😁 Happy Friday! Heads up— literally! Next week brings the Strawberry Moon on June 11th. Spring’s final full moon, glowing low and golden. It’s not actually made of strawberries (we checked), but it’s still a treat for skywatchers. Set a reminder and don’t forget to look up!

Weekend Weather:
Today 🌦️ Hi 75, Sat 🌦️ Hi 77, Sun 🌤️ Hi 76, Mon 🌤️ Hi 74

B&A Club: 
🎂 Happy Birthday
Collins O'Brien -- Carroll (2 yrs)
Dillon Schon -- Carroll
🥂 Happy Anniversary
none reported

MARKETS FROM SHERWOOD

Uber's having drivers train its AI while partnering with robotaxi companies that could replace them

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi outlined how the company's drivers are helping to train its AI .

Max Knoblauch

UberUBER $84.62 (1.40%), one of the OG tech disruptors, sure appears to be planning to disrupt its own workforce. Speaking at the Bloomberg Tech conference on Thursday, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the company's drivers can now make extra cash by helping train its AI.

The only issue: that AI may one day power autonomous vehicles that put human drivers out of business.

Khosrowshahi said Uber's drivers and couriers are now "labeling maps, translating language, looking at AI answers, and grading AI answers" as part of the ride hailing company's effort to create "more work and earnings opportunities" for its gig workforce.

According to Khosrowshahi, this work will be "very small compared to the overall workload" of a typical driver.

This new gig income stream comes in a year that's seen Uber roll out driverless rides in Austin through its partnership with GoogleGOOGL $169.25 (0.71%)-owned Waymo. The company plans to launch Waymo robotaxi rides in Atlanta this summer.

In the company's earnings call earlier this month, Khosrowshahi said Uber's Austin Waymos are "busier than 99% of [Uber's] Austin drivers."

Bloomberg has previously reported on Uber's expansion of its of independent contractor workforce to include programmers and data labelers. The idea that its drivers are now AI trainers, too, appears to be new information.

"AV we think represents a safer way of transportation," said Khosrowshahi at the conference, adding that Uber has 18 partnerships in the autonomous vehicle ecosystem. The CEO has been very upfront about Uber's plans to eventually phase out human drivers, telling the WSJ earlier this year that human driver displacement from AVs will occur within the next 15 to 20 years.

As of last September, Uber had more than 7 million drivers worldwide. see stock

LOCAL NEWS

CCSD Recognizes Staff With Years Of Service And Retiree Awards On Tuesday

The Carroll Community School District (CCSD) celebrated another school year by awarding teachers for years of service and recognizing retiring staff on Tuesday. Superintendent Dr. Casey Berlau said that as the 2024-25 school year comes to an end, he will reflect on how it will be one that he will never forget. Awards were presented to staff members for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and even 45 years of service at CCSD. Berlau said staff members’ commitment to providing the best education to students throughout all those years is worth celebrating. Berlau said he is proud of each staff member for everything that was accomplished this year. He said that through everything, good and bad, CCSD never lost hope and continued, which is reflected in students, such as this year’s graduating class. Berlau also noted the manners that were displayed by the 8th-grade class after their awards ceremony, saying it’s those little moments that make everything worth it. He wished everyone leaving the district to pursue other careers well and notes that he is excited for the 2025-26 school year, with the new hires and amazing returning staff going to promote the mission statement: Inspiring Learning and Excellence for All. Pictures from the awards presentation can be found here.

More Local Headlines

• The Hausbarn Heritage Farm Show And Manning Rotary Club Showcasing ‘Horsepower’ This Weekend

• Fort Dodge Woman In Custody On Multiple Child Endangerment Charges For Severely Injuring Young Child

• Carroll Man Charged With Felony Criminal Mischief For Vehicle Vandalism

• Fort Dodge Man Sentenced To 11 Years In Federal Prison For Fentanyl Conspiracy

PODCAST
MUST KNOW PEOPLE - Season 2 Episode 4

A legacy of passion for community service

Katie Kruse is a dedicated community leader in Carroll, Iowa, recognized for her extensive volunteer work and commitment to enhancing local initiatives. In February 2024, she was honored with the Humanitarian Award at the 60th Annual Carroll Chamber of Commerce Banquet, acknowledging her significant contributions to various community programs. Kruse's leadership and dedication have left a lasting impact on Carroll, inspiring others to contribute to the community's growth and well-being. FULL PODCAST

AREA NEWS
Area headlines

🏡 MMU And IKM-Manning Trades Class Invites Public To Tour Newly Constructed House By Students. Students who participated in the IKM-Manning Construction Trades Class in partnership with Manning Municipal Utilities (MMU) are inviting the public to an open house this Sunday to view the completed house constructed by the students. Juniors and seniors, under the guidance and direction of Pete Croughan (Cron), got firsthand experience in building a home from the ground up through the industrial tech program. General Manager at MMU, Jeremy Carroll, says this trades class program is unique for the area and is excited to showcase the skills the students developed over the school year. Carroll says college is also not for everyone, and that residents and businesses across the community and other rural areas are seeing the impact of the less promoted trades programs. The four-year partnership between MMU and IKM-Manning CSD was implemented in phases, Carroll says, to ensure the program could get up and running effectively to have the best impact on the participating students. MMU has committed to a five-year program, so students next year will participate in a similar project, not just limited to building a house during the 2025-26 school year. Carroll encourages all to attend the open house on Sunday to view the final product and see all that the students have accomplished. Again, the open house is on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1004 Magnolia Drive. Staff and Administration from IKM-Manning and MMU are incredibly proud of the students’ work in making this house a reality. They are thankful for all the individuals, businesses, and organizations that contributed to making this program possible.

