DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man has been arrested in the death of his wife whose body was found in a wooded area outside the couple’s Des Moines home. Thirty-two-year-old Datron Simmons was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the death of 50-year-old Connie Simmons of Des Moines. Police Sgt. Paul Parizek wrote in a news release that evidence indicates that Datron Simmons killed his wife on Sept. 6 at their home.

The release said she had existing health issues and that police went to the home Friday to check on her at the request of her family.Her body was located a short time after a missing person report was completed. The investigation is ongoing.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health today (Saturday), reported 793 new coronavirus cases and eight additional deaths. As of 10 a.m., IDPH reported a total of 73,547 positive cases, 52,932 recoveries and 1,216 deaths since the pandemic began. As of 10 a.m. Friday, the IDPH had reported 72,754 total positive cases and 1,208 total deaths.

There are three more positive cases in Cass County, for a total of 122. Adair County has one more positive case for a total of 56. Harrison County also reports one more case, for a total of 160. There are two more positive COVID-19 cases in Adams County, for a total of 26, and in Madison County, for a total of 180. The cases in Guthrie County have risen to 196 from 189 on Friday. Pottawattamie County saw a jump of 31 cases for a total of 1,784. There was also an additional death in Pott. County, bringing the total to 36.

Here are the latest positive case numbers for southwest/western Iowa (County; Positive Case #’s; number of persons who have (recovered); {deaths since the outbreak began}.

• Cass County: 122 cases; (113); 2 deaths
• Adair County: 56 cases; (39); 1 death
• Adams County: 24 cases; (21)
• Audubon County: 42 cases; (29); 1 death
• Guthrie County: 196 cases; (147); 5 deaths
• Montgomery County: 83 cases; (78); 5 deaths
• Pottawattamie County: 1,784 cases; (1,540); 36 deaths
• Shelby County: 230 cases; (216); 1 death.
• Madison County, 180; (145); 2 deaths
• Harrison County, 160 cases; (142); 2 deaths

The State’s COVID-19 dashboard  shows 694,782 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19. The state reports 6,156 lab results received in the previous day, with 614 positive cases. The state receives test results from prior days that add to the overall total. One of five Iowans have been tested and one of 43 have tested positive. IDPH reports an 8.8% positivity rate over the last 14 days.

IDPH hospitalization data shows 290 Iowans hospitalized with coronavirus, up from 281 the previous day. There are 90 patients in intensive care, up from 83 the previous day. There are 35 patients on ventilators in the state, down from 36 the previous day. There were 50 patients admitted in the last 24 hours, up from 27 the previous day.

The numbers in western/southwest Iowa show: 13 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19 (compared with 10 on Friday); 7 are in an ICU (1 more than Friday); 3 people were admitted to a hospital (1 was reported Friday), and two more people are on a ventilator, for a total of four.

Three more long-term care facilities are reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in the state. There are currently 35 facilities reporting outbreaks, with 890 positive cases and 413 recoveries within those facilities. More than half of the state’s COVID-19 deaths have happened within long-term care facilities, at 649.

DAVENPORT, Iowa— A man from southeastern Iowa was sentenced Thursday to nearly 22-years in prison for trafficking drugs. The U-S Attorney’s Office reports 44-year old Lloyd Davenport, of Burlington, must serve 262 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Davenport was a pound-level dealer of ice methamphetamine in the Burlington area, who admitted that he possessed a firearm in relation to his drug trafficking activities. Davenport’s criminal history includes convictions for armed robbery, a prior drug trafficking offense, and animal cruelty.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The former office manager of the Iowa City Area Development Group has been sentenced to 27 months in prison for a 13-year theft scheme in which she misspent more than a half-million dollars. The U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release that 48-year-old Sheri Jelinek of North Liberty, Iowa, was also ordered to make full restitution to the nonprofit and its insurance company.

The nonprofit, which promotes workforce and economic development, is funded by local businesses. Jelinek pleaded guilty last year to seven counts of wire fraud. Prosecutors say she made more than $460,000 in improper or personal charges on the organization’s credit cards.

w/ Chris Parks

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WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has disciplined again a former Iowa prosecutor for professional conduct violations. The state’s highest court suspended on Friday Jesse Marten’s law license for 30 days. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Marten was the top prosecutor for Floyd County before his removal in 2010 for violating ethics rules.

The latest ruling is the second disciplinary matter against him. The Iowa Supreme Court said it was most troubled by his willingness to provide knowingly inaccurate tax returns for his clients to give their bank in support of loan applications.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — MidAmerica Energy has contacted Iowa environmental regulators to alert them of a sheen noticed on Mosquito Creek that appeared to be coming from a storm water drain at the Walter Scott Plant. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in a news release Friday that booms and absorbent material were immediately deployed.

An unknown amount of the unidentified substance entered Mosquito Creek. The company has a contractor at the site cleaning out the storm drain and stopping any further release. No impact was observed on the Missouri River and no dead fish were observed in Mosquito Creek.

(Radio Iowa) – A man is in custody, charged with murder following a stabbing early this (Friday) morning in Sioux City. Sioux City Police Chief Rex Mueller says at about 1 a.m. officers responded to a reported assault at home. “Upon arrival, officers found a 37-year-old male and 43-year-old female who had sustained multiple stab wounds,” the chief says. “Both were transported to Mercy Medical Center by ambulance.” The man died. The chief says the woman suffered serious injuries.

Police arrested 54-year-old Michael Anthony Landrum of Sioux City as he was walking three blocks away from the home where the victims had been found an hour before. Sioux City Detective Ryan Denny says Landrum and the victims knew one another. “It’s not random,” he says. “…Drugs and alcohol were a factor.” Landrum is charged with willful injury and first degree murder.

It’s the second murder in Sioux City this year.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — State officials have granted Iowa City schools a two-week extension to teach all of its classes online as the district seeks to avoid the spread of the coronavirus among students and staff. The state granted the request on Wednesday — the same day it received the request from the Iowa City Community Schools District, one of the largest in the state.

School districts must request a waiver from the state in order to pursue two weeks of online-only classes and must show the positivity rate in their county is at least 15%. Iowa City schools officials said Wednesday that Johnson County’s 14-day positivity rate had reached 20.4% as of Wednesday.