Washington Economic Development Group

08/27/2026

🌟 WEDG INVESTOR SPOTLIGHT: Bazooka Farmstar

There are some incredible things being built in Washington County, and Bazooka Farmstar is a great example! Bazooka has called Washington, Iowa, home since 1993, and they've continued to grow, innovate, and invest here. When Bazooka expanded in 2022, they even included a pond for product testing and quality inspections!

We're also pretty lucky that Bazooka shares some of its leadership with WEDG! Amanda Russell, Bazooka's Human Resources Manager, currently serves as the Vice President of the WEDG Board of Directors, continuing a long history of service to WEDG and our community. Her family was recently recognized at the Iowa State Fair with a Century Farm designation - celebrating 100 years of family ownership of Iowa farmland.

That combination of agriculture, advanced manufacturing, great people, and deep community roots is pretty special, and very Washington County.

Thank you, Bazooka Farmstar, for your continued investment in WEDG and in Washington County. We're proud to have you as a partner!

08/26/2026

This is what destination development looks like. This will create opportunities that ripple well beyond the property line, and WEDG is excited to see that momentum continue to build.

Big things are happening in Washington County. 💙

The vision for Blackjack Beach, a 200-acre site with a 60-acre lake, is to create a recreational corridor that is a family destination to complement all of the amenities at the casino across the road.

The resort will include 154 RV sites, a 70,000-square-foot aquatic park, a 447-foot lazy river, a 30-foot slide tower, an adult pool including a swim up bar, and an inflatable water park out on the lake itself. Visitors can enjoy fishing, kayaking, sailing, and numerous other activities on the lake

Read more:
https://www.southeastiowaunion.com/washington/news/blackjack-beach-is-under-construction/article_b03431d8-3019-4250-ba5e-19aea138a837.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Southeast_Iowa_Union

08/25/2026

One of our favorite things about the groundbreaking at Blackjack Beach RV & Water Resort? Seeing so much of our WEDG leadership there to celebrate!

Our President, Past President, Board Secretary and Treasurer, as well as the City of Kalona, IA City Administrator, and County Supervisor Bob Yoder were all present! WEDG is incredibly fortunate to have Board members who don't just serve around a board table; they show up for our communities, our businesses, and the projects that are moving Washington County forward.

Thank you to our incredible WEDG Board members for your time, your leadership, and for always being willing to celebrate the wins! We have a pretty great team helping to make things happen!

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

We are SO EXCITED about this one!🌊🌞

Yesterday, we celebrated the groundbreaking of Blackjack Beach RV & Water Resort in Riverside, a $35 million investment and entirely new kind of destination for Washington County.

At WEDG, we spend a lot of time talking about what helps our communities grow: new investment, jobs, tourism, quality of life, and giving people more reasons to choose Washington County. Blackjack Beach RV & Water Resort checks a whole lot of those boxes!

WEDG Executive Director Melanie Bimson was honored to be part of yesterday's groundbreaking celebration, and our entire organization is excited to continue celebrating the progress as this incredible project comes to life!

A HUGE thank you to the Elite Casino Resorts and the Kehl Family for continuing to invest in Riverside and Washington County.

Summer 2027, here we come! 🏖️

08/13/2026

☀️ Thinking about solar? Put Wednesday, August 19th on your calendar!

Homeowners, businesses, and farmers in Washington County can join others across Eastern Iowa to pool their buying power and potentially save on solar installation.

With the support of East Central Iowa Council of Governments, free Solar Power Hour sessions are available to learn about the costs, benefits, and group-buy program. No pressure, no obligation.

☀️ Learn more or register: growsolar.org/ECI

08/12/2026

This was SUCH a great day with an even better group of people!

We loved having the Kading team in Washington for a Hometown Tour! They came ready to listen, ask questions, and have conversations about our community, and we had a whole lot of fun along the way.

A special shoutout to WEDG Board VP Amanda Russell, HR & Safety Manager at Bazooka Farmstar, Samantha Meyer with Main Street Washington, and representatives from the City of Washington for helping tell Washington’s story throughout the day.

And a huge thank you to Washington County Hospital and Clinics, Engineered Building Design, L.C., Bazooka Farmstar, Brava Roof Tile, Premier 1 Supplies, and Washington Community School District for joining us and speaking candidly about the workforce challenges our employers and employees are facing. Those conversations matter when we’re talking about housing and what our workforce needs to live, work and grow here.

Economic development starts with relationships and honest conversations. This was one of those days.

Thanks for spending the day with us, Kading Properties! Come back anytime!

And for the record, WEDG is absolutely in on the Libations plan. 😉

08/11/2026

It's been a little quiet around here, but the work hasn't been! 🙂 After taking a much-needed break with family, our Executive Director returned to a busy stretch of economic development work across Washington County and beyond.

Last week, WEDG helped welcome Kading Properties to Washington for a Hometown Tour. Yesterday, the work took us to Des Moines to meet with a company with a presence in Washington County. That's the thing about economic development: sometimes people come to your community, and sometimes you go to meet them where they are. The work can happen over conference tables, on property tours, or during drives across Iowa. Every conversation is an opportunity to tell Washington County's story, build a relationship, solve a problem, or open a door.

📸 Photo courtesy of Google Maps. Economic developer. Terrible documentarian.

07/22/2026

Come see us at the WEDG tent next to the Lions Stage 🙌

Spin our wheel with questions about Washington County to win a squishy or candy, tell us what you want to be or see in Washington County AND enter to win tickets to the Stone Temple Pilots concert at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort next weekend! 🤩

It's happening at the Washington County Iowa Fair Association 🐷🌽🐴

07/22/2026

We’re here and can’t wait to meet you and learn what you love about Washington County! Washington County Iowa Fair Association