(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment rate held steady in June at two-point-seven percent. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Jesse Dougherty, says that’s encouraging news. “But even more notable was the fact that our labor force participation rate has continued to rise throughout this year. It’s the fourth month in a row, and we’re now at 67-point-eight percent, which is actually one of the highest numbers in the country,” Dougherty says.

The labor participation rate dropped during the pandemic, but has been coming back up. “The labor force participation rate is key, because it gives us a picture of that active labor pool, not only the Iowans who are employed, but also those who are actively looking for work,” he says. “And when we’re seeing that pool continue to grow, that’s something encouraging, not just for those job seekers, but also for the overall health of our economy.”

Doughtery says they do have some information from surveys of those entering the workforce. “What was notable in June is that nearly every one of the Iowans who entered the labor force did so by finding a job. And so we typically see a little bit more of a gap in terms of the time period of entering the labor pool versus finding a job. But last month, things moved very quickly,” he says. He says the impacts of the summer showed in the jobs gains. “A couple areas, one being leisure and hospitality. And that is covering the areas of arts, entertainment and recreation, a lot of the industries that you would see within the summer months, and so that was a positive sign,” Dougherty says. “But we also saw education, healthcare add a thousand jobs, generally driven by healthcare and social assistance jobs.”

Some areas lost jobs, most notably construction losing 71-hundred. “We see that as a general cooling of the industry. So there have been some losses there in the last two months. Construction, though in Iowa hit an all time high for employment in January. So we think part of that is just some general cooling from some employers that you know, that we’re ramping up there,” He says. “So that a little bit is expected something that we’re continuing to watch, but we don’t see too much of a major concern there.”

It was the second straight month that the unemployment rate was unchanged.

(Radio Iowa) – Four tickets purchased in Iowa came close to snagging a portion of the one BILLION dollar Powerball jackpot. One winning ticket was purchased in California and the Iowa Lottery reports four tickets bought here were just one number away from claiming a portion of the prize. Two of those tickets were purchased in Council Bluffs and Manson — and are each worth 100-thousand dollars. The other two were purchased in Polk City and Des Moines and are worth 50-thousand.

The Iowa Lottery reports players here bought more than two-point-seven million dollars in Powerball tickets — including nearly two million dollars worth on the day of the drawing Wednesday.

(Radio Iowa) – A new book by an Iowa author implores people to preserve the waterways that sustain our crops — and our lives — by tackling tough issues from climate change to nitrate pollution. Professor Neil Hamilton, who recently retired after 36 years directing the Agricultural Law Center at Drake University, uses the river as a narrator in his book, “The River Knows.” He says the book is designed as a wake-up call to make people stop and think about our waterways and how we can best protect them. It’s the sequel to Hamilton’s 2022 book, “The Land Remains,” where Iowa’s fertile, underappreciated soil told its own story.

The book is available at many Iowa bookstores and through the publisher, Ice Cube Press.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University is being named Entrepreneurial University of the Year for the Americas, following an international competition held in Barcelona, Spain. Judi Eyles is the director for the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship on the Ames campus. Eyles says, “We were excited to first be a finalist, and then to actually receive the award was unexpected but very, very awesome.”

The award was presented by the Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities, which is based in Germany. It’s honored universities in Europe, Asia and Africa in the past. “This is the first time they’ve ever done in Americas Division, so we applied for this honor which recognizes an institution that has embedded entrepreneurship across its campus,” Eyles says. “We ended up being a top five finalist in our category and ended up getting the first place prize. So it was great!”

Callan Randall gives her pitch at the Student Innovation Center. (ISU photo)

She says there’s a wide range of entrepreneurial opportunities at Iowa State, from undergraduates to grad students to PhDs. “And then for anybody who has an idea that needs help, we have a whole group of people that can help people move that idea along, build teams, gain funding, figure out how to market, connect with mentors,” Eyles says. “So it’s really from the classroom to the boardroom.”

Iowa State ranks number-four in the Midwest and 11th nationally in the Princeton Review’s annual survey of undergraduate schools for entrepreneurship studies.

