MINDEN, Iowa (KMTV) — For a community like Minden, one of the keys to a full recovery will be keeping its business community healthy.
- "We're just, as rural communities in Iowa, hanging on by a thread anyway and a disaster like this could definitely be the end of a community,” said Dr. Glenn Hurst. “We need all the support we can get to bounce back."
- In this town of 600, roughly half the population can't stay in their homes; an impact on the businesses that depend on foot traffic.
- Mayor Kevin Zimmerman encourages those wishing to help to donate to the Miden Community Fund.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
For Minden to recover from the tornadoes, this little town really needs its businesses to recover.
I'm your Southwest Iowa neighborhood reporter, Katrina Markel, and I've spoken to community leaders who say that they're hopeful about the economic future of this town.
Dr. Glenn Hurst has owned the medical clinic in Minden for 12 years. His office is open but He says the local businesses here depend on each other to thrive.
"If one of us fails, then the likelihood of the rest of us failing is very real," said Hurst.
The bowling alley needs a lot of work, but part-owner Dylan Schneckloth says he's determined to re-open.
"People come from many towns over ... birthday parties, you name it, all kinds of gatherings ... The community wants a place like this – they need it, you know,” said Schneckloth.
In this town of 600, roughly half the population can't stay in their homes; an impact on the businesses that depend on foot traffic.
"We're just, as rural communities in Iowa, hanging on by a thread anyway and a disaster like this could definitely be the end of a community,” said Hurst. “We need all the support we can get to bounce back."
Hurst, and others, told me they feel lucky to even have a pharmacy and grocery store in a town the size of Minden and, both of those businesses, are already open and running again.
"The biggest thing that we need is not what we need today, it's what we need tomorrow,” said Mayor Kevin Zimmerman. “So, we got a pool of money to help the bowling alley, help the feed store and help the guys so they'll come back."
Over the last two weeks, every time I visit Minden, I see progress. More debris removed, more business operating, and a sense of resolve from the people who call Minden home.
The mayor encourages anyone who wants to help to donate to the town through the Community Foundation for Western Iowa.
