Availa Bank has named Mitch Kay as its Council Bluffs market president, putting the longtime southwest Iowa resident in charge of the bank’s local market as it looks to expand its presence in Council Bluffs and surrounding communities. Kay brings about 10 years of previous banking experience to the position along with five years in Pottawattamie County government, where he served as chief financial officer and worked with county leaders during the distribution of federal pand

The Pottawattamie Conservation Foundation will hold its 23rd annual Go Wild for Conservation fundraiser Sept. 10 at The Landing in Council Bluffs, raising money for county park improvements, land conservation and environmental education programs. The event will run from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and include silent and live auctions, food from Block 16, beer and wine tasting, a wine and spirit pull and several other fundraising activities. Tickets are $75 per person, and the event is

A Masonic lodge that once stood along Highway 6 east of Council Bluffs can trace its history to the vanished community of Quick, Iowa, and a group of rural Masons who wanted a meeting place closer to home more than 120 years ago. Fred Gach, a member of Cobia Lodge No. 631 in Council Bluffs since 1980 and a former dual member of Cobia and Amber lodges, began researching Amber Lodge after being asked about its history. Much of what he found came from materials preserved in a ti

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management will bring local agencies and organizations together for its sixth annual preparedness fair in Council Bluffs as part of National Preparedness Month in September. The fair will be held near the Emergency Management office at 5 S. Main St., directly in front of the Council Bluffs Fire Department, while the Council Bluffs Farmers Market is taking place nearby. Public safety agencies, nonprofit organizations and other groups that assist

Entrepreneurs and small business owners have until Sept. 10 to apply for the 2026 REV Pitch competition, with the prize pool now nearing $20,000 and organizers expecting another competitive field. TS Bank’s Kelsey Stupfell said the total had reached $19,750 as of the latest count, with additional support still possible before the event. The money is awarded to winning businesses with no repayment required. “No strings attached,” Stupfell said. “We want folks to use it for wha

Firefly will return to Ditmars Orchard Sept. 26 for its annual Fall Flannel Fling, bringing together live music, food, family activities and fundraising to support children and families across western Iowa. The event will run from 6 to 9 p.m. and marks the second year Firefly has held the fundraiser at Ditmars Orchard. Firefly Executive Director and CEO Kimberly Kolakowski said the setting is designed to feel like a fall gathering with flannel, a bonfire, tractor rides and ac

NAMI Southwest Iowa will have a new executive director at the end of 2026, when longtime leader Anna Killpack retires and current program coordinator Amy Sherer takes over the organization serving nine counties across southwest Iowa. Killpack announced that she will step down at the end of December after more than six years leading the organization. Sherer, who originally joined NAMI Southwest Iowa as a peer support specialist, will take over following Killpack’s retirement.

Good Neighbor Day returns to downtown Council Bluffs Wednesday, Sept. 9, when Bloomworks Floral will give away 15,000 roses and ask those receiving them to help spread the flowers throughout the community. The annual event begins at 8 a.m. at the floral shop on the 100 Block and will continue until the roses are gone. Owner Alisa Roth said each visitor receives a dozen roses and is asked to keep one and give the remaining 11 to other people. “Come get some roses. Spread some

The Western Iowa Development Association’s Rural Passport program is entering its final days after a summer that brought new customers into small businesses across Pottawattamie County and surrounding communities. Participants have until Sept. 14 to complete their travels and turn in their passport books. WIDA Executive Director Stacie Kinney said the original expectation was that the program would end around Labor Day, but the date printed in the passport gives travelers add

The Southwest Iowa Association of Realtors will hold its annual golf tournament Sept. 17 at Whispering Woods Golf Club, with proceeds from the event going toward a scholarship for a local student pursuing an education in the trades or a real-estate-related field. The tournament is one of the association’s largest events of the year and is open to more than just real estate professionals. Association President Joe Don Hunter said teams are still being accepted, and participant

Carol Horner of Council Bluffs has added a second title to her list of published works with the release of “Bridging Our Divides: The Spiral Way.” The new book grew out of Horner’s own struggle with anger, disagreement and division. Horner’s first book is entitled “The Spiral of Accountability,” and was released in April of 2024. That was where she first introduced a framework designed to help people recognize destructive patterns in their own thinking and behavior. The local

Pottawattamie County officials are encouraging residents to prepare now for the Nov. 3 general election by reviewing voting options, checking polling locations and learning what will appear on their ballots. Registered voters may submit absentee ballot request forms through Oct. 19. Absentee ballots will begin being mailed Oct. 14, which is also the first day for in-person absentee voting at the Pottawattamie County Auditor’s Office. “We want everyone to get out there and vot

POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY, Iowa - A program designed to help first responders find people at risk of wandering has been used in five call-outs and has helped locate three people since it began operating in Pottawattamie County, officials said during an episode of “Pottawattamie County Routes.” The program uses battery-powered transmitters worn by participants who have cognitive conditions, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, autism or other developmental challenges, according