John Deere Dubuque Works has added more than 100 employees to its workforce in the last three months, in sharp contrast to layoffs that have slammed neighboring Iowa and Illinois communities.
Deere & Co. on Friday announced that workforce adjustments at five locations will result in 910 employees being placed on "indefinite layoff." The action will affect 565 workers at three facilities in Waterloo, 300 workers at the Des Moines Works in Ankeny, and 45 employees at Harvester Works in East Moline, Ill.
Ken Golden, director of global public relations for Deere & Co., said low commodity prices have impacted farm income, dragging down equipment sales in the process. The construction and forestry division, however, is benefiting from a surge in demand.
'Bachelor Bus' to roll into Dubuque
Dubuque is about to again bask in "The Bachelor" spotlight, while the reality show gets downright muddy.
Chris Harrison, the host of the ABC-TV reality show, tweeted big news to tri-state area fans on Tuesday night.
His tweet: "Bachelor Nation! The Bachelor Bus will be coming to Dubuque, Iowa this coming Monday! Email us at bachelorbus2015@gmail.com to be considered."
The Bachelor Nation Party Bus stops at viewing parties of the show in various cities.
* parks added to sledding list
Dubuque City Council members voted, 7-0, Tuesday to allow sledding, skiing and snowboarding in Gay, Usha and Valentine parks. They will join Bunker Hill Golf Course and Allison-Henderson Park as the only city-owned properties in which the winter sports are allowed.
Council members voted to ban sledding on most city-owned properties Jan. 5 in an effort to limit liability from injury lawsuits. While cities are protected by state law from suits filed by skateboarders or bicyclists injured on public property, similar protections don't exist for sledding.
Panel discussion will focus on racial disparities
An upcoming panel discussion and public forum will address racial disparities in the criminal justice system, education, housing and other areas.
A Human Rights Commission subcommittee draft report suggests that black people, despite accounting for only 4 percent of Dubuque's population, represented an average of 23 percent of arrests from 2009 to 2014.
And nearly one-fifth of those arrested on drug charges in Dubuque in that time frame were black, according to the data.
Dubuque Police Chief Mark Dalsing and Inclusive Dubuque Coordinator Jessica Rose are among the panelists who will present during a Jan. 28 roundtable discussion. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Clarke University's Jansen Music Hall.
Panelists also will be available during a Feb. 4 public forum at Prescott Elementary Neighborhood Resource Center. The forum, which will begin at 6:30 p.m., will resemble a "public hearing," according to organizers.
Taser-trained
More than three dozen Dubuque County deputies have completed Taser training courses and many are now carrying the devices daily.
Sheriff Don Vrotsos confirmed that three, two-day Taser training courses have been completed this month and three more will be held in February. Deputies underwent a separate course on liability and use-of-force laws in late 2014.
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The new weapons will lead to a safer climate for deputies and civilians alike, according to Vrotsos.
City conducts 'fiscal physical'
An annual audit of the City of Dubuque's finances revealed some compliance issues, including reporting errors, unmet covenants on water and sewer bonds and a few potential conflicts of interest in business transactions.
The city is subjected to an independent audit after each fiscal year. Information from the audit is compiled in a Comprehensive Annual Report filed with the state auditor.
The 180-page report on Fiscal Year 2014 will be a resource for several agencies, as well as Moody's and investors, according to Ken TeKippe, city finance director.
In addition to reviewing the city's revenue streams, expenses and various general and enterprise funds, the audit points out compliance issues.
Plant, office tours enlighten teachers
BELLEVUE, Iowa - Erin Fischer drives past the Rockwell Collins facility on State Street almost every day.
Prior to Monday, the English teacher at Bellevue Middle/High School never knew much about what goes on inside it.
Fischer and 29 other faculty members from the Bellevue Community School District got an up-close look at three businesses Monday, thanks to a first-time effort coordinated by Jackson County Economic Alliance aimed at informing educators about local industries.
Teachers paid visits to Rockwell Collins and Sedgwick CMS in Bellevue, as well as Precision Metal Works in Maquoketa.
Fischer said she took away plenty of information from her visits - especially when it came to the Rockwell Collins facility, located just a short distance from where she teaches.
In UD class, Captain Picard meets Dr. Who
Four men are stuck on railroad tracks with a train barreling toward them.
You can save their lives by pulling a lever and diverting the train onto another set of tracks.
Then, you notice him. There is a man stuck on the other set of tracks.
You must make a decision. Do you save four lives and end one?
On Tuesday, University of Dubuque students weighed life-or-death decisions through the trolley problem, a thought experiment, in a course dedicated to sociology and science fiction.
In its second year, the course illustrates how "Dr. Who" and "Star Trek" have helped shape subject areas such as culture, technology, religion, philosophy and ethics.
