(Radio Iowa) — Today (Monday) is National Bacon Day — and Iowa plays a key role in providing the ONE BILLION servings of bacon consumed in the U.S. this year. Iowa is the number one pork-producing state. Nearly one-third of the nation’s hogs are raised here. According to the Iowa Pork Producers, there are about 22 million pigs being raised in Iowa today. According to the National Pork Board, seven out of 10 U.S. restaurants have bacon on the menu either as a breakfast item or incorporated in some other dish.

image via Facebook

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold their last meeting of 2019, 9-a.m. Tuesday. Their session at the courthouse includes approval of an application from the Dollar General Store in Griswold, for a Class-C Beer permit, and, if a person is available, the appointment of a Brighton Township Clerk. The Board will also hear a report for the month of November, from Cass County Mental Health and General Relief Coordinator Deb Schuler, and if available, a report from County Attorney Vanessa Strazdas.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Jan. 13 hearing has been scheduled for a Dubuque man charged with neglecting livestock and failing to properly dispose of dead animals. Court records say 31-year-old Cesar Gonzalez faces nearly three dozen counts. Officials say several of the 26 animals rescued from the Dubuque farm earlier this month were in poor health. The bones and rib cages of some animals could be seen, and they had matted hair. The animals removed included horses, a pony, goats, sheep, pigs and geese.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Stuart Fire Department posted on their social media page over the weekend, that their crews were very busy responding to multiple emergency calls over a 24-hour period. At approximately 6:20-p.m. Friday (December 27), Stuart Fire was was called into service for a baler fire north of Stuart. As that call was wrapping up they were requested at the scene of a diesel spill in front of the Stuart McDonalds restaurant.

Just before 8-a.m. Saturday, December 28th, Stuart Fire was paged out for an attic fire in town. Dexter Fire assisted at the scene.

Picture show Captain Stephen Martinson and firefighter Mike Kalbach
venting the roof to release heat and smoke after water was applied to attic fire. (Stuart FD Facebook page photo)

Stuart FD Facebook page photo

At around 2:30-p.m Saturday, crews were called to a single-vehicle accident involving a Mini Cooper on west bound I-80 at the 92 mile marker. While returning to the station, and about 30-minutes later, there was a secondary accident at the same location. Upon completion of that assignment, crews responded at around 3:40-p.m., to an accident involving two semi’s (as we previously reported), on I-80 at mile marker 93.

Stuart FD Facebook page photo

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Another Nordstrom employee has been accused of stealing from the company fulfillment center in Cedar Rapids. Linn County court records say 18-year-old Abraham Tarley is charged with theft. The Gazette reports that Tarley tried to sell some of the $7,000 worth of items on Facebook. Investigators say in a criminal complaint that he admitted to the thefts and returned some of the goods. Tarley was at least the fourth Nordstrom employee charged in a little more than a year with thefts from the center.

(Radio Iowa) — The final economic survey from the Iowa Business Council shows the leaders of the state’s largest businesses are full of optimism for the new year. I-B-C Executive Director, Joe Murphy, says some economists have continued to predict the economy is going to slow down — but he isn’t seeing that. “I think we sometimes run the risk of talking ourselves into a recession — and we are just not seeing that at all — we remain positive,” Murphy says.

The quarterly survey asks members to predict what they see for sales, capital spending and employment for the next six months. Murphy says the final 2019 survey has a score of just above 60. “Anything over 50 is positive,” Murphy says,” and so the fact that we are at 60 is great news for Iowa businesses. I think it is important to look at the data for what the data is. We have great strength in sales and great strength in spending, and those are two great drivers in business.”  Murphy says some year end action on important issues help push up the mood. “We had some very good legislative action occur at the federal level with the passing of the U-S-M-C-A by the U-S House of Representatives. And so that is a great sign. We we look forward obviously to the Senate passing that as well and that being signed by president,” according to Murphy. “And then using that as positive momentum as we head into the final phases and stages of the China negotiation.”

Murphy says the trade issues are just as important to the business community as they are the ag sector. “Iowa’s biggest employment base is in manufacturing — a lot of people think it is ag — but it’s actually manufacturing and we have some of the world’s premiere manufacturers on the Iowa Business Council,” he says. “But then when you think about it more broadly — just the general uncertainty of trade deals — the fact that it took so long to get U-S-M-C-A pinned down and then China has taken longer than anybody anticipated. That just adds to the uncertainty in the markets, uncertainty in businesses.”

While the trade situation is moving toward some sort of resolution — Murphy says the lack of workers to fill jobs will continue to be a problem. “This is going to be the central issue of 2020 for us and for our members, and frankly for all of Iowa employers,” Murphy says. Murphy says overall the business community is feeling good heading into the new year. “We would like to see some indicators be better. A lot of that has to do with the political uncertainty, the elections of 2020, what happens with regulations moving forward,” Murphy explains. “But a lot of that will be cleared up as we move into the beginning quarter or two of 2020. So, we remain optimistic and feel pretty good about the future of this state — particularly from a business perspective.”

You can see the full Iowa Business Council survey on their website.

(Radio Iowa) — For what may be the first time in history, Iowa’s workforce is now employing people from five different generations. There’s the Traditionalists, born before 1946, the Baby Boomers, the Gen Xers, the Millennials and those from Generation Z. Kathy Joblinske, executive vice president of Iowa Manpower, says the high demand for workers is the “new normal” since the 2008 recession. “We’re finding that more people are staying in the workforce longer, they’re also healthier and living longer,” Joblinske says. “Those that may have retired earlier by now are sticking in the workforce a little bit longer and stretching out their income opportunity.”

The oldest Iowans in the workforce, the Traditionalists, typically place a high value on authority and top-down management. Joblinski says they have a reputation for being very hard working.  “They don’t want to retire so they come back maybe to that same company as a part-time individual, to pass on knowledge or to help in different departments,” Joblinske says. “You also see individuals who are just wanting some extra income, maybe to travel.”

Iowa’s unemployment rate of two-point-six percent has remained steady for a full year and is among the lowest jobless rates in the country.  “We are in dire need of great workers, people who want to show up to work every day,” Joblinske says. “There’s more jobs open than people looking for work. It’s a fantastic benefit to have all five generations in the workforce.” The Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are usually seen as workaholics who believe things are done a certain way and consider it policy. The Generation Xers were born between 1965 and 1976. Joblinski says they’re generally comfortable with authority, they’ll work as hard as needed to succeed, and they seek a work/life balance.

“We’re finding that the Gen Z group is really financially focused, they’re focused on the pay and benefits,” Joblinske says. “The Millennials, they want jobs that are fulfilling. Not that pay isn’t important to them, because it is, but the work they do is very important to them.”  The diversity among employees from five generations can be beneficial, she says, because it brings together the different backgrounds and perspectives each generation provides.

Anita and Wiota fire were called to the scene of a semi tractor-trailer fire today (Monday) at around 4:23-a.m.  The incident happened just east of 770th and Whitepole Road. No injuries were reported. Additional details were not immediately available.