(Radio Iowa) – State officials say they have begun issuing the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation congress approved in late December. Iowa Workforce Development deputy director Ryan West says the agency began processing this latest round of expanded unemployment benefits last (Tuesday) night and eligible Iowans should start seeing payments within five to seven business days. West says the delay in sending out checks was due to different processes and requirements for this new round of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment compared to what was released last April.

The agency’s DIRECTOR told legislators most will receive all of their benefits at once, however some may get just one week’s worth of benefits as officials determine how many additional weeks’ worth of benefits should be paid out. The state’s unemployment trust fund pays out up to 26 weeks of benefits. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation approved by congress is covered by the federal government and provides an additional 13 weeks of jobless benefits.

EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a man killed and a suspect who was arrested in a stabbing at a northern Iowa pork processing plant. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a news release Wednesday that 50-year-old Wayne Smith, of Fort Dodge, was the man stabbed to death, and 26-year-old Lukouxs Brown, also of Fort Dodge, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Officials say both men were employees at Prestage Foods near Eagle Grove, where the stabbing occurred early Tuesday morning. Authorities say Smith was found dead in a plant locker room. Officials say Smith and Brown knew each other, but did not have details about their relationship.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Wednesday, said there were 624 new positive cases of COVID-19 test results returned from the labs over the past 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 330,436 positive cases.  There were also 26 additional deaths, for a pandemic total to-date of 5,306, including one additional death in Adair County. Statewide, 4,781 COVID deaths are attributed to Underlying causes. COVID was a contributing factor to 525 deaths. Deaths at Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities account for 2,137 of the total number of deaths.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks stand at 29. Officials say 791 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 534 have recovered.

The State data show hospitalizations continue to decline: There are currently 235 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 255 Tuesday; 52 COVID patients are in an ICU; 44 were admitted over the previous 24-hours, and 20 patients were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 14 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, five people are in an ICU, no one was admitted over the past 24-hours, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate continues to decline, from 7.5% Tuesday to 7.3% Wednesday. The 7-day average remains 5.6%.

A total of 305,273 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,239 cases; {+7}; 47 deaths
• Adair, 782; {+7}; 26
• Adams, 317 {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 463 {+7}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,072 {+1}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,650; {+2}; 68
• Madison County, 1,373; {+4}; 17
• Mills County, 1,459; {+2}; 20
• Montgomery, 954; {+0}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 9,632; {+19}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,131; {+1}; 32
• Union County,  1,169; {+0}; 31

(Radio Iowa) — Legislators are considering how many bathrooms should be required in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Current law requires establishments that serve beer, wine and liquor to have a men’s AND a women’s bathroom. A bill that’s cleared a House subcommittee would require just one bathroom for all patrons. Representative Cherielynn Westrich, a Republican from Ottumwa, says she understands the state grants waivers for taverns, bars and restaurants that have just one toilet, but the bill makes that policy permanent.

Bill backers say entrepreneurs may not know they can apply for a waiver from the two-bathroom rule and that may be keeping some Iowans from opening a bar or a restaurant with a bar menu.

Firefighters from Atlantic and Marne were asked to provide mutual aid in the form of manpower and tanker trucks, to help Walnut Fire battle a hog confinement barn fire. Crews from Avoca, Elk Horn and Hancock also responded to the scene. The call for mutual aid went out at around 8:17-a.m, for the barn fire located at 52763 Whippoorwill Road. Walnut Fire Chief Justen Tooley told KJAN News about 100 hogs were in the confinement building. It’s unclear how many survived the blaze, if any.

The assisting fire departments were allowed to return to their base by 10:25-a.m., with Walnut crews still on the scene containing hot spots and conducting mop-up activities. Tooley did not have a dollar of amount of the damage to the building, nor had a cause of the fire been determined as of late Wednesday morning.

The Creston Police Department reports 26-year old Patrick Iiams, of Creston, was arrested at around 8:30-a.m., Tuesday. Iiams was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond. And, at around 11:30-a.m. Tuesday, 43-year old Kameo Margaret Smith, of Creston,  was arrested at her residence on a Union County Warrant for Theft 5th Degree.  Smith went before magistrate and was released on promise to appear.

And, a woman residing in the 800 block of N. Cherry Street in Creston reported Tuesday night, that sometime between 7-p.m. Monday and 6-a.m. Tuesday, someone broke the windshield on her vehicle, while it was parked in front of the residence. The damage was estimated at $200.

Officials with the Glenwood Police Department said Tuesday, no injuries were reported after a vehicle struck a street sign last Friday afternoon when the driver swerved to avoid hitting a child. The 2016 Ford F-150 driven by 29-year old Alexander Allen Applegate, of Glenwood, was traveling east on 4th Street at around 3-p.m. As he drove past a school during student pick-up hours, the traffic was heavy with vehicles and buses. Applegate told Police when a small girl ran out onto the cross walk from behind a bus, he attempted to stop, and swerved to miss the child. In doing so, his pickup went off the road and struck a “Pedestrian Crossing” sign on the shoulder of the road.

Damage to the pickup was estimated at $1,500. The City of Glenwood sign sustained about $100 damage. There were no citations issued, but Glenwood Police noted Applegate was driving too fast for conditions. And, no injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident late Saturday night, in Glenwood near the Glenwood Resource Center. Authorities said 16-year old Lindsay Woods, of Glenwood, was driving a 2006 Toyota passenger van at around 10:15-p.m., when the vehicle went out of control on Iowa Street, which was icy at the time.

The van spun across the road and hit a light pole before skidded back across the road and into the ditch. The teen admitted to authorities she was traveling too fast for road conditions. She was issued a warning for Failure to Maintain Control. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,000. The Glenwood Resource Center light pole sustained $2,000 damage

And, Glenwood Police said Tuesday, 21-year old Jonathan Arrick, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Barred. His cash or surety bond was set at $2,000.