(Radio Iowa) – Those thousands of bicyclists who will trek across Iowa next week will face many challenges, not the least of which will be Iowa’s summer heat. Meteorologist Kristy Carter, at the National Weather Service, says they’re predicting a heat wave to arrive right around the time the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa begins on Sunday, meaning, those RAGBRAI riders will be roasting for much of the journey. “We still have the generally cooler conditions through the rest of this week, but we are looking at that warming trend starting next week with some actually pretty hot conditions by roughly mid next week, where our heat index values may reach or near at least 100 degrees,” Carter says. “We are certainly looking at that signal for above-normal temperatures.”

So far, this July hasn’t been as brutal as in summers past, but forecasters say that’s about to change. Carter says, “Right now, the official forecast only goes out through really next Wednesday, but we are looking at highs in the mid to upper 90s on both Tuesday and Wednesday.” Depending on the humidity levels, the weather service may be issuing heat advisories or even heat warnings next week. “That’ll certainly be something we’ll be watching over the next several days, just to see how everything plays out with what are the temperatures, what are those dew point values,” Carter says. “Right now, our heat indices are, for the most part, below 100 and our forecast for next week, that’ll certainly be something we’ll be watching.”

The experts say one key way to stay safe when it’s sweltering outdoors is to limit physical activity, which isn’t an option for those who are pedaling their way across the state. Carter says RAGBRAI riders should follow the rest of the guidelines. “Wear light-colored clothing, make sure to have plenty of water,” Carter says, “and just try to maybe bike a little bit earlier in the day, if possible, just to kind of avoid that late afternoon heat.”

The 50th annual ride starts Sunday in Sioux City and ends next Saturday, 500 miles later, in Davenport.

(Avoca, Iowa) – The 127th Annual Pottawattamie County Fair rolls on through Monday, in Avoca. Today (Friday, July 20th), the schedule includes:

• 8:00-a.m., 4-H/FFA Goat Show – Followed by the Sheep Show
• 1:00-p.m., the 4-H/FFA Rabbit Show & Small Pet Show
• 2:00-p.m., 4-H/FFA Dog Show
• 4:00-p.m., 4-H/FFA Club Volleyball Tournament
• 5:00-p.m., Beef Fitting Clinic by the Danker Family
• 7:00-p.m., Free Grandstand Event – the Finding Dixie Band.

Events on Saturday, July 22nd, include:

• 9:00-a.m., 4-H/FFA Beef Show
• 1:00-p.m., Grandstand Event: Side-by-side races
• 2:00-p.m., Fair Olympics hosted by CYC
• 5:00-p.m., Grandstand Event: WIMRA Mud Bog Races.

And on Sunday, there’s the 4-H/FFA Swine Show at 7-a.m., a Cornhole Tourney at 1-p.m., and the 5-p.m. Grandstand Event features Truck and Tractor Pulls.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The fun and activities continue through Sunday at the Montgomery County Fair, in Red Oak. Here’s a look at the schedule for today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday):

Friday, July 21
Morning Cookies & Drinks from Farm Credit Services for Exhibitors
9:00 AM–9:00 PM 4-H Exhibit Building Open
Throughout Day Critter Close-Ups – White Building (11:00, 1:00, 3:00)
Throughout Day Meyer’s Petting Zoo
Throughout Day Kid’s Zone – Old White Commercial Building by YMCA
Throughout Day Kiddie Train
Noon-9:00 PM Commercial Building Open
Noon-10:00 PM Mid-MO Fun Inflatables – Near the Grandstand Arena
1:00 PM 4-H/FFA Rabbit Show – Livestock Pavilion
1:00-4:00 PM Senior Citizen’s Day Bingo – Fairgrounds Auditorium, Sponsored by Montgomery County Fair Board & Montgomery County YMCA – An afternoon of bingo with prizes, entertainment and refreshments. All senior citizens are welcome to come join us for this free afternoon!
1:00-5:00 PM Caricature Artist Wayne Sealy – 4-H Exhibit Building
4:30-6:30 PM Balloon Creations & Magic Show starting at 5:30 – 4-H Exhibit Bldg.
5:00 PM Mechanical Bull Ride – Grandstand Area
5:00-7:00 PM Mills/Montgomery Cattlemen’s Association steak supper – Fairgrounds Auditorium
7:00-9:00 PM Bingo – 4-H Exhibit Bldg.
7:00-10:00 PM Villisca Lion’s Kiddie Ferris Wheel – Fairgrounds Midway
7:30 PM FREE Bull Ride – Grandstand Arena
9:00 PM Music by County Music Artist Jason Pritchett (following Bull Ride)

