(Radio Iowa) – The search for workers to fill open jobs continues to be one of the top priorities in surveys of Iowa businesses. Iowa Workforce Development Director, Beth Townsend, says the numbers for March don’t show a lot of workers leaving one job for another. “In Iowa, it was a two-point-six percent quit rate, which is the eighth lowest in the country. The national rate was two-point-nine percent in the same time period,” Townsend says. She says that may change when the numbers for April or May are released. “I would expect or hope that that rate will continue to decline in Iowa. But certainly, there’s trading up as you know, as one employer raises wages, then you often see people who will leave a 15 dollar hour a job to go to a 20 dollars an hour, ” she says.

Townsend says there may have been an incentive to move to another job in the past — but businesses have taken steps to keep employees. “Employers are all starting at roughly between 15 and 20 dollars an hour — so I don’t know that there’s a lot of advantage now,” Townsend says. She says her agency tries that issue in evaluating the skills and needs of employees. “Through the re-employment case management system, we are working hard to help people find a job that they really want to have, and kind of get off that cycle of working somewhere for six months, and then, you know, moving on and going on to something else,” according to Townsend. “We want them to find a job that’s going to stick and that they’ll be able to stay with for a longer period of time.”

She encourages you to seek out help from I-W-D if you are looking for a job.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest at around 10:30-p.m. Sunday, of 35-year-old Jacob Richard Wunder, from Red Oak. The man was arrested in the 1000 block of N. 2nd Street, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault by impeding the flow of air/blood (an aggravated misdemeanor). Wunder was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail. And, at around 7:55-p.m., Sunday, Red Oak Police conducted a traffic stop near N. Broadway and Linden Streets.

As a result of their investigation, officers arrested 64-year-old Charles William Hurd, of Winterset, for Driving Under Suspension. He was also cited for Failure to Provide financial liability (Automobile insurance). His bond was set at $491.25.

AUDUBON COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ REGULAR MEETING

Monday, June 20, 2022

PLACE: BOARD ROOM, HIGH SCHOOL TIME: 7:00 P.M.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

1.0 Call to Order

2.0 Approve Agenda

3.0 Approve Consent Agenda

3.01 Minutes – May 16, 2022 – Regular Meeting

3.02 Warrants and Financial Reports

4.0 Public Comments – Please contact the Supt. or Board President (Board Policy #213)

5.0 ACTION ITEMS

5.01 Approve RSAI Membership

5.02 Approve IASB Legislative Priorities

5.03 Set Time and Date for June Fiscal Meeting – Thursday, June 30, 2022 – 7:30 am

5.04 Approve Student Fees for FY23

5.05 Approve Final Audit Report

5.06 Approve EMC Insurance Quote

5.07 Consider SU Insurance Revised Quote

5.08 Personnel

5.08.1 Approve Summer Launch Contracts

5.08.2 Approve Vocal Music Contracts

5.08.3 Approve Assistant Wrestling Contract

5.09 Consideration and Action on Termination of Contractor Agreement and Enforcement of Bid Bond

6.0 Communication & Updates

6.01 School Counselor Report

6.02 Superintendent Report

6.02.1 Superintendent Evaluation Wrap-Up

6.02.2 Legislative Wrap-Up

6.02.3 TPRA Grant News

6.02.4 Surplus Sale

6.02.5 Building Project Update and Discussion

6.03 Principal’s Reports

7.0 Adjournment

Next Regular Meeting: Monday, July 18, 2022, 7:00 P.M., in the Boardroom at the High School

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Who’s Your Daddy Now? by Carolyn DeLay is the topic for the Cass County Genealogy Societies program on Thursday, June 23. The program will be about finding information and ancestors you need for your Family Tree and for joining the DAR. She will also go into how to differentiate people. Is this John Smith my John Smith? Copying information from Ancestry won’t give you the information you need. Research is necessary in all areas of family history. The program is free and open to the public. It will be help on Thursday, June 23 at 1:00 in the Atlantic Library meeting room.

Carolyn DeLay, a member of Daughters of The American Revolution and the “Cass County Genealogy Society” will give the program. Carolyn is a researcher and a genealogist and has always had a passion for history and genealogy. She had given many programs to various genealogy societies and chapters of the Iowa Society of the “Daughters of the American revolution.”

(Radio Iowa) – Big changes are coming to Iowa’s Bottle Bill. Governor Reynolds has approved a bill that will soon let most grocery stores and other retailers opt out of accepting empty bottles and cans and paying back the nickel deposits. The 44 year old Bottle Bill was created as a way to reduce litter and encourage consumers to recycle drink containers. Grocers have complained about being forced to allow filthy empties into their stores.

There are only five dozen redemption centers left, as the handling fee for recycling has been stuck at a penny per container. The bill Reynolds signed into law triples that handling fee and advocates say that will spur more people to open redemption centers. Critics say many Iowans will lose the convenience of returning empties as hundreds of retailers opt out of the program, meaning drink containers will wind up as litter or trash in the landfill.

The governor’s staff announced late Friday that Reynolds had approved a two-year moratorium on new state casino licenses. It’s a set back for developers and city officials who’d been planning to seek a license for a Cedar Rapids casino complex. Reynolds also gave the go-ahead for a new January season for deer hunting, in areas overrun with deer, and hunters would be able to use A-R-15 style rifles during that season.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Officers with the Oskaloosa Police Department, along with agents of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, are investigating the June 18 death of 28-year-old Alison Cooper of Newton. 

The investigation began after Ms. Cooper was brought to Mahaska Health, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy by the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiners will be conducted to determine the cause and manner of Ms. Cooper’s death.

During the investigation, law enforcement arrested 35-year-old Brandon Lee Slobe of Oskaloosa for narcotics violations without incident. Mr. Slobe has been charged with possession with intent to deliver marijuana, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, and failure to affix drug tax stamp.

Assistance on this investigation was provided by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office. 

Law enforcement is unaware of any ongoing threat to the public related to this investigation. Anyone with information about the death of Alison Cooper is asked to Oskaloosa Police Department at (641) 673-3201.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire Department and Cass EMS personnel, were called to the America’s Best Value Inn across from Walmart, in Atlantic, Sunday afternoon, for a report of smoke and a possible fire. The call came in at around 3:49-p.m., after hotel management found smoke on the second floor of the hotel as fire alarms were going-off. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel…

Chief Cappel said once they gained entry into the room, the visibility was so poor, they conducted an “interior attack” on the fire, and searched for any possible victims.

He said there was heavy smoke on both floors of the two-story structure on the west side of the hotel. Cappel said the fire originally started upstairs, with the smoke pouring into the hallway and first floor.

Firefighters did pull two mattresses that were on fire from the hotel room, along some other items. Once the building is ventilated and checked for hot spots, the State Fire Marshal will be called to lend extra investigative expertise to try and determine how the fire started. Cass EMS, Atlantic Rescue, Atlantic Police, and the Cass County Drone team assisted at the scene. No injuries were reported. Crews worked the fire and clean-up in 91 degree heat.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire Department and Cass EMS personnel, were called to the America’s Best Value Inn across from Walmart, in Atlantic, for a report of smoke and a possible fire. The first emergency personnel on the scene found smoke on the second floor of the hotel. The call came in at around 3:49-p.m.

Additional details are not immediately available.