(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped down to two-point-seven percent in April, compared to two-point-eight percent in March. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Jesse Dougherty, says the labor force participation rate moved up slightly. “Our labor force added 43-hundred new workers. So, I think what’s notable about that is that’s not only encouraging news, you know, for the job seekers that are that are finding jobs, but also encouraging for the employers in Iowa to know that pool of available workers is growing,” he says. Dougherty says the participation rate and getting more people back looking for work is important.”It continues to climb up. And, you know, that’s, that’s something that we continue to watch that shows us, you know, the labor pool is active, the workforce is in a healthier spot than it certainly was a couple of years ago. So that’s very encouraging sign for us,” he says.

Manufacturing saw an increase of 14-hundred jobs. “That was really driven by a couple of factors within durable goods, factories, as well as some other production facilities,” Dougherty says. “We also saw growth and healthcare and retail and you know, retail has gone through some ebbs and flows the last two or three years. So that was encouraging sign to see another month, as well as healthcare. So we saw a couple of industries that really have gone through a lot. And you know, in the early days of the pandemic that have appeared to be have a little bit more steady of climb.” He says there was a negative in the overall employment number.

“We did see some slight losses over in overall non-farm employment. That was driven by some areas that, you know are receiving some general, we see that some general tightening in the economy, certainly with interest rates, and some other concerns that are there,” he says. “You know, we see some of that.” That drop was 300 jobs in total non-farm employment from March to April, the first loss since November 2022. Dougherty says it’s not a concern for the overall economy.  “Over the past 12 months we still have a net gain of over 26-thousand jobs. So that’s something we continue to look at when we’re looking at things long term,” he says.

I-W-D says the lowest Iowa unemployment rate was two-point-three percent in April 2022. That number came after the U-S Labor Department made its annual revisions for the year.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Recorder Mary Ward, today (Thursday), wants residents in the area to be aware of a scam “County Deed Records” letter some residents are receiving. Ward says “On Monday, May 1, a County Recorder’s Office assisted a resident with questions about a confusing letter they received, which was quickly identified as a scam and reported to local law enforcement.

The letter claimed to be from”County Deed Records.” It contained false information about the recipients’ home warranty expiration date. Mary Ward says “The letter also contained a ‘renewal fee voucher‘ for $199, which resembles a check, and requests immediate action to call or be left vulnerable to repair costs.” Ward warns “The Iowa County Recorders Association, in partnership with Iowa Land Records, confirm that this information is NOT legitimate. Similar illegitimate letters have been found across the county.”

“Thankfully,” Ward says, “The resident came into their local County Recorder’s Office with questions, before taking any action. If you are someone you know has received a letter claiming to be from County Deed Records, please DO NOT RESPOND to the letter in any way.”

• Do not pay
• Do not call
• Do not go to the website
• and Do not return any mail requests.

For more information, contact the Cass County Recorders Office at 712-243-1692.

Scam Voucher check

(Des Moines, Iowa) — It’s not the “garden spot” of the U-S, but Iowa does have two cities listed on a report from U.S. News and World report, for the country’s best places to live. In its annual list of Best Places to Live in the U.S., released May 15, U.S. News ranked Des Moines 19th and the Quad Cities (Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois) 54th.

The publication ranks the 150 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. based on an analysis of quality of life, housing affordability and the job market, among other factors.

It’s a slight drop for Des Moines, which ranked 14th last year and 13th in 2021. At its highest on the list, Iowa’s capital city was fourth in 2018. The Quad Cities dropped one spot from 2022.

Downtown Des Moines, IA

Quad Cities Sky Bridge

U.S. News & World Report’s Top 20 Best Places to Live in the U.S., 2023-24

1. Green Bay, Wisconsin

2. Huntsville, Alabama

3. Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina

4. Boulder, Colorado

5. Sarasota, Florida

6. Naples, Florida

7. Portland, Maine

8. Charlotte, North Carolina

9. Colorado Springs, Colorado

10. Fayetteville, Arkansas

11. Madison, Wisconsin

12. Boise, Idaho

13. San Jose, California

14. Ann Arbor, Michigan

15. Melbourne, Florida

16. Jacksonville, Florida

17. Albany, New York

18. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

19. Des Moines, Iowa

20. Grand Rapids, Michigan

(Washington, D-C) – The Humane Society of the United States is reporting on problem puppy mills, including some dealers (re-sellers) and transporters. The “Horrible Hundred” report is a list of known, problematic puppy breeding and/or puppy brokering facilities. According to the report, Iowa has the second-highest number of puppy mills in the country, at 13. Two of the kennels – one each in Sioux Center and Kiron, are in northwest Iowa.

