Home Care In Ely, IA

Cedar Rapids-based Skogman Realty is bringing a new mixed-use commercial and residential development to Ely, Iowa.

The Main Street Legacy development will be an extension of downtown Ely, modern in every detail, while maintaining the historic architectural character of Old Town Ely.

Main Street Legacy includes 10 one-, two-, and three-bedroom residential condominiums ranging in price from the low $200,000’s to $700,000. Features include balcony views, a community room and covered parking. The residential units are listed for sale by Jason Vestweber of Skogman Realty.

“Main Street Legacy was created with a focus on serving both residents and visitors of Ely. We wanted to create a high-quality development within the context of small-town, downtown living that you won’t find anywhere else in eastern Iowa. We are thrilled to have achieved that with this project,” said Mark Krob, president of Main Street Legacy, LLC, in a news release.

At ground level, the property will appeal to the streetside and bike trail frontages in Ely, with a spacious pass-through feature that will ensure each business is optimal in its placement. Patios and green space along the bike trail will enhance the qualities of the overall development. Restaurant and retail space is available and being offered by Brian Rosteck with Skogman Commercial Real Estate Group.

To learn more about the development, visit mainstreetlegacyllc.com.

The more than 700 members of the Iowa City’s Elks Lodge 590 will soon enjoy a nearly $2 million renovation of the 637 Foster Road location. The capital improvement project began on Sept. 13, when the building was stripped to its bones with plans to add 4,700 square feet to the lodge. The project is […]

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The University of Iowa is looking to construct a 263,000-square-foot health sciences academic building, pending Board of Regents approval to proceed June 13-14.

Located near Gerdin Hall and Slater Residence Hall, the $249 million project budget would allow the university to construct a six-story building to accommodate the Communication Sciences and Disorders, Health and Human Physiology, and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences departments, according to documents that will be presented next week.

It will include a mechanical penthouse, shared open green space, and academic, research, administrative and clinical spaces.

Construction on the Communication Sciences and Disorders wing would begin this summer, with an expected completion date by summer 2025. The building will be entirely finished by summer 2026.

“All three programs support the training of Iowa’s future health care workforce, and have demand for program growth, which is not supported by their current facilities,” the documents state. “Co-locating these programs would support collaboration between students, faculty and staff of each program, and harness shared university resources, including classrooms, conferencing space and building support space.”

This is one of several projects that will enable the university to construct its highly anticipated, $621 million inpatient bed tower. It will accommodate more than 30,000 hospital care visits and 50,000 emergency department visits each year.

The three departments will be relocated from the Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center, the Medical Education Building and the Field House.

The Wendell Johnson Speech and Hearing Center will be razed, pending Board of Regents approval. A separate health sciences research facility will replace the Medical Education Building.

Razing the South Quadrangle, Pride Alliance Center and the current speech and hearing center will cost the university $11,535,000. Demolition is expected to be complete this summer.

Funds for the health sciences building would come from the University Hospital Building Usage Funds, Treasurer’s Temporary Investment Income and UI Facility Corporation bond proceeds.

A University of Iowa student appeared on NBC’s “The Voice” Monday night and is moving forward in the competition under pop star Gwen Stefani’s tutelage.

Eli Ward, 21, from Waterloo, Illinois, is a Division 1 athlete that ran track and cross country at UI. He also writes, records and produces music.

Ward appeared on the final episode of blind auditions of Season 24 of “The Voice,” a singing competition where famous singers form teams of talented up-and-coming musicians who battle it out on stage to win the show.

“Leaving running for music my final year at college is definitely not the easiest decision, but I think it’s absolutely the right choice,” Ward said befor his performance on stage. “I think a chair turn would even validate that further.”

Eli Ward chooses team Gwen Stefani on 'The Voice' auditions

The student athlete manifested not one, but two chair turns from pop star Gwen Stefani and country’s beloved singer Reba McEntire.

Ward performed “Bruises” by Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi, captivating “The Voice” coach and former One Direction singer Niall Horan seconds into his performance, evident by Horan’s, “Ooh.”

Stefani was the first to turn for Ward, followed later by McEntire. The country singer was the first to greet Ward after he completed his performance, visibly shaken by the experience and pressed a hand to his chest as the audience applauded.

“Hello, I’m good,” he told McEntire. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said with a smile. “You OK?”

