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Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Iowa South Initiative Fairfield is in a ten county region that has been working on branding efforts for the last year. The label of this region has been branded as “Iowa South”. We are developing multiple formats for using this branding to attract talent to SE Iowa. One aspect will be a website for jobs, and other information about employers in the region. To launch this part of the program, we are looking for employers that are currently needing help. If you are one of these companies, please send a brief description of the positions you are looking for, and the numbers you need. The Iowa South collaborative project is being coordinated between area economic development and Chamber professionals, along with Indian Hills Community College. Iowa South includes the following 10 counties in Iowa: Appanoose Davis Jefferson Keokuk Lucas Mahaska Monroe Van Buren Wapello Wayne Please send job listing information to - Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce Darien Sloat, CEO Ceo@FairfieldIowa.com 641-472-2111  
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COVID-19 Death Confirmed in Jefferson County The Jefferson County Department of Public Health today announced the first death associated with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the county. The individual was an older adult, 61-80 age range. “We wish to extend our sympathy to this individual’s family,” said Jefferson County Public Health Administrator Christine Estle. “Jefferson County Public Health and all of our key partners throughout the county and state continue to work to limit the spread and impact of this virus in our communities.” Please note: There may be a delay in the state reporting data system reflecting this death. All residents should: • Wear a mask/face covering • Stay home when even mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally wouldn’t prevent you from your everyday activities) • Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm. • Wash hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Please visit Jefferson County Public Health's Facebook page for more information.   We are here to help. The Iowa Department of Human Rights (DHR) brings strength to Iowa's rich heritage. Our three divisions - Community Action Agencies, Community Advocacy and Services, and Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning - work to reduce cultural, social, and economic barriers to opportunities for Iowans to succeed. Mental Health Videos The Iowa Department of Human Rights, in collaboration with Mosaic Family Counseling, will be presenting a five-part video series focused on mental health and wellness for service providers September 14-18. Tune in daily from 11:00 am - noon to hear from mental health experts on topics including Trauma & the Brain, Crisis Interventions and Self-Care. Follow us and watch it on our Facebook channel at https://www.facebook.com/IowaDeptHumanRights. Helping Youth and Families  Family Consultants with Boys Town Iowa Early Intervention In-Home Family Services (IHFS) work right in the homes of families that are in or near crisis and in danger of becoming formally involved with Juvenile Court Services. Enhancing Protective Factors that Can Prevent Juvenile Court Services Involvement No matter what difficulty youth and their families may be facing, IHFS addresses areas of focus of Early Intervention Services such as school attendance and behavior, academic achievement, relationships with peers and parents, and use of unstructured time. In addition, Family Consultants help connect families with community resources and supports. They also teach parenting skills and empower families to solve problems on their own so they can maintain a stable, nurturing home long after services end. Family Consultants are available to help 24/7 and services are provided at NO COST to eligible families. For more information or to make a referral, please call 712-302-7900. For the Des Moines area, contact Scott Reed, In-Home Family Services Supervisor, 402-650-8752. Funding provided by a grant from the Iowa Department of Human Rights/Division of Criminal & Juvenile Justice Planning. Disaster Recovery Resources State Disaster Recovery Website The state has a new website dedicated to news, information, and resources related to the August 10, 2020, derecho. The website includes resources related to agriculture and business; federal, state, and local assistance; donation and volunteer opportunities; food and shelter; and mental health resources. Visit https://disasterrecovery.iowa.gov. DHS Disaster Assistance Governor Kim Reynolds issued disaster proclamations for a number of counties affected by the recent derecho storm. Visit the Iowa Department of Human Services' website regarding details and deadlines for food assistance programs, Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Grant Program, Iowa Disaster Case Management, and Disaster Behavior Health Response. Note that if a presidential major disaster declaration for Individual Assistance is issued for a county for the same event, the state program is automatically canceled for that county, as the FEMA Individual Assistance program then goes into effect. FEMA Individual Assistance FEMA News Release 9/2/20 On August 17, 2020, President Donald Trump declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Iowa and ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms on August 10, 2020. The additional assistance authorizes federal funding to affected individuals in the counties of Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama. Linn County was previously approved for FEMA Individual Assistance. