MINK Continues Flood Recovery Efforts

By CnAgri2012-07-26 19:28:49 Print

Last summer, the four-month long Missouri River flood affected the many businesses, communities and events along the River between the Omaha and Kansas City Metro areas. One of those events was the 89-year-old Sidney, Iowa Championship Rodeo. Attendance dropped, with many roads, including Interstate 29, underwater and closed.

But the Rodeo promoters and the City of Sidney are pulling out the stops to let the Metro areas and local residents know the Rodeo is back, and better than ever. The MINK Corridor will help that effort during a news conference at 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 2 at the Waubonsie State Park/Nature Center, 2869 State Hwy. 2, Hamburg, Iowa, just a few miles from Sidney.

Speaking at the news conference will be Mel Fuelling and Joe Laukemper of the Rodeo Committee, telling about the rodeo's recuperation from the flood and the availability of its arena for other area events. Lona Lewis will provide information on the new Rodeo Museum being constructed in Sidney.

The MINK Corridor is a coalition of communities and organizations in the states of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. The members are in counties two deep on either side of the river and they call themselves "MINK." MINK knows no borders crossing county and state lines, and is helping each other in community development efforts.

The news conference will follow a regional meeting of MINK, beginning at 10 a.m. Sapp Brothers restaurant near Percival, Iowa will cater a meal following the news conference. Please RSVP by July 27 to Twila Larson at fredco@iowatelecom.net or 712-374-3268. There will be a $15 registration fee for the meeting, including the lunch.

The Aug. 2 MINK events follow a major news conference held at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge near Mound City, Mo., on May 17, attended by more than 60 people, where community members and business owners gave testimonials on the "Open for Business" message for the MINK Corridor.

How does a community, business owner, tourist attraction, farmer, homeowner recover after the disastrous 2011 Missouri River flood? The message was clear: it took determination, community strength and perseverance.

Bill Sapp, an owner of Sapp Bros. Travel Center at the intersection of I-29 and Highway 2 in Iowa, reported that during the four months of closing, not one of his employees were laid off as he was able to keep all his staff employed. They helped lay sand bags to build a berm around his business to alleviate damage and help the business reopen as soon as the highways were repaired. He also had his employees help with the cleanup of Highway 2 businesses in the area. "We are back better than ever and I attribute that to the positive approach taken," said Sapp.

The MINK Corridor members have been holding meetings and telephone conferences since the May 17 Squaw Creek conference. They are planning to focus on communities in Nebraska and Kansas at news conferences and events this summer and fall.