WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2020 | IN THIS ISSUE

• Alliant Energy Transportation rebrands as Travero
• CR council backs $14.5M incentive deal for BAE
• Four Oaks CEO to serve on economic recovery workgroup
• Cornell to welcome students back beginning Aug. 24
• IWF to spearhead regional effort to expand child care
• Corridor events, KCRG-TV9 headlines and First Alert Forecast
Alliant Energy Transportation rebrands as Travero
Alliant Energy Transportation, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corp., today announced it is changing its name to Travero in an effort to align its growing portfolio of companies under a single identity.
 
The company offers comprehensive logistics services, including rail transportation, freight management services, warehousing and transloading across Eastern Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. It has grown both organically and through acquisitions in recent years, and now includes:

  • Travero Logistics: A freight brokerage and third-party logistics services provider formed from a combination of AET freight management services, and the acquisitions of Cedar Rapids-based Hybrid Transit Systems and Stoughton, Wisconsin-based Business Transportation Solutions.
  • CRANDIC Rail, a Travero company: A short-line railroad between the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City metro areas offering regional rail services with cross-continental connections.
  • Logistics Park Dubuque, a Travero company: A specialized warehousing and river terminal transloading facility in East Dubuque, Illinois.
  • Logistics Park Cedar Rapids, a Travero company: A new multipurpose warehouse and transload facility in southwest Cedar Rapids scheduled to open in 2021.

According to Travero, the new name is derived from a Latin word that means “to transform, shift or move,” and “connects the company’s resources into one brand and furthers its commitment of delivering new solutions that allow customers to move freight creatively and competitively.”
 
“The transformation from Alliant Energy Transportation to Travero builds on over a century of creativity and flexibility to solve customer needs,” said President Kevin Burke in a release. “This positive momentum will drive growth, development and investment opportunities for many communities.”
 
The company was founded in 1904, when its CRANDIC Railway began passenger and freight service between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Today, the railroad averages 100,000 carloads a year, specializing in agriculture, defense, mining, industrial equipment and utilities.
CR council backs $14.5M incentive deal for BAE
A $14.5 million local incentive package to attract a new BAE Systems classified defense facility for GPS products is moving forward in Cedar Rapids.
 
Citing the importance of some 650 jobs during a time of recession and gaining a new aerospace industry for the city, city council members on Tuesday unanimously authorized staff to negotiate a final development agreement with the defense contractor and Ryan Companies US to bring the project to the 380 Commerce Park at Sixth Street and 76th Avenue SW.
 
City Economic Development Analyst Caleb Mason said the project will consolidate the current military GPS operations of Collins Aerospace, which BAE is acquiring, and generate about $60 million in annual payroll. Most of the jobs are already in Cedar Rapids, however they were at risk because other communities were bidding for the project.
 
About $38.5 million of the project cost will be for the 200,000-square-foot building, which will be developed and owned by Ryan Companies. The city proposed exempting 75% of the increase in the value of the property from its $150,000 base for a period of 20 years. Post-exemption, the property will generate taxes on a valuation of $9.7 million.
 
“This project is a tremendous opportunity for our city and one that we fought hard through the COVID-19 pandemic to win for Cedar Rapids,” City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said in a statement shared with the CBJ. “This is a global company and they had options to build this facility and take these jobs anywhere in the world.”
 
“As you can imagine, we were very relieved and excited to hear the news that they chose our community,” Mr. Pomeranz added. “I am pleased with the strong relationship we have built with them over the last few months, particularly under these unprecedented circumstances.”
 
Mayor Brad Hart said he’d met with BAE’s leadership and president, finding them concerned about COVID-19-related delays, and “itching to get started.” The company did not have a representative speak at the meeting.
 
The council also unanimously supported sponsoring BAE and Ryan Companies’ application for state incentives under the High Quality Jobs program at the Iowa Economic Development Authority Board’s meeting on July 17. The project will be required to create 550 full-time equivalent jobs at a minimum qualifying wage. City officials will move forward with creation of a Tax Increment Financing district through which to collect and distribute the property tax incentives, and will return a final development agreement to the city council for approval in August. The city will also seek a state RISE Grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation to pay for turn lanes on Sixth Street for access to the facility.
 