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing (including hotel reimbursement), home repairs, replacement of essential household items, medical/dental expenses, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance by registering online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) or 711 for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Federal funding is available to the state, eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm in the counties of Benton, Boone, Cedar, Clinton, Dallas, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama. FEMA in Multiple Languages FEMA in Your Language American Sign Language FEMA’s website has information and materials available in languages other than English. Disaster survivors can find translated information about disaster assistance programs, emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities, and more. USDA Designates 18 Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas USDA News Release 9/3/20 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue designated 18 Iowa counties as primary natural disaster areas, enabling producers who suffered losses because of the recent derecho, that occurred on August 10, 2020, to be eligible for emergency loans. Additionally, there is a suite of disaster assistance programs available through the USDA, including program flexibilities and a special signup through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). Disaster Unemployment Assistance Iowa Workforce Development is accepting applications for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) from eligible individuals in the following counties whose employment or self-employment was lost or interrupted due to severe storms beginning August 10, 2020: Benton, Boone, Cedar, Jasper, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, and Tama. DUA expands eligibility for unemployment benefits and provides assistance to the self-employed, including business owners and farmers. Applications for DUA must be filed by September 24, 2020, for Linn County, and by October 2 for the other counties. Click here for more information. Community Action Agencies Many community action agencies offer assistance such as food banks, food delivery initiatives, clothing, diapers, and other emergency and disaster relief needs. There is a network of 17 community action agencies that serves all of Iowa's 99 counties. To find a community action agency near you, visit the Iowa Department of Human Rights' website. Mortgage/Rent Assistance The Iowa Association of Realtors' grant is available to help individuals affected by the derecho storm with mortgage payment assistance or rental costs due to displacement up to $1,000 per applicant. Some scenarios for eligibility may include a homeowner with a mortgage that was displaced due to damage of their home; a homeowner with a mortgage living in their home without power due to the storm damage; a renter that was displaced due to damage of their apartment building. 211 Help Line www.211iowa.org 211 provides support, resources, and referrals in the event of a disaster. Iowans may call 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-7431 to be connected to the help they need. For the English Language Learner Help Line, call 1-877-558-2609. For deaf and hard-of-hearing Iowans, dial 7-1-1 first for the Telecommunications Relay Service to reach the 2-1-1 hotline. Legal Assistance Derecho Legal Hotline 1-877-469-2259 M-F, 9am-4pm Victims of the August 10, 2020, derecho in Linn County who are experiencing legal problems due to the storm can get free legal advice through the hotline. Issues may include FEMA denials, insurance problems, landlord/tenant issues, unemployment benefits denials, employment issues, contractor issues, or identity theft. Callers may leave a message, and a Legal Aid staff member will return their call. Iowa Legal Aid 1-800-432-1275 Iowa Legal Aid attorneys will be available everyday from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Ladd Library Resource Center, 750 Williams Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52404. Legal Aid helps low-income and senior Iowans with civil legal problems, including disaster related issues such as landlord tenant, government benefits, and insurance. Iowa Attorney General's Office 1-888-777-4590 Complaints about price gouging and other issues related to the storm clean up can filed with the Iowa Attorney