DES MOINES – Iowa Governo Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced several additional cabinet appointments. Those cabinet secretaries will serve as important agents as Gov. Reynolds carries out her work to serve Iowans. Among the appointees, was Rod Roberts, who will serve as the next labor commissioner. Roberts previously served as the director of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals for eight years.  He also served in the Iowa House of Representatives for 10 years.

A native Iowan, he was born in Waverly and raised in Zearing.  Roberts currently resides in Carroll. He will be replacing current labor commissioner Michael Mauro who is retiring. Roberts said “It’s an honor to be named Iowa’s labor commissioner and I appreciate Governor Reynolds’ confidence in my abilities. In this new role, my focus will be on ensuring Iowans are able to work in safe and healthy environments.”

Officials with Cass County Public Health say registrations are currently being accepted for the next session of “A Matter of Balance.” The award-winning program helps older adults learn to manage their concerns about falling, make changes to reduce the risk of falling, and increase their physical activity, flexibility, strength, and balance. Participants meet for two hours each week for eight weeks total, and the program is offered for free.

The upcoming session will be held from 1- to 3-pm on Wednesdays, beginning on March 13th. Registration is required as class size is limited. To register, or for more information, please contact Victoria Means at Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7543.

Police in Glenwood report two arrests took place late this past week. On Friday, 20-year old Hunter Green, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000. And, on Thursday, 30-year old Andrew West, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, Friday, released a report on arrests and incidents for the week of Feb. 15th through the 22nd. Authorities say on Wednesday:

• Jacob Graham, of Des Moines, was arrested by the Iowa State Patrol following a traffic stop on HWY 141 east of Bayard for Driving While Barred. Graham was transported to the Guthrie County Jail and posted bond.
• Allan Miller, of Stuart, was arrested on a Guthrie County warrant for Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense. Mr. Miller was transported to the Guthrie County Jail and posted bond.
• Rene Atkins, of Yale, was cited and released on a Driving While Revoked charge following a traffic stop in Yale.

And, on Monday, Patrick Beardsley, of Guthrie Center, turned himself into the Guthrie County Jail to serve a ten-day mittimus for probation violation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Board of Medicine has selected a new executive director to replace the man who said he’d been forced out of the job. A news release on the board’s website says Kent Nebel been given the position. He’s been the board’s legal director for nearly 20 years and the interim executive director since July.

Nebel had taken over the duties of Mark Bowden, who announced his resignation July 30. Bowden had been placed on administrative leave for reasons that state officials would not publicly detail. He complained that he’d been forced out of the post and that his work had been hindered by “substantial deficiencies in service and a lack of adequate support” from the Department of Public Health and Department of Administrative Services.

The board licenses physicians and also has the authority to fine or suspend them for poor care or violating ethics rules.

(Radio Iowa) — Forecasters say Iowa will get another one-two punch from winter weather this weekend, with the potential for rain, sleet, snow, ice, blizzard conditions and even flooding. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, with the National Weather Service in metro Des Moines, says the first round tonight (Friday) won’t entail much snow, if any, though a layer of ice is threatened. “Expect freezing drizzle to develop across much of the state of Iowa later on this evening and overnight,” Hahn says. “Even some light glazing is possible across portions of the state overnight and that will continue into the morning hours on Saturday.”

Temperatures are predicted to warm up into the upper 30s tomorrow, changing the snow to rain and raising the chances of ice dams, ice jams and flooding. “We’ll have a break as we get into the day on Saturday where we actually transition much of the state into rain but it’ll be pretty short-lived because the colder air will filter in later on Saturday afternoon and especially overnight on Saturday night,” Hahn says. “We’re expecting significant accumulating snows across the central part of Iowa.”

The heaviest snow is forecast to fall roughly from the Omaha area to Fort Dodge to Mason City. That region may see six to eight inches of snow. As the storm front moves through Iowa, there’s the potential for blizzard conditions on Sunday. “Winds are going to increase significantly behind the low pressure area with wind gusts out of the northwest at 40 to 50 miles an hour,” Hahn says. “In areas that do see that snowfall, they can expect significant blowing and drifting as we work into Saturday night and during the day on Sunday.”

A series of winter weather advisories, watches and warnings are being posted through Sunday for wide sections of the state. Visit weather-dot-gov for details. In the long-ranger forecast, Hahn says we may see more snow Monday and Tuesday in what’s already one of the snowiest Iowa February’s on record.

