THURSDAY, JAN. 18, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  

Deere & Co. Chief Economist Luke Chandler speaking at the CBJ's 11th-annual Economic Forecast Luncheon. 
Economic signals point to a strengthening global and national economy in 2018, Deere & Co. Chief Economist Luke Chandler told attendees of the CBJ's 2018 Economic Forecast Luncheon on Wednesday, although risks to the long economic recovery in the United States continue to mount.

After disappointing GDP growth of 1.6 percent in 2016, the U.S. economy is expected to show growth in the low 2 percent range for 2017 when final results are tabulated, and to improve modestly in 2018,  the Australian economist told about 600 attendees at the Jan. 17 event. The IMF, which provided the forecasts, also sees global economic growth of 3.6 percent for 2018.

"We are in a stronger position than we were this time last year, and certainly a lot stronger position than we were at this time in 2016," Mr. Chandler said.

Fueling the U.S. economy are low unemployment, rising housing prices, record stock market levels and the highest consumer confidence index in 17 years. The recent tax reform bill should bolster those trends, Mr. Chandler said, yet risks to that rosy outlook are also higher than they have been in years.

"There are probably 30 to 50 [risks] I could have put up here, but I only put up a few," he said, referring to his slide presentation.

Mr. Chandler highlighted the repeal of NAFTA as the biggest risk. Among other major concerns he pointed to the tight labor supply, rising oil prices, repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) China's rising debt, North Korea, fallout from BREXIT and President Donald Trump.

"I put Trump on here not because of Twitter, but because of questions about whether he can get some of the policies through that he wants to get done," Mr. Chandler said. He mentioned Trump's lack of early success in areas such as health care and immigration reform, followed by his success in tax reform.

"Can he get some of these policies through that are already baked in [into stock prices and economic forecasts]?" he asked.
 
More than 600 attended the event at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex. It was presented by Bankers Trust, with support from Kirkwood Community College, ITC Midwest, The Eastern Iowa Airport and United Fire Group.  
 
Read more about Mr. Chandler's remarks, and find a recap of the event's panel discussion, in next week's print and digital editions of the CBJ.  
 
The nonprofit Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a new report yesterday highlighting challenges of health care delivery in rural areas of the Upper Midwest, based on information learned from rural health care delivery in Iowa.

The report, " Reinventing Rural Health Care: A Case Study of Seven Upper Midwest States ," says the rural population suffers from statistically higher risks than the general population in many key categories of health, including death from heart disease, cancer and suicide.
 
BPC's report identified four specific policy areas for developing recommendations: 
  • Rightsizing health care services to fit community needs. Recognizing not every community needs a Critical Access Hospital (CAHs), communities should adjust services to better suit the needs of the local area. In an effort to prevent closures, CAHs should be allowed to provide more primary care and prevention-focused services.
  • Creating rural funding mechanisms. Given small population sizes, growing health care needs and demographic trends, rural areas need alternative Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement metrics and payment mechanisms that allow for value-based alternative payments models and innovation. Appropriate reimbursement mechanisms for telemedicine should also be examined to accommodate the virtual provider and the on-site provider or host hospital.
  • Building and supporting the primary care physician workforce. New workforce models should be examined in collaboration with universities and residencies to expose providers to rural environments and telemedicine, and reserve placements in medical programs for rural residents. Alternative providers such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants can fill vital primary care roles in rural communities.
  • Expanding telemedicine services. Telemedicine is a promising way to connect patients with providers and create a peer network for rural providers that will improve recruitment and retention. However, it must be supported by adequate broadband services and reimbursement.
To read the full Bipartisan Policy Center report, click here.
 
Several of these topics will also be addressed by local and state experts at the CBJ's Health Care Summit, set for Feb. 9 at the Cedar Rapids Marriott. For more information or to register, visit corridorbusiness.com/events.  
  
The Grabau property at Blairs Ferry Road and Lindale Drive in Marion. 
More than 20 acres could be opening for development in the booming Blairs Ferry Road area of Marion, including an area that could provide for the expansion for Timberline Manufacturing. 

