Floyd Valley Healthcare To Offer Annual Christmas Dinner To Locals
(Le Mars) — If you don’t have a place in mind to enjoy a Christmas dinner, you may want to consider having that Christmas feast at Floyd Valley Healthcare. For more than 17 years, Floyd Valley has welcomed the community to share a meal. Kathy Massey, the Dietetic Manager with Floyd Valley Healthcare talks about what will be served on Monday.
Massey says offering the Christmas dinner to the community is the hospital’s way of saying thank you to the community.
The hospital will serve the Christmas meal on Monday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to enjoy the meal inside the cafeteria. Massey says the dinner usually attracts senior citizens, however everyone is welcomed.
Massey says over the years, the Hospital kitchen staff has served a number of visitors. She says up to 150 people have enjoyed Christmas dinner at the hospital.
The hospital kitchen staff asks if people are considering eating at the hospital, that they notify the kitchen staff and report their number of reservations by calling 546-3395.
Iowa’s Unemployment Rate Drops Again
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate has fallen below 3 percent for the first time in 17 years.
Iowa Workforce Development announced Friday that Iowa’s November unemployment rate was 2.9 percent, down slightly from October’s 3 percent rate.
The unemployment decline came as the number of unemployed residents fell to 49,100, more than 10,000 people lower than a year ago. The number of working Iowans was about 2,000 higher than in October.
Iowa’s unemployment rate compares to a national rate of 4.1 percent.
Iowa To Possibly See Another Budget Shortfall
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A nonpartisan group that reviews Iowa’s finances has estimated a shortfall of about $37 million in the current $7.2 billion state budget.
The Legislative Services Agency provided the data in a report this week.
The agency adds that the next state budget, set to go into effect in July, has an expected shortfall of about $65 million. That’s due to built-in increases like plans to return money to Iowa’s emergency reserves, which helped plug previous budget shortfalls.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds will release budget recommendations in January that are expected to address any shortfalls. Her budget director previously said cuts to government departments were possible. Lawmakers must approve any proposals.
An LSA analyst says their figures could change as additional accounting comes into play, including the new federal tax overhaul.
Businessman Pleads Guilty To Evading Income Taxes
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa businessman has pleaded guilty to evading federal income taxes.
Prosecutors say 49-year-old Michael Collins, of McClelland, entered the plea Thursday in a U.S. District Court in Council Bluffs. He faces up to five years in prison at his sentencing, which is scheduled for May 11.
Prosecutors say Collins didn’t initially didn’t report around $289,000 in income in 2006 and then filed an amended return but didn’t pay the tax due. He also concealed more than $5.5 million in gross receipts for more than 10 years from an excavating and trucking company he operated and didn’t pay the taxes owed.
