(Radio Iowa) – The Wisconsin-based Jack Link’s company which makes beef jerky is planning to lay off 91 employees at its distribution facility in Laurens in northwest Iowa. K-C-R-G T-V reports the company will cut the jobs on January 24th. A company statement says that a restructuring of its operations resulted in a decision to downsize the facility in Laurens, and that affected employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions at Jack Link’s Underwood facility (in southwest Iowa). Workers at the plant received notice of the layoffs today (Monday, November 11).

Jack Links is headquartered in Minong, Wisconsin. The Jack Links location in Laurens will lay-off employees in the transportation and warehousing areas. State records show 57 people were laid off there in September 2022 and another 46 a year later.

Full statement from Jack Link’s:

(Radio Iowa) – The hospital in the southwest Iowa town of Greenfield is fully reopening today (Monday), nearly six months after being severely damaged in a tornado. Philicia Hancock, the hospital’s chief clinical officer, says major parts of the hospital are finally up and running, including the inpatient floor and the emergency room.

“The closest hospital for ER is about 20-25 minutes,” Hancock says, “and so that’s why we’ve been trying hard to get back open to be able to provide those emergency services that our patients really count on.” The E-F-4 tornado that tore through Greenfield last spring didn’t directly hit the Adair County Memorial Hospital, but its strong winds and flying debris caused enough damage that the hospital had to close. Hancock says the facility faced a long list of challenges to get it’s doors fully reopened.

“The whole construction process, making sure that we’re rebuilding to meet code, to meet our needs,” she says. “Being patient has been the biggest challenge, and we wanted to be open months ago, and that just wasn’t feasible.”

The May 21st tornado killed four people and injured at least 35.

(Radio Iowa) – Veterans Day Ceremonies across the state today (Monday) honored the men and women who served the country. Andrew Nelson, the chaplain of the 185th Air National Guard Unit in Sioux City was the master of ceremonies at an event at the Woodbury County Courthouse.

“We gather to recognize those still serving, to honor veterans and to show our appreciation for their sacrifice and for our continued freedom,” he says. Woodbury County Deputy Sheriff Zane Chwirka, a veteran of 21 years in the military was the keynote speaker. He told the story of meeting a veteran in a wheel chair at a Vikings game in Minnesota, and how he told the veteran he didn’t need to shake his hand fore his service. But the veteran said that wasn’t the case.

“You raise your right hand and took an oath to protect this country. Correct? You went overseas, correct? Yes, so what happened to me could have happened to you,” he says “So this vet was missing both legs and missing part of his right hand. So, seeing that so kind of comes surreal to us on the sacrifices that some of us have made, and what could have happened to any of us serving this great nation.” Chwirka says the injured veteran said he had considered taking his own life after being wounded.

“But then with one of his buddies that was there with him, talking about, don’t give the terrorists. And there’s some other more adult language that went with the satisfaction of knowing that you did that afterwards,” he says. “So he has a whole new outlook on life. And so we both agreed that each and every day is truly a gift and a blessing.”

Chwirka’s service included seven-and-a-half years in the Army National Guard, and then he switched to the Air Guard in Sioux City and retired as a Master Sergeant in 2022.