DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate remained at 2.6% in November as the number of people with and without jobs both increased. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the number of Iowa residents with jobs climbed by 8,200 from October to November. The number of unemployed people also increased, from 45,100 in October to 46,200 in November. Iowa’s 2.6% unemployment rate was the nation’s fifth lowest, tied with Colorado, Hawaii, New Hampshire and Virginia.

Vermont had the lowest rate, at 2.3%. The national unemployment rate in November was 3.5%.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Thursday, arrested a woman on warrants out of two area counties. A vehicle driven by 37-year old Amber Wilmot, of New Market, was pulled-over for a minor traffic infraction near the intersection of Highway 2 and C Avenue, about two-miles east of Shenandoah.

Amber Wilmot (Page County S/O photo)

During the stop, Wilmot was found to be driving without a valid license. She was also found to have had warrants out of Page and Mills Counties.

Charges on the warrants are for Theft 5th Degree and Failure to appear. Wilmot was transported to the Page County Jail where she was being held on a $2,000 cash-only bond.

Officials with SHIFT ATL said Friday (today), that Camblin Mechanical, Inc. recently donated $5,000, in a show of support for SHIFT ATL. The funds will be used to match a Community Catalyst Grant the non-profit organization is currently applying for. SHIFT ATL thanks Camblin Mechanical for its ongoing support of the organization.

Pictured are Jessie Shiels of SHIFT ATL and Randy Watts of Camblin Mechanical.

(Radio Iowa) — Researchers at Iowa State University say there’s a national shift in how we want our bodies treated when we die — and how our loved ones mark our passing. More of us are choosing cremation over burial, and celebration of life services over funerals. Professor Lee Cagley, chair of I-S-U’s interior design department, says it’s an unsustainable model for cemeteries to be like big parks filled with trees. “The ability to provide a broad expanse of grassy turf that your loved one could be buried in comes at a colossal price,” Cagley says. “There’s thousands and thousands of dollars that’s spent every month just watering dead people, so to speak.”

Cagley posed a project for his graduate students to offer design suggestions for graveyards and funeral homes of the future — which take into account changing weather patterns as well as changing social norms. “The industry has been a little slow to adapt,” Cagley says, “but now, with the clear impacts of climate change, it’s become a rallying cry that they’re actually taking the lead and re-examining what kind of burial practices would be appropriate for the family of the future.”

One student designed a sort of vertical cemetery that looks something like a park built on a parking ramp — a slowly-inclining space with burial spots along the way. Another student envisioned a three-story “library” that includes niches on each level to inter cremains, while creating a space where family and friends can stay and reminisce. The names of those who’ve passed would be etched on pieces of colored glass, suspended from the ceiling as a centerpiece. Cagley says we’re in a transitional period of time where the ideas of Generation X are giving way to those of Generation Y. “Generation Y is a lot more accepting of death as a part of life and therefore, not spending so much time and energy mourning the loss of a loved one or a friend as they are celebrating the legacy of them,” Cagley says. “That trend is definitely reflected in the way that funeral practices are happening for the loss of let’s say mom or grandmother.”

The works of Cagley’s interior design students are on display at the Ames campus in an exhibit called “Dearly Departed.” While locals may not be flocking to see it, he says professionals in the funeral industry are very interested, especially those from the southwestern U-S. “Because desert landscape is essentially quite fragile, it is actually a difficult problem,” Cagley says, “trying to help survivors deal with what they think is a dignified end will require a lot of experimentation in the industry.”

This year’s nationwide cremation rate is projected to be near 55-percent, with only 39-percent choosing burial. By 2040, it’s forecast the gap will broaden to nearly 80-percent cremation and about 16-percent burial. In the southwestern U-S, Cagley says 75-to-80 percent of people who die already chose cremation.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office report 32-year old Kevin James Jungers, of Lenox, was arrested Thursday night, in Orient. Jungers was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for violation of probation. He was being held without bond in the Union County Jail, until seen by a Judge.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa middle school principal is apologizing after denying students pizzas that had already been delivered to their classroom for a pizza party their teacher had promised them. Brody Middle School Principal Thomas Hoffman intercepted the pizzas Thursday, citing the school’s fairness and equal opportunity policy. That led a parent of one of the denied students to post about the incident on social media, drawing thousands of angry responses. By late afternoon, Hoffman had issued a public apology, saying he was “overly strict” in applying the school’s standards. Hoffman says the school will accept pizzas expected to be delivered to the entire school on Friday.