(Radio Iowa) — The president of the National Association of Manufacturers made a few stops in Iowa Thursday as part of his nationwide tour. Jay Timmons says the purpose of the tour is to spread the word about the industry. “We spend a lot of time talking to young people and those who are trying to figure out what they want to do in terms of their career. And pointing to modern manufacturing facilities as exciting and rewarding.”

Jay Timmons

Timmons says one of the things they are trying to show is the way the industry has changed. “Folks think about manufacturing as what it was like in their parents day and their grandparents’ day. It’s very, very different form that now,” Timmons says. “Manufacturing is very technology driven, very clean, very sleek. You think about robotics, artificial intelligence, augmented reality. All of those processes now require a different skill set to operate them.”

He says all it takes is to show young people a working plant. “When you actually expose young people to a manufacturing facility today, you see their eyes light up and the get pretty excited about those possibilities,” he says. One thing Timmons says he tells young people is the pay scale in manufacturing. “So in Iowa for instance — the average manufacturing compensation….is 68-thousand dollars — that’s compared to 42-thousand dollars for the average job in other sectors of the economy,” according to Timmons.  He says they also explain how you can get a degree that doesn’t take four years and a lot of money to get that level of salary. “You don’t have to start our your career with 200-thousand dollars in college debt,” Timmons says, “we always think that’s a pretty good plus when you don’t have to deal with that for a number of years.”

The “State of Manufacturing Tour” made stops at Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield, Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, SwineTech in Cedar Rapids, and The Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa in Coralville.

Two arrests took place Thursday, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Diamond Alexis Marks, of Omaha, was arrested at around 12:25-a.m., for Leaving the scene of an injury accident, no valid driver’s license, and reckless driving. Her bond was set at $1,000. And, at around 1:55-p.m., 52-year old Shad Lee McCurley, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Pottawattamie County, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $5,000.

Officials with the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa report, on Tuesday, February 19th, Nishna Valley Family YMCA Executive Director Dan Haynes presented a $23,000 check to the Cass County Community Foundation for the YMCA’s permanent endowment fund held through the community foundation. The Nishna Valley Family YMCA Endowed Fund provides a permanent stream of support to further the local YMCA’s charitable mission. Endowment funds were collected and will be deposited into the Cass County Community Foundation’s pool of funds, managed by the Omaha Community Foundation. The funds are invested, so that the core balance is maintained for future growth and a percentage of the investment earnings is available annually for distribution to the YMCA to help further their programs and support operational needs.

The Nishna Valley Family YMCA and representatives from Camblin Mechanical presented a check to the Cass County Community Foundation for the YMCA’s permanent endowment fund. Pictured were (left to right) Nancy Nolte, Camblin Mechanical retiree Keith Nolte, Camblin Mechanical Vice President Randy Watts, Cass County Community Foundation – Iowa Foundations Director Stacey Goodman, Camblin Mechanical retiree Dean Finken, Carol Finken, and Nishna Valley Family YMCA Executive Director Dan Haynes. Not pictured: Camblin Mechanical retiree Dorleen Westering.

Haynes said “The Nishna Valley Family YMCA is grateful for our endowment fund donors and is pleased to place funds in the Cass County Community Foundation for investment and growth for a strong future for the YMCA.” The contribution was the result of the generosity of a number of donors. Nine thousand dollars of this donation was made possible through a special recognition program of Camblin Mechanical, whereby a $3,000 donation was made to the Nishna Valley Family YMCA Endowed Fund on behalf of three recent retirees.

Camblin Mechanical Vice President Randy Watts said “This is a very meaningful way to honor these employees’ service to Camblin Mechanical. Rather than purchasing an item to recognize those retiring, we are making an investment in the future of our YMCA in our employees’ names and leaving a lasting legacy.” Nick Hunt, Cass County Community Foundation Chairman, said “This generous contribution helps ensure that the Nishna Valley Family YMCA has long-term support to respond to unmet needs and opportunities to continue to serve our county for years to come.”

For additional information on donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458. Those with questions about the Nishna Valley Family YMCA Endowed Fund or the Heritage Club can call Dan Haynes, Nishna Valley Family YMCA Executive Director, at 712-243-3934.