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FOREST CITY --- North-central Iowa’s largest employer says they’ll lay off more than 200 workers due to the economic downturn. Officials with Forest City-based Winnebago Industries say they’ll lay off up to 225 workers as the recreational vehicle industry continues to see a downturn. Winnebago President Bob Olson confirmed the number during a conference call with industry analysts Wednesday morning to discuss the retirement of CEO Bruce Hertzke. Olson says the company postponed the downsizing as long as possible, but high fuel prices and low consumer confidence has dampened motor home purchases, and expectations are that 2008 sales will be flat. The cut of 225 jobs would equal about seven percent of the current 32-hundred in the Winnebago workforce. Winnebago’s last round of layoffs resulted in 170 losing their jobs, but most were hired back within 30 days.
MASON CITY --- Local health officials say the flu is starting to show up in schools around the area. Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health disease prevention and investigation service manager Karen Crimmings says flu activity generally peaks between late December and early March, and we are starting to see signs of influenza around north-central Iowa. She says schools are seeing higher-than-normal absentee rates, and the Mercy Family Health Line is reporting a number of possible cases through phone calls. Crimmings says it’s still not too late to get a flu shot…but if you are going to get one, you better get it soon. Crimmings says if you have the symptoms of influenza…such as a high fever, headache, extreme tiredness, a dry cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, or muscle aches…that you need to stay home from work or school and avoid contact with people. Flu shots are still available through the county health department at their office in Mohawk Square weekdays mornings from 10-to-12 and weekday afternoons from 12:30-to-4:00.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senator Charles Grassley is backing a bill to help seniors living on Social Security and the jobless as part of the economic stimulus plan approved in the House.
The Iowa Republican, the top GOP member on the Finance Committee, is breaking with President Bush and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Grassley says he's supporting a bill by committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat from Montana.
It would pump 196 billion dollars into the economy.
It adds 35 billion dollars to the House bill to include seniors and the unemployed. It shrinks the rebate to $500 for individuals and $1,000 for couples. And, it would deliver checks to the richest taxpayers, who are disqualified under the House-passed measure.
The committee approved the bill Wednesday and debate is expected soon.
WASHINGTON --- The U-S House yesterday passed an economic stimulus package which is now making its way through the Senate. The $146 (B) billion package would speed rebates of $600-to-$12-hundred to anyone with at least $3-thousand in income, while families with children would get even more. North-central Iowa Congressman Tom Latham voted for the legislation and says he’s happy with the bill. He says the package will do a good job of getting money into consumers hands very quickly as the economy needs a little push and get it strong once again. Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate are backing a larger package that adds billions of dollars for senior citizens and the unemployed while shrinking the rebate to $500 for individuals and $1-thousand for couples. Latham says he doesn’t expect too many changes to be made in the House version of the bill when the Senate brings up the package for a vote. Latham says he’s optimistic that a call by fellow Iowa Republican Charles Grassley to add help for the unemployed and include seniors living on Social Security to the economic stimulus plan would make it back through the House. Latham is a Republican originally from Alexander.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa Congressman Tom Latham has been named the top Republican on a subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
The Ames lawmaker will serve on a subcommittee on the legislative branch, which controls money spent on Congress and the Capitol complex.
Latham says he will also continue to serve on appropriations subcommittees dealing with agriculture and the departments of commerce, state and justice.
CHARLES CITY --- A Charles City man already facing numerous sexual abuse charges has had another charge of sexual abuse files against him. 40-year-old Daniel Leech was arrested back in September on two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, two counts of second-degree sexual abuse, and four counts of incest. The second-degree sexual abuse charges and two counts of incest that were connected with an alleged incident in January of 1997 have been dismissed…but Leech now faces an additional third-degree sexual abuse charge in connection with an incident that allegedly took place in August of 2003. Leech is scheduled to go on trial on the charges on February 12th in Floyd County District Court. He remains in the Floyd County Jail on $15-thousand bond.
MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) - A batch of recalled green beans has turned in some school lunch programs in northern Iowa -- but no students became ill.
The beans, produced by the New Era Canning Company of Michigan, were recalled earlier this month because they could be contaminated with botulism.
The beans showed up in the Rockwell Swaledale and Sheffield SCMT school districts.
The cans were purchased primarily by institutions such as schools, retailers and restaurants.
Symptoms of botulism can begin from six hours to two weeks after eating food that contains the toxin. Symptoms include double vision, blurred vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth and muscle weakness. If untreated, it could cause paralysis.
