TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
 
Gov. Kim Reynolds (center) and presidential adviser Ivanka Trump watch a demonstration Monday at the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center. PHOTO JOHN RETZLAFF/BUSINESS RECORD  
Touring a workforce training program in Waukee on Monday, presidential adviser Ivanka Trump reasserted the Trump administration's commitments to infrastructure improvements, including workforce development and wider rural access to broadband service.

Reporting on Ms. Trump's visit, the Des Moines Business Record noted that those are top priorities of many Iowa business groups and politicians.

Ms. Trump, daughter of President Donald Trump, said she wanted to visit the Waukee Innovation and Learning Center after Apple CEO Tim Cook sent her an email about the program. Mr. Cook had visited the program after he announced plans for a large server development in Waukee.

"Our hope is that I can bring this experience back with me to Washington and it can inform our thought process, giving more students the experience that you have the great fortune to experience," Ms. Trump told students and staff.

Ms. Trump said the administration's key pillar in infrastructure planning is workforce development. The  Labor Department is considering reauthorizing the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, and expanding federal Pell grants to cover technical programs.

"Our most important asset is our people, and we need to ensure people have the skill sets to rebuild dilapidated bridges and tunnels and infrastructure, or lay the broadband to create rural broadband accessibility in every community in America," Ms. Trump said.

To read the full story in the Des Moines Business Record, click here
 
The Texture app 
Apple has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Texture, a digital media company a presence in the Corridor.
 
In a March 12 press release, the Cupertino-based tech giant announced its plans to acquire Texture, the digital magazine subscription service by Next Issue Media LLC, which gives users unlimited access to more than 200 titles, including those from Meredith and Conde Nast, for a monthly fee.
 
Next Issue Media worked with ICAD Group in 2015 to set up a quality assurance center in Coralville, as the CBJ reported in 2015. The operation was first housed at the Coralville CoLab and then moved into larger office space at 2441 Coral Court. There are currently 18 local employees at Texture.
 
"We're excited Texture will join Apple, along with an impressive catalog of magazines from many of the world's leading publishers," Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of internet software and services, said in the release. "We are committed to quality journalism from trusted sources and allowing magazines to keep producing beautifully designed and engaging stories for users."
 
Since its launch in 2010, Texture has become the leading multi-title subscription service. In 2016, Texture was chosen by the App Store editorial team for the annual Best Of selections, which celebrate the most innovative apps and games for iOS users.
 
A key measure of the shortage of truck drivers in the American transportation industry improved in the final quarter of 2017, according to the American Trucking Associations (ATA).

ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello said the driver turnover rate - the percentage of drivers who leave a company and have to be replaced - fell seven points, to 88 percent, in the fourth quarter at large truckload companies with more than $30 million in annual revenue. It marks the first time the rate has dipped below 90 percent since the first quarter of 2017.

The turnover rate at small truckload fleets below $30 million in annual revenue declined four points, to 80 percent. However, the turnover rate at both large and small fleets remained 14 points higher than a year earlier.

"Despite this dip in turnover, the driver market remains tight and the driver shortage remains a real concern for fleets and the industry," Mr. Costello said in a release on the results. "If the economic climate continues to improve, I expect both turnover and driver shortage concerns to rise in the near future."

Mr. Costello said two reasonable explanations for the decline in turnover was strong freight demand, which may have encouraged drivers to stay at their current fleet because they were making better money with strong volumes, and pay increases implemented in the last quarter at many fleets, which may have removed some of the incentive for drivers to change fleets.
 
Tom Keating
A joint executive committee of the Xavier High School Board of Education and the Xavier Foundation Board have announced the hire of current Xavier High School Principal Tom Keating as the school's first president, effective July 1.
 
Beginning with the 2018 school year, the Cedar Rapids-based parochial school will move to the president-principal model of school governance, a model which has been used successfully in Catholic high schools nationwide.

In the position of president, Mr. Keating will now serve as the executive officer of the Xavier High School board and the Xavier Foundation board. His primary areas of responsibility will include leading the Catholic mission of Xavier, student success, visioning, long-range planning, financial management, public relations and marketing, and development.
 
"As we are now in our 20th school year here at Xavier, it is critical that we look ahead to ensure that Xavier remains a viable and preeminent education option for generations of future Saints to come," Xavier High School Board President Lorie Hines stated in a press release. "Tom Keating brings the vision, history and skill set that we need in this new leadership capacity to meet the challenges and opportunities that await us as we embark on our next 20 years."

