 2019, just after the preschool completed its first year of operations...Continue Reading

DES MOINES — Ottumwa and Wapello County are trailing the statewide census self-response rate but are slightly ahead of responses nationally. With the deadline moved up to Sept. 30, Wapello County is at a response rate of 64 percent with Ottumwa at 63.8 percent, according to 2020census.gov data. The state average is a...Continue Reading

50/50 Ticket winner #368562 Champion Flight Winners Winger • 54 3 E Company 3B • 56 Wells Fargo (Elliott Oil) • 57 1st Flight Winner Bowling Motors • 62 John Deere Team #2 • 62 Elliott Oil • 64 2nd Flight Winners Bowling Motors • 71 Mid-American Energy • 71 3E Company 2B • 71 Pin Prizes Ladies Longest Drive - Amber Pargman ...Continue Reading

EDDYVILLE — Some of the smallest towns of rural Iowa are playing key roles in the fight of the global pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds visited a chemical company and a wheelchair maker in rural Iowa. At Wacker Chemical in Eddyville, Reynolds held a bottle of cyclodextrin whic...Continue Reading

TRACY GOLDIZEN • COURIER FEATURES EDITOR OTTUMWA: Two high-profile property transactions have recently been finalized. Target Corporation sold 1020 N. Quincy Ave., the former Target building, to Highlands Development, LLC, for $900,000 on a transfer dated May 28. That is the future home of the expanded VA Clinic. A separate transaction, date...Continue Reading

CHIARA ELENA ROMERO • COURIER STAFF WRITER OTTUMWA: Sieda is accepting applications for the Tenant Based Rental AssistanceProgram. Sieda Stabilization Director Ned Van Nostrand said the program provides subsidized housing for tenant-based housing. According to Sieda's website "it is a rental subsidy that helps make up the difference between what ...Continue Reading

CEDAR RAPIDS — It’s not shaping up to be the year she anticipated, but Iowa’s economic development director is confident the state will not only survive the coronavirus pandemic, but see opportunities as the crisis passes. “We’re in a very stressful time, but there is a light at the end o...Continue Reading

CHIARA ELENA ROMERO • COURIER STAFF WRITER OTTUMWA: On Tuesday county supervisors agreed to write a letter of support for the city's application for funding from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant. This is a grant program affiliated with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The city, according t...Continue Reading

MATT MILNER • COURIER MANAGING EDITOR OTTUMWA: Council members approved an application for a federal BUILD Grant to remake the area around the historic train depot and Ballingall Park. Discussions of major projects have been tough in recent weeks as the scale of the financial hit created by the COVID-19 pandemic begin...Continue Reading

  Travel Iowa is excited to announce its partnership with Bandwango to launch a digital Gift Card Marketplace to Iowa locations in an effort to drive cash flow to visitor-related business in the coming months. Greater Ottumwa Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages travelers to Let Ottumwa Surprise You when it is safe...Continue Reading

CHIARA ELENA ROMERO • COURIER STAFF WRITER OTTUMWA: Local small businesses experiencing financial hardship because of COVID-19 may qualify for some aid. The Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation used $100,000 to create and manage the Wapello County Small Business Impact Fund to assist local businesses. ORLF President Steve Dust said creating the fun...Continue Reading

May 4-9 is International Economic Development Week (EDW). It’s an opportune time to reflect on the importance of local economic development efforts in building a vibrant and sustainable community. In Ottumwa, economic vitality starts at Greater Ottumwa Partners in Progress.  The International Economic Development Council (IEDC) created EDW in 2016 t...Continue Reading