Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. has increased both its corn and soybean market shares in North America this growing season. For the first half of the year, the Johnston-based company increased global seed sales by 14 percent; its corn market share increased by 2 percentage points and its soybean market by 4 points, Pioneer said in a release. Company President Paul Schickler credited the growth to investments in research and development and attention to serving individual growers’ needs. Pioneer said it plans to launch a new class of corn hybrids and further expand choices within its soybean product line for next year.

The Iowa African American Hall of Fame (IAAHF) will recognize the Rev. Irvin Lewis at an Aug. 6 ceremony, posthumously granting him the George Jackson Legacy Award. Lewis, a retired Army sergeant major, served as pastor of King of Kings Missionary Baptist Church in Des Moines and as chaplain for the Des Moines Police Department. His accomplishments include serving on an NAACP work group that designed and implemented a statewide initiative to eliminate hate words and ethnic insensitivity. Lewis and this year’s class of IAAHF inductees will be recognized at a reception and banquet starting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 6 at The Meadows Event and Conference Center in Altoona. Tickets are $50 per person. To reserve a seat, contact Rose Wilbanks at (515) 294-1909.

A University of Northern Iowa student is one of five finalists in Entrepreneur magazine’s College Entrepreneur of 2010 contest. Nick Cash, a junior from Cedar Falls double-majoring in computer science and economics, was selected for his business, Book Hatchery (www.bookhatchery.com). Located in UNI’s John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center Student Business Incubator, Book Hatchery provides self-publishers the ability to manage and sell their texts as well as maximize their publications’ exposure on the Internet through a comprehensive suite of software tools. Online voting helps to determine the winner and is open until Sept. 10 at www.entrepreneur.com/e2010/vote/college.php.

The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute is seeking proposals for a potential project partnership between an area nonprofit organization and the 2010-11 Community Leadership Program class. Past projects have included programs such as Give Back Des Moines and construction projects such as the Miracle League Baseball Field. The project should benefit the nonprofit and the community by improving the overall quality of life in Greater Des Moines. For more information, visit www.gdmli.com or e-mail Rebecca Batcheller at rbatcheller@gdmli.com.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) a $70,000 grant to assist with outreach, education and implementation of the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program. All fertilizer facilities that handle, process or store more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia are subject to EPA’s chemical safety requirements. IDALS will use the funding to conduct on-site audits, workshops and follow-up safety assessments at agricultural retail anhydrous ammonia facilities in Iowa.