Ohio also has 13 puppy mills on the list. And, for the 11th year in a row, Missouri is number one with 31 confirmed puppy mills.  The report says the Iowa breeders on the list made dogs live in filthy and dangerous conditions.

Dogs in a northern IA puppy mill (2018 ASPCA photo)

The report is not a list of all puppy mills, according the the Humane Society, nor is it a list of the worst puppy mills in the country, but rather a list of dog breeders to avoid.

Des Moines, Iowa – In honor of Memorial Day on May 29th, State Treasurer Roby Smith is highlighting military-related institutions with funds to claim in the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, Iowa’s unclaimed property program. “This Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom,” stated Smith. “Supporting our members of the U.S. Armed Forces and Veterans is important for our country and our communities. We have several businesses and organizations on our list with property to claim. We need the public’s help to ensure the return of funds to these organizations as they continue to support Iowa’s service members and Veterans.”

Three western Iowa organizations are included on the list.  If you recognize a business or group below, encourage them to visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to start a claim.

1. Iowa Army National Guard, Johnston: $4,922.90
2. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Waterloo: $3,853.12
3. Veterans Administration, Iowa City: $1,836.86
4. Disabled American Veterans, Tama: $1,000.00
5. Veterans Administration, Des Moines: $898.96
6. American Legion Aux Harrison County, Little Sioux: $560.81
7. Scott County Veteran Assoc, Donahue: $476.23
8. Air Force Aid Act, Iowa City: $425.02
9. Army Reserve Center Sioux Fall, Des Moines: $379.84
10. Navy League Council 255, Sioux City: $376.41
11. Veterans Council, Prairie City: $350.36
12. Disabled American Veterans Store Trustee, Des Moines: $274.08
13. Army Reserves, Des Moines: $253.75
14. American Legion, Centerville: $250.00
15. Iowa Veterans Advocacy Corp, Cedar Rapids: $250.00
16. National Assoc of Concerned Veterans, Des Moines: $204.82
17. Great River CB Club Veterans Memorial, Burlington: $129.77
18. Cambridge American Legion, Cambridge: $120.00
19. American Legion Hanford Post 5, Cedar Rapids: $119.92
20. 1954 Navy Reunion Fund, Ames: $106.00
21. Madrid Veterans Foreign War, Madrid: $83.84
22. Harrison County Veterans Affairs, Logan: $75.00
23. Disabled American Veterans, Des Moines: $75.00
24. Iowa Family Veterans, Waterloo: $65.38
25. Central Iowa Honor Flight, Council Bluffs: $64.19

Millions of dollars are turned over each year after financial institutions and businesses lose contact with the owner. The State Treasurer’s Office safeguards these assets through the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt until they are reunited with their rightful owner. Common examples of unclaimed property include dormant checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, utility refunds, lost stocks, life insurance policies and contents from abandoned safe deposit boxes. The Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is Iowa’s only legitimate source of unclaimed property, and to date, has returned over $340 million in unclaimed property.

Visit GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov to securely search for your name, the names of family and friends or the names of local businesses and organizations. Connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all areas of the office.

(Radio Iowa) – Two Iowa communities are now part of a network called “Sculpture One,” which loans out large works of art for public display and rotates them from town to town.

Mason City joined the group years ago but Webster City has recently been added to the ranks, which includes Mankato, Minnesota and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Janet Adams, spokeswoman for “Arts R Alive” in Webster City, says they’re thrilled to be added to the list. “We’re a much smaller community than the others, so we were not sure we would be accepted if we ever asked,” Adams says. “As it turned out, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, used to be a part of this consortium and they decided to go on their own. It left an opening for us to apply to become a part of it.”

New sculptures will be installed in May of each year, and Adams says they strive to enrich the cultural interests of the town, region and state by promoting public art through sculpture. “We have a lease agreement of two to three years to see how it’s working and to see how it all implements itself through our systems,” Adams says, “but it looks like we’re going to be getting some different types of sculptures by going with this group and that’s intriguing to us.”

Sculpture in Webster City. (Photo from Arts R Alive Facebook)

New sculptures are being installed this week at West Twin Park in Webster City, with plans for an event in early August. Mason City holds an annual event called Sculptures on Parade, while Mankato has a Walking Sculptures Trail, and there’s a similar Sculpture Trail in Eau Claire.

