Lee County, IA –
Canton, MO
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon says Canton has been awarded a $1,990,000 community development block grant. The money is to be used to purchase the former home of Tri-State Fertilizer.
Ten properties will be cleared so environmental issues related to the chemical plant can be addressed.
Nixon says once the work is complete, the Ursa Farmers' Cooperative is expected to invest about $6,000,000 in a new grain elevator. Northeast Missouri farmers currently transport their grain, via ferry, to an elevator across the Mississippi River in Illinois.
Lee County
Representatives of Montrose, Donnellson, West Point and Franklin have held several visioning sessions in recent weeks.
Mary Sue Chatfield of Montrose says the brainstorming meetings have focused on issues such as tourism, quality of life, and infrastructure. She says the goal is to eventually come together on some collaborative projects.
Some possibilities include coordinating local festivals, developing a scenic drive or sponsoring a series of musical performances.
The four communities are working with the University of Iowa on the visioning sessions.
Lee/Des Moines Counties
Thousands of voters have already cast their ballots in southeast Iowa.
There are roughly 53,000 people who are eligible to vote in Lee and Des Moines Counties.
While many will go to the polls on November 2, more than 10,000 residents of the two counties have requested an absentee ballot. Those requesting the ballots are not holding on to them, either, as close to 7,400 have been returned.
The numbers work out to where 14% of the eligible votes in the two counties have been cast their ballots.