“I’m great,” Ward said. “I’m sorry, that was crazy.”

“Well Eli, that was really wonderful,” McEntire said. “I liked your song that you sang and it's totally different than anybody else I've got on my team. I love your voice. It's a different tone. I loved your approach to everything. It really appealed to me. So that's why I turned around and I'd love to have you on my team. The Reba team.”

It was then that Horan noticed just how similarly he and Ward were dressed, both in white undershirts with light colored button ups and pants, and got up to stand by the UI student.

“We’re just two cool guys,” Horan said. “Look at us, we’re so handsome together.”

Stefani told Ward how well he started off in his performance, indicating to her his potential.

John Legend, another coach on “The Voice,” noted that he and the other coaches could feel Ward’s surprise when Stefani turned for him, and said that Ward will no longer have to experience that feeling again. Instead, Ward can just be on the show, be excited and “be the best performer you can be,” Legend said.

“I think that you're really, really talented,” Stefani said. “I love raw talent, and I would love to have you on team Gwen.”

Ward, who chose to join Stefani’s team and will continue to compete on the show, announced his involvement on his social media in September, sharing with followers that he was, “Excited to let you all in on a little secret.”

Ward’s music is available to stream on Spotify.

Where can I watch ‘The Voice’ Season 24?

Watch Season 24 of “The Voice” on NBC or stream on Peacock the next day. “The Voice” airs Mondays at 7 p.m. CT and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. CT.

Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.

Here is a list of trick-or-treating hours Tuesday for communities in Linn and Johnson counties.

In cases where there are no set hours, residents, in many cases, are asked to turn on their porch lights when they are ready to greet trick-or-treaters and turn them off when finished.

In the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas, the National Weather Service is forecasting partly cloudy skies with a low around 28 degrees and winds out of the south at 5 to 10 mph.

Alburnett — 5 to 7 p.m.

Bertram — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Cedar Rapids — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Center Point — 5 to 7:30 p.m.

Central City — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Coggon — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Ely — 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Ely Fire Department is handing out glow sticks to trick-or-treaters from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Ely Fire Station, 1300 Main St.

Fairfax — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Hiawatha — Beings at dusk. No set hours.

Lisbon — 5 to 7 p.m.

Marion — No set hours.

Mount Vernon — 5 to 8 p.m.

Palo — 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Prairieburg — No set hours.

Robins — Dusk to 8 p.m.

Springville — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Walford — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Walker — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Firefighters plan to hand out treats at Rowley and Ely streets.

Coralville — 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Hills — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Iowa City — Dusk to 8 p.m.

Lone Tree — 6 to 8 p.m.

North Liberty — 5 to 8 p.m.

Oxford — 6 to 8 p.m.

Shueyville — Begins at dusk. No set hours.

Solon — 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Swisher — 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Tiffin — 5 to 7 p.m.

University Heights — 6 to 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, area law enforcement agencies are reminding area residents to think about safety as it relates to Halloween and trick-or-treating.

Here are some guidelines to consider:

-- Make sure that costumes allow trick-or-treaters to see and walk safely. Avoid long, billowing fabrics that drag on the ground, costume footwear (wear sturdy shoes), or masks that obstruct the ability to see or breathe. Cut out larger openings for eyes, nose and mouth, if necessary.

-- Trick-or-treaters should be visible. Carry a flashlight or wear something lighted, such as a glow bracelet or necklace, or shoes that light up, or add reflective tape to a Halloween costume or coat.

-- Parents, guardians or a responsible older youth should accompany trick-or-treaters. Visit homes in familiar neighborhoods where the porch light is on and the area is well-lit. Make sure children understand that they are never to enter a stranger's home. Stay on the sidewalk rather than cutting across yards.

-- Instruct kids to stay away from candles and open flames. Be sure they know how to stop, drop and roll if their clothing catches fire. Adults are urged to use battery-powered candles in their jack-o'-lanterns, and are also advised to make sure that the decorations they place on sidewalks, porches, steps or other approaches do not pose a tripping or safety hazard to trick-or-treaters.

-- Halloween treats should not be eaten until they're brought home and examined by parents. When in doubt, throw it out.

-- Drivers should be especially alert on Halloween. Keep an eye out for children who may be dressed in dark clothing or walking on roadways, medians and curbs, or who may dart out from between parked cars. Also, be sure to enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.