Saturday, July 22
9:00 AM 4-H/FFA Beef Show – Livestock Pavilion
9:00 AM-9:00 PM 4-H Exhibit Building Open
8:30 Registration
9:00 Show Baby Contest – Fairgrounds Auditorium
Throughout Day Meyer’s Petting Zoo
Throughout Day Kid’s Zone – Old White Commercial Building by YMCA
Throughout Day Kiddie Train
Throughout Day Critter Close-Ups – White Building (11:00, 1:00, 3:00)
7:00-9:00 PM Bingo – 4-H Exhibit Bldg.
Noon-9:00 PM Commercial Building Open
Noon-10:00 PM Mid-MO Fun Inflatables – Near the Grandstand Arena
12:30-2:00 PM Pudgy Pumpkin Patch Gift Shop Demonstrations – Fairgrounds Auditorium
1:00-2:00 PM (Bring in Pies)
2:00-2:30 PM (Judging)
2:30-3:30 PM (Social)
Baked Apple Pie Contest – sponsored by the Montgomery Co. Farm Bureau and the Montgomery County Fair Board. Bring your baked apple pie to be judged with prizes awarded in several categories.
**FREE Pie/Ice Cream – Fairgrounds Auditorium
1:00-4:00 PM Balloon Creations & Magic Show starting at 3:00 – 4-H Exhibit Bldg.
1:00-5:00 PM Caricature Artist Wayne Sealy – 4-H Exhibit Building
2:00 PM Supreme Showmanship—Livestock Pavilion
4:00 PM Open Pet Show – Livestock Pavilion
7:00-10:00 PM Villisca Lion’s Kiddie Ferris Wheel – Fairgrounds Midway
7:00-10:00 PM Nite Riders Band – Fairgrounds Auditorium
7:30 PM Demolition Derby –Grandstand Arena
8:00-10:00 PM Release of livestock not being sold at auction—Superintendent check-out
9:30 PM Release Commercial Exhibits

DES MOINES, Iowa — The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports federal search warrants were executed this (Thursday) morning at multiple locations in the Des Moines metropolitan area. The locations include:
• 900 block of Creston Avenue, Des Moines,
• 1200 block of 23rd Street, Des Moines,
• 200 block of East Caulder Circle, Des Moines,
• 400 block of East Thornton Avenue, Des Moines,
• 2500 block of East Sheridan Avenue, Des Moines,
• 1500 block of South 50th Street, West Des Moines,
• 9000 block of Burkwood Drive, West Des Moines, and
• 15000 block of Boston Parkway, Clive.

The searches at those locations were an official law enforcement action involving officers, agents, and investigators from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Des Moines Police Department, United States Postal Inspection Service, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE), Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Intelligence and Fusion Center, Iowa State Patrol SWAT, United States Marshals Service, Clive Police Department, West Des Moines Police Department, Ames Police Department, Altoona Police Department, Mid-Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Suburban Emergency Response Team (SERT), and Metro Special Tactics and Response (STAR).

Additional details were not released.

(Le Grand, Iowa) – A crash early Wednesday morning northeast of Le Grand, in Marshall County, left one person dead and two others injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2007 Chevy Impala was traveling east on Quarry Road at around 3:05-a.m., when the car left the road an entered the north ditch, where it rolled over. 21-year-old Giana Dominique Alvarez, of Marshalltown, was ejected from the car and died at the scene.

Two other people were injured in the crash. They were identified as 29-year-old Bernard A. Brooks, of Des Moines, and 27-year-old Devrann Nichole Harding, of Marshalltown. The Patrol was working to identify who was driving the vehicle when the accident occurred. The incident remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report three people were arrested on separate charges, Wednesday. 42-year-old Jamie Rae Neubauer, of Nevada (IA) was arrested at around 10:48-a.m. at the Creston Fareway Store, on a charge of Theft in the 5th Degree. Neubauer was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $300 cash bond.

At around 11-a.m., Wednesday, Creston Police arrested 36-year-old Ashley Nicole Parmenter, of Kent, Iowa, was arrested at 1102 N. Pine Street. She was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Police say Parmenter was cited and released on a Promise to Appear in court.

And, at around 3:30-p.m., Wednesday, Police in Creston arrested 20-year old Kaylyn Grace McClellan, of Creston. She was taken into custody in the 600 block of N. Chestnut Street. McClellan was charged with allowing an Animal to run at Large. She was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.