Tyson Foods is moving corporate staff members to the company’s headquarters in Arkansas. This announcement means the closure of offices in Dakota Dunes and the loss of 500 local executive jobs. Tyson says stays two other offices in Illinois will also move to Springdale in an effort to consolidate 1,000 corporate positions into one location.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced a new initiative she says will reduce language barriers in the workforce. The Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program aims to provide English language instruction “to try and break down barriers that may stand in the way of a successful career.” The training program will provide a total of $5 million in grants for employers with at least 25 full-time employers that meet certain qualifications.
Nearly 2,000 meatpacking plant and farm workers in eastern Iowa will get $600 pandemic relief checks. Catholic Charities USA is providing $1.2 million in federal relief dollars. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Food Workers Relief Grants aim to help workers who incurred expenses during the pandemic. There had been a push for location governments to use American Rescue Plan money to cut checks for undocumented workers who did not qualify for COVID-era stimulus checks.
COVID continues to claim the lives of Iowans. The latest numbers from the Iowa Department of Public Health show 20 people were added to the state’s COVID-associated death count in the past seven days. Last week officials added an additional 26 deaths. There have been just over 10-thousand COVID related deaths since the start of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, federal officials report an increase in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state.
As of today (Wednesday), almost 196 Iowans hospitalized have tested positive for the virus. That’s up from 175 last week.
That’s as Iowa health officials say, the number of reported positive COVID tests has dropped in the past week.
More than 23 hundred positive COVID tests have been reported in the past seven days. That’s 400 fewer tests than last week’s number.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 55 percent of all Iowans have received their primary COVID vaccine series and first booster dose.
The Sioux City Journal reportsas construction of a permanent location for Sioux City’s virtual school continues, enrollment in the VIBE Academy has dropped significantly from last year. There are now 330 students enrolled in the Virtual Institute for Brighter Education, that’s a decrease of about 60% in one year. School Board President Dan Greenwell tells the paper says enrollment is below earlier estimates, and the district will continue to evaluate how to best deliver online instruction in the future. Teachers are expected to move into the remodeled space of the district’s headquarters in downtown Sioux City during winter break.
The Siouxland Big Give raised more money than expected. The one-day charity drive organized by the Siouxland Community Foundation benefited 100 local charities and raised more than $190,000. That was $40,000 more than officials set as a fundraising goal this year. During the past five years, the Siouxland Big Give has generated over $710,000 for participating nonprofits.
A recent report has found child poverty rates have fallen dramatically in the past quarter century.
Nearly a fifth of Iowa’s children lived in poverty in 1993. That dropped to just six percent by 2019.
That’s according to a recent report by the non-profit Child Trends.
Avenel Joseph is with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She says economic assistance policies are a major factor behind this drop.
These are things like increased Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit, food assistance, heating assistance, housing assistance, which have all had various impacts on … rising children out of
However, Joseph says she’s concerned with the end of pandemic-era relief programs, this trend could start to reverse.
Submitted news releases:
Gov. Reynolds announces grant program to reduce language barriers in workforce
DES MOINES, IOWA – Governor Kim Reynolds today announced a new grant opportunity intended to reduce language barriers in the workforce. The Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program will help employers provide sustained programs for English language instruction to support improved communication in the workplace. “Here in Iowa, we’re focused on breaking down any barrier that may stand in the way of a successful career,” said Governor Reynolds. “As I travel the state, employers regularly highlight the importance of English Language Learner training. The Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program will provide employers with resources to offer or expand ELL training while at the same time supporting job safety, recruitment and retention efforts.”
The Iowa Language Learners Job Training Program will provide a total of $5 million in grants to support employer programs that help employees improve English language proficiency in relation to work-related duties, policies, or procedures. Applicants must be employers or groups of employers with at least 25 full-time employees who are either expanding or creating a language program.
“The ability to communicate is key to making any workplace connection successful,” said Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “This grant opportunity is another great tool to help Iowa employers find the skilled workforce they so desperately need and support employees interested in improving their communication skills at work.”
- Applications are now being accepted at IowaGrants.gov and are due on December 2, at 11:59 AM. Visit this link for more information on the grant and the application process.
- A webinar will take place on October 11 at 11:00 AM to provide more information on the grant and a Q&A session. Interested employers can sign up to participate by visiting (Link).
Miller reminds Iowa veterans of rights to time off on Veterans Day
Veterans must make request for time off one month before the holiday
DES MOINES - As we prepare to recognize the men and women who have served our country this Veterans Day, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller reminds veterans of their right to request time off for the November 11 holiday.
In 2010, Iowa Code section 91A.5A went into effect requiring employers to provide holiday time off on Veterans Day for employees who are veterans and would normally be required to work that day.
“Each Veterans Day, we honor and share our appreciation for the men and women who have defended our country and our freedoms,” Miller said. “A veteran reached out to our office because he felt employers and veterans were unaware of this law. We want to ensure these brave Iowans have the ability to take time off on the holiday.”
Veterans who wish to use the required holiday must take the following steps:
- provide their employer with at least one month’s prior written notice of their intent to take time off.
- provide their employer with a federal certificate of release or discharge from active duty, or similar federal document.
Employers can deny the time off request if the time off would affect public health or safety or would cause the employer to experience significant economic or operational disruption.
Additionally, employers have the discretion to determine if the holiday will be paid or unpaid. Once the request if made, employers must notify the employee of the paid or unpaid holiday determination 10 days in advance of the November 11 holiday.
Iowa is among five states to require private employers to provide time off to veterans on Veterans Day. Other states with similar laws include Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Tennessee.
OVER $190,000 RAISED IN 5TH ANNUAL SIOUXLAND BIG GIVE
October 5, 2022 - The fifth annual Siouxland Big Give took place yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 4. With one hundred area nonprofits reaching into the community to connect with generous donors, the day was a huge success. The Siouxland Big Give is a 24-hour online giving blitz connecting citizens who care with nonprofits who are already doing great work. And for the second year in a row, the total donations received during the event totaled over $190,000 from over 1,000 contributions – exceeding the conservative goal by well over $40,000 and matching last year’s numbers! Several of the charities secured matching gifts before the event which collectively accounted for more than $45,000 of the overall total. Thirty-six of the participating nonprofit organizations raised over $1,000 each, with several others nearly dollars behind.
The day was a wonderful success, according to Katie E. Roberts, Executive Director of the Siouxland Community Foundation.
“We are so excited to have raised over $190,000 for so many wonderful projects,” she said. “Along the way, I heard several donors learn more about their favorite charity, and I heard nonprofits connecting with new donors. Siouxland certainly answered the call. I had set what I thought was a reasonable goal for this year and I’m blown away, although I shouldn’t be, by the support our Siouxland community gave.”
The Siouxland Community Foundation started the Siouxland Big Give in 2018 in honor of their 30th anniversary. Their goal was to connect people who care with causes that matter, promote philanthropy in Siouxland by creating an easy avenue for donors to give, and to give back to the community by partnering with smaller organizations who are better able to fundraise for their cause through collective marketing. Over the past five years, the Siouxland Big Give has generated over $710,000 for participating nonprofits. These nonprofits covered many different fields of interest including children’s programs, environmental and animal welfare, health, arts and culture, community benefits and veteran services.
For more information visit SiouxlandBigGive.org or SiouxlandCommunityFoundation.org, email office@siouxlandcommunityfoundation.org or call 712-293-3303.