Iowa payrolls increased about the same pace as the rest of the country's in April, and some economists say that is a positive sign for a state whose economic recovery has been relatively sluggish over the last year. The state's unemployment rate dropped to 3% from 3.3%. The rate is still above where it was in February 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic, when Iowa boasted a 2.6% unemployment rate.
The state added 3,300 jobs last month, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey released today, in proportion with the 428,000 added for the United States overall. April also marks the fourth month out of the past five
Le Mars Wells Enterprises could soon be putting more ice cream on shelves. The company in northwest Iowa plans to add more product lines and upgrade equipment in a 70 million dollar investment.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority has granted the maker of Blue Bunny ice cream 6.3 million dollars in investment tax credits to complete the project. It is estimated to create 135 jobs – a majority of which will begin at a little less than 24 dollars an hour.
According to the IEDA, the Le-Mars based manufacturer already employs around 2,500 Iowans. That makes it one of the state’s largest employers. In 2019, the company’s acquisition of an East Coast manufacturer made it the nation’s second largest ice cream producer.
The Iowa Supreme Court says drug evidence discovered during a pat down by a police officer without a warrant can be used in court.
A Dubuque officer said he felt baggies of what he believed to be drugs in the pocket of Earnest Hunt Junior while patting him down to check for weapons after a traffic stop, Radio Iowa reports. The bags contained crack –but the district court suppressed the evidence – saying there was no clear indication of what was in the baggies.
The Supreme Court says the drugs found could be used as evidence based on what’s called the “plain feel” doctrine. It says officers can determine if an item may be drugs based on their experience and the feel of the item in someone’s pocket. The case now goes back to the district court.
