Sudden cuts in federal funding for the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have left Humanities Iowa scrambling to keep local programs alive.

Why it matters: Humanities Iowa is the state's main distributor of that money.

• The cuts jeopardize around $1 million that would have supported everything from rural museum exhibits to family literacy events.

Driving the news: On April 2, Humanities Iowa executive director Heather Plucar received notice that all NEH funding for the state had been terminated.

• 75% of that funding went directly to programming, Plucar says.

State of play: Humanities Iowa is now unable to award grants or reimburse projects, forcing it to pause planned programming and locate private donors to cover them instead.

• The organization had planned to launch a literacy program at central Iowa libraries to help families read together at home.
• "It stinks that we're having to fight for funding for things like that," Plucar says.

Zoom in: At the Des Moines Art Center, director Kelly Baum is concerned with cuts to the NEH, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

• An $11,275 NEH grant was supposed to help fund an exhibit featuring Haitian art in Iowa that opened last week. But because of the funding cuts this month, the center learned it would not be getting reimbursed.
• The center is absorbing that cost and continuing with the exhibit, but it had to cancel other plans, like inviting a lecturer to speak on Haitian art.

What they're saying: Arts and the humanities help bridge "distances and differences" between people and build empathy, Baum says.

• While the art center doesn't rely heavily on federal funding, smaller arts organizations in rural communities will feel the brunt of the cuts, she says.
• "There isn't a lot of us here in Iowa. So really, if you lose one, you've lost a significant percentage from the whole."

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Polk County supervisors are weighing a plan to allocate $4.4 million to update the Hilton hotel in downtown Des Moines.

Why it matters: The Hilton, developed by a county-controlled nonprofit and connected to the Iowa Events Center, is crucial to attracting multi-day conventions.

The big picture: The hotel's success could directly benefit the county.

• Ownership is expected to transfer to Polk County once the debt is paid off — likely around 2047.
• Supervisors say the update is needed to stay competitive in the regional hospitality market.

Catch up fast: The $101 million, 330-room hotel opened in 2018 using a complex arrangement of public and private money.

The intrigue: Supervisors also allocated $6 million in federal pandemic relief to help the hotel cover losses in 2021.

Driving the news: Representatives from IEC Hotel Corporation, the county's nonprofit, told supervisors this month that Hilton is requesting a "soft renovation" to update paint, carpet and furnishings.

• They propose using $1.7 million that the county earns annually from the hotel to cover the cost — money that has previously gone toward making early payments to Polk's initial $27 million debt associated with the project.
• The renovation is scheduled to take place in late 2026, with design work starting later this year.

What's Next: County supervisors are set to vote Tuesday on the proposal.

⚽️ Kyle Krause's Italian soccer team has lost nearly $400 million since the former Kum & Go owner purchased it in 2020. Meanwhile, he's still trying to raise money for a Des Moines soccer stadium. (Des Moines Register)

🙅 Ankeny residents are concerned about potential plans to build a Wal-Mart southwest of the corner of Northwest 36th Street and North Ankeny Boulevard. (WHO-13)

🏒 The Urbandale City Council approved a revised plan for revitalizing Merle Hay Mall last week. The plan allows the mall to have some flexibility with a planned ice arena and include indoor soccer, pickleball and volleyball courts. (Business Record)

😋 A store focused on selling Filipino goods opened at 1300 Cummins Road in Des Moines earlier this month. (Des Moines Register)

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