City Council Approves Two-Year Bargaining Unit Contract With City Employees
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars city council gave its approval to an agreement between the city and the city employees. The council held a special meeting Thursday afternoon to vote on the proposed agreement. City council members approved the new two-year agreement on a 5 to 0 vote. The new contract will take effect on July 1st of 2022. The collective bargaining agreement will apply to most of the city’s employees with the exception of supervisors. The agreement will eliminate the current base column salary and step one will become the new base. There is no new step added. City employees will be given a four percent salary increase for the first year of the contract from July 1 of 2022 until June 30 of 2023. Then another four percent increase in salary pay will commence at the start of the second year of the contract agreement which will run from July 1st of 2023 until June 30th of 2024. City employees shall advance on the wage schedule on the first of the month following 12 months within a step regardless of which step they begin employment. Advancement will be determined by the employee’s supervisor and satisfactory job performance. If the employee is not recommended for advancement, the employee will remain within their current step for an additional 12 month period and their performance will be re-evaluated before advancing to the next step.
Man Shot By Deputy Following Chase
(Stuart, Iowa) — A man was shot by police Wednesday night following a traffic stop in western Iowa that turned into a chase. A Stuart Police Officer attempted to stop a car around 8:30 p-m. for a simple traffic violation, and the driver took off, The man identified as 57-year-old Charles R. Bradshaw, the third of Jefferson, turned his vehicle around abruptly and was struck by a Stuart Police cruiser in Adair County. An Adair County Deputy heard a gunshot coming from the vehicle and says Bradshaw had a handgun. The Deputy fired and hit Bradshaw in both arms. He was treated at a hospital in Des Moines and then released into the custody of the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.
Urbdandale Couple Arrested
(Urbandale, IA) — Urbandale police arrest a woman for allegedly stabbing and then shooting at her boyfriend. Police say 46-year-old Tonnica Lovan stabbed 53-year-old David Passman, then fire a shot at him after he left the bedroom on December 19th. Lovan was charged with attempted murder, willful injury causing serious injury, being a felon in possession of a firearm. Passman was treated for his injuries and he was later charged with trafficking in stolen weapons, control of a firearm by a felon, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
TPI Shutting Down Production Friday
(Newton, IA) — Hundreds of employees at T-P-I Composites in Newton will clock out for the last time at the wind turbine manufacturing plant tomorrow (Friday). The company announced in October it was ending production at the plant — putting some 700 people out of work. T-P-I made blades for General Electric, but G-E purchased a rival blade manufacturer and has ended its relationship with T-P-I. The company started making blades in Newton about a year after Maytag quit making washing machines there in 2007. Iowa Workforce Development has been working with the employees to help them find new jobs.
New Year’s Fireworks May Not Be Legal Shoot Off
(Iowa City, IA) — You can legally buy fireworks in the state from December 10th through January 3rd — but many local governments in Iowa don’t allow you to shoot them off. If you want to celebrate the New Year with your own personal firework show you need to check your local ordinance to see if they are allowed. In Iowa City for example, using fireworks inside city limits is prohibited, and violators will face a minimum fine of 250 dollars.
Hy-Vee Creating Security Teams For Stores
(West Des Moines, IA) — West Des Moines-based Hy-Vee grocery stores are deploying their own security teams throughout its stores in Iowa and seven other states. Hy-Vee says in its announcement that they have worked with third party security or off-duty law enforcement in the past, and this program will give them a consistent look across all stores. The statement from Hy-Vee says the officers are specially trained to defuse situations and equipped to protect the safety of both Hy-Vee customers and employees. The announcement about the officers doesn’t mention that they will be armed — but job postings for the positions says officers must be able to pass a handgun certification course.
Record Setting Tenure Of Manchester Mayor Ends
(Manchester, IA) — The city of Manchester will enter the new year with a new leader for the first time in nearly five decades. Manchester Mayor Milt Kramer is retiring from the job he started on September 16th, 1974. The Decorah native first came to Manchester in the 1960s as a teacher and basketball coach and never thought he would run for political office. Kramer is believed to have served longer than any other mayor in the state of Iowa — and is also believed to be the second-longest serving in the country.
