(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s unemployment held at two-point-eight percent in June. Iowa Workforce Development director, Beth Townsend, says there weren’t any big changes during the month. “A slight decrease in the labor force participation rate of two tenths of a point, but that was primarily due to retirements, and as most people know May and June are two pretty big months for people retiring,” she says. Townsend says there were some headwinds with the national economy, along with some layoffs and the natural disasters. “Iowa employers nonetheless added 300 net jobs in June so that was good. We saw the most gains in education and health care which gained 18-hundred jobs in June,” Townsend says. “We always like to see the healthcare industry being able to hire because they have the most need, and have had for a significant period of time even pre-pandemic.” There were some job losses as well.

“Not surprising we saw manufacturing shed about a thousand jobs this month, and that was the most of any other industry. Government lost 12-hundred jobs but that’s usually related to school bus drivers not working in the summer,” she says. Townsend says the manufacturing layoffs will start showing up in the unemployment numbers in the next two months. “We did have some John Deere layoffs in May, a little bit in June, but the larger layoffs were effective more in July and August, So, if they’re going to impact the numbers I would expect we’ll see that we’ll see that in July or August,” Townsend says.

The state unemployment rate has been below three percent since hitting that mark in January. The U-S unemployment rate increased to four-point-one percent in June.

(Radio Iowa) – New state rules regulating hemp products have gone into effect this week. Iowa Hemp Alliance spokesperson Theresa Harms says up to 80 percent of the products at the businesses who’ve joined the group are prohibited under the new regulations. “Producers and retailers of consumable hemp products will now be forced to dispose of a substantial portion of their inventory,” Harms says, “even though these products are currently permitted at the federal level.” Harms says the state regulations conflict with federal limits outlined in the 2018 Farm Bill and were not fully revealed to the public until this week.

In mid-May Governor Reynolds signed the law to limit the amount of T-H-C — the ingredient that causes the high — that can be in consumable hemp products sold in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services rules have a per serving limit is four milligrams of T-H-C. Hemp retailers say that limit is not in the law and they’ve sued. Scott Selix is the co-founder of a company that makes the hemp infused “Climbing Kites” beverage. Selix says 90 percent of his products are now illegal in Iowa, he’s had to pull them out of hundreds of Iowa stores — and the warning labels the agency will require in September weren’t revealed until Tuesday.

Hemp infused products (IPR photo)

“We would tell the department all of this if they would just respond. Every time we reach out and say: ‘Please don’t do this. Please listen to us.” They say: ‘No, there’s ongoing litigation,'” Selix says. “And we’re saying: ‘We’re only litigating because you’re not listening.'” Climbing Kites had been brewed in Des Moines, but Selix says operations have been moved to Illinois and Ohio to avoid the risk of arrest. “We are the fastest growing hemp manufacturing company in the country,” Selix says. “We’re an Iowa company. I own Iowa restaurants and breweries. I invest in real estate in Des Moines, but I can’t keep this company here.”

Four Democrats on the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee voted this week to delay the regulations, but majority Republicans on the panel agreed to let the state’s new hemp rules take effect immediately.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council is partnering with the Healthy Cass County Coalition and other community organizations to host a Family Fun Day at the Cass County Fair. Next Saturday, July 27th, 2024, from 12- until 4 p.m., there will be activities set up around the fairgrounds for families to find and participate in, including water fights, a duck pond, a garden story walk, hands-on S.T.E.M. activities, a tractor cab simulator, yard games and more! Depending on the activity, some may have a different starting or ending time.

Participants can pick up a map at any of the stations. The map will list the activities that will be going on all over the fairgrounds. Once a location is visited, participants will receive a stamp to indicate their participation at that location. When the map is returned to the Healthy Cass booth in the commercial building, with at least 6 stamps, a voucher will be given to the participant to redeem for food at the Chuckwagon food stand.

Organizations participating in the Family Fun Day at the Fair include: Atlantic Fire Department, Atlantic Parks & Rec, Atlantic Public Library, Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council, Cass County Tourism, Cass County 4-H. Cass County 4-H Youth Council, Cass County Fair, Cass County Farm Bureau, Cass County Master Gardeners, Community For Kids, Healthy Cass County, Iowa Corn, Iowa Learning Farms, ISU Extension, Molina Health Care, Nishna Valley Trails, Parents as Teachers – Public Health, SHIFT ATL – Sunnyside Range. Zion Integrated Behavioral Health, and more!

When visiting the Healthy Cass County booth, fairgoers are also invited to learn and share ideas for healthy ways to take care of themselves, friends and families. There are many aspects to wellness, and taking care of ourselves allows us to better care for others.

The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council and Healthy Cass County encourage families to enjoy some time together at the Cass County Fair while gathering ideas for activities that can be done at home, at school and out in the community as a family. The council also reminds people that child abuse is preventable, and everyone can play a part in creating safe, healthy and nurturing environments for kids in our local communities.

For more information and updates on the Family Fun Day visit @CassCountyChildAbusePreventionCouncil on Facebook.

For a full schedule of fair activities, visit www.casscountyfairia.com!   The Cass County Fair takes place July 26th through July 30th, in Atlantic.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report a man from Atlantic has died after drowning while swimming at Lake Anita, Wednesday evening. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified just before 6:30-p.m., of a possible drowning at the lake. Deputies and several area first responders were called to the scene. First responders arriving at the Lake Anita Beach, learned 53-year old Ysota Rekis, of Atlantic, had been under water for a significant amount of time before surfacing, face down.

Family and other bystanders were able to place him on a raft and swim him to the shore.  It was determined that he was not breathing at the time and CPR was initiated.  Anita Rescue transported the patient to Cass Health E.R. where he was pronounced deceased.

There is no foul play suspected and no formal investigation ongoing at this time.