(Radio Iowa) – There’s a spike in eviction filings in Iowa linked to the pandemic, even though the C-D-C has halted some evictions since the extra 600-dollar unemployment payments expired. Iowa Legal Aid and Polk County housing officials have been at the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines to provide legal and rental assistance to people facing eviction. Nick Smithberg is executive director of Iowa Legal Aid.

“It is of vital importance that tenants engage in this process, deliver the CDC notices to their landlords, and show up for their court cases,” Smithberg says. “They will not win if they don’t show up.” The new eviction prevention program has allowed about 250 Polk County residents to stay in their homes. That number includes about 130 children. Smithberg says they connect tenants to rental assistance, because the moratorium doesn’t suspend rent payments.

He says, “The landlords get income that they would have lost and don’t have vacancies, the tenants keep a roof over their house, and the public gets the benefit of avoiding the adverse health crisis of having people become homeless during the middle of a pandemic.” Smithberg says they’ve been able to stop almost all evictions of renters who showed up for their hearings. He says he hopes to expand the program to other parts of the state.

(reporting by Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says she’s praying for a quick, healthy recovery for President Trump. “You know, there’s various ways that the virus impacts individuals,” Reynolds says, “so we’ll wait and see what kind of symptoms that the president and the first lady and those that have tested positive have.” Reynolds says it’s unclear when Trump may return to the campaign trail.

President Donald Trump arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., Friday, Oct. 2, 2020, on Marine One helicopter after he tested positive for COVID-19. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows is at left. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“He’s isolated for 10 days. He has to test, I think, two negative tests prior to being able to go back out,” Reynolds says, ” so we’ll just kind of wait to see what his symptoms are.” Reynolds says there are plenty of surrogates, like her, who can carry the Trump campaign message to voters. “We had one of the strongest economies in our lifetime and then Covid hit,” Reynolds says. “…The president is the guy that can get that economy back up and going.”

After a visit to the White House IN MAY, Reynolds went into quarantine after an aide to Vice President Pence tested positive for Covid.  “I was in the Situation Room and there was actually someone (there) who tested positive,” Reynolds says. “So, with essential workers, you just wear the mask. I social distanced. I limited my exposure to anybody and I tested for nine days straight and it was the PCR testing — which is the ‘gold standard’ — and tested negative I’ve been tested multiple times since then.” Reynolds says she had a cold early in the pandemic.

“And, just to be sure it was a cold, we got the testing done and it was negative, so we’ll continue to be responsible and do the right thing,” Reynolds says. “If I can’t social distance, I will have a mask on and just continue moving our economy forward.” Governor Reynolds made her comments after visiting with a doctor in Le Mars who has posted videos on Facebook about the latest Covid-19 developments. Vice President Mike Pence, who was on Iowa yesterday (Thursday), has announced he and his wife have tested NEGATIVE for the coronavirus.

Pence discussed his work leading the White House Coronavirus Task Force during appearances in Carter Lake and Des Moines. “With American innovation, our dedicated researchers we believe are just literally weeks away from the first coronavirus vaccine for the American people and we’ll have tens of millions of doses available the moment it’s approved,” Pence said. Pence spoke to about 270 people in Carter Lake and 600 people in Des Moines yesterday (Thursday), mentioning two treatments the F-D-A has approved for Covid patients.

“We’ve demonstrated as a nation that we can slow the spread,” Pence said. “We’re going to continue to protect the vulnerable, continue to save lives and we’re opening up America again.” According to the vice president’s office, the last time Pence and Trump were in close proximity was Tuesday, at the White House.

Officials with the Cass County Republican Party, Friday, announced that the Trump Victory Tour Bus will be making a pit stop in Atlantic on Sunday, October 4th. The bus will arrive at approximately 11:25 a.m., and bus will be carrying Iowa-native and former United States Attorney General Matt Whitaker, among others.

The bus will be parked in front of the Republican Headquarters location at 506 Chestnut St. in downtown Atlantic.

Officials with the AHSTW School District report the absenteeism due to COVID-19, as well as the expiration of a significant number of quarantines, “Will return absentee percentages in the Primary and Intermediate to a rate that allows” the District to return to full-time face-to-face instruction for grades PK-8, on Monday, Oct. 5th.

It was noted however, that “Due to a continued increase in positive cases, grades 9-12 will return via [the] hybrid model for the week of Monday, October 5th – Friday, October 9th, rather than full-time face-to-face as the other students.” School officials said affected families will receive separate communication from High School Principal Michael Embrock, to let them know whether their students are assigned to attend on “A” days or “B” days as well as more detailed schedule information.

According to the District Administrative Team, “All previously communicated quarantine dates remain in effect, so please note that your child may still have a different return date that what [was] described,” and that “They will continue to attend remotely until their quarantine expires and as long as they are healthy enough to do so.”

For more information, see the letter posted on social media:

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds is allowing bars in Iowa’s two largest college towns to reopen next week after a five-week closure helped stop coronavirus outbreaks among young adults. Reynolds signed an order allowing bars to reopen Monday in Johnson and Story counties as long as they follow social-distancing rules.

Breweries, wineries and distilleries are allowed to reopen almost immediately, on Friday at 5 p.m. The venues are often packed with University of Iowa and Iowa State University students. The order says all customers must consume their food and drinks while seated at a bar, booth or table, and must be at least 6 feet apart.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An aide says U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley isn’t believed to have been exposed to anyone testing positive for the coronavirus and is continuing to take normal precautions. Grassley, an Iowa Republican, serves as Senate president pro tempore and is third in the line of succession, following Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Grassley’s largely ceremonial role has taken on new significance since President Donald Trump announced that he and the first lady have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Asked about whether Grassley was taking any new precautions, Grassley aide Michael Zona said Friday the senator was continuing to follow guidance from the Senate doctor, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.