-- Halloween is often a time for pranks that may have the potential to harm a person or property. If you see any unlawful or suspicious activity, call 911 to report it.

Marc Franke usually charges his 2013 Nissan Leaf — the first globally mass-produced fully electric vehicle — in his garage in Ely.

But during the winter, when the Leaf’s range of 72 miles between charges is reduced by one-third or more by the cold, Franke plans his outings based on where he can get a charge before returning home.

“Suddenly in the winter, that infrastructure is important to me,” said Franke, 71, a retired engineer and project manager.

The Iowa Department of Transportation this month will submit a plan to the federal government for how Iowa would spend $51.4 million over five years to expand electric vehicle charging capacity along interstate highways, including I-80, I-380, I-35 and I-29.

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program will provide $5 billion nationally through 2026 for new charging stations at least every 50 miles and within 1 mile of interstates.

“We’re expecting these sites at convenience stores, maybe shopping malls, movie theaters,” said Stuart Anderson, Iowa DOT director of the transportation development division. “Some nice publicly-available spots with some of those amenities are already in place.”

Iowa already has 276 public charging stations, including 71 that offer fast charging, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. There are three types of charging stations:

Level 2 charging often is free at convenience stores, grocery stores and other businesses, which likely expect customers will spend money while waiting for their electric vehicle to charge.

In Iowa, Des Moines has the highest number of charging locations at 39, with Iowa City and Coralville combined having 33. Cedar Rapids has 16, Ames 12 and Davenport 11. Another 86 Iowa cities and towns have at least one charging station. Many of these sites have more than one charging port.

Iowa had more than 8,300 electric vehicles registered as of Dec. 31. Johnson County has the highest adoption rate, with 5.7 EV’s per 1,000 residents. The other top 10 counties are:

Iowa requires an additional registration fee for battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. In May 2019, Iowa had 1,200 battery EV’s and 2,100 plug-ins, but less than three years later, there are 5,000 battery EV’s and 4,400 plug-ins.

“The growth is definitely faster on the pure EV side,” Anderson said. “Four times the number in less than three years.”

With 276 public charging stations, Iowa has one charging station for every 30 electric vehicles registered in the state.

“Based on anecdotal information I hear, the system we have in Iowa right now meets the needs of EV owners in Iowa and those who travel through the state of Iowa,” Anderson said. “The challenge is we’re seeing accelerating growth in Iowa and across the country. There is a need to continue investment with public support. We are seeing some reluctance for folks to make longer trips — range anxiety.”

Range anxiety

Franke was 23 in 1973, when Arab members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries imposed an embargo on oil to the United States that caused gas prices to skyrocket amid shortages.

“You couldn’t even get gas,” said Franke, who was working as an engineer at General Motors in Michigan. “After a couple of hours, you’d finally get to the pump and it would run out. It got to the point where range became a big deal. Everybody wanted to buy cars that would go 400-500 miles on a single tank.”

Franke was appalled by the toll the embargo took on the U.S. economy. He sees many similarities between 1973 and 2022, when Russia’s war against Ukraine is part of the reason gas prices have spiked.

“We need to get off of petroleum as our primary fuel,” Franke said.

He moved to Iowa in 1985 and later joined the board for five year of the Iowa Renewable Energy Association, a Hiawatha-based nonprofit that seeks to expand use of renewable energy.

Franke and his wife, Cheri, bought the Leaf in 2013, the same year they added solar panels to their roof in Ely.

“It took about eight years for the payoff,” he said of the solar panels, which charge his car. “Now I’m driving around on free electricity from the sun.”

Franke is hoping this fall to upgrade his EV to a Chevrolet Bolt, which has a range of 259 miles per charge.

Location, location, location

Franke knows where all the EV charging stations are around the Corridor. He knows he can meet his son for lunch at the North Dodge Hy-Vee in Iowa City and charge the car’s battery while they eat. Or if he drives into Cedar Rapids, the NewBo City Market or Cedar Rapids Public Library are good places to charge.

“The biggest places where there haven’t been many chargers is north of town, up in Hiawatha,” he said. “There is no public charger up there. Same things at Westdale Mall, no public chargers.”

Hiawatha could benefit from the new federal infrastructure funding for charging stations, which have to be within a mile of the interstate.

