WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2019  |  IN THIS ISSUE 
  
Construction on the Hieronymus Square construction site in downtown Iowa City hit a setback Tuesday when fire broke out on the upper floors of the $41 million project, the Gazette reports. The University of Iowa issued a Hawk Alert to avoid the area at Clinton and Burlington streets, CBS2/FOX 28 reported, and the area is expected to be off-limits for a while because of ice formed from water used in fighting the fire. Designed to include 43 high-end condos and a Marriott extended stay hotel, the seven-story project was slated for completion later this year. The city of Iowa City approved a development agreement for the project in 2017 with the Hieronymus family, Kinseth Hospitality and Hodge Construction, including a $8 million tax incentive package, CBS2 previously reported.
 
A 80-acre tract next to an existing industrial park in Wapello County has become Iowa's 23rd certified shovel-ready site. The Iowa Economic Development Agency announced Tuesday that Helgerson Flats, located next to the Ottumwa Industrial Park, has been accepted by the Iowa Certified Sites program. The Ottumwa Economic Development Corp. worked with Alliant Energy to certify the site, the IEDA said in a news release. The certification process cost more than $120,000, the Ottumwa Courier reported last year. Alliant is already planning to develop a substation in Helgerson Flats, and is actively helping recruit other tenants.
 
General Mills is putting regenerative ag practices high on its list of grain sourcing goals, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports. Regenerative agriculture encompasses a variety of sustainable farming practices that mimic nature, helping regenerate soils and combating the need for chemical application. The company on Monday committed to expanding regenerative practices to 1 million acres of land used by growers to raise its food ingredients by 2030, starting with oats grown in the northern plains. It will also partner with organic and conventional suppliers of wheat, corn and sugar beets over the next decade, the Star-Tribune notes. To support the effort, General Mills will contribute $650,000 to Kiss the Ground, a nonprofit that  provides training to farmers in how to use regenerative practices, according to FoodTank.com.

A bill that could require 60,000 Medicaid recipients to work in order to continue receiving benefits was advanced by an Iowa Senate subcommittee on Tuesday. The Associated Press reports the bill would require Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week to stay in the health insurance program for poor or disabled people funded by the state and federal governments. While Republican State Sen. Jason Schultz of Crawford County argues that he's seen a "groundswell of support" in his district for the proposal, opponents say it could block benefits for those who are caregivers. Radio Iowa reported in January that the Trump administration gave states the green light to include work requirements in their Medicaid programs, and Iowa House Speaker Linda Upmeyer believes the requirements could help ease Iowa's labor shortage.

For the second straight year, home improvement chain Home Depot is conjuring up new tech to make its herculean task of hiring 80,000 seasonal workers easier. Last year, the company announced Candidate Self-Service, a system that allows store and supply chain candidates to schedule their own interviews, according to Chain Store Age. This year, Home Depot said it's rolling out new tech developed in-house that will help " hiring teams move candidates through the hiring process faster."  
 
While it's great to have tech that can make retail hiring easier, the Guardian notes that retailers will also be hiring quite a few less workers because of it. Citing a study by Cornerstone Capital Group, it said 7.5 million retail jobs are at high risk of computerization, with cashier jobs likely to be hit the hardest.
Your first rush of the day 

Forward the FREE daily CBJ Morning Rush newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and share the feeling of being informed! Use our fast, one-minute subscription to the CBJ's newsletters  here, or check out our other subscription options  here. 

See something we missed? Send tips, leads, corrections, etc. to [email protected].

CommuteYour Morning Commute
There's a little congestion on I-380 this morning, otherwise roads are looking clear. See the DOT's interactive road conditions map here. 
 
Links as of 7 a.m.