(Radio Iowa) – The state unemployment rate dropped slightly in September. The rate in September fell to four percent, down from four-point-one percent in August. Iowa Workforce Development says the unemployment claims in September dropped more than 68 percent compared to one year ago. And it was the second-lowest monthly unemployment claims Iowa has seen over the past 20 years.

The U-S unemployment rate fell to four-point-eight percent in September.

(Radio Iowa) – Four casinos are paying a combined 130-thousand dollars in fines to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission for gambling violations involving minors. Racing And Gaming administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says the Catfish Bend Casino was fined for the actions of an underage male.

“Entered the casino floor unchallenged, was on the floor for 47 minutes. It was not discernible whether the individual had gambled — pulled a ticket out of the machine, and based on a preponderance of the evidence, we felt the individual did gamble,” he says. Ohorilko says the casino agreed to a 30-thousand-dollar fine.

“Normal fine for this is 20 (thousand dollars), but there were the aggravating circumstances of a lack of surveillance coverage, and the age of the minor elevated that fine,” Ohorilko says. The Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs was fined 60-thousand dollars for two underage violations. The first involved a minor female in January who entered the gambling floor with an adult.

“Had gambled at a number of slot machines and was on the gaming floor for over 30 minutes, In the second count — it occurred a couple of months later — there was another individual, a 17-year-old female who had entered the gaming floor. She was on the floor for five hours and had gambled,” according to Ohorilko. Prairie Meadows in Altoona was fined 20-thousand dollars for an underage male who got onto the casino floor with two adults.

“Was not challenged at the turnstile, had gambled, and was on the floor for approximately 60 minutes. This individual was identified by another security officer who was conducting their routine business,” he says. The final violation involved a minor at the Diamond Jo Worth casino who entered the gambling floor unchallenged.

“Was on the floor for over two hours and had gambled. This minor was identified by staff at Diamond Jo,” Ohorilko says. Diamond Jo Worth agreed to a 20-thousand dollar penalty for the violation. Ohorilko says the violations for all four casinos were their first in the last 365 days.

(Des Moines, IA) The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has approved the use of booster doses of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Pfizer booster doses were approved for use last month. Additionally, the CDC’s recommendations now allow for “mix and match” dosing for booster doses only. These approvals and recommendations are effective immediately.

Moderna Booster

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial series:

• People 65 years and older
• People 18 years and older who reside in long-term care settings
• People aged 18 years and older with underlying medical conditions
• People aged 18 years and older who work or live in high-risk settings

Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) Booster

Anyone aged ≥18 years who received a single dose Johnson & Johnson primary series (1 dose) can receive a COVID-19 booster dose at least 2 months after completing the primary series.

• J&J vaccine does not have eligibility criteria for the booster dose.

Mix and Match Use

Earlier this week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the Emergency Use Authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines to allow for the use of each of the available COVID-19 vaccines as a heterologous (or “mix and match”) booster dose in eligible individuals following completion of primary vaccination with a different available COVID-19 vaccine. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots. Mix and match dosing may be considered for the booster dose only.

Iowans with questions about which booster dose is right for them should consult with their health care provider. The vaccine is the best tool we have to keep ourselves and our families healthy and to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from the COVID-19 virus. Find a COVID-19 vaccine provider here.

As flu season approaches, IDPH urges all Iowans to get the flu vaccine. By getting vaccinated for both influenza and COVID-19, we can prevent avoidable hospitalizations and help preserve health care resources for other needs, including illnesses, injuries and emergencies. Anyone with questions about either vaccine should reach out to their health care provider.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Housing Committee is asking members of the public to participate in a survey about housing needs in conjunction with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. The survey will accept responses until Friday November 5th at 5 p.m. and only takes a few minutes to complete.

To access the survey, go to https://bit.ly/3AMu5Zc, or access it on a smart phone using the QR code. Contact City Hall with questions or comments at 712-243-4810.,

(West Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa home sales dipped slightly in September, falling 3.6% percent from September of last year. According to Housing Trends by the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR), the median sales price rose 7.6 percent from a year ago. IAR President Jen Burkamper says homes continue to sell quickly. Iowa properties sold in an average of 32 days, which continues to be near record-lows for Iowa. In September 2020, homes sold in 54 days on average.

Median sales price rose 7.6 percent over September 2020. The median price for September 2021 came in at $199,000 compared to $185,000 in September of last year. There were 4,285 properties sold in Iowa during September. The year-to-date sales total is 6.6 percent higher than the first nine months of 2020. The year-to-date sales total is 36,380 properties. The number of homes available for sale is slowly rising. After almost a year of declining inventory, Iowa has seen 8 months straight with a gradual increase of homes on the market.  Our inventory of homes was 16.4 percent lower than in September 2020 with 9,545 homes on the market statewide.

According to Burkamper, “While home sales dipped a little bit, we saw some positive signs with a small gain in new property listings and the overall number of properties on the market continues to rise. As the inventory increases, we hope that the competition for homes may ease up and bring moderation in sales prices, which would be welcome news to our potential Iowa homebuyers. There is still time for buyers to get into a new home before the end of the year.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors hosted Jolene Sonntag, Daryn Richardson, and Jeremy Dunkirk on Thursday, October 21st, 2021, to welcome Vodec to the Chamber and learn about the services the organization provides throughout the state. Vodec is a vocational development organization that provides life-enriching services for people with disabilities, including day programs, employment training and residential options.

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The organization provides support to individuals with disabilities from providing a place for parents to take their children while working, to helping individuals learn healthy habits. Vodec will help individuals find jobs that are right for their skill set while working with a job coach that provides support for both the employee and employer.

Vodec serves over 400 clients in communities spanning from Omaha to Council Bluffs and on into Urbandale. Chamber officials say Vodec prides themselves in their values and employees that nurture their clients with compassion, integrity, leadership, creativity, accountability, patience, and kindness.

To learn more about Vodec, please contact 712-328-2638 or visit that their website at https://vodec.org/     Vodec Corporate Headquarters is located at 612 South Main Street Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503.

(Radio Iowa) – An educator from the University of Iowa Law Center says Deere and Company has made a strategic move to seek rulings in state rather than federal court to limit where and how striking workers may picket. A Scott County district court judge has granted a temporary injunction that bars striking workers outside John Deere’s Davenport Works from having chairs or fires in barrels and no more than four may be positioned at entry gates. Paul Iversen, who joined the Labor Center at the University of Iowa a decade ago, says a 1931 federal law sets the rules for how federal judges may rule when employers ask for restrictions on picketing.

“One of those rules is you can’t get that injunction unless the chief public safety officer of the jurisdiction, so the chief of police or the county sheriff, says that they’ve lost control of the situation,” Iversen says, “so you never get a federal court (ruling) because no county sheriff that’s going to stand up for election is going to say: ‘I’ve lost control of the picket line.'”

Deere and Company told the state court judge picketers outside its Davenport Works were blocking access and putting themselves and salaried workers going into the plant at risk. A spokeswoman for Deere and Company says the Iowa judge’s order ensures a safe environment for those reporting to work and those exercising their right to strike. The company is seeking a similar injunction for picketing outside John Deere’s Ankeny plant. Iversen says companies have historially sought limits on people exercising their right to strike.

“The strike is meant to shut down the employer. That is the purpose of a strike,” Iversen says. “Trying to bring in an injunction, saying it’s hard for us to work during a strike — that’s what a strike does.” Iversen made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.