But Alliant Energy, an investor-owned utility that serves customers in Iowa and Wisconsin, also is looking at EV registrations and existing infrastructure to see where they can help install more charging stations, said Melissa McCarville, a spokesperson for the company’s electrification team.

“We have been looking at that same data and looking at our service area and seeing which areas might be willing to partner with us,” she said.

Last year Alliant joined the National Electric Highway Coalition, a group of 50 utility companies that commit to providing enough Level 3 fast charging stations to “allow the public to drive EVs with confidence along all major U.S. travel corridors by the end of 2023.”

Alliant is collaborating to help install a new charging station in Decorah and is looking for other sites, McCarville said.

Money for roads

Electric vehicle use is expected to increase tenfold by 2030, pushing Iowa and other states to prepare for a loss in revenue from gas tax, which brought in about $675 million in fiscal 2021.

The Iowa Legislature in 2019 approved an EV registration fee on top of regular vehicle registration. For battery EV’s the fee is $130 a year; plug-in hybrid EVs cost an extra $65.

The fee was designed to generate the same amount of revenue as what is lost from the fuel tax, Anderson said.

“That covers Iowa registered passenger vehicles,” he said. “What we don’t have captured are out-of-state EVs and we’re not capturing any user fees from large battery-powered semi trucks.”

Starting July 1, 2023, Iowa will start charging 2.6 cents per kilowatt-hour for charging at non-residential locations, such as convenience stores, truck stops and private trucking terminals.

The system isn’t perfect, Anderson said. The EV fee is the same no matter how many miles you drive, unlike the gas tax, which brings in more revenue from people who drive more. And the state’s charging infrastructure isn’t yet adapted to charging electric semis or buses.

“There are a lot more challenges to the ability to install that charging infrastructure and handle those heavy loads,” he said. “That will be an interesting transition.”

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While the Iowa State Cyclones entered Saturday night’s game against Kansas State as 10-point underdogs, they were able to pull off an impressive 42-35 win, without their Top two running backs.

Eli Sanders and Cartevious Norton missed the game, and reasons behind the absences were not provided by Iowa State. However, a report from Cyclone Fanatic says that the two running backs are going to enter the transfer portal on December 4th. CF reports it’s not about NIL, but rather the two wanting to be No. 1 backs to end their college football careers.

The report on Sanders’ and Norton’s status came from the Des Moines Register’s Travis Hines. Sanders entered the game as the the leading rusher for the Cyclones this season with 102 carries for 477 yards and four scores. Norton spent most of the season in the back up role with 87 carriers for 343 yards and three scores.

But both running backs may have seen the writing on the wall with true freshman Abu Sama III, who has a high ceiling that was on full display on Saturday night. He entered the game with 34 carries for 334 yards and three scores.

And then, Sama went off for the Cyclones against the Wildcats.

Abu carried the football 15 times on Saturday night and ran for a whopping 276 yards and three touchdowns. He became the first Big 12 player since Adrian Peterson back in 2005 to have two 70+ yard rushing touchdowns in a single game. Abu also made his way into the Iowa State record book as his 276 yards was the fifth most in a single game in Iowa State history.

The future is with Sama in the ISU backfield.

While Kansas State fans may not hate the idea of bringing back Adrian Martinez for a snowy game against Iowa State, Martinez will be suiting up for the Wildcats at quarterback, at least in the eyes of FOX Sports.

FOX put up a graphic hyping up the Week 13 Farmageddon matchup between Iowa State and Kansas State and apparently forgot to update K-State’s quarterback room. While Martinez graduated more than one year ago, If the graphic rings true, Kansas State will have a familiar face under center taking on Rocco Becht to close out the regular season.

While the matchup appeared to have some serious title game implications heading into the week, after both Oklahoma and Texas won on Friday the Wildcats were eliminated from a possible Big 12 Championship berth.

Despite not having the same post-season implications at the time of kickoff in this game, this year’s Farmageddon game will take place with bragging rights at stake. The matchup between the Wildcats and Cyclones is shaping up to be a classic Big 12 game among rivals despite some heavy snow on the field ahead of the opening kick.

Kansas State (8-3, 6-2) and Iowa State (6-5, 5-3) will both earn bids to bowl games upon the conclusion of the season and while fans can only guess where each team may fall in the final week of the season, representatives from three different bowl games are scheduled to be in attendance. The game kicks off on Saturday, November 25th at 7:00 PM CT at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, live on FOX.