Iowan killed on D-Day to be laid to rest on 81st anniversary

The recently identified remains of an Iowan killed during the D-Day invasion of Normandy during World War II will be laid to rest Friday, 81 years to the day of his death.

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U.S. Army Private James L. Harrington was killed June 6, 1944, in Normandy, France as part of the operations to land on Omaha Beach on D-Day.

Code-named Operation Overlord, the invasion was the largest amphibious operation in history, involving naval, air and land forces. D-Day marked the beginning of the Allied liberation of Europe from Nazi control.

Harrington, 21, was among about 200 soldiers aboard a landing craft heading toward Omaha Beach when it struck an underwater mine, causing the craft to burst into flames. Enemy artillery fire also struck the craft, causing an explosion that ignited the ship’s fuel supply. The vessel was engulfed in flames before sinking, and all aboard were lost, according to an obituary and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, an agency within the U.S. Department of Defense whose mission is to recover and identify unaccounted Department of Defense personnel listed as prisoners of war or missing in action from designated past conflicts, from countries around the world.

Recovery teams located the sunken craft and recovered the remains of four individuals. However, they could not be identified at the time and were buried as “unknown” at the Normandy American Cemetery in 1946. Harrington was officially listed as missing in action.

Thanks to advances in DNA technology, the remains were exhumed in 2021, and Harrington was positively identified in late 2023.

Harrington will be buried Friday at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Cincinnati, Iowa, in Appanoose County next to his mother and grandparents.

Left to honor Harrington’s memory are his nephew, Shawn Phillips; his great nephew, Matthew Phillips; as well as extended family members, according to his obituary.

Iowa’s new unemployment system goes live

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Iowa’s new unemployment system is now live on iowaworks.gov.

The new, modernized system replaces a previous system that required multiple websites and accounts to file for unemployment. Now, Iowans can file unemployment insurance claims, search job postings, and participate in reemployment activities all on one site.

Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development Beth Townsend said the new site will be easier for claimants and employers to navigate.

IWD estimates that more than 3,500 Iowans had successfully filed a claim in the new system as of noon on Tuesday, and the agency was experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls to its helpline. As a result, those seeking assistance filing an unemployment claim may experience longer wait times.

Originally launched in the 1970s, the system has undergone updates over the years, but this is the largest overhaul it’s ever seen. Under the new system, initial unemployment claims can be filed at any hour, and weekly unemployment claims can be filed any day at any hour except on Saturdays. Claims previously had to be submitted during a certain time window each day.

On the new site, claimants also will be notified immediately of actions against their claim or whether they have missing information, instead of waiting for a former employer to send a response through the mail.

The consolidation of services on iowaworks.gov also means that enhanced security measures will be added to protect claimant and business information. All users of iowaworks.gov now will be required to use multi-factor authentication when logging into the website verifying through a text message or email.

The site was shut down for a week to facilitate migration to the new system, during which new claims and no accounts could be added. Any claimants who were unable to file before the shutdown now can retroactively file a claim in the new system.

Reynolds signs bill supporting volunteer first responders

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday signed into law HF 1002, a bill permitting cities to establish a length of service award program for volunteer first responders.

Lawmakers during the final day of the 2025 legislative session appropriated $1.5 million from the state’s Sports Wagering Receipts Fund to the Iowa Economic Development Authority to administer the Length of Service Award Program Grant Fund. The program aims to provide a tax-deferred retirement benefit and act as a recruitment and retention tool for volunteer fire fighters, volunteer emergency medical care providers and reserve peace officers.

The program is voluntary for fire departments and municipalities to participate. The state will match funds contributed by participating municipalities, up to $500 per year per award recipient.

The funds contributed by the state and municipality are put into a fund for the volunteer to cash out when they retire.

For municipalities with annual budgets less than $100,000, the state will provide a funding match of $3 for each dollar contributed by the municipality. For all other municipalities, the state will provide a dollar-for-dollar funding match.

“Iowans have relied on volunteer first responders for over a century, dating all the way back to our pioneer past,” Reynolds said in a statement. “Today, countless communities still depend on their service and self-sacrifice in the case of unexpected emergencies.

“These everyday heroes are pillars of Iowa communities, and it is vital that we honor their service and reward their dedication. I’m thankful to our legislators and key stakeholders for getting this bill across the finish line.”

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau