Ever meet a fellow by the name of Hill?

A couple of plastics-related stories in the Centerville, Iowa, Iowegian are interesting and noteworthy today, and have me wondering what exactly is going on in the beautiful Hawkeye State.

First, there's a story about a deal that hasn't happened yet, but which we've been following, on Lee Container Corp.'s proposal to buy a former Rubbermaid Home Products Inc. blow molding plant in Centerville. Kris Koestner, a city council member, is worried that if the deal goes through, Centerville will lose a substantial amount of property tax revenue.

The current valuation for the property is $6.4 million. Koestner fears that with the tentative sale of the former factory for approximately $2.5 million, the valuation will plummet - and in turn so will the city’s tax revenue from the property.

Lee Container Corporation is proposing to expand new Midwestern manufacturing in Centerville to serve existing and new customers for blow molded plastic containers.

Koestner was highly critical of the way the sale took place, saying the Des Moines real estate agency representing the property and Newell-Rubbermaid officials excluded local economic development officials from the negotiations. He said he understood other industries were looking at Centerville that would have been more beneficial for the community, but local officials weren’t given the time to develop incentive packages.

OK, let's say that Lee doesn't buy the plant. I wonder what that would mean to the local economy.

Next, there's an amazing story about another new factory coming to town -- but in this case, fortunately, it's just a hoax.

Albia and Monroe County economic development officials aren’t sure who sent out a news release about a new industry coming to town, but they are pretty positive it’s a hoax. At least they are hoping that a Chinese clothespin factory won’t be moving in a plant that will serve as a halfway house for “convicted sex offenders and others who have committed violent crimes.”

The news release says the plant will employ 54, who will live in dormitory-style housing, "complete with a cafeteria and pub, which will serve beer and wine but no hard liquor."

The Iowegian notes that the name of the company allegedly coming to town, Linhai Hongyi Arts & Crafts Factory, is not made up -- the real company is based in Baishuiyang, Zhejiang, China, and makes plastic and wooden pegs.

Let's hope they don't hear about that vacant Rubbermaid plant...