Iowa’s unemployment rate fell to 3.1% in December, the second-lowest rate in the country. Data released Tuesday shows Iowa’s rate fell significantly from 3.8% in November. It’s now only slightly above the 2.8% rate from a year ago, before the coronavirus pandemic led to a national economic slowdown. Only Nebraska and South Dakota have a lower unemployment rate, both at 3%. The U.S. unemployment rate for December was 6.7%, more than twice Iowa’s level.
However, Collins Aerospace announced Monday it is laying more people off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The company said it is experiencing lower than expected commercial aviation business due to COVID-19, and announced a second “Involuntary Separation Program” for U.S. employees. Impacted employees will receive a comprehensive separation package.
The Iowa State Patrol said seven Iowa Department of Transportation plows and one patrol cruiser were damaged by drivers during the winter storm. While covering an accident, a patrol car was struck from behind on Interstate 80 on the north side of Des Moines. The trooper in the patrol car was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart launched his campaign for re-election Tuesday. Hart outlined five priorities for Cedar Rapids the rest of this year and in a second term: supporting citizens and businesses for derecho recovery, attracting high-paying jobs, focusing on street repairs and reconstruction, supporting police and fire departments in fair and equitable actions including new initiatives to reduce violent crime, and continuing to build a permanent flood protection system on both sides of the Cedar River. The election is this November.
The Black Hawk County Health Department is collaborating with MercyOne, UnityPoint, People’s Community Clinic, and independent health care providers to begin the process of offering community members age 65 and older appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine. Initial appointments will be scheduled on a very limited basis and specific scheduling instructions will be released in the coming days. Appointments will not be available by calling individual providers or on a walk-in basis.
Meanwhile, as part of the next fiscal year’s budgeting process, the Black Hawk County Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to cut funds for an epidemiologist, a medical professional who studies disease patterns. The position would be the second epidemiologist at the local health department. Supervisors Tom Little, Dan Trelka and Craig White voted to cut funding for the position. Linda Laylin and Chris Schwartz voted against defunding the role for next fiscal year which starts July 1. Schwartz called the move “irresponsible” given the pandemic. A total of 240 Black Hawk County residents have died due to COVID-19, with more than 14,000 testing positive. The cut took nearly $99,000 in budgeted salary funds from the health department. KXEL’s Tim Harwood is scheduled to speak with both Supervisors Chris Schwartz and Dan Trelka today during KXEL Live & Local, beginning at 9 a.m.
The Marion Public Library Foundation announced Tuesday its capital campaign to build a new library has raised $2.5 million of its $3.3 million goal—that’s more than three-quarters of the money needed. The new 50,000-square-foot library is under construction across the street from the existing library on Sixth Avenue and will be twice the size of the former building. The old library permanently closed after last summer’s derecho damage, in which 20% of the library’s collection itself was also damaged.
