Iowa

A public-private partnership is supporting business innovation in Iowa. This month, the Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded money to six startups, including one in Maquoketa. 

Every year, the state hands out up to $150,000 in loans to several small and medium-size businesses. Spokeswoman, Tina Hoffman, says it's part of a statewide effort to create a "culture of innovation."

A coalition of residents from the Quad Cities is preparing to welcome refugee children from Central America. Tonight at 6 pm, members of a group called "1000 Kids for Iowa" will hold a community meeting at the Davenport Public Library.

The statewide project was launched in July. Director, Jessica Brackett, says members across Iowa have found more than 300 homes for the children and received over 1,500 offers of support. 

Reducing poverty and improving literacy are among the top priorities for one school district in the Quad Cities. This week, members of the Davenport school board met to discuss their long-range plan for the district. 

Board president, Ralph Johanson, says administrators and board members are developing strategies to address poverty and low academic performance--all while preparing for a $4 million budget cut. 

Visitors at an eastern Iowa museum can now relive the past with the help of modern technology. Thanks to a grant, the Sawmill Museum in Clinton is using a new computer kiosk to tell the story of the wood industry. The grant came from Elevate Iowa, a campaign to encourage education about advanced manufacturing. 

Museum director, Matt Parbs, says the kiosk helps the museum further its mission, which is to show visitors how wood tools, jobs, and the industry itself, have changed.