🎸 In 2027, the City of Breda will be celebrating its Sesquicentennial, but the planning is already underway with a fundraiser this weekend to help kick-off the celebrations. Breda’s 150 Community Kick-Off fundraiser will be this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Breda Park, featuring live music, a cash bar, free-will donation supper and more. During the kick-off event, the debut of Breda Beer will occur, giving attendees a first chance to purchase and sample the new brew. Apparel celebrating the town’s milestone will also be available to order and purchase. Again, join the City of Breda in fundraising for its Sesquicentennial celebration in 2027 with the Community Kick-Off this Saturday from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Breda Park.

🚶 The City of Coon Rapids is excited to announce the official designation as an American Discovery Trail (ADT) Town and the reopening of the refurbished Riverside Trail. The ADT is a network of trails throughout diverse landscapes and communities, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts across the country. Coon Rapids is the third town to be recognized with the ADT Town designation, along with Cedar Falls and Denton, Md. Coon Rapids Mayor Jeff Anthofer says, “This is a moment of pride for our entire community. We’ve always known Coon Rapids is a special place for outdoor adventure, and now the rest of the country will too.” The city applied back in December to be part of the ADT system and has accepted additional responsibilities to maintain the 2.68-mile trail alongside the Middle Raccoon River. This includes promoting the trail through ADT signage and ensuring local businesses continue to support services needed by trail users. Coon Rapids Community Coordinator, Katie Mason, says, “Becoming an official Trail Town is a significant achievement for Coon Rapids. This designation not only recognizes our community’s efforts to promote outdoor recreation but also opens new opportunities for economic growth and tourism.” The trail has recently undergone significant improvements, including milling the old trail surface, patching, asphalt paving, tree trimming and removal, and the installation of erosion control measures. A joint ceremony celebrating the official designation and the reopening of the trail will be held on Saturday, June 21, at 10 a.m. at the Riverside Trailhead on East Bridge Street. All are welcome to attend to hear from local and national trail leaders, view the unveiling of new ADT signage, and participate in the first walk on the improved trail.

LOCAL SPORTS

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STATE NEWS
A better year ahead: Pork producers optimistic this year at World Pork Expo

By: Cami Koons

Despite an ongoing trade war and low profitability the past two years, pork industry leaders and producers at the World Pork Expo in Des Moines said Wednesday they are optimistic about the year. 

Lee Schulz, chief economist for Ever.Ag, said 2025 could be the “quickest turnaround in pork producer profitability ever” — but, he clarified, that statistic says more about “how bad the situation was” the past two years than it does about 2025. 

High input costs and decreased demand in 2023 caused what Schulz said was “the worst year in pork producer profitability to date.” That was followed by 2024, which Schulz called a “break-even year” which, while better than 2023, didn’t alleviate producers’ financial stress. 

Schulz’s modeling for 2025 profitability, based on USDA statistics, predict $15 per head profitability increases for producers and a return to break even, when accounting for 2020 and 2023 losses, by August. 

Schulz said despite continued challenges facing the industry such as increased input costs, labor, and processing and slaughtering costs, pork producers are more efficient each year. 

He said trends of increasing litter rates and carcass weight in the industry mean that even with a historically low-breeding herd in December, pork producers “are going to produce the most pork per breeding animal ever.” 

“The efficiency, the productivity of this industry, is tremendous, and that trend is continuing to increase over time — even through challenges like we’ve seen in 2020, and 2023,” Schulz said. 

Shulz also said the new sausage production facility slated to be built in Perry by JBS “speaks to the health of the industry.” full story

MORE STATE NEWS:

• Iowa ‘DOGE’ task force considers county consolidation

• Win prizes by visiting an Iowa state park this summer

• Ingersoll redesign slows traffic, cuts crashes

• Iowa State football remembers Alex Ernst for magnetic personality, love for family

• Caitlin Clark injury update: Indiana Fever star to be re-evaluated over the weekend

MORE NEWS
What else!

• Aaron Rodgers ends free agency saga with Steelers signing

• Stablecoin bigwig Circle soars in debut on the New York Stock Exchange

• $1 million NBA Finals bet on Thunder placed but public loves Pacers

• Sabalenka takes out Swiatek to set up French Open final against Gauff

• ‘Cheers’ star George Wendt’s cause of death revealed

WEEKEND

✅BIGGEST CATCH: This weekend is Free Fishing Weekend!
✅UV INDEX: Are you using the right sunscreen?
✅HOSTING HACK: DIY Ice Ring for chilled drinks!
✅EASILY ENTERTAINED: For the moms with littles… summer is on the way!
✅HAPPY CAMPING: Tips and tricks that are full-blown genius
✅LISTEN: Catch the latest episode of “Must Know People” with John Ryan!
✅COMING UP: Live + Local on Thursdays starting in June!
✅FRIDAY: I Saw The Sign’s 10 Year Celebration!
✅SATURDAY: Color Fun Run 5K at Swan Lake State Park!
✅SUMMER 2025: Stone Pier Summer Concert Series this Saturday
✅LIVE MUSIC: The Weary Ramblers at Whiterock Conservancy's River Barn
✅MERCHANTS BASEBALL: Summer FAMILY FUN for all at Merchants Park!

DID YOU KNOW:
Due to their size and structure, elephants are one of the few mammals that cannot jump.

GAMES
Ready…Get Set…Go

Take a Swing at Today’s Mini Crossword: For those of you that wake up each morning wanting a challenge—how fast can you finish this game. Ready…get set…go.

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