The roughly 100,000 people engaged in Iowa’s technology industry have a new social media resource available free of charge to help them better network and connect. The Technology Association of Iowa introduced IowaTechLinkz (ITL), an online community specifically tailored for Iowa’s tech industry professionals, which boasts tools such as communities, blogs, note boards, calendars and contacts. Through the association’s vision of a more connected technology community, ITL is one of the first vertical social media platforms in the country that will help improve business and communications within Iowa’s technology industry,” said Leann Jacobson, president of the Technology Association of Iowa. The service can be found at www.iowatechlinkz.com.

The Iowa Council for International Understanding has announced its honorees for the 2009 “Passport to Prosperity: A Celebration of Iowa’s Immigrants and Refugees.” The winners are: Suku Radia, CEO and president of Bankers Trust; Ying Sa, CEO of Community CPA and Associates; Yogesh Shah, associate dean for global health at Des Moines University; and Sol Varisco-Santini, resettlement director for the refugee program at Catholic Charities. The winners were all born in other nations and have made significant contributions to Iowa’s business, social, cultural and civic communities. They will be recognized at a Passport to Prosperity dinner on Oct. 3. Learn more at www.iciu.org..

Ames has been named the fifth-best place to live the simple life in AARP The Magazine’s Sept.-Oct. 2009 issue. The city of 55,000, which is home to Iowa State University, scored high marks for paddling options on the Skunk River, its lively downtown area, and 55 miles of trails for bikers and runners. The article recommended an afternoon of bird watching or canoeing at Ada Hayden Heritage Park as a relaxing way to spend an afternoon enjoying the simple life in Ames.

At tonight’s meeting, the Des Moines Economic Development Office is recommending that the City Council authorize the execution of its consent to the Save America’s Treasure easement agreement between the U.S. National Park Service and the World Food Prize. Under the agreement, the U.S. National Park Service will provide about $300,000 to the World Food Prize Foundation for the proposed renovation of the former central library property at 100 Locust St., which the city owns. The easement requires the World Food Prize to preserve the historically significant elements and features of the building for 50 years and comply with other terms and conditions.