The state’s 20 largest employers are promising to hire 25-hundred veterans over the next five years. Larry Zimpleman — the chairman, president and C-E-O of Principal Financial Group — is the incoming chairman of the Iowa Business Council. “The Iowa Business Council is made up of leading Iowa businesses, our three Regents universities and the Iowa Bankers Association,” Zimpleman says. “Collectively we employ one in eight Iowans.”

The pledge to hire more veterans has become part of the governor’s “Home Base Iowa” initiative to lure soldiers who’re leaving the military to Iowa.  “The returning veterans come to us with a variety of skills that often map into different disciplines that are more important for certain Iowa Business Council members,” he says.

Zimpleman estimates veterans make up about five percent of his own company’s current employee roster. “Home Base Iowa is an exciting program that builds our Iowa workforce with the most talented group I know: our returning veterans,” Zimpleman says.

This week the Iowa Senate is poised to approve a bill that would end state income tax charges on military pensions. It’s one of the items on Governor Terry Branstad’s list of actions he argues state government should take to make Iowa more attractive to veterans. “This shows that they’ve got it on the fast track,” Branstad says. “Good things are happening.”

Late last week the Iowa Board of Education voted to allow veterans, their spouses and their dependents to pay in-state tuition rates at the state’s community colleges.

(Radio Iowa)

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but curiosity could also lead to an expensive cellular phone bill. Iowans are being warned about a new scam that targets cell phone users. Jim Hegarty, at the Better Business Bureau, says it starts when either a scammer or their robo-call device contacts your cell.  “When they go to answer, the person on the other line, or if it’s an automated call, it just disconnects immediately,” Hegarty says. “The whole purpose of this is to get you to call that number back, just because you’re curious as to who called.” If that curiosity gets the better of you and you decide to call the number, it could be very costly call.

“It’s likely a premium adult entertainment line that’s located in Grenada or Jamaica or Costa Rica and it’s going to charge your cell phone extravagantly,” Hagerty says. “It could be a $20 charge or even more.” Legally, you made the call so you’ll be responsible for the charge, though Hegarty says if that happens, report it to your cell phone carrier and it’s possible you can get the charge reversed. He says to always review your bills carefully, line-by-line, to insure you haven’t been the victim of this sort of scam.

(Radio Iowa)

The Audubon City Council will meet tonight beginning at 7 o’clock at their City Hall. On the agenda, former City Council member Andy Griffith will speak with regard to “Public Concerns,” and Dawn Rohe, City Clerk/Manager in Manning,  will discuss Open Meetings and Open records. It’s expected those issues will be with regard to a Jan. 13th decision by the Council to appoint a new Audubon City Clerk. The Council, upon a motion in the form of a Resolution by new Councilman Jason Hocker, approved the appointment of Janet Nelson instead of Lora Hansen, who has been with the City for more than 30-years. The move came as a surprise to Hansen and many others who attended the meeting.

The Audubon City Council this evening, will also act on an Interim City Clerk and Posting of Position, with public comment limited to two-minutes per person. That will be followed by an official Public Records Request.

The Council will also act on the Appointment of a City Attorney, following the resignation last week of City Attorney Lance Levis.