(Radio Iowa) – Mason City has installed the 2023 version of “River City Sculptures on Parade” throughout the downtown area. The nearly two-mile walking tour started in 2012, and is based on the Sioux Falls Sculpture Walk. The former Sioux Falls director, Jim Clark, helped Mason City get started, and says the artists love it. “The artists make sculptures to sell them, and so here, we’re all just amazed about how many sculptures are sold here, and the artists love that part of the program. They love the hotel, they love the hospitality, everybody we meet here is fantastic,” Clark says.

Clark says the sculpture walks in Mason City and Sioux Falls are family-friendly ways to interact with the fine arts. “What surprised me the most, the first time I drove through our downtown to see the people taking people of each other with every sculpture,” he says. “Then also it was the three generations, and the two generations of grandparents and grandkids, and they make an afternoon of it. They go to lunch, they walk around and see the sculptures, they stop someplace and have ice cream. It gives them something that’s outside, exercise, fresh air, cultural, and it gives them something else to talk about.”

Clark says he’s proud of how the Mason City display has evolved over the last decade. Aidan Demarais of Janesville Minnesota has had a handful of sculptures on the route through the last five years. Demarais says it’s a great opportunity to show their pieces of artwork. “Public art is its own animal and everybody finds something that they like about it. There’s a bull, there’s a face, who knows what we made, but everybody has a chance to find something that they like and I’m just happy to be a part of it,” Demarais says.

Sculpture installation in Mason City. (KGLO photo)

Tim James of Good Thunder Minnesota says it gives artists a chance to make a living through their artwork. “In the past, it was so hard, but now they can travel around with sculptures and get their stipends, and occasionally sell one. This really gives artists a chance to thrive,” he says. Around 80 sculptures are a part of the display.

The River City Sculptures on Parade is a partner with other sculpture programs in Sioux Falls South Dakota, Mankato Minnesota, Eau Claire Wisconsin and Castlegar British Columbia.

(Radio Iowa) – This is prime time for Iowa bird watchers as spring migration season is bringing all sorts of unusual feathered travelers to our backyards, well beyond the everyday robins, sparrows and blue jays. Avian ecologist Steve Kolbe is working to raise awareness about migratory birds as they help provide pest control, pollination and serve as a food source for other wildlife. Kolbe says migrating birds face multiple perils on their journey each year, putting the ecosystem in danger. “They encounter a habitat that has been degraded or destroyed during migratory stopover,” Kolbe says. “It’s sort of akin to if you are used to making a trip and you’re always stopping at a gas station then all of a sudden that gas station is closed-that maybe you planned on filling up and then you have some issues finding gas before you run out.”

Kolbe says Iowans who own a certain type of pet can play a key role in helping these birds on their annual flights. “One of the things that bird researchers really stress is keeping your cats inside,” he says. “Cats are a main source of mortality for birds and especially migrant birds. It’s also safer for cats to be inside, too.”

Kolbe also suggests helping migrating birds by putting out resources like food and water, and reporting birds that you see and their condition. He says websites like “eBird-dot-org” can help document changes in patterns and behaviors throughout time. Iowans can see nearly 400 types of birds throughout the year.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two men were arrested Wednesday on separate charges, in Creston, According to Creston Police, At around 11-a.m., 22-year-old Jeremiah Lee Whitney, of Creston, was arrested at 400 New York Ave. Whitney was charged with Driving While Barred. Whitney was taken to Union County Jail. Bail of $2000 cash or approved surety was posted.

And at around 11:30-p.m. Wednesday, 43-year-old Julio Cesar Villalpando Castro, of Creston, was arrested at 806 Laurel Street, and was charged with Theft 5th. Villalpando Castro was taken to Union County Jail. Bail is set in the amount of $1000 cash or approved surety.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Adair/Casey School District Superintendent Josh Rasmussen has announced the Adair-Casey School Board agreed to hire Ed Den Beste as the new PK-8 Principal for Adair-Casey Elementary and AC/GC Junior High. Mr. Den Beste currently serves as a Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Coordinator for the Atlantic Community School District and has held that position for the past eight school years.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in educational administration from Iowa State University. Mr. Den Beste’s previous educational experiences include serving as an Elementary Classroom Teacher, Special Education Teacher, Special Education Director, and Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Coordinator.

Ed Den Beste

Ed’s wife, Stacey, is currently the principal at Washington Elementary in Atlantic.  They have three children.  His oldest child, McKenna, lives outside of Elliot and is working at the Red Oak Hospital.  His oldest son, Tate, will be a senior at Iowa State majoring in Agronomy and his youngest son, Roth, will be a senior at Atlantic High School.

Rasmussen said “Mr. Den Beste is looking forward to getting to know the ACGC staff, students, their families and the community.”