DES MOINES --- Supporters of a program that allows Iowa high school students to enroll in community college courses released the results of a new study Wednesday. North Iowa Area Community College president Michael Morrison says the dual-enrollment programs help motivated students make a successful transition to higher education or into the workforce. The study also indicates the return on investment is well over 5-hundred percent.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa lawmakers are looking at more plans to keep young drivers safe on the roads.
Lawmakers have already proposed restricting young drivers from using cell phones while behind the wheel. Another idea is no passengers if no parents or guardians are in the car.
According to the Department of Transportation, young drivers rarely have accidents when parents or guardians are in the car. But when they're on their own, the crash rate increases by 700 percent.
Teenagers can get a restricted, or intermediate, license at 16 and are eligible for a full license if they are accident- and violation-free for a year.
Intermediate licenses already prohibit youths from driving between 12:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or traveling to or from a school or work function.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Legislative leaders have a gloomy outlook for Governor Culver's bottle bill proposal that would double the 5-cent deposit per container.
On the Democratic side, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal says the proposal won't move forward because of divided interests at the Statehouse. He says those interests have kept the bottle bill from undergoing any change for 16 years.
Republican leaders share the outlook.
House Minority Leader Christopher Rants says Culver's bill should be off limits because it would add more of a burden to Iowa's taxpayers. He says it's ridiculous to tax families on their choice of beverage.
Under Culver's proposal, consumers who return a container would only get 8 cents back. A penny would go to the state's centerpiece environmental program, and the other cent would go to increase the handling fee to redemption centers and retailers. The plan also would expand the type of containers covered under the law.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Lottery officials and the state ombudsman's office have agreed to work together in an investigation into whether store clerks could be claiming lottery customer winnings.
The agencies had been at odds over what records should be made available, but officials told a legislative panel Wednesday they would cooperate to ensure lottery players didn't lose their winnings.
The matter came up when Citizens' Aide Ombudsman William Angrick heard of cases in Canada where clerks falsely told customers their lottery tickets weren't winners, then redeemed the prizes for themselves. Iowa Lottery officials haven't reported any such complaints.
The ombudsman's office plans to begin an investigation next week to examine how to head off any potential problems.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - MidAmerican Energy has activated 142 wind turbines in Iowa and expects to activate hundreds more by the end of the year.
MidAmerican, Iowa's largest energy company, expects to own 726 turbines when it completes its statewide expansion project, enough to power 390,000 homes.
The new activated turbines are in Pocahontas, Wright and Hamilton counties.
The company says about 25 percent of its owned electric generating capacity will come from noncarbon sources by the end of this year.
MidAmerican Energy began building wind projects in 2004.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) - Hormel Foods has announced plans to build an $89 million plant that will produce microwave meals in Dubuque, Iowa.
Construction is slated to start this summer, with production starting by November 2009.
The Austin, Minn.-based company says 180 news jobs will be created.
Chairman, President and CEO Jeffrey M. Ettinger says consumer demand for microwave meals "is exploding," and the new plant will allow Hormel to increase its production capacity.
Russell C. Potter, a vice president of grocery products operations, says Dubuque is an excellent location, offers a talented work force and is close to the company's main grocery products distribution center.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Pioneer Hi-Bred has reached a deal with a Maryland company to sell soybeans that yield low trans fat oil.
Under the deal with Perdue AgriBusiness, Iowa-based Pioneer will sell the soybeans to farmers in Maryland, Delaware and southern Pennsylvania for the upcoming growing season.
The deal marks an expansion in the marketing of the soybeans, which have been sold by Pioneer for three consecutive seasons.
Perdue AgriBusiness is a privately held international business providing products and services to customers in more than 70 countries.
Des Moines-based Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, is a leading provider of plant genetics in nearly 70 countries.
MASON CITY --- As we approach the midst of winter, half of us are likely affected by “cabin fever”, or what is clinically diagnosed as Seasonal Affective Disorder. Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa clinical social worker Pat Wilson says you need to make sure you get enough daylight in your life as possible during the winter months. Wilson says you need to try and remain active during the winter months. Wilson says getting through the early to middle months of winter are the toughest due to the lack of daylight. Wilson says if you or someone you know are suffering an extreme case of “cabin fever”, you should seek professional help. Wilson says something you may want to look into if you are suffering from cabin fever is “broad spectrum light therapy”, which helps produce active mood hormones.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - None of the tickets sold for the Powerball game Wednesday night matched all six numbers drawn, which were: 2-17-41-54-55, Powerball: 17, Power Play: 2
Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball would have won or shared the 2 jackpot. The prize goes to an estimated $43 million for Saturday.
Tickets that match the first five numbers, but miss the Powerball, win $200,000 each, and there were two of those. They were sold in: Indiana, Missouri.
There was one Power Play Match 5 winner in Colorado.
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