DES MOINES, IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds, today (Monday), announced the newly created Iowa Entry-Level Driver Training Program to provide more opportunities for interested truck drivers to obtain their commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Iowa.  The Governor says “Truck drivers play such a critical role in meeting our supply chain demands– ‘If you got it, a truck driver brought it’. Like the rest of the nation, Iowa, too, has a high demand for truck drivers; and in order to meet that demand, we need innovative solutions that reduce barriers for anyone interested in obtaining a CDL license. This new program will break down barriers that currently exist for obtaining a CDL and provide support to organizations who sponsor these critical training opportunities right here in Iowa.”

The new Iowa Entry-Level Driver Training Program will provide $6 million to support employers, nonprofits, or related organizations who sponsor or partner on key training programs designed to prepare potential drivers for CDL skills or knowledge tests. The grant program hopes to remove costly barriers and, ultimately, create more drivers with CDL licenses across the state.

According to Beth Townsend, Iowa Workforce Development Director, “The Entry-Level Driver Training Program provides more opportunities to obtain a CDL, but it also makes it easier for employers to recruit and train their own drivers. This effort…” she says…”will also make our state more competitive in these high-demand fields by helping employers offer the right training when and where their workers need it.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration implemented Entry-Level Driver Training, requiring all new drivers to undertake additional training requirements on top of existing CDL standards. Current CDL training can be costly and/or limited, making the pathway to obtain or upgrade a license more difficult despite a much higher demand for drivers. All training providers and drivers are required to meet all Federal driving standards under the ELDT program.

Grant funding for the Iowa Entry-Level Driver Training Program will reimburse eligible organizations in Iowa that offer these critical training programs either in-house or through partnerships with certified training providers. If the program is provided in-house, reimbursement can be used on instructor wages, curriculum materials, and maintenance needs. If the program is offered via outside training providers, reimbursement must go towards Entry-Level Driver Training program tuition.

Additional requirements:

Eligible applicants: Iowa-based employers, employer consortiums, and non-profits who employ Iowa CDL drivers and provide Entry-Level Driver Training either in-house or through partnership with third-party certified training providers.

Funds are administered as reimbursement only following documented training certification and a CDL exam within 30 days of a participant’s first day of training (first day of either behind-the-wheel or theory).  Applications will be accepted at IowaGrants.gov beginning on Tuesday, December 13, 2022 and are due on Friday, February 3, 2023, at 11:59 AM.  (Note: IowaGrants.gov will undergo scheduled website maintenance and will be unavailable December 2-12)

Visit this link for more information on the grant, its requirements, and the application process. A webinar will take place on December 13 at 3:00 PM to provide more information on the grant and a Q&A session. Interested employers are encouraged to participate (Registration link).

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A man from Nebraska was sentenced on a drug and weapon charges Friday, in Pottawattamie County/Council Bluffs U-S District Court. Authorities says 38-year-old James Michael Milbourn, of Omaha, will serve 12-years in prison following his plea of guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

On February 26, 2022, law enforcement encountered Milbourn in his car which was parked in the front yard of a residence in Council Bluffs. Located in plain view on the front passenger seat of the car was a bag that contained methamphetamine, a digital scale, and a loaded firearm. Milbourn intended to distribute the methamphetamine and possessed the firearm for personal protection of his controlled substances. Milbourn has multiple felony convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm or ammunition.

The Council Bluffs Police Department and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case, which was prosecuted by the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Des Moines, Iowa) -State Auditor Rob Sand today (Monday) issued an advisory alerting Iowans to a potential phone scam in which the caller identifies themselves as a representative of the Iowa Auditor of State Office (AOS). A concerned citizen notified the AOS Office on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, that they had received a phone call from a person inquiring about their mortgage. The caller also stated that they knew the concerned citizen’s name, address, and height.

“The Auditor of State Office will never call you to inquire about your mortgage or personal finances,” said State Auditor Rob Sand. “We have alerted the Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division.” The Federal Trade Commission offers the following advice to identify and avoid phone scams:

• Scammers might pretend to be from a well-known organization or agency like the Internal Revenue Service, the Social Security Administration, or Medicare. These agencies will never call you to request financial information.
• Scammers often claim you’ve won a prize. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
• Scammers may pressure you to act immediately or pay in a specific way.
• Never give your personal or financial information to a random caller.
• Talk to someone you trust before acting on a caller’s request for money or information.

To learn more about protecting yourself from scams or to report a scam, contact the Iowa Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division at 515-281-5926 or consumer.consumer@ag.iowa.gov.

Questions for the AOS Office should be directed to 515-281-5834 or info@aos.iowa.gov.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to meet during their regular, weekly session, beginning at 9-a.m., Tuesday. The meeting, as always, is in their Board Room inside the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic.

On their agenda, is a presentation from Group Benefit Partners’ Ryan Berven, with regard to 2023 Benefit Renewal Options. The Board is expected to act on approving a Fiscal Year 2021-22 Urban Renewal Report, and, act on the hiring of Tamara DeVall as an Auditor’s Clerk.

DeVall would be paid $18 per hour, with a One-dollar increase at 90-days, assuming a positive performance evaluation, and, another One-dollar raise following a second, positive performance evaluation.

An update on maintenance and activities in the Secondary Roads Department, is expected from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken.