Economic development grants awarded for events, daycare, youth employment

By Charlene Sims, info@linncountyjournal.com

MOUND CITY – On Monday, April 28, Linn County Economic Development Director Chasity Ware announced the recipients of three annual economic development grants.

Ware said that two awardees of the Community Development Grant were Dez Poole and Marsha Wunderly. Poole will use the $250 grant money to do a women-empowering-women event in October. 

Wunderly, who works with Farmers and Merchants Bank, continues to do events in Mound City for the entire community. There are two more $250 community development grants available this year. 

Chasity Ware

The grants are available to organizations that put on community events. They are not available to government agencies. The grants can be used for advertising a fundraising event but not for items sold or auctioned. It is available on first-come, first-served basis.

Recipients of the four Childcare Provider Grants are Jen Johnson of Pleasanton, Casey Barker of Mound City, Melanie Crooks of Pleasanton, and Rachel Watts of Mound City.

The $250 grants are for licensed childcare providers to reimburse for eligible expenses like registration, education hours, supplies that are not covered by other funding mechanisms, and educational material. The grant is not intended for purchasing food or funding construction. Applicants will purchase the items needed and then be reimbursed by the county.

Ware congratulated the childcare providers who she said do a thankless job. She said the county doesn’t have near enough providers. She said she would not want to be in their shoes but that she personally knows all four of these and they do an amazing job at what they do. 

Ware said that the grants for the Youth Summer Program did not have near the applicants that it had in the past. She said there were 11 applicants and 10 of the were awarded grants.

The businesses are:

Coleman Hardware

Bloodgood Services

Farmers and Merchants Bank

Roberts Dental

Hines Family Farm

Peoples Telecommunications

Stainbrook’s Auto Farm and Home

Truly Insurance

Rose Plumbing

Everybody’s restaurant

The Summer Youth Employment Grant encourages county employers to hire local youth from the county for summer jobs. 

The county offers 10 $1,200 grants. The county reimburses businesses the first $4 for every hour worked up to 30 hours per week for 10 weeks. Businesses are required to pay the employee at least $8 per hour.