Gazette Daily News Podcast: Wednesday, March 13, 2024

– Lawmakers looking to recreate long-defunct tax incentives for movies filmed in Iowa

– Big Grove is getting bigger with its first Omaha taproom

– Oscar Mayer Wienermobile returns to Cedar Rapids for St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2024

Episode Transcript

Coming up, Iowa lawmakers are looking to establish tax incentives for movies filmed in Iowa

And later, Big Grove Brewery is opening its first taproom outside of Iowa

Plus, the Wienermobile is stopping in Eastern Iowa this week

Welcome to the Wednesday, March 13 edition of the Gazette Daily News Podcast. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Up first, Iowa lawmakers are looking to create a two-year, $10 million pilot program that would make movie projects filmed in Iowa eligible for tax rebates on specific production costs. Iowa had a tax credit program for movie projects that ran from 2007 to 2009 but it was what they call in Hollywood, a box-office flop. According to a 2010 report from former state auditor David Vaudt, $26 million out of $32 million awarded was improperly issued by the state. That led to at least seven criminal convictions from people involved with multiple movies and the program. Now, lawmakers have proposed House Study Bill 731, which is designed to provide better oversight than the original tax credit program. Under the bill, film productions would be able to receive a tax rebate on 30 percent of qualified expenditures. The program would run for two years, 2025 and 2026, and then lawmakers would determine whether to extend the program. The bill was written by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Clear Lake-based media company Renovo Media Group. The Iowa Economic Development Authority would operate the program. Representative Brent Siegrist, a Republican from Council Bluffs, was in the Iowa Legislature in 2009 when the previous program backfired. After a Tuesday subcommittee hearing on the bill, Siegrist said, quote, “There’s more safeguards in the bill. Plus the reality of history will make sure we’re much tighter with what’s going on. But I think it really is exciting stuff.” end quote.

The bill was approved 4-1 in Tuesday’s subcommittee hearing and is now eligible for consideration by the full Iowa House committee on tax policy.

Next, one of Iowa’s largest craft breweries is expanding to Nebraska. A Big Grove taproom in Omaha plans to open in spring 2025. The taproom will be a similar size to Big Grove’s other taprooms in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Des Moines. But Nebraskans can enjoy brands like Easy Eddy before then. Big Grove is also expanding distribution to Nebraska and cans are set to hit shelves this month. This is Big Grove’s second expansion outside of Iowa.

It expanded to Illinois through Stern Beverage in December. The expansion to Nebraska is through Quality Brands, which serves over 4,600 retail accounts through warehouses in Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming and Colorado. Quality Brands director of brand development Justin Burr said quote, “Seeing the success of Big Grove in their home state of Iowa has us extremely excited about our partnership. We are looking at our future together as not only an opportunity to bring some more great beers to Nebraska, but Quality Brands is privileged to be one of Big Grove’s first steps to becoming a major regional brewery.” end quote. Big Grove CEO and co-founder Matthew Swift said the new distributor will allow Big Grove to enter the market and leverage its distribution footprint and assets to scale up quickly. Big Grove is able to rapidly expand thanks to its new Iowa City distribution center which opened earlier this year.

Hot dog! The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is making its way to Eastern Iowa in time for St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Ahead of the Cedar Rapids St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Wienermobile will be making its rounds at Cedar Rapids Hy-Vee locations on Thursday and Friday. There, drivers will be on hand to take photos and give away quote unquote “wienermobilia” including the famed wiener whistles.

On Saturday, March 16 the 27-foot-long vehicle will be at the Dyersville St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 1:30 p.m. Then, it will return to Cedar Rapids for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade at 97 Third Ave. SE at 1 p.m. Find the full schedule in the Gazette story linked in this episode’s description.

The last time the Wienermobile came to Iowa was in October 2021. Oscar Mayer has six Wienermobiles across the country. Who drives them? It’s typically college seniors who take a year to travel across a region of the U.S. They must graduate Hot Dog High, which is two weeks of training with the Madison, Wisconsin Police Department.

As always, you can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Now, let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be cloudy. Anticipate a high of 67 degrees and a low of 48 degrees. Thursday it will rain. Expect a high of 53 degrees and a low of 34 degrees.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Stay up to date with the latest news from Eastern Iowa at the gazette dot com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com