From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
The Iowa House and Senate each voted to approve a bill that could speed up state assistance after a disaster strikes. The Governor called for the changes after tornadoes and flooding struck parts of the state last year. The bill lets the Governor quickly divert economic reserve funds each year for disaster recovery efforts. It also allocates $2 million to help communities tear down disaster-damaged buildings.
A judge sentenced a Keokuk County man to 50 years in prison after he entered a plea of guilty to shooting another man in the face and killing him, then burning his body. Prosecutors initially charged Jeffery Gautreaux with first degree murder and abuse of a corpse. But court documents show he entered a guilty plea to second degree murder last month. A judge sentenced him earlier this month. Court documents say loved ones reported Craig Smith missing in January last year. Police found his remains about a month later north of Ottumwa. Court documents say Gautreaux admitted to killing Smith before burning his body to hide the crime.
The number of people unemployed in Iowa has gone up in the past year. The unemployment rate last year was at 2.7 percent. New data from Iowa Workforce Development shows this is now 3.4 percent. The increase is because more people are out of work, not because fewer people are participating in the workforce. Overall, the state has dropped nearly 12,000 jobs in the past year. Most of this came from manufacturing, which accounted for 8,000 job losses…5,000 in professional services…and more than 4,000 in construction.
The West Liberty Public Library is offering help to people trying to become U.S. citizens. It’s part of the library’s strategic plan to expand services to Iowa’s immigrants. West Liberty has one of Iowa’s largest minority communities. The library is offering language-learning support through free access to programs like Rosetta Stone.
