TUESDAY, JULY 3, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
Editor's note: The CBJ's offices will be closed, and there will be no newsletters tomorrow in honor
of the Fourth of July. Have a safe and happy holiday!
Story1National marijuana firm to build production facility in CR
 
The firm's parent company is New York-based Acreage Holdings, formerly known as High Street Capital Parners, which "has the most diverse portfolio of any company in the American cannabis industry, with cultivation, processing and dispensing operations across 12 states," according to its website.
 
The website goes on to say "Acreage has fostered strong partnerships with regulators, physicians and medical researchers" and "is poised to build on its leadership position by expanding its footprint and capabilities in bringing safe, dosable and affordable cannabis to the market" as regulations and legislation evolve. 
 
Acreage Holdings President George Allen said in an interview with the Des Moines Register Monday that his company is willing to move into a state such as Iowa, with tight limits on its program, "with the full anticipation that over time, cannabis will gain acceptance as a treatment for medical conditions."
 
The company plans to build its new facility in an industrial area on Cedar Rapids' southwest side. Mr. Allen predicted the facility would cost roughly as much as the $10 million facility, the state's only other licensed cannabis manufacturer, MedPharm, is building in Des Moines.   
 
Mr. Allen told the Register Acreage Holdings is mainly involved in the medical side of the marijuana business. It is involved in sales of recreational marijuana in a few states where that's legal, but the company doesn't advocate for states to legalize recreational uses, he said. 

The Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group announces that Fuel Art and Espresso, a coffee house and retail shop, has been awarded an $8,000 grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority's Open 4 Business grant competition.
 
A total of $40,000 was invested into five businesses around the state via the Open 4 Business grant program, designed to further develop the economic vitality in Iowa's Main Street districts. The grant program is administered through IEDA's Iowa Downtown Resource Center and Main Street Iowa programs.
 
The five were selected from 13 businesses in Main Street districts across the state, which competed in first round pitch-off events in front of a panel of judges. The five will compete for an additional $20,000 at the state's Open 4 Business contest on Aug. 28, to be held in conjunction with the Iowa Downtown Conference in Waterloo. 
 
Fuel is owned and operated by mother/daughter team Tommie and Pat Ouverson and offers baked goods made from scratch daily, a full coffee menu, art, antiques, unusual gifts, and handcrafted items made both in Iowa and internationally.
 
"We are thrilled that Main Street Iowa and the Iowa Economic Development Authority have chosen to invest in Fuel," Tommie Ouverson said in a statement. "This entire project has forced us to think about who we are as a business and where we are going, and it is clear that we are turning a corner in our business and that we are prepared and ready to grow beyond our current capacity."
 
The Open 4 Business grant program is part of the Challenge Grant program that is funded through an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature. Since the first appropriation in 2002, approximately $6 million in state and federal funds have leveraged more than $37 million in private reinvestment in 43 Main Street Iowa commercial districts across the state.

Insurance brokerage Holmes Murphy announces it has acquired Minneapolis-based Cobb Strecker Dunphy & Zimmermann (CSDZ) in a deal that will make the firm one of the largest employee-owned brokerages in the nation.
 
"The CSDZ team of insurance professionals has been serving the construction industry for nearly 100 years," said Holmes Murphy Chairman and CEO Daniel Keough in a statement. "Their longevity fits well with Holmes Murphy's foundation in the insurance industry, and we know this growth opportunity will only enhance our clients' service experience."
 
CSDZ was initially founded as a construction contract surety organization and has since grown into a nationally recognized specialty risk management organization. It will continue to operate on a stand-alone basis and will remain in its three locations of Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, and Madison, Wisconsin.
 
Holmes Murphy plans to expand further by bringing its employee benefits, captive and personal lines expertise into the mix of property casualty services already offered by both companies.
 
CSDZ President Jerry Ouimet will maintain his current role overseeing day-to-day operations. CSDZ Chairman and CEO Scott Egginton is taking on the role of chairman emeritus, and will continue to be involved with both client and partner relations.
 
Jim Lindenmayer
Jim Lindenmayer CREDIT OTTUMWA COURIER 
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Friday that former Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) President Jim Lindenmayer of Ottumwa will serve as the newest member of the Iowa Board of Regents.
 
Mr. Lindenmayer began his tenure at IHCC in June 1980, serving as the college's continuing education coordinator and then as vice president of administration and human resources. In December 2001, he assumed the presidency. During his 12 years as president, he led a three-campus system that included eight additional county seat centers.
 
Mr. Lindenmayer and his team were responsible for increasing the college's enrollment from about 3,000 full-time students in December 2001 to more than 5,500 full-time students in December 2013. That growth took place despite declining population in the region. Additionally, Indian Hills saw increasing international student enrollment during Mr. Lindenmayer's tenure.  
 
