Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), said today (Wednesday), 17 people have died from COVID-19 over the past 24-hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the State to 306. The IDPH says 46% of those who died from the virus were over the age of 80, and 53% were men. The number of COVID-19 positive test results increased by 377 to 13, 289 (an increase of 8% from Tuesday). 85, 719 Iowans have been tested.

There are 388 people hospitalized due to the virus, with 36 admitted over the past 24-hours. Officials say 5,954 Iowans have recovered. 133 patients are in an ICU. One additional outbreak was reported in an LTC (Long-Term Care facility), for a total of 33.  Altogether, 1,148 residents and staff at those facilities have been infected with the virus.

• IDPH reported 101 patients are on ventilators.
• There are currently 3,620 inpatient beds available in the state, with 448 ICU beds available. IDPH reported 707 ventilators available.
• IDPH data shows hospitalization numbers flat or decreasing over the last seven days.

(Radio Iowa) — The three-TRILLION dollar economic recovery plan introduced in the U.S. House includes two-and-a-quarter billion for the biofuels industry. Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat from Dubuque, is part of the House Biofuels Caucus that lobbied for the assistance. “This is obviously a meaningful step towards protecting our producers and providing relief to this vital sector of our economy that means so much to our state, to our agricultural community, also to rural Iowa and our cities,” Finkenauer says.

Under the plan, ethanol and biodiesel plants would get payments based on the gallons each produce. “At a rate of 45 cents per gallon for fuel produced between January and May of this year,” Finkenauer says, “and then for plants forced to shut down, the bill provides 22.5 cents per gallon on the amount produced during the same period last year in 2019.” There are eight biofuels plants in Finkenauer’s congressional district which covers the northeast quarter of Iowa. “And I know they are struggling,” Finkenauer says. “Just last month the ADM ethanol production plant in Cedar Rapids shut down, furloughing 90 workers.”

Growth Energy, a trade group for the industry, projects biofuels production has been cut in half due to the pandemic and the Trump Administration waivers for oil refineries, so they don’t have to blend ethanol into gasoline. Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, is also a member of the House Biofuels Caucus. She says the downturn in the biofuels industry is having a devastating economic impact, leading to rural job losses and falling corn prices.

Officials with the Cass County Auditor’s Office said today (Wednesday), that they are “Getting WAY too many ballots being returned without the Voter Affidavit being signed on the backside of the return envelope. There MUST be a signature here in order for your vote to count.” The same thing is being done across the State of Iowa, so sign your affidavit! The Auditor’s Office says even with your signature no one will know how you voted, if this is a concern please them so they can explain the process used for opening ballots.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ Wednesday press conference. We will have live audio of the presser on KJAN as well. The press conference is set to begin at approximately 11:00 a.m.

(Radio Iowa) — More than a dozen U-S senators, including Iowans Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, are calling for indemnity support for pork producers who are depopulating their herds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jen Sorensen

Jen Sorenson of Ankeny, president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, says it was a big plus when President Trump declared pork processing plants as critical infrastructure, ordering them to stay open. “But we are still so far behind with plant capacity,” Sorenson says. “U.S. hog farmers need help and relief when it comes to compensation for euthanized animals and also the cost incurred with euthanizing, composting and rendering those animals as well.”

Hog producers in Iowa and elsewhere are asking for financial help in covering their losses.  “A hundred dollars, roughly, for compensation for euthanized animals,” Sorenson says, “and then an additional $50 to cover those rendering, disposal and composting costs, depending on how the producer wishes to walk through that process.” Producers were looking to 2020 as a year of potential profit after a few years of consecutive financial challenges, but then coronavirus arrived.  Sorenson says, “We had two rough years in terms of the trade disruptions in 2018 and 2019 with not having access into Japan, the uncertainty of USMCA, and not having a market into China as well.”

Due to COVID-19 outbreaks that closed some meatpacking plants, processing capacity is down by 20- to 40-percent or more and estimates say the pork industry has lost more than five-billion dollars.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (WHO-TV) — Authorities say one person has been injured in an officer-involved shooting in central Iowa. Station WHO-TV reports that the shooting happened before dawn Wednesday morning in Marshalltown when officers were called to a northwest neighborhood near Rogers Elementary School for a disturbance. Marshalltown Police Chief Michael Tupper says the call was made just before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, and arriving officers encountered a man who was shot by a Marshalltown police officer.

Tupper says the man was taken to a hospital for treatment of wounds not believed to be life-threatening. Tupper did not give details about what led to the shooting. The injured man’s name has not been released.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(7-a.m. News) – Police in Creston report two men were arrested on drug charges early this (Wednesday) morning, following a traffic stop at the Creston City Hall parking lot. During the stop, K9 Jax was deployed and gave a positive response resulting in the arrest of 40-year old Justin Alan Robertson, of Creston. Robertson was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense. Also arrested at the scene was 31-year old Kyle Duane Hoadley, of Creston. He was taken into custody for Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 2nd Offense. Both men were cited and released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on Summons’ to Appear in court.

On Tuesday, a man from Minnesota reported to Creston Police, that he left a non-running electric moped at a friend’s house in the 300 block of N. Elm St., in Creston. The man said the moped was taken sometime in July, 2019. He estimated the value of the moped at $200.

Two men were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 49-year old Richard Bryan Jenkins, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid warrant for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, and, indecent exposure. Jenkins was transported to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and held on $2,000 bond.

And, 47-year old Dennis Joseph Doyen, of Red Oak, was arrested on a warrant for domestic abuse assault by impeding flow of air/blood. Doyen was transported to Montgomery County Jail and was also being held on $2,000 bond.