Governor Meets With Young Professionals in Mount Pleasant

A group of Mount Pleasant young professionals accepted an invitation to meet with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds Friday afternoon.  The Governor was wrapping up a two day trip to Southeast Iowa meeting with Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development groups. The Mount Pleasant group wanted to discuss childcare, small business, the need for arts and culture and efforts supporting Iowa Wesleyan University.  The Governor said she spent two days visiting in Southeast Iowa to talk about her agenda with the top focus on expanding broadband and investing in faster internet saying Iowa has the second slowest internet in the country. She was also interested in talking about improving state housing programs and encouraging communities to take advantage of these programs.  Reynolds expressed excitement about the Mount Pleasant efforts to develop a community childcare center. Childcare is another priority for the Governor. She talked about the Childcare Challenge Fund and was pleased the local effort had already submitted a request for funding that can be used for new construction of a childcare facility, rehabilitation of an existing structure as a child care facility or retrofitting and repurposing of an existing structure for use as a child care facility. Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Executive vice president Kristi Perry told Reynolds that her administration is hitting on everything that is important to Southeast Iowa.