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Economic Development

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“I guess they see the potential in me.”

After dropping out of college, getting involved with the wrong crowd and making some bad choices, Sabreen Al-Hameed ended up being incarcerated at the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women. 

“I thought it was the worst …

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Expert: New state law is not a guarantee your company won’t be sued for hiring an ex-offender

Many employers in Iowa are rethinking their policies on hiring individuals with criminal records. But they’re also treading very carefully, says a legal expert. 

From a legal perspective, the complexities of hiring an individual with …

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Preparing for reentry

Take away the 20-foot-high chain-link fence and concertina wire, and the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women might be mistaken for a slightly dated corporate campus, or perhaps the commons area of a community college. But …

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Iowa rises to middle of the pack in U-Haul migration study

Corridor Business Journal: Iowa rose 11 spots in 2019 to become “the No. 30 Growth State in America,” according to the latest U-Haul data analyzing U.S. migration trends. Iowa ranked No. 41 on the annual list …

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New Capital Crossroads director named

Emily Kessinger, pictured, has been selected as the new director of Capital Crossroads. In this role, Kessinger will represent the Capital Crossroads Tri-Chairs and guide implementation of the regional vision plan, working closely with community …

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Broad-based signals of weakness in Iowa’s economy continue

The latest Iowa Leading Indicators Index report released today is signaling that employment growth will weaken in the first three to six months of 2020. 

The index for November 2019 was 107.1, up slightly from 107.0 in …

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Iowa could see negative economic impact of surrounding states raising minimum wage

KCRG-TV: The minimum wage will go up in nearly half of the states in the country this year, but Iowa is not on that list. Twenty states raised minimum wages starting on New Year’s Day. Four …

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Business trends to watch in 2020

Welcome to 2020. What better way to kick off the new year than by looking ahead at key trends affecting the business community. We asked several leaders to identify a trend in their industry they …

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Moon named Partnership’s public policy manager

Ryan Moon (pictured) has been named public policy manager at the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Moon most recently served as membership director at the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and brings past experience at the federal, …

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NOTEBOOK – One Good Read: California’s example of the ill effects of growth

California’s median household income has grown about 17% since 2011, compared with about 10% nationally, adjusted for inflation, the New York Times reported. The state has a thriving $3 trillion economy with record low unemployment. But …