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Profiles the 1994 economic impact awardees cited by the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Federation. Board of judges; Winners: Ambico, Inc. Broadcast Partners of Urbandale, Iowa Foundation for Medical Care; EMC Insurance Cos., and the Iowa National Guard; De Puydt Awardee: Smart Industries Corp.; Community Involvement Awardee: Firstar President & CEO Marcia Hanson. INSET: De Puydt award honors entrepreneurial spirit..

Discusses the Des Moines housing market expansion into small areas. Housing areas in the Waukee and Grimes; Identity crisis; Waukee serving as a bedroom community; Waukee as offering tax abatements and tax-increment financing to attract industries; Adel's development; Developers targeting Grimes for a housing area.

Highlights the names of 20 persons who had the greatest impact on community service in the Des Moines area. Gladys Burkhead; Larry Carter; Evelyn Davis; Other names.

Features Des Moines, Iowa-based organization Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI). Challenging local banks' lending policies during their application for expansion or new branches; Bankers' reactions to CCI's tactics; Reasons for banks' cooperation with CCI. INSET: CCI started by clergy in response to riots..

Reports on the economic development of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Economic conditions in 1980s; Efforts on job creation and retention; Formation of the Priority 1; Objectives and goals; Member of Priority 1's executive board; Operations of foreign companies in Cedar Rapids; Future plans of Priority 1.

Reports on the sale of failed thrift United Federal Savings Association of Iowa. Prohibition of disclosure of winning bidders; Formation of consortia of banks bidding for Federal's deposits; Operation as a depository entity. INSET: Hy-Vee loses bid, will go to Plan B, by B.C..

Features Anderson Erickson Dairy Company of Des Moines, Iowa. Coping with competitors; Offering of traditional products for years; Plans to expand ice cream products and flavored milk; Aggressive move to capture more of the market in the Kansas City area; Profits in ice cream; Company's community involvement. INSETS: `Quality you can taste'.;Des Moines dairy is family business.;AE test-markets milk, ice cream..

Features Oliver Hagen, head of the Iowa Bankers Association. Views on the challenges in Iowa's banking community; Role and function of the organization in the regulation of the banking industry; Independent bankers' criticism against Firstar Corporation's request for an out-of-state entity treatment of its investment subsidiary; Hagen's reaction to the issue; View on interstate banking.

Features Palmer Communications Inc.'s WHO-TV television station. Impact of the decision to make hourly news updates 24 hours a day on TV station's ratings and revenues; Station general manager Joe Lentz's promotion to senior vice president of broadcasting for Palmer Communications Inc.; Accusations from media critics; Coverage of trials and floodings; International reports.

Reports on an examination by the United States Office of Thrift Supervision regulators of the proposed takeover of Avondale Federal Savings Bank of Chicago by Midland Savings Bank. Determination whether directors of the thrift bank violated their responsibility to depositors. Depositors' protest against Midland's takeover; Bank directors' reactions.

Reports on the success of Barr-Nunn Transportation Inc. in Granger, Iowa. History of the company; Profile of founder Robert Sturgeon; Plans for an initial public offering; Revenues in 1993; Management philosophy. INSET: Independent truckers threaten a strike, by B.C..

Highlights Iowa state laws regarding landfills. State goals of reducing trash in landfills; Waste Reduction and Recycling Act; Des Moines Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency's reduction goal; Garbage fee increase for Polk County residents; Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules to comply with federal standards for landfills; Exemptions.

Profiles Teree Caldwell-Johnson, the first female executive director of Des Moines Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency in Iowa. First African-American to work for the agency; Administrative experience; Former deputy city manager of San Antonio, Texas; Agency and Caldwell-Johnson as centers of controversy; Agency's annual budget and funding; State and federal mandates on environmental agencies; Predicted garbage reduction. INSET: Her father influenced her, by B.C..

Reports on the efforts by Kevin Rice to market Old Depot beer through his restaurant, The Old Depot Restaurant and Pub in Adel, Iowa. Forecast on Dallas County Brewing Co. profits; Types of beer in production; `Flavor-of-the-month' beer; Target market; Restaurant fare; Management philosophy.

