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Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, Sept. 7, 2020

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September 7th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As the number of coronavirus cases fall in the U.S., governors in hard-hit states are rethinking lockdown orders on bars. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s looking at reopening bars and nightclubs that have been closed in his state since June. The rate of positive cases in Texas is also falling close to levels that Gov. Greg Abbott says could allow bars reopen again. Experts say the high risks of bars are clear months into a pandemic that has led to 6 million infections in the U.S. Even in recent weeks, new outbreaks tied to college students returning to campus have resulted in bars shutting down again from Alabama to Iowa.

LEON, Iowa (AP) — A 3-year-old boy has died after driving a utility terrain vehicle into a parked trailer in southern Iowa. The Des Moines Register reports that the boy had been riding in the UTV as a passenger with two relatives in Leon, Iowa. But the boy got into the driver’s seat after his two relatives got off. The child then drove the vehicle into a parked fifth-wheel trailer. The Iowa State Patrol crash report says he was taken to the hospital but died of his injuries. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says $100 million from the federal government will be used to maintain the state’s COVID-19 testing capacity. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Reynolds told reporters that she wanted to make sure the state has enough tests as schools reopen and flu season begins. But the governor says she also wants the state to be flexible in case testing needs change quickly. For example, she says the state later might want to buy saliva tests or tests that check for both COVID-19 and the flu.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police around the country are reporting that as roads and highways emptied during the pandemic, some drivers took advantage by pushing well past the speed limit. It’s a trend that statistics show is continuing even as states reopen. The head of the Ohio State Highway Patrol says troopers have issued 2,200 tickets since April for driving more than 100 mph. That’s a 61% increase over the same time period a year ago. July was also Ohio’s worst month for fatal crashes since 2007. California, Iowa and Utah are among several states reporting similar year-over-year increases in high speeds.