Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:00 a.m. CDT
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Health officials are reporting 793 new coronavirus cases and eight more deaths in Iowa. KCCI-TV reports that the new positive cases that had been reported as of 10 a.m. Saturday brought the total to 73,547 since the pandemic began. Among those case, 52,932 people have recovered and 1,216 have died. Health officials are reporting an 8.8% positivity rate over the last 14 days. But four Iowa counties report a positivity rate greater than 15% over the last 14 days. The high rate allows public schools in Sioux, Lyon, Bremer and Plymouth counties to apply for a waiver to provide 100% virtual learning.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City woman has been charged with stealing scratch tickets from her work and redeeming the tickets for herself. KCAU-TV reports that 19-year-old Ricki Shear is free on bail after she was arrested and charged with 21 counts of forgery or theft of a lottery ticket. She is accused of stealing 94 scratch tickets earlier this month while working as a clerk for Transit General Store. Court documents say she redeemed 21 of them for $195.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa police officer has resigned after being charged with distribution, receipt, and accessing of child pornography. Television station KCRG reports that 34-year-old Jared Daily resigned Friday from the Belle Plaine Police Department. His federal indictment was unsealed on Sept. 3. It alleges that Daily knowingly distributed, received and accessed child pornography on a cell phone between January and June of this year. If convicted, Daily faces a mandatory 5-year prison sentence and up to 60 years. He could also be ordered to pay nearly $1 million in fines and special assessments. Daily’s trial is set for Nov. 2.
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.