A traffic stop at around midnight Thursday in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of an Adams County man. Red Oak Police say 18-year old Treynor Michael Dixon, of Corning, was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is expanding the state’s coronavirus testing program to include anyone who believes they need a test. Reynolds says additional testing is important as more Iowans return to work. She said Thursday Iowans can go to the TestIowa website and fill out the assessment. Previously the state restricted testing to essential workers. Reynolds on Wednesday announced the opening of movie theaters, museums and zoos on Friday and bars next week. The state posted 19 additional deaths Thursday boosting the state total to 400 and recorded more than 400 new positive cases in the last 24 hours.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal recommendations meant to keep meatpacking workers safe as they return to plants that were shuttered by the coronavirus have little enforcement muscle behind them. That is fueling anxiety that working conditions could put employees’ lives at risk. Extensive guidance issued last month by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for meatpacking companies to erect physical barriers, enforce social distancing and install more hand-sanitizing stations, among other steps. But the guidance is not mandatory. OSHA’s general guidance plainly says the recommendations are advisory and not a regulation or a new legal obligation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Fewer people filed for unemployment last week in Iowa compared to the week prior, but remained historically elevated as the country deals with the economic fallout of coronavirus pandemic. A report released Thursday the by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 13,040 new claims filed between May 10 and May 16. That was drop from the previous week, when 16,735 people filed unemployment claims in Iowa. Officials say more than 187,000 have filed for unemployment since the outbreak began, and nearly $51 million in unemployment insurance benefits has been paid out. Those industries with the most claims last week included manufacturing, which saw nearly 4,700 claims, health care and social assistance, with 1,216 claims and retail, with 827.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states inched upward in May from April’s record low, but still remained profoundly low as efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the rural economy. The overall index for the region rose slightly to 12.5 from April’s record low of 12.1. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says nearly three of every four bankers surveyed reported restructuring farm loans to deal with weak farm income. Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Two people in a semi tractor trailer were said to have been injured during a collision with a pickup truck Thursday evening on I-80, near Marne. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened at around 4:31-p.m. at mile marker 53 of I-80 eastbound. Traffic was flowing at last report, albeit slowly and at times, stop-and-go.

Marne Fire and Rescue, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Medivac Ambulance, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol responded to the scene. As of 5:30-p.m., emergency crews were still on the scene conducting traffic control.

Additional information is not available.

Here’s the latest COVID-19 information from some of the area Public Health Departments (Some counties have stopped reporting their data, since much of it is available on the State COVID-19 dashboard):

Cass County:

• 308 tested
• 6 positive
• 284 negative
• 18 pending test results
• “At this point, there is community based spread throughout Iowa and surrounding states, and Cass County is no exception to that. While we understand there is a great deal of curiosity and anxiety about the source of COVID-19 cases, the bottom line is that regardless of where the cases originated, we all have to understand that the virus is here in our county. We encourage everyone to practice social distancing, frequent hand washing or sanitizing, wearing masks as a considerate gesture to those around you, and staying home as much as possible.”

Adair County: 6 positive cases; 2 recovered/

Adams County: 3 positive cases

Audubon County: 11 positive, 8 recovered.

Dallas County: 816 positive, 494 recovered.

Fremont County: 4 & 2

Guthrie County: 42 positive, 27 recovered.

Harrison County: 18 & 17

Madison County: 21 positive, 11 recovered.

Montgomery County: 5 positive, 5 recovered

Page County: 10 & 9

Shelby County: 27 & 22.

Taylor County: 5 & 1.

Union County: 4 & 1

Mills County:

• 1 new confirmed case (an adult, 41-to 60 years of age who contracted the virus through a known exposure to COVID-19 symptomatic person.)
• 14 total confirmed cases
• 11 recovered cases
• 546 tested.

Pottawattamie County:

On May 21, Pottawattamie County Public Health (PCPH) reports 10 new COVID-19 cases. Nine of the individuals are residents of Council Bluffs and one is from Carter Lake. Three of the cases are 18-40 years old, four are 41-60 years old, and three are elderly adults (81>). These individuals were tested between May 18 and May 19. Thus far, 2,421 Pottawattamie County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and a total of 199 have tested positive. An additional four people have recovered, bringing the total of recoveries to 100. Currently, six individuals are hospitalized and 86 individuals are self-isolating. Based on PCPH contact tracing investigations, a total of 61 Pottawattamie County COVID-19 cases are the result of community spread.

(Radio Iowa) — A new report shows more than 150-thousand Americans died from alcohol, drugs and suicide combined in 2018, though Iowa’s numbers fell slightly that year. John Auerbach, president and C-E-O of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Trust for America’s Health, says efforts in Iowa to cut prescription opioid abuse must be working along with other prevention methods.

Auerbach says, “In Iowa, there was about a five-percent reduction in overall deaths from the combination of alcohol, drugs and suicide during 2018, compared to 2017.” While the number of deaths in Iowa dropped overall, some individual areas saw gradual increases, much like the rest of the country. “There were a few areas of concern in Iowa,” Auerbach says. “Suicides were up two-percent and we also saw an increase of four-percent in deaths from methamphetamines and other psychostimulants.”

