Investors acquired more than 4,000 tax-delinquent Polk County properties during the annual sale that concluded this morning, Polk County Treasurer Mary Maloney told the Business Record. Because of the economy and poor credit markets, a number of larger investors typically seen at the sale were absent or dropped out of the auction early, she said. Approximately $8.9 million in taxes were owed on the properties. The sale began Monday at the Polk County Convention Complex with 4,576 properties. Bidders selected by lottery could choose to pay the taxes due on a given property or pass. About 200 taxpayers paid off their properties just prior to the sale; 285 properties remained unsold. Subsequent auctions will be held the first Monday of each month until all properties are sold.

The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute will honor six men and women on June 24 at its annual Distinguished Leadership Awards Luncheon. One of the honorees, attorney Scott M. Brennan, will receive the prestigious A. Arthur Davis Distinguished Leadership Award, given to those who have adopted the heart of community trusteeship and made notable contributions for the betterment of the community. Brennan is president of the board of directors of the Davis, Brown, Koehn, Shors & Roberts P.C. law firm and current president of the Polk County Bar Association. The other honorees are Surasee Rodari, Brian Laurenzo, Wanda Everage, Matt Meline and Leisha Barcus. The luncheon will be held June 24 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Meadows at Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona. To reserve a seat, contact Rebecca Batcheller at rbatcheller@desmoinesmetro.com or call 286-4980.

The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines has awarded $160,000 in Community Partnership grants. The grants, announced Tuesday, include $100,000 to the Polk County Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing programs; $35,000 to Community Impact Partnership for human service coordination; and $25,000 to Central Iowa Works for a workforce training initiative. The Community Foundation supports partnerships that leverage funding to address significant community challenges and opportunities.

The Iowa Rural Dental Health Initiative has launched a Web site, www.iowafindproject.com, to promote the Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND) project. The Web site is designed for dentists looking to practice in shortage areas of Iowa and communities searching for a dentist. Fifty-five of Iowa’s 99 counties are considered dental health professional shortage areas. The Web site includes testimonials from past loan repayment recipients about their experiences practicing in rural Iowa, a tool kit for communities looking for a dentist and profiles of communities actively recruiting a dentist.

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) announced today that it will join with other public transportation systems nationwide to participate in the fourth annual National Dump the Pump Day on Thursday. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association, the 2009 National Dump the Pump Day is a day that encourages people to ride public transportation to save money, protect the environment, reduce dependence on foreign oil and improve quality of life. “By participating in Dump the Pump Day, we hope people who have never used DART will decide to give us a try instead of driving their car,” Angela Connolly, DART’s commission chair and current chair of the Polk County Board of Supervisors, said in a press release.