General's Office. Their office also put together a checklist for important things to consider, such as hiring a contractor and what may be scams. COVID-19 Legal Advice Hotline 1-800-332-0419 Iowans experiencing legal issues related to COVID-19, such as eviction, denial of unemployment benefits, employment issues or identity theft may call the hotline. Callers can leave a message, and a representative will call them back. Your Civil Rights and Disaster Assistance Thank you to FEMA for providing information on civil rights and disaster assistance. To see the full flyer in English and Spanish, visit DHR's Facebook page. What forms of discrimination are prohibited by Civil Rights laws? FEMA and a state, local, tribal or territorial government agency or other organization running a FEMA-funded program cannot – either directly or by contract:
based on an individual’s race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency, or economic status. If you need assistance to access a FEMA-provided or a FEMA-funded benefit, program, or service, please contact the Civil Rights Resource Line at (833) 285-7448 [ Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for the Language Line] or FEMA-CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov What if I have a Civil Rights complaint? If you believe you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA at (833) 285 – 7448 [ Press 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for the Language Line] send an email to FEMA- CivilRightsOffice@fema.dhs.gov or mail the written complaint to FEMAOFFICEOF EQUAL RIGHTS, Civil Rights Section, 500 C Street, SW, Room 4SW-0915, Washington, DC 20472. You must file your complaint in writing within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act. Governor Kim Reynolds Continues Public Health Disaster Emergency On August 27, 2020, Governor Reynolds signed a new proclamation continuing the Public Health Disaster Emergency. The proclamation orders all bars, taverns, wineries, breweries, distilleries, and night clubs to close in six counties: Black Hawk, Dallas, Johnson, Linn, Polk, and Story county. They may continue to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off premises. Restaurants in these six counties are permitted to remain open, but must stop selling and serving alcoholic beverages after 10:00 p.m. The proclamation also strongly encourages all Iowans two or older to wear a mask or other face covering when in public settings, especially in circumstances when it is not possible to remain six feet away from others outside their household, unless it is unsafe to do so because of health or disability. The proclamation is effective at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 27, 2020, until September 20, 2020. Business Disruption Relief Grant Program Governor Reynolds allocated federal CARES Act funds to assist bars, taverns and other establishments impacted by the August 27, 2020, COVID-19 disaster proclamation that closed bars in six counties. Eligible businesses will receive a one-time $10,000 grant to assist with short-term cash flow. Application period is September 10-24, 2020. For more information, click here. Unemployment Compensation Unemployment Assistance and Work Search Requirements Some individuals filing for unemployment insurance will be required to meet the work search requirements beginning September 8, 2020. Iowa Workforce Development had previously waived the work search requirement for those impacted by layoffs and reductions in work hours since the beginning of the pandemic. Claimants currently receiving Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits due to a medical diagnosis or lack of childcare directly related to COVID-19 will not be required to begin work searches at this time. Those who will be required to begin work searches will be notified by IWD. Claimants who receive state extended benefits will be required to complete work searches even if you are out of work due to COVID-19. For more information, click here. IowaWORKS centers and satellite offices will start providing limited in-person services on September 8, 2020 to assist customers with work search activities. Basic services include assistance with job searches, applications, resume preparation and other services. Individuals should telephone their local office first to schedule an appointment. Customers with questions regarding unemployment insurance benefits should continue to contact the IWD call center at 1-866-239-0843 or email uiclaimshelp@iwd.iowa.gov to obtain information about their claims. Unemployment Compensation is Taxable The IRS reminds Americans that by law, unemployment compensation is taxable and must be reported on a 2020 federal income tax return. Taxable benefits include any of the special unemployment compensation authorized under the CARES Act, enacted earlier this year. People receiving unemployment compensation can have tax withheld from their benefits now to avoid owing taxes on this income when they file their federal income tax return next year. Learn more at the IRS's website. Census Data