Timberline Manufacturing, at 1050 Lyons Lane, is seeking preliminary plat approval for 12.1 acres of property at 1050 Lyons Lane and 1029 Blairs Ferry Road NE that would create three commercial lots.  
 
Two lots of about 1.26 acres each would face Blairs Ferry Road, and could accommodate a variety of commercial uses. A third lot of 9.7 acres on the north side of the property is designated for expansion of Timberline, a growing employee-owned contract electronics manufacturer.
 
"We definitely need to expand," said Greg Ervin, director of sales. "We have made offers on existing buildings throughout the area."  
 
Mr. Ervin noted that Timberline is still working through the planning process, and hasn't decided how much of the site, if any, it will use for expansion. Marion Economic Development Corp. is working with the company on its expansion needs, MEDCO President Nick Glew said.
 
Nearby, Oralee and Leonard Grabau are seeking preliminary plat approval for 10.65 acres to permit future development of undeveloped property zoned I-1 (office transitional) at the southeast corner of Lindale Drive and Blairs Ferry Road. Signs indicate a sale of the property is pending.
 
Further west at 1440 Blairs Ferry Road NE, the landscaping company Bladeworks has begun work on development of a retail shop for its new Blooms by Bladeworks garden center. The project could help fill a retail void created when Peck's Green Thumb Nursery closed permanently at the end of the summer season at Edgewood Road and Blairs Ferry Road, its property sold for the development of the 21-acre Peck's Landing retail development by Ahmann Companies.
 
In a staff memo, Marion planning officials pointed out that sanitary sewer lines will have to be extended for development of the Grabau property, however options being explored could serve not only that property but the Timberline Manufacturing developments considered to the west.
 
Allegra Marketing - Print - Mail in Cedar Rapids recently unveiled the winners of its 2018 FootPRINT Fund.
 
Focused on helping Cedar Rapids area nonprofits  "leave a footprint" in the community, the FootPRINT Fund awards each recipient up to $750 of marketing and print services for promotional and informational materials. 
 
Award recipients were selected by an independent panel of judges based on how the services will be used to further organization goals, including service expansion, program enhancement and maximization of existing resources, as well as the organization's innovation and resourcefulness. 
 
This year, a total of $15,000 in services was awarded to the following FootPRINT Fund recipients: The African American Museum,  Alzheimer's Association,  American Heart Association,  Birthright of Cedar Rapids,  Bridgehaven Pregnancy Support Center,  Catherine McAuley Center,  Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre,  CR PrideFest,  Critter Crusaders,  Deaf Iowans Against Abuse,  Discovery Living,  Foundation 2,  Friends Helping Friends Foundation of CR,  Henry Davison Youth Center,  His Hands Free Clinic,  Indian Creek Nature Center,  Iowa Abortion Access Fund,  Kids First Law Center,  Legion Arts,  Matthew 25,  Olivet Neighborhood Mission,  Summit Schools,  The Salvation Army,  Valor Inc. and  Waypoint.
 
"Giving back to the community is an important goal at Allegra in Cedar Rapids," Eric Van Kerckhove, general manager and co-owner, stated in a press release. "We are proud to support local nonprofit organizations and help further their missions with the tools and collateral they need to get the word out."  
 
Since launching the FootPRINT Fund 12 years ago, Allegra Cedar Rapids has given back more than $235,000 to local nonprofits seeking assistance for graphic design and printing services. 

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller today reminded Iowans who wired money to scam artists via Western Union from 2004 through Jan. 19, 2017 that a Feb. 12 deadline is approaching for them to get their money back through a $586-million federal settlement.
 
Consumers who previously reported losses to government agencies or Western Union should have received a settlement claim mailing from a settlement administrator. Victims do not need to have previously reported the fraudulent transaction to be eligible for a refund through this settlement.
 
"For Iowans who received a notice from the federal settlement administrator, this is a reminder that time is running out to apply for a refund," Miller said. "But I'm also concerned about the many Iowa fraud victims who did not receive a settlement notice because they didn't report the fraud in the first place. They're just as entitled to a refund as those who reported it."
 
