Iowa
Iowa Senate Democrats call for return to 39 weeks of unemployment benefits for Tyson workers in Perry
DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Television Iowa Capitol Bureau) – Iowa Democrats are calling on Republican leaders in the state Senate to help out workers who will be affected by the Tyson plant closure in Perry.
Of the nearly 1300 workers receiving a pink slip in June, 729 of them live in Perry city limits.
With the city’s population around 8,000, State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott of Dallas County says the plant closure is going to hurt more than the affected employees. “It’s not just 729 people who are impacted. It’s spouses who also work and contribute to that community. It’s children who attend the Perry Schools, and it’s every single one of their neighbors,” Trone Garriott said.
Trone Garriott says the layoffs will also hurt Perry Schools, who are still reeling from a school shooting in January that killed a principal and student. “A sudden and significant drop in the number of students attending Perry Schools would mean budget cuts and staff cuts, and that will hurt every single Perry student. Because school funding is per student, and the budget guarantee is not much comfort in this situation because it only helps them maintain funding for a year if they raise property taxes,” Trone Garriott said.
In 2022, lawmakers cut the length of unemployment benefits for plant workers from 39 weeks to 26.
Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum says they’re calling on Senate Republicans to reverse course. “That would return unemployment benefits for workers facing a plant closure to the full 39 weeks. It’s just simply the right thing to do and we’re calling on Republican leaders in the Senate to introduce a leadership bill to make it happen,” Jochum said.
At this point in the session, only the majority floor leader can introduce a bill. When speaking with reporters Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver said he didn’t have an opinion on the plan yet, as he didn’t have time to read the proposal.
In a statement, State Senator Jason Schultz of Crawford County says the changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success.
“Plant closing and job losses are traumatic experience for employees affected by the closing, their families, and the entire community. Iowa Workforce Development and Tyson are both fully engaged in finding new employment for the impacted workers in Perry.
The changes to the unemployment insurance program are a success. This policy has halved the number of people on unemployment. It has also halved the amount of time it has taken to get another job. This program is designed to be a bridge to the next job because a job is the best way for Iowans to provide for themselves and their families. Iowa currently has more than 58,000 job openings, including more than 13,000 in central Iowa and I am optimistic new career opportunities will be available for everyone impacted by yesterday’s announcement,” Schultz said.
Tyson is encouraging affected employees to apply to other open positions in the company. The nearest Tyson plant to Perry is 109 miles away in Storm Lake.
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Conner Hendricks covers state government and politics for Gray Television-owned stations in Iowa. Email him at conner.hendricks@gray.tv; and follow him on Facebook at Conner Hendricks TV or on X/Twitter @ConnerReports.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on offense, defense development
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on how the Cyclones offense and defense is developing.
After securing multiple commitments on the offensive side of the ball, Iowa State football has landed its first defensive commitment in the 2027 recruiting class.
Keaton Wollan, a three-star linebacker out of Amery, Wisconsin, committed to the Cyclones on April 21. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound linebacker announced his decision on social media.
He chose Iowa State over other offers from Texas Tech and North Dakota State. He previously visited Ames in March, but he also took recent visits to Minnesota and Wisconsin.
As a junior at Amery High School, Wollan was a two-way standout and earned all-state honors for the 2025 season. Defensively, he racked up a team-high 125 total tackles, including nine for loss and 1.5 sacks. He also had four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions and one defensive touchdown.
Offensively, he had a team-high 932 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on 160 carries. He also caught 15 passes for 179 yards, and he was an impact player in the return game, logging more than 500 kick and punt return yards.
According to 247 Sports Composite rankings, Wollan is the No. 93 linebacker prospect in the country and the No. 11 overall recruit in his class from the state of Wisconsin.
Wollan is the sixth player to commit in the Cyclones’ 2027 recruiting class.
Iowa State football 2027 recruiting commitments
As of April 21
- Gavin Ericson-Staton, OL | Lombard, Illinois/Montini Catholic
- Isaiah Hansen, RB | Newton, Iowa/Newton HS
- Koen Hinzman, OL | Hudson, Michigan/Hudson Area HS
- Will Slagle, OL | Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell HS
- Bryson Thompson, WR | San Antonio, Texas/Claudia Taylor Johnson HS
- Keaton Wollan, LB | Amery, Wisconsin/Amery HS
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
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Prepare for more overnight closures at the northeast mixmaster as the Iowa Department of Transportation closes the ramp connecting westbound Interstate 80 and northbound Interstate 35.
Here’s what to know.
When will the Iowa DOT close the westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 ramp?
The westbound I-80 to northbound I-35 ramp will be closed to traffic from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next morning from April 21-24.
What’s the detour when the Iowa DOT closes the westbound I‑80 to the northbound I‑35 ramp?
During the closures, drivers wanting to go from westbound I‑80 to northbound I‑35 will follow a signed detour.
Instead of taking the closed ramp, motorists will stay on westbound I‑80, bypassing the northeast mixmaster connection. They’ll then exit at U.S. Highway 69, turn around, and head back east on I‑80, where they can connect to northbound I‑35 using the open portion of the northeast mixmaster.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
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