Kim Reynolds issues disaster proclamations after bird flu cases found in northwest Iowa

After the state’s first case of bird flu this fall was recorded late last week in a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County in Northwest Iowa, two additional cases were reported Monday.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the new cases are in a commercial turkey flock in Pocahontas County and a mixed-species backyard flock in Guthrie County.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday immediately issued a disaster proclamation for Buena Vista County, her office announced. The proclamation makes available resources from the state Agriculture and Homeland Security departments, plus other agencies, to assist with managing the disease and preventing its spread.

Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation Monday for Pocahantas County, making available the same state resources to assist with tracking and monitoring, containment, disposal and disinfection. The proclamation also waives regulatory provisions related to commercial vehicles responding to affected sites.

Before Friday, the only other bird flu cases confirmed this year were in January — also in a commercial turkey flock in Buena Vista County — and in March in a backyard flock in Chickasaw County.

There were 30 confirmed cases of bird flu in Iowa in 2022, according to state records.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent cases of bird flu do not present an immediate public health concern. It remains safe to eat poultry products with proper handling and cooking.

Producers who suspect signs of bird flu in their flocks should contact their veterinarian immediately, along with state officials at 515-281-5305.

$470,000 awarded to advance rural development

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Economic Development Authority recently announced that more than $470,000 in grants have been awarded to communities across the state to support rural initiatives, including child care, housing and leadership development.

The grants were awarded through the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative, which Reynolds created in 2018 to drive investment and growth and expand high-speed broadband internet service in rural Iowa.

A list of the grant recipients is available at https://bit.ly/45D56ak.

Buchanan and Story counties plan to use the grant money to launch local leadership programs. Seven cities, including Independence, were awarded Rural Housing Assessment Grants of $10,000 each to help understand and improve local housing conditions. Three communities — the city of Cascade, Decatur County Hospital and Jackson County Economic Alliance — were awarded rural child care planning grants of $10,000 each.

Reynolds also signed an executive order shifting the focus of the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative as a startup incubator for innovative rural policy. Other changes are designed to streamline operations for efficiency, including a transition from three task forces to one. The initiative will continue to be co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg and a representative from the Iowa Rural Development Council appointed by Reynolds.

"I'm excited to work with the restructured committee, with a clear focus on innovative and impactful rural policy,” Gregg said in a news release. “We look forward to building on programs like Iowa United First Aid (a pilot program aimed at decreasing emergency response times in rural Iowa) as we address some of the tough challenges and amazing opportunities in rural Iowa."

Vocational Rehabilitation counselors move to IowaWORKS

Eighteen Vocational Rehabilitation counselors who work with job candidates in offices across from the Iowa Capitol complex will be moving to the IowaWORKS job center in south Des Moines.

The state agency helps Iowans with disabilities find and keep a job, explore college and vocational training, access economic support via Social Security disability benefits, and live independently in their homes.

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services was recently moved from the Iowa Department of Education to Iowa Workforce Development as part of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ state government reorganization plan. The move, according to IWD, is designed to improve efficiency and expand access to workforce services for Iowans with disabilities.

Starting Friday, counselors will begin working from the IowaWORKS office at 200 Army Post Road in Des Moines.

“By putting agency staff together who do the same or similar work, we hope to learn from each other and find new ways to improve the service we deliver to Iowans,” Beth Townsend, executive director of Iowa Workforce Development, said in a statement.

Finance and administration members of the Vocational Rehabilitation team moved earlier this month to the IWD offices at 1000 E. Grand Ave. in Des Moines. Information technology staffers are expected to follow in early November. Plans call for the Vocational Rehabilitation division to fully vacate its portion of the Jessie Parker Building by the end of November.

Vocational Rehabilitation counselors will see job candidates at the Jessie Parker Building through Wednesday. The division will close to the public Thursday to facilitate the move, then reopen at IowaWORKS on Friday.

For more information on Vocational Rehabilitation Services, visit ivrs.iowa.gov.