Shapes Your Future The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. Census data affects funding for infrastructure, education, hospitals, child abuse prevention, housing, and responses to natural disasters. Complete the census today at 2020census.gov. COVID-19 Language Resources American Sign Language Videos-CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-Resources for Limited English Proficient Populations Congolese Health Partnership Videos Coronavirus, State Website Crescent Community Health Center-Marshallese Language EMBARC Ethnic Minorities of Burma and Advocacy and Resource Center Hawaii Office of Language Access-Youtube Iowa Department of Human Rights-Language Access Iowa Department of Public Health Iowa Spanish Helpline 515-344-3936 Multi-Lingual Hotline 1-877-558-2609 (Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa and partners) Test Iowa-Free COVID-19 Testing (Spanish available) Are there other resources we should know about? Let us know. To unsubscribe from this newsletter, click here or navigate to the "Manage Subscriptions" section below. Iowa Department of Human Rights Lucas State Office Building 321 E 12th Street Des Moines, IA 50319 515-242-5640 or 1-800-351-4659 Contact Us Form New Services at Fairfield Public Library Laptop Lending and Mobile Printing Laptop Lending--Thanks to a Disaster Relief grant awarded by the Greater Jefferson County Foundation, employees at the Fairfield Public Library now lend laptop computers. Patrons who have library accounts in good standing are welcome to call the front desk at 472-6551 x2 and choose from two options:
All of the library’s public computers are equipped with Microsoft Office, plus a program that restores each computer to its original configuration at logoff. This ensures privacy, so the next borrower cannot see the previous user’s confidential information. (Before logging off, save work to a flash drive or email it to yourself.) Library staff will disinfect the computer and screen after each use. Internet Service--Free curbside Wifi service is available seven days a week from 8:00am to 8:00pm. There are two login options: The Fairfield Pub Lib Wifi password is FPLain’tjustbooks and the Fairfield Pub Lib Wifi2 password is ilovemylibrary. Remote Printing--With the new MobilePrint service anyone can submit jobs directly to library printers. This service does not require a library card. Personal computers, smart phones, and other mobile devices work with MobilePrint. For instructions, go to www.fairfield.lib.ia.us and click the Mobile Print tab. Incoming jobs remain in the queue for 48 hours. Submit a print job, then call the front desk at 641-472-6551 x2 to arrange for pickup. Employees print the orders and deliver them to curbside vehicles. The cost is 10 cents/page for black & white, or 40 cents/page for color. Single- and double-sided options are available. Payment is usually received by cash or check, but credit cards are accepted for orders of $5.00 or more.   Jefferson County Ciderworks Debuts New Low-Alcohol Ciders Toast to the seasons with a session cider or three. FAIRFIELD, Iowa—Just in time for Labor Day, Jefferson County Ciderworks has debuted its latest cider explorations: a pair of new low ABV “session” ciders that are ideally paired with any variety of outdoor activities, from barbecuing to a post-hike drink but also speak well to an easy end of day beverage. At just 4 percent ABV, the new offerings clock in at 2 or more percentage points less than most of JeffCo’ other New American Ciders which stand at 6.2% ABV. Available in Black and Blue Berries and Session Citrus, the new ciders combine the low alcohol, highly drinkable qualities of a session ale or light seltzer with more calorie-friendly nutritional information. Both session ciders are tart, filled with fruit flavor, and very dry, making for very easy drinking. “This has been anything but a normal year,” said JeffCo cidermaker and co-founder Jesse Narducci, “but as we increasingly looked to cycling, dirt biking, canoeing, and other outdoor activities not just for exercise but for social interaction too, these highly drinkable ciders make this weird time far more enjoyable.” With flavor and fizz to spare, both session cider flavors can double as cocktail mixers too. From a simple twist on a vodka soda made with Session Citrus to a blackberry mojito topped off with Black and Blue Berries, these new ciders can bring a bit of spritz and flavor wherever you might use soda, seltzer, or sparkling wine. Sold in four packs of sixteen-ounce cans for a suggested retail price of $10.99, the new session ciders are now available throughout Iowa, including at many Hy-Vee locations. ABOUT JEFFERSON COUNTY CIDERWORKS Founded in 2013 by native Iowans Jesse Narducci and Katie Greenfield, Jefferson County Ciderworks is the largest and most award-winning cider-making operations in the state. ###  |
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All or most of the photos were provided by Werner Elmker Audio-Visual Studio.
Let's Roam: https://www.letsroam.com
Let's Roam: https://www.letsroam.com