Category: Business

LANSING — Iowa dairy farms and processors are getting a fresh boost from the state as officials try to help smaller agriculture businesses expand processing, reduce labor demands and put more Iowa-made dairy products on store shelves.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced during Dairy Month that 11 farms and businesses have been awarded Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grants. The announcement was made during a visit to Gav-n-view Farm near Lansing, one of this year’s grant recipients.

MASON CITY — The North Iowa Area Community College Board of Directors is scheduled to meet Thursday, June 18, 2026, with athletic facilities, college property, a beverage agreement, personnel items and the president’s contract among the items on the agenda.

The board will begin with a 5:00 p.m. workshop in AC128 on the NIACC campus, 500 College Drive in Mason City. The workshop agenda includes an Academic Affairs Board Report.

FOREST CITY — The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors handled drainage, road, election and property matters during its regular meeting on June 9, 2026.

NORTHWOOD — The Worth County Board of Supervisors approved a law enforcement agreement with Northwood, drainage claims, budget appropriations, interfund transfers and county salaries during its regular meeting on June 15, 2026.

Supervisors then approved a 28E law enforcement agreement between Worth County and the City of Northwood. The agreement was approved unanimously on a roll call vote.

CHARLES CITY — The Floyd County Board of Supervisors approved claims, updated banking authorizations, discussed expiring board appointments and handled several program and contract matters during its regular meeting on June 9, 2026.

NORTHWOOD — The Worth County Board of Supervisors approved a drainage district bid, county claims, property tax credit funding, a sheriff’s office labor agreement and the official canvass of the June 2 primary election during its regular meeting on June 9, 2026.

The board also approved county claims totaling $548,341.64.

HAMPTON — The Franklin County Board of Supervisors certified the June 2 primary election results, moved forward with two ordinance amendment hearings, discussed battery storage facilities and reviewed several county policy and building matters during its regular meeting on June 9, 2026.

County candidates nominated in the primary were Larry Sailer, Republican, Board of Supervisors District 1; Richard Lukensmeyer, Republican, Board of Supervisors District 2; Andrea Miller, Republican, County Attorney; Heather Bushbaum, Republican, County Recorder; and Chad Murray, Republican, County Treasurer.

County offices without a Democratic Party nominee were Board of Supervisors District 1, Board of Supervisors District 2, County Attorney, County Recorder and County Treasurer. No Republican county offices were listed as lacking a party nominee.

NORTHWOOD — The Worth County Board of Supervisors approved a drainage district bid, county claims, a sheriff’s office labor agreement and the official canvass of the June 2 primary election during its regular meeting on June 9, 2026.

The board approved a request to use the courthouse grounds from June 26 through July 5 for the 11th Annual 99 County Bible Reading.

DES MOINES — Iowa’s state government technology operations are headed for a major private-sector overhaul, with Gov. Kim Reynolds announcing that the state will move executive branch data to Amazon Web Services and turn day-to-day IT operations over to Cognizant Government Solutions.

The Reynolds administration says the move will modernize Iowa’s aging technology systems, improve cybersecurity, reduce reliance on physical servers and data centers, and save taxpayers more than $525 million over the next 10 years.

But the change also raises immediate questions about the future of roughly 200 state employees who currently work in the Iowa Department of Management’s Division of Information Technology. According to the governor’s office, those workers are expected to receive “individualized, competitive job offers” from Cognizant later this month.

CHARLES CITY — The Floyd County Board of Supervisors approved drainage repairs, discussed future secondary roads shop needs, reviewed road projects and handled routine county business during its regular meeting on June 2, 2026.

DES MOINES — Iowa is making a formal push to grow its outdoor recreation economy, with Governor Kim Reynolds signing an executive order establishing a new Iowa Office of Outdoor Recreation.

Reynolds issued Executive Order 19 during a press conference at Lake Ahquabi State Park near Indianola. The new office will operate as an extension of the Iowa Tourism Office, which is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

MASON CITY — The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors accepted donated land for county conservation purposes, approved a temporary Fourth of July weekend road closure near Clear Lake, and authorized more than $851,000 in county claims during its regular meeting on June 8, 2026.