"I am pleased to appoint Jim to the Board of Regents," Ms. Reynolds said in a statement. "He spent the bulk of his career in leadership at one of Iowa's community colleges and has a passion, like I do, for work-based learning. His focus was on training Iowans and getting them the advanced skills and experience needed to meet workforce needs and provide them with a great career. I am confident he'll bring that passion to the board and Iowa's public universities."
 
Mr. Lindenmayer received his doctorate from the University of Iowa, his master's degree from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, and his undergraduate degree from William Penn University. He is the current chair of the National Job Corps Association in Washington, D.C., and regularly receives invitations from state and national groups to speak on workforce and training.
Story5WalletHub: Iowa has cheapest office rental rates
 
Iowa placed a not-so-enviable 39th on WalletHub's 2018 list of the Best & Worst States to Start a Business, but it does shine in one area: rental costs.

Iowa has the cheapest average annual rent for office space, at $12.08 per square foot, which is 2.2 times cheaper than in New York, the state with the most expensive space, according to the personal-finance website's news release.

WalletHub compiled its findings of the most fertile grounds for planting and growing new ventures by comparing the 50 states across 25 key indicators of startup success ranging from financing accessibility to availability of human capital. The overall bet and worst can be seen above.

Other highlights from the report:
  • Mississippi has the lowest labor costs in the U.S. (as measured by median annual income), at $40,528, which is 1.9 times lower than in Maryland, the state with the highest at $76,067.
  • Massachusetts has the highest share of college-educated population, at 41.30 percent, which is 2.1 times higher than in West Virginia, the state with the lowest at 19.60 percent.
  • North Dakota has the most startups per 100,000 residents, 201.86, which is 2.9 times more than in West Virginia, the state with the fewest at 69.88.
 
July 5
Open Coffee, by Washington Chamber of Commerce, 8-9 a.m., Dodici's Shop, 120 S. Iowa Ave., Washington. Join an open discussion about fostering creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in Washington. Free. For more information, visit chamber.washingtoniowa.org or call (319) 653-4712.
 
July 6
First Friday Coffee Connections, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Corridor Dental, 2345 Landon Road, Ste. 300, North Liberty. Network with business professionals on the first Friday of every month. Free. For more information, visit bit.ly/2tiI1u9.
 
July 10
Facing Retirements? Strategies for Knowledge Transfer, by Eastern Iowa Human Resource Association, 7:30-9 a.m., The Hotel at Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. This membership meeting will feature Lynda Braksiek of Rockwell Collins. Free for members, $15 for non-members. For more information, visit bit.ly/2HvoA5N.
 
How New Technologies Will Impact Marketing's Future, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Joshua McNary, founder and CEO of McNary Marketing & Design, will introduce new technologies for marketing and sales and explore how your business can make the most of them. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2M2LJPm.
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
Police in Cedar Rapids have arrested a man accused of murder for his role in a fatal assault that took place in broad daylight in Green Square. Troy Wilson, 47, is charged with second-degree murder.
Police were called to Greene Square on June 5 around 4 p.m. for an altercation. When they arrived they found 38-year-old Scott Dexter unconscious. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries a day later. Police are continuing their investigation and are treating it as a homicide. Any citizens with additional information about this incident are encouraged to call the Cedar Rapids Police Department at (319) 286-5411 or Linn County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-CS-CRIME (272-7463) or text CRIMES (274637) and in the message/subject, type 5227 and your tip. You can continue to trade information with an investigator. Text STOP to opt out at any time. Please reference case #2018-08441.

A staple of City Park in Iowa City will soon cease operation after decades of fun. Iowa City Parks and Recreation tells CBS2/FOX28 News that this will be the last season for the City Park Amusement rides. To celebrate the rides' history, they are offering free rides over weekends in August and September. The City Park rides opened in 1952 and were owned and operated by the Drollinger family until 1999, when Guy and Sue Drollinger sold the rides to the city of Iowa City. The city says it is hard to maintain the rides because they are aging and it is no longer viable to continue doing so. The last day for the rides is Sept. 23. The city is planning to add a new playground that will start construction late spring/early summer 2019. The City Park amusement rides are currently open 1-7 p.m. daily through August 19, 2018. After Aug. 20, rides will be open from 1-6 p.m. on weekends only through Sept. 23.

T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

Heat and humidity will be increasing today after a nice break the last two days. There will be plenty of sunshine today and temperatures will warm into the upper 80s. With higher humidity today, heat index values will be between 95-100 degrees. It gets even hotter tomorrow for the Fourth of July, and heat indices between 95-105 will be possible. There will be a mix of sun and clouds during the day and temperatures will be near 90. There is just a slim chance for an isolated shower or storm in the afternoon. Otherwise it will be warm and muggy for outdoor activities and firework displays.