Focuses on the marketing strategies of advertising and public relations agencies in Des Moines, Iowa. Advertising as a young person's business; Added services because of increased competition; Work pace leading to burnout; Integrated market communications; High rate of turnovers and layoffs in the advertising industry.

Reports on the coping mechanisms of businesses with the July 1993 Des Moines, Iowa flooding. Conduct of business on a limited scale; Working at home; Moving to other offices; Use of backup generators; Concerns over fire safety and lack of sanitation; Use of skeleton crews to perform duties; Disaster plans in place.

Looks at the fight that is going on for the West of Des Moines. Three candidates from Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company; Running against Ben Chatman; Comments from Brad Olson; other information.

Reports that Drake University has progressed in mending its relationship with the community in Des Moines, Iowa. Effect of the internal struggle of the school; Importance of an interaction between the community and the school; Opinion of several residents about Drake.

Profiles Bruegger's Fresh Bagel Bakery. Number of stores owned as of October 1995; Company history; Growth of the bagel market in Des Moines, Iowa. INSETS: Unique franchising.;Bagel shop owner miffed by Bruegger's..

Profiles several small business enterprises in Des Moines, Iowa. Includes Ameritech Cycling and Mountaineering; Big Tomato Pizza Co.; Cleaning Connection Inc.; K.T. Services Ltd.

Reports on the efforts of government officials and local businessmen to revive the economic activity in Court Avenue, the entertainment district of Des Moines, Iowa. Need for residents and retail; Area's failure to diversify; Reputation as a hard-drinking bar; Fear of alcohol-induced problem; Proposed creation of a special building code; Development of former Yonkers warehouse. INSET: Residential areas could be Court's key, by B.C..

Reports on the departure of Harlan Hockenberg from the Davis Hockenberg law firm in Des Moines, Iowa. Achievements of Hockenberg while part of the law firm; Company history; Problems encountered by the firm; Reactions from the legal community. INSET: History of Davis Hockenberg..

Features the American Mutual Life Insurance Co. Acquisitions made by the company in 1995; Comment by Roger Brooks, chief executive officer of the company; Concerns by competitors of the company; Controversy concerning the company's purchase of Iowa Realty Co. Inc. INSET: AmerUs nets $5 million..

Announces the retirement of insurance executive Robert Ray as president and executive officer of IASD Health Services Corp. Assessment of previous performance; Nationwide search for Ray's successor; Merger plans.

Reports on the sale of the Iowa-based Hawkeye Bancorporation to the Mercantile Bancorporation Inc. of St. Louis, Missouri. Reasons for the offer to Mercantile; Comments from Robert Murray, president and chief executive officer of Hawkeye; Background on the formation and operation of Hawkeye; Protection of Hawkeye's top management under golden parachute employment agreements.

Reports on the dilemma behind the expansion plans of Des Moine, Iowa's Veterans Memorial Auditorium and Des Moines Convention Center. Benefits of the expansion to the city; Financing considerations; Uncertainty on whether the facilities could attract enough events to pay off debt that would be created by financing the expansions; Lack of space at the Veterans Memorial.

Features on the success of females in careers conventionally dominated by males. Growth of Bonnie Ruggless's Bonnie's Barricades Inc; Profile of Teresa VanVleet's Rowat Cut Stone & Marble Co. Inc; Three-woman-owned Metropolitan Properties.

Reports on the impact of the 1993 flood in Iowa on small businesses. Business closures as of July 1995; Depressed stock prices of Yonkers Inc.; Losses by Allied Window Manufacturing Co. Inc., Ray's Golf World and two restaurants.

Reports on the US Congress' plan to revise the Community Reinvestment Act. Banking industry's call for the law's revision; Banking activists' opposition to the law's amendment; Industry observers' comments.

Focuses on Iowa Governor Terry Branstad's plans for the state. Pro-business stance; Reduction in personal income taxes; Creation of jobs in the state; Increase in the average household income; Support for the death penalty measure.

Focuses on the competition by banks in Iowa on fees charged for the use of automated teller machines (ATM). Midland Savings Bank campaign against ATM fees; Fees charged by the Norwest Bank Iowa; Comment by Suku Radia, banking analyst and managing partner of KPMG Peat Marwick. INSET: ATM charges shock Shazam official..

