(Radio Iowa) — The state unemployment rate inched up slightly in October, as the workforce expanded. Iowa Workforce Development Deputy Director, Ryan West, says its a unique situation. “The rate for October did slightly go up from two-point-five to two-point-six percent. However, we also saw an increase of just over nine-thousand more Iowans in the workforce from September to October — 91-hundred to be exact,” West explained.

He says they change in the labor force was the biggest factor in the slight rise in unemployment. “When you have a large jump in your labor participation rate — nine-thousand-100 more folks working — and the number of your unemployed doesn’t change by that much, it’s based on proportions,” West says. “So the number of our unemployed only changed by 900. When you have those factors in place, that can adjust your rate and we think that is what happened for October.”

West isn’t exactly sure where the influx into the labor force came from. “It could be a lot of factors. The Census is going on right now, that could be a part of it. Certainly cyclically where were are it could be campaigns — you could have more people in the state of Iowa working for campaigns. You could have people switching jobs, graduating, maybe graduated in May and are now in the workforce. There’s a lot of factors that go into that,” according to West.

He says there’s occasionally bumps up in the labor force like this. “It’s one of those things that depends on where you are in the year and what’s going on during that time,” he says. West says the unseasonably cold weather didn’t seem to slow the rush of work that usually hits at the end of the year. He says traditionally in September, October and November before Thanksgiving there is usually a real push to get things done. “So the weather kind of threw us a curve ball a little bit — but not much,” West says.

The unemployment rate had been at two-point-five percent for three months before this slight move up — and prior to that it held at two-point-four percent for 12 months. West says the biggest concern still remains finding enough workers to fill available jobs. “When the unemployment rate goes down, employers need more skilled workers,” West says. “We’ve been kind of in this circle for two or three years now. I think we’ve come a long way during that time.”

West says they’ll continue with programs to improve and upgrade the skills of workers to try and fill the demand with Iowa employers.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Monday night, of 34-year old D’Lisa Ann Ware. Ware was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense, after a deputy saw a vehicle that had earlier been described in a communications center broadcast, as swerving, speeding and driving recklessly on Highway 92 out of Treynor. The vehicle was spotted and stopped coming into Carson.

A man from Treynor was arrested Monday afternoon at the Pott. County Jail. 50-year old Richard Allen Sullivan was charged with Contempt of Court for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. A woman being held in the Shelby County Jail was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail, Monday afternoon, to address a warrant. 30-year old Crystal Lynne Gardner was wanted on a warrant for Possession of A Controlled Substance/marijuana – 1st offense.

And, a Mills County Jail inmate, 27-year old Zackery David Mount-Gallet, was transported to the Pott. County Jail Monday afternoon, where he was wanted on a warrant for Violation of Probation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The longtime vice chairman of an insurance pool for Iowa municipalities will not seek re-election, following scrutiny of its travel and his arrest for domestic violence.
Gary Mahannah said earlier this year he would seek another 4-year board term on the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool, where he’s served since its formation in the 1980s. But he recently changed his mind, telling board members his departure would be “the best path forward” for a program that insures about 800 municipalities.

Voting has started among its membership to replace Mahannah as a city representative on the board. Andy Lent of Indianola and Matt Mardesen of Nevada are candidates. Two other board members, retired Sioux County auditor Lois Huitink and Lake Delhi trustee Larry Burger, are unopposed for re-election. Mahannah, 66, resigned as city administrator in Polk City in February, weeks after he was charged with misdemeanor domestic abuse for striking his wife during an argument. He pleaded guilty and received probation — but remained on the ICAP board.

Days after his arrest, Mahannah attended ICAP’s February meeting in Florida, an annual trip the board is rethinking.

(11:38-a.m.: Sunderman corrected his earlier statement w/regard to Griswold City Council) The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), canvassed the results of the Nov. 5^th School Election for the Atlantic Community School District. That includes adjacent counties where property and/or patrons of the school district reside. Auditor Dale Sunderman reported there were some minor increases in votes for four of the five candidates, but they did not affect who won the three seats on the Board. The final tally showed: Incumbent Jenny Williams with 690 votes (no change);Mark C. Foegen with 527 votes (a gain of 2 votes); Nicholas Hunt had 943 votes ( a gain of 1 votes); Laura McLean had a total of 592 votes (a gain of 3 votes), and Benjamin Winford with 585 votes (also a gain of 3 votes.).

Williams, Hunt and McLean were declared the winners, of the election. There was a twist to the Griswold City Council Election, though. Dale Sunderman said after the write-in winners were contacted, one of them, GREG LIGHTNER withdrew from the position. A City may then offer the seat to the person with the next highest votes, which in this case was Ryan Askeland. Askeland accepted the position. He joins fellow write-in Kirk Stapleton, and incumbent Carmen Sorensen. Each will serve a four-year term. Askeland, as you may recall, also won election to the At-Large seat on the Griswold School Board.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors spoke with former Cass County Engineer Charles Marker, about returning to serve on an interim basis until a full-time Professional Engineer (PE) can be found. Marker said he would be happy to come back, but both he and the Board agreed there are some matters that need further research, such as how paying him on an hourly basis would affect his IPERS and Social Security. Marker had previously served as the Cass County Engineer for 16-years.

He retired in 2016, and was succeeded by Charles Bechtold, who abruptly resigned in August of this year.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested last Friday evening, following a collision and later pursuit. At around 6:12-p.m. on Nov. 15th, Cass County Deputies responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident at Tucson Road and Highway 71. An investigation determined a 2016 Ford Edge owned and driven by 27-year old Natausha Renee Poore, of Clarinda, was northbound on Highway 71, when her SUV was struck in the rear driver’s side by a 2007 Mercury Milan owned and driven by 51-year old Jose Manuel Montalbo, of Omaha, which had attempted to turn north onto 71 from Tuscon Road.

Montalbo failed to yield to Poore’s vehicle, resulting in the collision. He left the scene of the accident, but was located by a Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy.  Upon attempting to initiate a traffic stop on Mercury, Montablo attempted to elude the deputy. Eventually, the Mercury was disabled by the use of stop sticks, near the intersection of 14th Street and Highway 71, in Atlantic. No injuries were reported. Montalbo was arrested on charges of (Felony) OWI 3rd Offense; Eluding, and Reckless Driving. He was also cited into court on several non-arrestable offenses. Montalbo remains in the Cass County Jail on $6,000 bond.

Damage to the vehicles amounted to $9,000 altogether.

Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), issued a report with regard to a shooting incident that took place at around 9:43-p.m. Nov. 11th, in the parking lot of the Griswold Casey’s Store. Authorities say upon investigation, 39-year old Jessica Jo McMillen, of Red Oak, was found to have a gunshot wound in her hand. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office last Friday arrested McMillen on charges that include (Felony) Reckless Use of a Firearm Causing Bodily Injury, and Carrying a Weapon While Intoxicated (A Serious Misdemeanor). She was released later that day on a $5,000 bond. At the time of initial investigation, 33-year old Geoffrey Russell George Elias, of Lake Isabella, MI, was arrested for Public Intoxication. Elias was released the following day on his own recognizance.