The pandemic we’re enduring now has the potential to significantly worsen those trends, as he says major disasters often lead to an increase in mental health and substance use disorders. “With COVID-19, there is the trauma associated with the 92,000 deaths already and deaths continue to increase every day,” Auerbach says, “as well as with the economic and social impact of the pandemic.” Given the increase in social isolation and the unprecedented loss of jobs and income, his organization advocates expanding efforts to address stress, finding more ways to help people cope with crisis and to prevent more despair and deaths.

“We need to work on access to care,” Auerbach says. “We know that if you have health insurance and if your care provider includes ready access to behavioral health services, you’re much less likely to die from one of these causes.” Researchers also expect to see a rise in cases of domestic violence and child abuse during the pandemic. See the full report at the website of Trust for America’s Health at TFAH.org.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture says an agreement that is designed to help small-size meat processing facilities is moving ahead. Iowa Ag Secretary, Mike Naig, says it involved lockers with fewer than 25 employees.

“We’ve got a new cooperative interstate shipment program that will allow them to sell products across state lines for the first time,” according to Naig. “They’ll remain a state inspected locker — but they’ll be able to sell across state lines. And we think this is just a great opportunity that will have a long-lasting impact for these folks.” Without this agreement meat processed at a small-town butcher shop would have to be inspected a second time by FEDERAL inspectors before it could be marketed anywhere beyond Iowa’s borders.

Naig says the deal has been in the works long before the COVID-19 issues with the meat supply chain. He says the process started last June as small meat lockers and processors came to him asked about it. Naig says then they started working with the U-S-D-A on it. Naig says the current coronavirus impact on the supply chain has helped push this forward as livestock producers are trying to be creative for marketing their livestock. The capacity of the large processors dropped with COVID-19 outbreaks and that has led to some producers euthanizing their animals as they have no place to take them.

“It is not terribly widespread yet — but each day that the plants don’t run at full capacity is a day that we are adding to that backlog,” Naig says. “The situation continues to improve with our packing plants, I think as of today (Wednesday), we are running right around 72 to 73 percent of our normal capacity. So, it’s going to take us some time to get back up to that normal capacity that we know we need.” Iowa is the seventh state, to enter an agreement. Those lockers that enter the agreement will still have periodic visits from federal inspectors.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports two white females in their 20s-30s were trying to use a KANSAS CITY BENEFIT credit card in Audubon, to purchase goods.  The card was flagged as STOLEN.

Both women are wearing hoodies (one black and one gray) and shorts. One female has black hair with purple highlights. The other has blondish-brown hair with blonde streaks. One of the women weighs about 200 pounds, the other around 160.

They have two small children with them around the ages of 4 or 6. No vehicle information was available as of 2:50-p.m. IF YOU SEE THESE WOMEN, PLEASE CONTACT THE AUDUBON SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT 563-2631

Thank you.

The VFW’s Memorial Day Services at Oaklawn Cemetery have been cancelled. Members of the VFW are still placing flags on grave sites and will be raising the flag at 11:00am on Memorial Day. If you would like to watch the flag go up at the cemetery, please stay in your vehicle to do so.

MONTGOMERY – Montgomery County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Stephanie Burke said today (Thursday), she has set only two polling locations that will be open on June 2 for the 2020 Primary Election. Burke said Montgomery County traditionally has 7 locations available for the Primary Election, but that number has been reduced to only two locations.

Those voters that usually vote at the Elliott Community Building, Red Oak First Christian Church and the Red Oak Fire Station will be voting at the Red Oak Gold Fair Building. Any voters that vote at the Grant Fire Station and the Villisca Community Room will now be voting at the Stanton Fire Station. Burke said the inconvenience is expected to be minor and emphasized this is a temporary move just for this Primary Election due to COVID-19.

Burke added that other precautions besides social distancing will be implemented for the safety of the poll workers.  Auditor Burke also is reminding people to return their absentee ballot. “We still have ballots out there that need to be returned to the Auditor’s office.” A mailed ballot must be postmarked on or before Monday, June 1 or it will not be counted. “Ballots can also be put in the courthouse drop box,” Burke said.

Curbside absentee voting at the courthouse is available. “We are asking voters to park in the courthouse parking lot in the reserved voting spots. They will need to call when they arrive, and we will go to their vehicle.” Ballots may be voted there from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. through Monday, June 1. Voting will be open until 5:00 p.m. on May 29, and also from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 30.

For more information about the 2020 Primary Election, call 623-5127, follow Montgomery County Auditor & Elections Facebook page or visit www.montgomerycountyiowa.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Fewer people filed for unemployment last week in Iowa compared to the week prior, but remained historically elevated as the country deals with the economic fallout of coronavirus pandemic. A report released Thursday the by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed 13,040 new claims filed between May 10 and May 16. That was drop from the previous week, when 16,735 people filed unemployment claims in Iowa. Officials say more than 187,000 have filed for unemployment since the outbreak began, and nearly $51 million in unemployment insurance benefits has been paid out. Those industries with the most claims last week included manufacturing, which saw nearly 4,700 claims, health care and social assistance, with 1,216 claims and retail, with 827.