Updated: 11:40 a.m.

Iowa Telecommunications Services, Inc.’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 4.05 cents per share on common stock, the company announced today. The dividend is payable on Oct. 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 30. See the full release.

Casey’s General Stores Inc. reported a same-store sales rise of 6.4 percent in its fiscal first quarter, which ended July 31, thanks to better gasoline margins, Zacks Investment Research reported today. According to Zacks, Casey’s has beaten estimates in two of the last four quarters by an average of 17.5 percent. For fiscal 2010, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Casey’s earnings increased to $2.14 per share from $1.96 per share. <a href="http://www.zacks.com/commentary/12105/Casey&%2339%3Bs+General+Stores+Inc.+1210500

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U.S. sales of individual life insurance dropped 20 percent in the second quarter, while year-to-date sales declined 23 percent, according to a report by A.M. Best Co., a global financial services rating agency. The decline represents the steepest six-month drop in nearly 70 years.

Bank of America Corp. said credit-card defaults increased in August, Reuters reported today. The number of loans that the bank does not expect to be repaid rose to 14.54 percent in August from 13.81 percent in July.

U.S. Bancorp’s board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share, the company announced today. The dividend is payable Oct. 15 to shareholders of record at the close of business on Sept. 30. See the full release.

Panelists advised business leaders to get to know their youngest employees personally, mentor them and ask for their input on company problems, at this morning’s Power Breakfast event on “Managing a Multi-Generational Workforce” hosted by the Business Record. Seth Mattison of Bridgeworks LLC spoke to the audience at the Des Moines Club, and then questions were fielded by moderator Adam Steen and panelists Rita Perea, Ted Williams and Isaiah McGee.

Adam Liptak, Supreme Court correspondent for The New York Times, will lead Drake University’s Constitution Day celebration with a lecture titled “The Roberts Court in the Obama Era: A Reporter’s Reflections.” The free lecture begins at 3 p.m. today in room 213 of Cartwright Hall, 2621 Carpenter Ave., Des Moines. For additional information call (515) 271-2988.