(Radio Iowa) – The first Iowa unemployment data since the government shutdown is now out. Iowa Workforce Development spokesman Jesse Dougherty says the September unemployment rate fell to three-point-seven percent, down one-tenth of a percent. “We had at least what we would say a solid month is. In terms of some growth and some positive numbers,” he says. Dougherty says there was an increase in the labor force pool and an increase of 37-hundred jobs in September. He says the September data should be viewed with caution as it was delayed by the shutdown.

“Knowing that this data was delayed and knowing that….there’s going to be more data coming in the weeks ahead that will give us some greater insight into the economy. So it’s hard to, I would say it’s hard to draw a lot of conclusions just during September alone. But you know the good news is we’re getting back into the data and we’re, we’re we’re seeing some good indicators for September,” he says.

There have been several announcements of layoffs in manufacturing recently, but he says there has been some good news. “You know, in September specifically, we did have an increase in manufacturing. It was a more modest increase of about 600 jobs…that was particularly in durable goods. But I think the fact that we did have a slight increase was a positive,” Dougherty says. He says we will know more about the layoffs in manufacturing when more data comes out next month as he says there’s a lot of ripple effects in terms of the supply chain and other aspects of business.

Dougherty says the unemployment claims are another economic indicator. “When compared to last year, we have about 25 percent fewer unemployment claims…then we had compared to last year, last September I should say that is a positive,” Dougherty says. “You know we always see an increase due to the winter months, a lot of temporary layoffs. There always is going to be an increase in unemployment claims every single winter. That’s just what happens.”

Dougherty says federal officials expect to release more workforce data on October and November next month.

(Radio Iowa) – The Sesquicentennial Bell is now permanently installed on Campanile Plaza at the University of Northern Iowa, and leaders of UNI’s 150th birthday bash are hoping students will visit the bell and give it a ring as the fall semester ends.

Randy Pilkington, co-chair of UNI’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, says the bell ordinarily won’t have the clapper inside, but that clapper will be reinstalled on Monday morning and it’ll be there throughout Finals Week.

“This will be a new tradition for us,” Pilkington says. “We’re hoping the students will go out there and ring it once for their celebration, but we know, just with students, they’ll probably want to have a lot of fun with that, and we’ll probably be hearing the bell clanging for most of the week.”

The plan is for students to ring the silver and purple bell to celebrate wrapping up exams, or for graduating seniors to mark the end of their UNI journey and transition into life as alumni.

“With the experience we have with the bells that are in the carillon now as part of the Campanile, you can hear it across campus. There’s concerts every Friday,” Pilkington says. “With this bell, it will resonate throughout all of central campus. It’ll be quite noticeable that this will be going off and students will be having a good time.”

While the bell can’t be rung for most of the year, students are encouraged to rub it for good luck. Pilkington says it’s important to start these new traditions as the Cedar Falls institution marks its century-and-a-half.

“It’s a real milestone for UNI to get to the point of being 150 years old, but then we say what’s next? What is this bold future that you talk about?” Pilkington says. “Well, part of that has to come from the traditions, so that when a student leaves here or a faculty member or staff, they have something they recall as a tradition that brought them back to our university.”

To kick off the year-long celebration in September, the bell was rung three times, marking the past, present and future. Learn more about upcoming events HERE.

(Radio Iowa)- A report released today (Wednesday) by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa suggests the use of automatic license plate readers is expanding in Iowa. Rita Bettis Austen, the A-C-L-U of Iowa’s legal director, says Iowa taxpayers have collectively been spending huge amounts of money over the past couple of years to buy these high-tech surveillance systems.

“Over the last couple of years they have just exploded in our state and nationally,” Bettis Austen said. “…This has all taken our already significant privacy, civil rights, liberty concerns…and just put them on steroids.” A team of student researchers led by University of Iowa Law professor Megan Graham filed open records requests asking 48 Iowa law enforcement agencies for information about automated license plate readers.

“Of the agencies that we surveyed and we have heard from, Cedar Rapids has the most cameras. They have 76. They have a two year contract with Flock Safety for those cameras at a cost of just under $500,000,” Graham said. “West Des Moines has 64 cameras. Clinton County has 58.” Graham says the Des Moines Police Department has identified its records on automated license plate readers, but hasn’t shared the data yet with Graham and her research team. Graham says the records her team has been able to review indicate law enforcement agencies have a wide variety of policies about the use of license plate reader images, which include location and time stamps.

“There’s a real patchwork in place in Iowa,” Graham said. “…The policy shift and change as Iowans drive from place to place around the state.” The legal director for the A-C-L-U of Iowa says unlike red light or speed cameras, the images generated by automatic license plate readers are often fed into a national database. “One technical thing that I want to flag that’s so important for people to understand: it’s not the case with a red light camera and you can look up and you can see there’s a camera right there on the traffic light,” Bettis Austen said.