Council members who spoke praised BAE, Ryan Companies and the city staff’s work in reaching a preliminary development agreement despite COVID-19, and pointed to long-term advantages of having a second major defense contractor in the community that could help form an industry cluster and keep graduates from leaving the area for employment.
Four Oaks CEO to serve on economic recovery workgroup
Anne Gruenewald, president and CEO of Four Oaks, one of Iowa’s largest providers of family and children’s services, has been named to the Public Health and Healthcare Workgroup of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ Economic Recovery Advisory Board.
 
Ms. Reynolds established the advisory board in June to assess the economic impact of COVID-19 on Iowa industries, businesses and workforce; analyze recovery efforts; and recommend strategies that will ensure the future prosperity of the state. The Public Health and Healthcare Workgroup is comprised of key representatives from Iowa’s public health and health care providers, and one of seven specialized workgroups formed by the governor’s order. Their recommendations will be used to build a foundation for the 2021 legislative session , Ms. Reynolds previously said.
 
Ms. Gruenewald has worked at Four Oaks in Cedar Rapids for more than 30 years, helping it expand to three affiliates and 20 offices across the state, and serve more than 23,000 children and families in fiscal 2019. She was named a CBJ Woman of Influence in 2009.

IMAGE: Anne Gruenewald.
Cornell to welcome students back starting Aug. 24
Cornell College in Mount Vernon has announced it will welcome students back to campus for the fall semester beginning Aug. 24, with plans for a mix of in-person and online classes.

“We are thrilled to have our students back on campus,” Cornell President Jonathan Brand said in a release. “We are taking many precautions and know we’ll need to work collectively as a community and also individually with students, faculty and staff to maximize safety as this pandemic continues.”

Over the coming weeks, the college will confirm a schedule for a phased move-in of the student body. Faculty are also wrapping up plans related to each course that Cornell offers, with some classes to be held in-person in modified classrooms and some to be offered in a hybrid format or fully online.

In addition, adjustments to class meeting and dining schedules will be made, and classroom and dining room furnishings will be arranged to increase physical distancing. Face coverings will also be required on campus.

Testing will be a major component of the college’s return plan. Cornell will roll out targeted and randomized point-of-care testing using Sofia SARS Antigen tests on a percentage of students, faculty and staff each week to monitor the number of asymptomatic people on campus. The nasal swab antigen test allows Cornell Health Center staff to receive real-time, accurate results in just minutes.

“Testing is vital to the control of the virus on campus, especially because we know people can carry this virus without displaying any symptoms,” said Director of Student Health Services Nancy Reasland. “We know COVID-19 will be around for a while, so it’s important for us to include an action plan for ongoing testing that will start even before the academic year gets underway and will continue as long as necessary.”

Students with symptoms will be required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test provided by the local public health department if they wish to remain on campus. Those tests will be administered on campus, and students will be quarantined pending results. If any tests show a positive result, contract tracing will take place.

Cornell leaders have also been preparing for and are ready to accommodate students who may not feel comfortable returning to campus or who may have health issues that don’t allow for their return.

Cornell is the latest Corridor institution to announce its plans for the fall. The University of Iowa, Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy University have all said they plan on welcoming back students in the fall, with a mix of in-person and online instructional formats.
Volunteer Iowa awarded $332K to expand volunteering
Volunteer Iowa announced today that it has received a Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant of $331,976 from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and the nation’s volunteer initiatives.
 
The funding will allow the organization to better support local groups in recruiting, managing and retaining volunteers to address some of Iowa's most pressing challenges.
 
Volunteer Iowa plans to utilize the VGF grant to build on the success of previous years through two main approaches:
 
Strengthen Iowa’s volunteer infrastructure, enhancing and expanding statewide and local resources for increasing volunteer engagement capacity.  Through funding, specialized training, and resources, Volunteer Iowa will support continuing and new Volunteer Centers and other local institutions to connect citizens with opportunities to serve, increase capacity of local organizations to engage volunteers in meaningful service, promote volunteering, and develop local programming that leverages volunteers to meet community needs. Additionally, Volunteer Iowa will build a network of Service Enterprise hubs to certify organizations that leverage volunteers and their skills to achieve their social mission.
 
Pilot new initiatives to meet emerging needs around disaster response, strengthening rural cities and empowering youth as Iowa’s newest volunteer force . By developing easy to use toolkits, hosting workshops paired with ongoing learning cohorts, and providing implementation funding, Volunteer Iowa will refine strategies and resources for communities to prepare for and respond to disaster; and for schools to develop Iowa’s future leaders through service learning and volunteerism.
 