The refund program, announced in November, follows settlement reached in January 2017 between the Western Union Company, the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. B etween 2004-2012, Western Union processed hundreds of thousands of transactions for company agents and others involved in an international consumer fraud scheme.  The company admitted it knew of the fraudulent activity but failed to act against its agents who either were involved in the transactions or helped facilitate them - often processing the fraud payments in return for a cut of the proceeds. 
 
The scams included fake lottery and prize awards, family emergencies, advance-fee loans, online dating and others. All eligible victims, regardless of whether they received a settlement claim notification, can apply by the deadline by going to westernunionremission.com. Victims can also call (844) 319-2124 for more information.
 
Jan. 19
Ribbon Cutting: Urban Acres, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4 p.m., Urban Acres, 250 Holiday Road, Coralville. Join the Chamber Ambassadors for this ribbon-cutting. Free.

Jan. 21
Iowa Inventors Group Meeting, by IIG, 7 p.m., Community Savings Bank, 101 Robins Square Ct., Robins. Local inventor Joey Svejda will discuss his inventing process and success. Free. For more information, email [email protected].

Jan. 22
Coralville Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, 2824 Commerce Drive, Coralville. Roundtables are social lunches over the noon hour. All are invited to network and keep up-to-date with chamber and community events. Free for members. Call the chamber at (319) 337-9637 if interested and not a member.  
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
A man is dead and another hospitalized after a crash that temporarily closed a part of Highway 30 in Linn County Wednesday morning. The Linn County Sheriff's Office says 62-year-old John Gibbs was heading east on Highway 30 near 80th Street in his Pontiac Vibe when he entered the median, hitting several crash guards and sand barrels around 7:36 a.m. His vehicle then went back into the roadway, where it was struck by a Ford Edge driven by 67-year-old Bruce Gardner of Garrison. Mr. Gibbs' vehicle came to a rest on its top by exit 246, while Mr. Gardner's vehicle same to a rest in the roadway. Law enforcement closed Highway 30 eastbound as they responded to the crash. Mr. Gibbs was taken to a local hospital, where he died. Mr. Gardner was taken to a hospital with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. Both men were the only people in their vehicles and were wearing their seat belts. The crash is still under investigation.

Linn County is home to more than 200,000 people, but only eight permanent supportive housing units committed to helping those facing chronic homelessness. The county also counts more than 1,000 homeless people. Waypoint's Director of Housing J'Nae Peterman said many residents don't realize how close homelessness truly is. "That could be us," Ms. Peterman said of her and many of her social work co-workers. "It just takes one emergency and we could become homeless or we could be forced to move into a low-income housing unit." With affordable housing units in short supply and high demand, nonprofit Willis Dady is taking a proactive approach. On Jan. 12, the organization purchased a five-bedroom, two-bathroom property at 1631 Washington Ave. SE in Cedar Rapids. The nonprofit plans to convert the century-old, single-family property in Wellington Heights into a six-unit permanent supportive housing complex. With the addition of five units at the Crestwood Ridge Apartments on Edgewood Road, the number of affordable housing options will go from eight to 19 by the end of 2018. The individuals, and potentially even families, occupying the property will also be visited regularly by Willis Dady staff to ensure their transition is successful.
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

Winter will be taking a break in Eastern Iowa as we head into the weekend. Temperatures will be warming up as a strong winter storm moves through the Midwest, but we'll be missing out on the wintry part.  Temperatures will be getting above the freezing mark today for the first time in a week. There will be plenty of sunshine, a little bit of a breeze and temperatures that will be 10 degrees warmer than yesterday. Temperatures will jump up another 10 degrees tomorrow into the 40s.  Temperatures will be in the 40s Saturday and Sunday out ahead of a winter storm. That storm will be moving from southwestern Iowa to northeastern Iowa which will put Eastern Iowa in the warm sector. On Sunday temperatures will be in the mid 40s, winds will be kicking and rain showers will be scattered throughout the day. Rainfall totals will likely be around a half an inch area wide and will be the biggest rain we've experienced in nearly three months.