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 friendship that began about 20 years ago has grown into a local podcast for two Council Bluffs area women who decided the conversations that kept them laughing for hours might be worth sharing with everyone else. Lynette Peterson and Annette Bracker host “Wine, Wisdom and Wit,” using the names Net and Nettie on the show. The podcast combines a different wine with conversations about relationships, family, changing social habits and other parts of everyday life. Neither clai

What started with the purchase of two bicycles after they were married has turned into a decade-long tradition for Council Bluffs residents Cole and Robyn Epley, who completed their 10th RAGBRAI together this summer. The couple moved to Council Bluffs in 2013 and began looking for something they could enjoy together. Robyn, an optometrist in Council Bluffs, said neither of them knew much about cycling at the time, but they had noticed the local trail system and heard people t

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

Nearly 100 people took part in the Lake Manawa Sailing Association’s annual Mutiny on Manawa on Sunday, Aug. 23, filling the lake with sailboats, pirate costumes, water battles and a series of challenges that put sailing skills to use in a much less traditional setting. Dozens of boats participated as crews worked their way toward six different challenges placed around Lake Manawa. Sailors maneuvered toward floating objects and other targets while keeping track of nearby boat

After 30 years in business, Bambi Wilson is looking for the right person to take over Bambi’s Green Acres Natural Market in Council Bluffs as she prepares for retirement. Wilson said she intends to continue operating the store while searching for a buyer who can maintain the relationships and services she has built over three decades. If she is unable to find that person, however, she plans to close the business by the end of March 2027. “I know my customers don’t want to hea

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

Council Bluffs residents will have a chance to take over Werner Park Sunday, Sept. 7, as the Omaha Storm Chasers host a special Council Bluffs community day featuring free tickets, local businesses and activities highlighting the city. The game begins at 2:05 p.m., with free tickets available through the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce and Unleash Council Bluffs. Lindsay Toussant Brown, who is working with the Growing Council Bluffs initiative, said the goal is to fil