Harkin praises grants at Newton stop ...

Sen. Tom Harkin appeared at Newton City Hall Tuesday, joining other elected officials and community members to celebrate the recently awarded federal grant money totaling more than $1.2 million. The previously-announced grants include $580,000 for a Trinity Corporation storage facility that will house wind turbine equipment. Central Iowa Rural Water received an EDA grant for $670,000 to construct a water tower and help support the Central Iowa Energy Biodiesel plant and TPI Composites wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in northeast Newton. Harkin touted the grants as helping Newton become a leader in renewable energy production. “Newton will soon be competing to be the renewable energy manufacturing capital of the world,” he said, drawi