A new pork processing plant going online in northwest Iowa is relying heavily on robotics and automation is becoming more common in all sorts of Iowa businesses. Ryan Osborn, president of Junior Achievement of Central Iowa, notes how some fast food restaurants now direct patrons to place their orders using touch pads instead of talking to a real person.

“Domino’s is going to be having cars that drive themselves to deliver your pizza,” Osborn says. “I think you’re just going to continue to see a ripple effect as the technology becomes available and consumers are going to have to get comfortable adapting to that.”

A new survey by Junior Achievement finds 77-percent of parents are concerned about their children’s ability to have a successful job or career as adults due to global competition and automation. The same percentage of teens surveyed had similar concerns. Many entry-level jobs we know today won’t be around in the next decade, Osborn says, and many of the jobs of tomorrow haven’t even been conceived of yet.

Osborn says, “When we think of education in preparing our next generation, the good-paying jobs that will be available for them, we’ll really have to think, what skills are they going to need and how can they be a value to the workforce and make sure we’re educating our young people in a way that sets them up for success.”

It’s vital to encourage young people to explore post-secondary education, whether it’s at a university, community college, or a technical or trade school. Osborn says having some level of technical training is critical as a high school diploma or G-E-D just won’t be enough for many jobs.

“Automation can continue to increase, but that’s just going to put more emphasis on the soft skills that only human beings can bring to the table, such as critical thinking, collaboration, communication with each other,” Osborn says. “Those are skills we certainly try to promote and foster here at Junior Achievement.”

The non-profit J-A of Central Iowa reached nearly 30-thousand students last year through a network of more than two-thousand volunteers in 29 central Iowa counties. Osborn says they focus on the core concepts of promoting financial literacy, instilling work readiness skills and inspiring entrepreneurship.

(Radio Iowa) (More at www.jacentraliowa.org)

A traffic stop at around 1:15-a.m. today (Friday) in Creston, resulted in the arrest of a woman from Clarke County on an OWI charge. Creston Police say 55-year old Tammy Annette Moore, of Murray, was pulled over at the corner of Highway 34 and Pine Street in Creston, and arrested for OWI/3rd offense, as well as for Driving While Barred. Moore was being held in the Ringgold County Jail.

A possible drowning is under investigation in north-central Iowa.  The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday afternoon received a 911 call from Little Wall Lake south of Jewell on the discovery of a body in the lake. When emergency personnel arrived on the scene, they confirmed the subject was deceased.

The body was taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for an autopsy. Hamilton County sheriff Doug Timmons said that no foul play is suspected. The name of the individual has not been released with the incident under investigation.

(Radio Iowa)

A call about a fight in progress just before 8-p.m. Thursday in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of 27-year old Mildred Helenora Douglas, of Red Oak. Douglas was charged with Assault causing bodily injury, Interference with Official Acts, and a felony charge of Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree. She was taken into custody following an incident at 111 E. Maple Street in Red Oak.

Douglas was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond pending an initial court appearance.

Police in Red Oak arrested 35-year old William James Bartlett, of Red Oak, at around 11:45-p.m., Thursday. Bartlett was taken into custody in the 100 block of E. Corning Street, in Red Oak, for Failure to comply with the Sex Offender Registry. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.