Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.8 percent in March from 3.7 percent in February. Officials with Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) report the state’s jobless rate was 3.7 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate increased to 5.0 percent in March. The number of unemployed Iowans rose to 65,300 in March from 63,200 in February. The current estimate is 2,400 higher than the year ago level of 62,900. The total number of working Iowans decreased to 1,649,400 in March. That’s 1,600 less than February and 12,100 more than one year ago.

Officials say following a drop last month, Iowa non-farm employment resumed adding jobs in March. The increase of 1,600 was modest, and generally the result of private industry bolstering employment. With this month’s gain, Iowa non-farm employment increased to 1,575,400 jobs total—15,300 jobs more than one year ago.

Construction posted the largest single gain this month, up 3,600. IWD says the gain may partially be the result of firms starting work early this year coupled with the undertaking of new commercial and infrastructure projects. Employment in construction is expected to rise through 2016. Other sectors that added employment this month included trade and transportation, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality.

Alternatively, the manufacturing sector lost 3,000 jobs.  Particularly hard hit, was those factories producing durable goods, and transportation equipment manufacturers. Education and health care shed 800 jobs this month. The loss was mostly centered within health care. Iowa’s finance sector lost jobs for the first time in several months in March, however, the 500 jobs lost wasn’t severe and the sector remains markedly up compared to one year ago.

IWD Director Beth Townsend says the good news is “Iowa employers are still hiring.” (For more information, go to www.iowaworkforcedevelopment.gov/labor-market-information-division)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Friday) board approved a permit for display of fireworks in an unincorporated area of Cass County. Supervisor Chuck Rieken said the fireworks will be part of the City of Lewis’ Celebration on June 25^th. Rieken said the pyrotechnics will be fired south of Duane Weirch’s place by a company known as “Flashing Thunder,” which has handled similar events for the City for several years.

The Board also received a report from Cass County Engineer Charles Marker, who said Gus Construction will begin work Monday morning, on a triple concrete box culvert project for Bridge #20, located about two-miles south of Highway 92 on County Road N-28, south of Cumberland. A detour route will be in-place while the work is underway. The route is one-mile north of the project site, one-mile west, then south and east, before connecting back to N-28. Marker says he knows the bridge closure comes at a bad time, with farmers trying to get out into their fields, but it’s out of his hands. He says the contractor is given a certain window to perform the work, and they handle it when their crews are available for a specific project.

And, the Supervisors received a quarterly report from Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee, who said activities are starting to ramp-up for the spring in the County parks and outdoor education area. Micah said Cold Springs State Park near Lewis is open for camping. They’ve also added gravel to the various county park entrances and roads, including the Nodaway Recreation Area, Cold Springs, Turkey Creek and Hitchcock House.

And, as he mentioned to the Board back in January, Lee said they continue to have vandalism issues to the posts that are designed to prevent motor vehicle traffic on the T-Bone Trail. He said also he’s spoken with Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren about the problem, but there is no immediate, viable solution. McLaren suggested installing trail cameras to catch the culprits, but Lee says there’s no place nearby to mount them high enough where they won’t get damaged or stolen.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Friday) approved an employment contract for a person selected by a committee to replace County Engineer Charles Marker. The Board agreed to hire 53-year old Charles Bechtold, who currently serves as the Engineer for Osceola County, in northwest Iowa. Bechtold’s contract with Cass County runs from July 1^st, 2016 through June 30^th, 2017, with the option to renew his contract next year. He’ll be paid $105,000.

Charles Bechtold (Photo from the Osceola County Engineer’s web page)

A committee comprised of Supervisors Gaylord Schelling, Frank Waters and Charles Marker had reviewed nine applications for the Cass County Engineer’s position, and conducted six interviews. The top two candidates were picked and ranked before the committee made their final selection. Waters said the committee was very impressed with Charles Bechtold’s credentials. His sister, by the way, is Ginger Bechtold, librarian at the Atlantic High School, and teacher/librarian for the Atlantic Middle School.

According to published reports, prior to being hired in late 2012 for his Osceola County position, Bechtold served in Afghanistan for three-years, while on a deployment with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He also owned a private engineering firm in Sioux City for 16 years.

Charles Marker announced in February he would be retiring at the end of June, after serving for 17-years as the County Engineer, and a total of 25-years as an Engineer in Iowa.

Police in Atlantic report the arrest on drug charges, Thursday, of 24-year old Cheyenne Register, of Atlantic. Register was charged with Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug, and three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance. And, 33-year old Juan Anaya Mendez, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday on a Cass County warrant for Theft in the 4th Degree. Mendez and Register were booked into the Cass County Jail.