Some Local Unemployment Numbers Fall Slightly
By charguth April 14, 2021 8:56 am
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Des Moines, IA (KICD) Dickinson County has the highest unemployment rate in the area according to the latest figures released by Iowa Workforce Development.
In February the rate was 5.2 percent, down half a point from January and point 9 percent from February of 2020.
Emmet County was at 4.2 percent, down point 5 percent for the month and up point nine percent for the year.
Clay County remained the same at 4 percent even, which was point 7 percent higher than last year.
Palo Alto County stayed the same at 3.8 percent, Cherokee County ticked up slightly to 3.7 percent, Pocahontas County stayed at 3.4 percent, O’Brien County fell slightly to 3.1 percent unemployment and Buena Vista County fell point 4 percent to 3 percent even.
Board Reviews Solar Ordinance
by Joseph Schany
The Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors reviewed the proposed solar ordinance during last week’s regular session meeting Tuesday, Jan. 26. A discussion was held regarding minor changes to the proposed ordinance and presented to attorney Sheila Tipton, co-chair of Brown Winick’s Energy, Natural Resources and Environmental Law Practice Group out of Des Moines.
Members of the Board of Supervisors, along with select meeting attendees, briefly discussed issues like revenue from solar energy and the disposal of solar panels, and suggested minor changes to some of the language in the document, including drainage tile definitions.
Board Discusses COVID Vaccine Clinic
By Joseph Schany - | Feb 4, 2021
by Joseph Schany
“Palo Alto County currently has a 14-day average of 7 percent, with 31 active COVID cases,” began Sarah Strohman, Director, Community Health, providing an update to the Board of Supervisors on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday morning. “Unfortunately we did have a jump in the number of deaths. We are at 16 deaths in Palo Alto County now.”
With the recent green light given for Phase 1B vaccinations to begin on individuals 65 and over, and as vaccine slowly makes its way to Palo Alto County, Strohman and her team have been hard at work preparing for the county’s first public vaccine clinic set for Feb. 9. at the Emmetsburg VFW. According to Strohman, the high demand for the clinic has been overwhelming.