Focuses on the acquisition of the `Dallas County News' newspaper by Partnership Press Inc., a company led by former NBC News and `Des Moines Register' newspaper executive Michael Gartner. Partnership Press' influence around Des Moines, Iowa; Comparison of the Register with other newspapers; Comments from industry executives.

Focuses on press criticisms against Dickinson & Co., a stock brokerage in Des Moines, Iowa. Fines from regulatory agencies; Fraudulent sales scripts; Company operations; Links with infamous securities business figures; Underwriting issues.

Focuses on the developments at `The Des Moines Register' newspaper. Resignation of editor and circulation director; Business pressures on newspapers; Decrease in circulation areas.

Reports that Iowa legislators are concerned over tax shelters used by Iowa banks. Potential loss of millions of dollars of state revenues; How the tax shelter for banks originated; Identification of ways to collect taxes from banks; Banks' call for taxing credit unions which are tax-exempt.

Discusses expenditure problems of Iowa counties regarding mental health care. Inadequacy of property tax relief; Counties' call for the state to pick up half the cost of mental health services; Tax-cutting proposals considered by the Iowa Legislature; Trends contributing to mental health care's costs; Need for legislation requiring insurers to provide mental health coverage equal to medical coverage.

Features the State Federal Savings and Loan headed by John Golden. Conversion of the bank from thrift to a stock company; Capital raised from stock offering; Company's profitability; Stock structure of the company; Performance of the savings and loan (S&L) industry in Iowa; State regulations of S&L banks; Services offered by the bank; Vision and goals of the company. INSET: S&Ls more than 100 years old, by B.C..

Focuses on the urban renewal project in Windsor Heights, Iowa that would displace residents and small-business owners along the University Avenue area. Reactions of residents on the project; Windsor Heights officials' effort to overcome the area's declining tax base; Residents' opposition against urban development. INSET: Committee selects two Windsor Heights plans, by B.C..

Speculates on the effect of the Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994 to bank consolidation in Iowa. Opening of the state to nationwide banking; Provisions of the law which concerns Iowa bankers; Merging banks in the state.

Reports on the progress in the development of Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Goals of Gateway backers; Obstacles; Events leading to the impending realization of the park; People with major role in the creation of the park.

Reports on major companies in Des Moines, Iowa that see a profitable market among gay and lesbian consumers. Need for gays and lesbians to receive the same treatment as a heterosexual couple; Size of gay market unknown due to failure of the US Census to measure it.

Focuses on the outlook for stock trade in Des Moines, Iowa beyond 1994. Positive financial atmosphere prior to presidential elections; Stability of bank stocks; Volatility of telecommunication stocks.

Reports on the University of Iowa's plan to launch a Master of Business Administration program in Des Moines Area Community College's Newton Polytechnic Campus at the request of four area companies. Recognition of market for program; Incentives for employees enrolled in Newton program.

Discusses the effect of competition from grocery stores to independent video business in Des Moines, Iowa and in the entire United States. Aim of attracting a neighborhood clientele; Price cuts; Operations of large video stores; Blockbuster video as the largest national chain.

Reports that businesses are turning to mediation to resolve lawsuits. Frustration over litigation logjams; Different types of mediators; Iowa Mediation Services Incorporated.

Focuses on the increasing number of young Americans who are starting their own businesses. Unavailability of jobs after college; Twice as many women entrepreneurs than men; Difficulty of getting loans from banks; Examples of how some young entrepreneurs overcame their lack of capital. INSET: Climbing the ladder, by B.C..

Reports on former Arena Football League Commissioner Jim Foster's campaign to place a league franchise in Des Moines, Iowa. Difficulties in convincing the city council to support the plan; Support from the business community.

Focuses on the housing development project of Gateway Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Effect on residents; Fate of downtown apartment buildings; Rehabilitation proposal by developers; Effect of government grants to renovation plans for residents; Economic and financial concerns of residents.

Reports on the merging plans of two leading life insurance companies Central Life Assurance Co. and American Mutual Life Assurance Co. in Des Moines, Iowa. Effect on assets; Similarities of the two firms; Comments on layoffs; Dropping of plans for the acquisition of a savings and loan association.

Reports on the closing of law firm Gamble & Davis in Des Moines, Iowa. Reason for the closure; Effect on Gamble lawyers; Role of client loyalty to lawyer; Comments by Gamble insiders.