“ALPR cameras are actually small enough that you don’t know that you’re passing one.” Iowa law requires signs along roads being monitored by speed or red light cameras, but Bettis Austen says there’s no public disclosure requirement for automated license plate readers.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 10, 2025 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development’s Iowa State Director Michael Sexton today (Wednesday) announced that the agency is awarding a total of $4,720,000 for three projects to safeguard drinking water and two projects to improve hospital facilities and obstetrical services.

The investments are:

-City of Clearfield received a $29,000 grant through the Special Evaluation Assistance for Rural Communities and Households (SEARCH) program to help complete a preliminary engineering report. This project will evaluate the wastewater system and provide alternatives and recommendations for improvements. This project is a necessary first step in determining costs and compliance with water quality standards. The project will help ensure sanitary conditions and promote the health of the 278 residents of this rural Taylor County community.

These two awards were funded through the Community Facilities grant program:

-Wayne County Hospital in Corydon received a $2,011,000 grant to construct a 4,820 square foot addition. This project will build a modern dialysis center adjacent to the hospital’s existing dialysis treatment area and will include a vestibule, staff lounge, treatment bay, nurses’ station, isolation room, restroom, supply closet, room for linens, biomedical technology area, water treatment room, and conference room. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of residents of this rural community and surrounding areas.

-Palmer Lutheran Health Center Inc. received a $1,100,000 grant to help renovate the Gunderson Heath System obstetrics services facilities at its clinic in West Union. This project will improve delivery and postpartum resources for the residents of this rural Fayette County community and surrounding areas.

Municipal public works building in Denison, Iowa. USDA photo credit Cecilia Lynch

Both of the following grants were funded through the Emergency Community Water Assistance Grants program:

–Denison Municipal Utilities received a $1,000,000 grant to improve the water supply for the city of Denison. This project will construct a rock riffle dam in the East Boyer River to help recharge the well field and provide a more consistent water supply, especially during drought conditions. Once completed, this project will promote the health and safety of the 9,419 residents of this rural Crawford County community.

–City of Macedonia received a $580,000 grant to improve its water system. This project will construct a new well in the existing well field. Currently, during dry weather conditions, the city must reduce the pumping rate of the wells, and the water supply can become insufficient. The project will help the city meet peak demands. Once completed, this project will provide safe, reliable drinking water for the 267 residents of this rural Pottawattamie County community.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials say it appears an electric space heater sparked an overnight fire that has displaced the six residents of an apartment building in a small northwest Iowa town. Armstrong Assistant Fire Chief Wes Leach says the fire was reported at about 12:30 this (Wednesday) morning. “When we arrived on scene we saw heavy smoke coming from the one apartment complex,” Leach says. “We had determined that all residents had been evacuated prior to us getting there.” While there was a lot of smoke, Leach says the fire itself was confined to one apartment and was quickly put out.

“There was obviously some smoke damage to the rest of the apartments in the surrounding hallway,” Leach says. “…It looks like there was an electric space heater plugged in that started a blanket on fire.” Leach says fire fighters were able to use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, but stayed on the scene for about two hours. One of the building’s residents was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 12-hundred fires in the U-S will be caused by space heaters this year.

(Atlantic, IA) – Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller says three Atlantic FFA members traveled to Ankeny last weekend, to attend the State Officer Selection Process workshop and Amplify FFA Leadership Conferences. Making the journey to Ankeny on Dec. 6th, was Lauren Comes, Tenley Cappel and Tiegan Daniel.  FFA members from all over Iowa attended the conference, which taught them about leadership and student development.

Lauren Comes attended the State Officer Selection Process workshop (SOSP) in preparation for her potential run for an Iowa FFA State Officer position later this spring. The SOSP workshop focuses on the areas that all State Officer Candidates must prepare for. To start the process, each candidate must first complete an application. The first interview is a one-on-twelve interview where the candidates should capitalize on this time by making their first impression a lasting impression. Next is the Multiple Choice Test of key issues related to agriculture. Then the Round Robin 1 interview where State officer candidates will engage in a conversation with a knowledge area expert. The One-on-One interview is focused on two objectives. First, this is an opportunity for individual nominating committee members to develop rapport and get to know the candidates in a one-on-one setting.

On day two the candidates will start with a Writing Exercise 1 by completing an in-depth written essay. The written essay will be on a topic relevant to the theme of agriculture, FFA or the American agricultural education system. The next interview is called Stand and Deliver. State officers must consistently be knowledgeable and be able to verbally convey a message in front of a group or crowd. Candidates will have 20 minutes in a private room to prepare for delivering a 3-minute speech. The final interview is another Personal interview. The purpose of this interview is to ask a final set of questions developed by the committee to address competencies such as character, passion for success and influence.