Mr. Keating has spent more than 40 years in Catholic education as a student, teacher, coach and administrator. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology from Simpson College in 1977 and his master's in education from Loras College in 1993. He began his career as an educator at Maxwell Schools in Maxwell, where he taught from 1977-1980.

Mr. Keating has served as Xavier High School's principal since 2004. He was named Educator of the Year by the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) in 2010. Beyond his roles at Xavier, Mr. Keating also sits on the Iowa High School Athletic Association board of directors, where he has served since 2009.

New survey results released by the Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI) found members think the state's economy will keep growing in the second quarter of 2018.
 
"Business leaders continue to be optimistic about Iowa's economy," ABI President Mike Ralston said in a press release. "That's great news for all Iowans."
 
ABI surveyed its board members in March 2018. The survey found:
  • 76 percent of survey respondents expect sales to expand over the next year. Twenty-four percent expect sales to stay the same.
  • 53 percent of survey respondents expect the number of employees in their business to grow over Q2. Forty-one percent expect the number to stay the same.
  • Seventy-nine percent of survey respondents plan to make capital expenditures in Q2.
  • A shortage of skilled labor, rising material costs and concerns about pending tariffs were identified as top issues for survey respondents in Q2.
"Compared to last quarter, the survey shows business leaders expect about the same amount of sales, and continued growth in both workforce and capital expenditures in Q2," Mr. Ralston added.  
EventHeadlinesShort-Term Event Planner
 
March 20 
Iowa City Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., BlackStone, 503 Westbury Drive Ste. 1, Iowa City. Roundtables are social lunches over the noon hour. All are invited to network and keep up-to-date with chamber and community events. Free for members. Call the chamber at (319) 337-9637 if interested and not a member. 

March 21
1 Million Cups, by 1 Million Cups, 9-10 a.m., Geonetric, 415 12th Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join for community connections, startup pitches and free coffee. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR

North Liberty Roundtable, by Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, noon-1 p.m., Adelita's Mexican Grill, 555 Highway 965, North Liberty. Roundtables are social lunches over the noon hour. All are invited to network and keep up-to-date with chamber and community events. Free for members. Call the chamber at (319) 337-9637 if interested and not a member. 

Finding Your Work-Life Balance, by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 6-8:30 p.m., Kirkwood Center for Lifelong Learning, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SE, Cedar Rapids. Learn to reclaim control by setting boundaries between work and home life. Free. For more information, visit bit.ly/2pbrCoj

Wisdom Wednesday, by ICAD Group, 9-10 a.m., MERGE, 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Hear from Storey Kenworthy about how to best utilize your office space. Free. For more information, visit bit.ly/2IpwOhm
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Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
One person is dead and another is injured after a shooting in Cedar Rapids. The incident happened at a home near Soutter Avenue and 40th Street SE at 4:40 a.m. Monday. When officers arrived, they found a 35-year-old man inside with several gunshot wounds. He was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with injuries police said do not appear to be life-threatening. Police also found a 30-year-old man dead outside the home with what police believe is a self-inflicted gunshot. A CRPD spokesperson says at this point, they believe the shooting stemmed from a domestic situation. A woman and several children were inside the home at the time of the shooting, but were not injured. The 30-year-old man had a prior relationship with a woman inside the home. The names of the individuals involved are being withheld until their families are notified.

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has released the final list of certified candidates in the 2018 statehouse races. Mirroring a similar trend on the national level, Democrats appear to be competing in more races while fewer Republicans are choosing to hold their seats at the statehouse. According to ballot filings, 23 Iowa House races, or nearly a quarter of all seats, will not feature a Republican candidate. Just five house races feature no Democrat on the ballot. Four Republicans in the House and Senate also face a primary challenge in June. And more than double the number of incumbent Democrats have decided against running for a another term. Some are choosing instead to end their public service while others are seeking a different position. The numbers appear to match a pattern in national Congressional races where many incumbent Republicans are choosing to vacate their seats. Meanwhile, Democrats are competing in more races nationwide than in the past few election cycles. Read the full story here
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails' Weather First Forecast

It's not going to be a very springlike start to spring today in Eastern Iowa. It will be cloudy and cool with temperatures in the mid 30s to low 40s this afternoon. A few flurries can't be completely ruled out, but they won't lead to much today.  There will be more sunshine Wednesday and temperatures will be in the low to mid 40s. Temperatures will be near normal and around 50 degrees Thursday and Friday.  The weather will be calm ahead of a strong storm that will move into the Midwest at the end of the week. This storm will bring rain showers to start late Friday night. As the storm tracks to the south of the state, colder air will get pulled in on Saturday. This will lead to the potential for snow to mix in with the rain.