"Volunteer Iowa is thankful to receive this VGF grant from CNCS so that we can continue to develop local volunteer infrastructure and resources, and build the capacity of communities to create a culture of volunteerism," said Executive Director Adam Lounsbury in a release. "We will continue to focus on the development of statewide volunteerism resources, that support nonprofits, government organizations, and the public to leverage the power of volunteering."
 
This year’s grant competition was highly competitive with a strong demand by state service commissions seeking VGF resources. CNCS awarded 22 VGF grants to state service commissions across the country, totaling more than $6 million.
 
Find more information at volunteeriowa.org .
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Short Term Event Planner
 
July 15
Iowa Fraud Fighters - Shield Your Savings Series , by Iowa Insurance Division, 1-2 p.m., online. This webinar will focus on Medicare scams that are circulating in Iowa and elder law issues such as powers of attorney and conservatorships. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3gBQX41 . 
 
Reimagining Your Workforce , by CLA, 2-3 p.m., online. Attend this four-party webinar series to learn how to attract, retain, engage and grow a productive and healthy workforce. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3hULDdG .
 
Membership 101 – Virtual Option , by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 3:30-4:30 p.m., online. Meet new members, hear from seasoned members and learn how to best utilize your economic alliance membership. Free. To join, go to bit.ly/31vkKqN . 
 
Start Smart Workshop , by NIACC Papajohn Center and the Small Business Development Center, 6-8 p.m., online. Learn how to create a business plan, do market research, discuss different types of business plans, and how to register a business. Free. To register, contact Mary Spitz at (641) 422-4342 or [email protected] .
 
July 16
Sales Creation Versus Sales Fulfillment , by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 8-9:15 a.m., online. Lee Roberts, director of sales at BerganKDV, will show participants how to create new business in the current economy. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3d7P9xA . 
 
Startup Exchange Meetup , by Marion Economic Development Corp., 8:30-9:30 a.m., online. Marion resident Cherie Edilson, CEO and co-founder of Member Marketplace Inc., will discuss how she built her startup business. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2NKrfOg . 
 
Remote Leaders Online Roundtable , by Executive Coach Jennifer Zach, 10-10:20 a.m., online. Touch base with other leaders who are leading remote teams, exchange resources, and share what's on your mind. Free. To join, visit bit.ly/3j5gXqm . 
 
Ignite ICR: Making an Impact , by ICR Iowa, noon, online.   This session will look at what an ICR resident is doing to give back and make an impact within the community. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2UrZAFL .

Innovation Book Discussion , by NewBoCo, noon-1 p.m., online. Join for a discussion of the book “ The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth.” Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3f9GbS6 .

Digital Marketing Lab Webinar , by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 3-4 p.m. online. Alliant Energy and ISU’s Center for Industrial Research and Service will discuss how they can help your business evaluate problems and find opportunities using innovative technology. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3hQZ522 .
See something we missed?
Send tips, leads,  corrections,  etc. to  [email protected] .
Headlines from KCRG-TV9
These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9  
 
Retail giant Walmart will soon require customers to wear face masks inside its stores. The company announced the policy will begin July 20 at more than 5,000 Walmart and Sam’s Club locations. Walmart said 65% of its stores are already located in areas where there is a government face mask mandate. Company leaders say the policy change comes as they look to prioritize the health and safety of customers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Walmart will have an employee dedicated to enforcing the company’s requirements at store entrances. “The ambassadors, identifiable by their black polo shirts, will work with customers who show up at a store without a face covering to try and find a solution,” the company said. “We are currently considering different solutions for customers when this requirement takes effect on July 20.” Sam’s Club members who show up without a mask will be provided a complimentary mask.

Cedar Rapids police said a shooting injured one person early Wednesday morning. Police said officers received two calls of shots fired in the area of the 2300 block of Bever Avenue SE at 12:08 a.m. Within 10 minutes of that call, officers received a call of someone who arrived at Mercy Hospital with a gunshot wound. Doctors treated the unidentified victim for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Police said they could not locate any evidence. They said the victim was unsure where exactly he was when the shots were fired. There are no arrests so far.

These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9
Your KCRG-TV9 First Alert Forecast
Areas of showers and storms continue over southern Iowa early this morning. These should expand in coverage as we go through the day while moving northeast. Some spots will still receive over one inch of rain by the time this is over with later today. With the rain and clouds around, temperatures won't hardly move at all and highs in the mid-70s will be about it. Tomorrow, look for a return of sunshine with highs in the lower to middle 80s. Friday, a chance of storms exists later in the day as a warm front approaches from the west.