Left to right
Tiegan Daniel, Tenley Cappel and Lauren Comes (Photo submitted with this story)

The AMPLIFY Conference focuses on student development. This year the conference focused on Purpose: Connect. Care. Create. Establishing a purpose as a daily practice and draft a leader purpose statement. Discovering how people are connected to purpose and identify their talents. Members also learned to discover what it means to live to serve as a leader and examine methods for serving others while pursuing purpose. All of this while Identifying the value in practicing practical self-care as a leader and discovering the difference between living with purpose and completing action items. To wrap up the conference, each member drafted a personal purpose team and identified how to live out a purpose plan at home.

FFA Advisor Eric Miller said, “These conferences are important to help develop the kind of leaders that we need in our school and community. I am glad the Iowa FFA provides us with the opportunity and the students are so willing to give their time to become better leaders.”

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisor, during their regular weekly meeting this (Wednesday) morning, received information about a possible event tied-in to the America/Iowa 250 celebrations. Brenda Dudley, with Midwest Partnership, said the original idea was to hold a marathon road race on the 26-mile stretch of White Pole Road, but that idea was set aside over safety concerns by officials in Guthrie County. They then considered a relay race.

Supervisor Jodie Hoadley suggested tying that type of event (A poker run)-in with a car show.

Nothing has been decided on, with additional discussions yet to take place to try and come up with a plan for the celebration. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors heard from Courthouse Maintenance Director/Custodian Scott Roberts, with regard to an On-Call Custodial Assistant, for when Roberts is not available.

The Board approved hiring of the Mark Lantz as a fill-in custodian and snow removal person, at a rate of $20/hour, contingent upon his passing a test for the position. And, County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board’s approval, a Contract and Performance Bond with Gus Construction, for the W9 Lincoln (Township) Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert Project. The Board approved the documents as presented. Kauffman also provided his weekly Secondary Roads Department report on maintenance and activities.

In other business, the Board approved a Liquour License Renewal for the 5×80 Country Club near Menlo. And, prior to the conclusion of their meeting, the Adair County Supervisors held a Public Hearing on vacating a portion of 332nd Lane. Having received no comments, the Board passed a motion to vacate the roadway as presented.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board met Monday evening at the high school in Anita. The retiring Board held a public hearing on the Instructional Support Levy, which Superintendent Dr. Pam Stangeland said pertained to resolution calling for a renewal of the current levy through Fiscal Year 2032.

Following an organizational meeting of the new CAM School Board, Cara Murphy was re-elected as President of the Board, and Julie Williamson was re-elected Vice-President. Dr. Stangeland said they are excited to have two new Board members in Adam Akers and Mallory Armstrong on the CAM School Board.

Stangeland summed-up the meeting by saying she feels positive about the direction the CAM School District is taking.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN) – The High Wind Warning expired this (Wednesday) morning, but strong gusts were continuing to blast across Iowa before they were expected to diminish this (Wed.) afternoon. National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff) says some winds early this (Wednesday) morning approached 70 miles an hour. “Sixty-eight is the highest recorded so far out in Carroll,” she says. “Des Moines has gusted to 66, and parts of western Iowa towards Nebraska and South Dakota have gusted towards 69 miles per hour.” No serious injuries are reported after multiple incidents of semis blowing onto their sides on Interstates 35 and 80. Tree limbs falling on power lines caused scattered outages, while many Iowa school districts delayed the start of classes two hours.

In southwest Iowa, a semi tractor-trailer was blown off of Interstate 80 westbound east of the Marne Exit. Minor injuries were reported. And, a semi was blown-off of I-80 eastbound, near mile marker 11 in Pottawattamie County. A Street/stop sign was snapped-off at its base at 4th & Walnut, here in Atlantic, and a tree or tree debris was blocking Highway 173 north of I-80 early this (Wed.) morning, but the road had been cleared by 5:15-a.m.  Elsewhere, a power power was snapped by the winds in Page County.

Hagenhoff says the forecast calls for another wintry mix of weather tomorrow (Thursday). “Parts of northeast Iowa could see a few inches of snow. As we get towards central Iowa, maybe a little bit of a rain/snow mix, perhaps some light ice accumulations with that are possible,” Hagenhoff says. “Anything that does accumulate will be very light.” She says yet more snow is possible this weekend for wide areas of the state. “Yeah, the third consecutive week we’re forecasting snow on a Saturday for Iowa,” Hagenhoff says. “Thankfully, this round looks fairly light, maybe an inch or two, but very cold — highs in the single digits to teens on Saturday and Sunday.”

The Thanksgiving weekend storm dropped more than 16 inches of snow on some parts of the state.

(UPDATED w/CPD Correction) – (Creston, IA) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 34-year-old Ashton James Olson, of Creston, was arrested Friday afternoon at his residence. Olson was charged with Animal at Large. He was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

And, at around 2:20-a.m. Tuesday (12/9), Creston Police arrested 21-year-old Nikoli Ja’Hari Wilson, of Cumming (IA), for Possession of Controlled Substance Marijuana 1^st Offense. Wilson was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.