Iowa Workforce Development has begun handing out some six million dollars from a federal grant to get more people into the apprentice programs in the construction industry. I-W-D spokesperson, Kerry Koonce, says they hope to address a skills gap in what employers are looking for and the skills potential workers possess. “The construction industry has an exceptional need right now for some of the millions of dollars of projects that are going on right now across the state,” Koonce says. She says it can be tough for businesses to take on employees for the positions.

“Registered apprenticeship training is of course one that is usually paid for by the employer. It’s a great benefit for the individual, they get their training and they earn while they learn, but it’s a cost that the employers bare,” Koonce explains. “This will help expand those training programs, allow more individuals to be trained, and the training costs will be paid for by the grant.” It can be expensive to bring new employees up to speed. Koonce says it varies by program, but it usually costs three to four thousand dollars for each worker. The are preparing to send out funds to groups which met the application guidelines.

“We saw proposals come in that were funded from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa — which the represent small construction businesses across the state — Southeastern Community College Center for Business and the Southeast Iowa Electrical Apprenticeship, and also the Iowa Energy Construction Trades, which is 19 affiliate members of the Iowa State Building and Construction Trades Council. So, those are the ones that received the funding,” Koonce says. Koonce says it shouldn’t take long to get the new people in the programs.

“Most of them are ready to go, a lot of them will be beginning here just in February and then throughout the next few months,” Koonce says. ” The grant is dedicated to training 15-hundred new individuals — so these are individuals who are not currently in any apprenticeship program — into a variety of different construction-based careers.” Koonce says they are working on additional components of the grant program that I-W-D will announce in the coming weeks.

(Radio Iowa)

Police in Lenox arrested a local official on assault charges, early Saturday morning. According to authorities, Lenox City Councilman 34-year-old Floyd Paul Donehoo was taken into custody a little after midnight, after police responded to a reported domestic disturbance at a residence in the 400 block of west Ohio Street.

Following an investigation, Donehoo faces a felony Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation charge, and a serious misdemeanor charge of Assault on a Peace Officer. He was being held in the Taylor County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Barack Obama will visit Iowa on Wednesday to talk about making high speed Internet access more available nationwide. The White House has not said yet where the event will take place in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans in Iowa have decided to carry on with their presidential straw poll, a political tradition that detractors decry as a meaningless sideshow. Despite criticism from some prominent Republicans, the Republican Party of Iowa’s central committee unanimously voted Saturday to keep the event going. This year’s straw poll will be held in August.

WODEN, Iowa (AP) — A north Iowa woman has died and her husband critically injured after the pair walked away from their vehicle when it became stranded in a blizzard. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the body of 76-year-old Lilah Hobbs of rural Woden was found late Thursday or early Friday on the shoulder of a road about a mile from their truck, which was stuck in snow. Her husband, 77-year-old James Hobbs, was found in a field about 150 yards from the road. He remains hospitalized in critical condition.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A Clear Lake man has been arrested and charged with a felony count of neglect or abandonment of a dependent person. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 49-year-old Brian McDaid was booked Friday night into the Cerro Gordo County Jail on $10,0000 cash or surety bond.

Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Sunday (today) announced the retirement of Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) Director Teresa Wahlert. Wahlert formally notified the governor late Friday that she would retire effective today, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2015.

In his statement, Branstad thanked Wahlert for her work to help lead initiatives like Skilled Iowa, Home Base Iowa, and the National Career Readiness Certificate. Reynolds said “Under her direction, Iowa Workforce Development was a key partner as 168,700 jobs were created in the past 4 years.”

Branstad appointed Beth Townsend, current executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, as acting director of IWD. He appointed Don Grove, former Iowa Civil Rights Commission director and current Iowa Civil Rights Commission employee, the acting executive director of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. The governor will appoint a permanent director at a later date. A timeline for naming a permanent director has not been set.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say at least 32 care centers in Iowa have had outbreaks of influenza recently, despite safeguards like vaccination and sanitation measures. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, the state’s top infectious disease expert, says she’s received daily reports of the disease affecting nursing homes, assisted living centers and other care facilities. She says the rate of infection is higher than it’s been in the past.

At the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, every resident and employee was vaccinated. But the virus spread at the center in December. Several residents required hospitalization. Quinlisk tells The Des Moines Register that the flu contributes to hundreds of deaths of the elderly in Iowa during a typical year.

Nearly two weeks after a window and doors at business in downtown Atlantic were damaged by vandalism, another, nearby business was hit. Lt. Dave Erickson with the Atlantic Police Department told KJAN News the Designer Portraits by Ann studio at 406 Chestnut sustained damage by someone throwing three field rocks through the business’ windows and doors. The incident happened sometime between 5-p.m. Friday (Jan. 9th) and 9-a.m. Saturday (Jan. 10th). The damage was estimated at $2,200.

During the late night incident on Dec. 29th at Aunt B’s (at 408 Chestnut), a witness reported hearing glass breaking and  saw a short male suspect wearing a black coat, pants and stocking cap, run north in the 400 block of Chestnut and turn east on 4th Street. The culprit had thrown a piece of black asphalt, measuring 5-by 7-inches in diameter through the front, 8-foot by 8-foot plate glass window. The front glass door of the business was also smashed.Damage from that incident amounted to about $1,500.

Designer Portraits is located just north of Aunt B’s. Erickson said there’s no known motive for either incident, other than someone just messing around, probably looking for “something to do.”  Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the Atlantic Police Dept. at 243-3512.