(Radio Iowa) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the latest Republican to speak at an annual gathering of Iowa religious conservatives that presidential candidates like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have addressed in the past. Pompeo’s remarks to the summit sponsored by The Family Leader emphasized religious liberty concerns. “Right now, four out of five people around the world don’t enjoy full religious freedom,” he said, “and we’re fighting tooth and nail to change that.”

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo

Pompeo specifically criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s actions in Hong Kong and threats against Taiwan. “We’ve called out China’s war on faith, its mass detention of Uighurs,” Pompeo said. “Its godless decisions to replace church displays of the Ten Commandments with word from General Secretary Xi have not gone without being called out.”

Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman, told the crowd the Trump Administration also been focused on a critical mission to bring fairness into U.S. trade relationship with China.According to The Family Leader, Pompeo addressed a crowd of about 650 late Friday afternoon in West Des Moines. Pompeo also met privately Friday afternoon with members of the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Soybean Association.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 3:10-a.m. today (Monday), of 20-year old Tyler Blaine Baucom. The Red Oak man was arrested at the intersection of Highway 34 and 48th Street, for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Baucom was previously arrested Sunday morning on charges of assault and interference with official acts. Following his latest arrest, he was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted Red Oak Police in the investigation and arrest of Baucom.

At around 10:20-p.m., Sunday, Red Oak Police arrested 47-year old Rondy Ruby Porter, of Red Oak, following a traffic stop. Porter was taken into custody for driving with a Revoked License. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials said Sunday that a “significant number” of coronavirus tests were not reported over the weekend due to a backlog in the department’s electronic reporting system. The Iowa Department of Public Health said its COVID-19 website will continue to update, and noted in a news release that reported daily case counts from last week will be adjusted as it processes the backlog. KCCI-TV reported that as of 10 a.m. Sunday, the Iowa website had confirmed 661 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing to 38,564 the number of positive cases since the outbreak began. Seven additional COVID-19 deaths brought the state’s death toll to 792.

UNDATED (AP) — A legislative panel has approved a plan by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to send absentee ballot request forms to all registered voters as he did before the June primary to help voters concerned about going to polls in person amid a coronavirus pandemic. In a proposed emergency election directive, Pate sought Friday to use federal funds to mail absentee ballot requests to active registered voters for the Nov. 3 election. Pate says a public health disaster persists. He says he’s consulted with all 99 county auditors and some say they cannot send absentee ballot request forms to voters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 8% in June as the state’s economy continued to recover after being hit hard by efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the 8% unemployment rate was down from 10.2% in May. The number of unemployed residents dropped from 173,000 in May to 131,200 in June. Iowa’s unemployment rate remains far higher than before the coronavirus pandemic, as the jobless rate was 2.7% in June 2019. The national unemployment rate in June was 11.1%.

The State Fire Marshal was called-in to determine what caused a second fire at the Super Eight Motel on Antique City Drive near Walnut, Sunday. The blaze – the second in less than 36-hours – was reported at around 10-p.m. Ladder trucks from Atlantic and Harlan were among more than a half-dozen called to assist the Walnut Fire Department. Walnut Fire Chief Justen Tooley explains what the found at the scene, upon arrival.

Tooley said the building was not occupied, as there was no power since Saturday’s fire. The second floor of the south side of the hotel sustained substantial fire and water damage, but a dollar amount and complete assessment was not immediately available. There were no injuries reported.

Chief Tooley said in all, 78 Firefighters and several pieces of equipment from Walnut, Avoca, Shelby, Hancock, Marne, Atlantic, Harlan, Minden, and Elk Horn were on the scene, as well as Medivac Ambulance and the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency. Tooley said Walnut Fire was on the scene until about 4-a.m. Monday (today).

Atlantic Fire and Rescue were called to a house fire at around 8:30-p.m. Sunday at 411 Birch Street. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel explained what they found upon arrival.

The home’s occupant was not inside when the fire was reported, and there were no injuries. Cappel said the home was considered a total loss. The fire was on the south side of the structure when the first crews began their initial attack.

Ric Hanson/photo

The blaze remains under investigation. Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies, Cass County EMS and Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon were on the scene in addition to Atlantic Fire.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue were called to a house fire at around 8:30-p.m. Sunday in the area of 5th and Birch. Smoke and flames were visible upon arrival of law enforcement and fire department personnel.

Crews got a quick knock down of the flames. It was not clear if anyone was inside the home at the onset.

Additional details are currently not available.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Insurance company Mutual of Omaha has announced it will replace its longtime corporate logo, which features a depiction of a Native American chief. The move comes as corporations and sports teams face increasing pressure to dump nicknames and depictions that reference American Indians amid a nationwide movement calling for racial justice. The company is in the process of creating a new logo.

Chairman and CEO James Blackledge said in a news release Friday that Mutual of Omaha is committing an additional $1 million to the $2 million it donates annually to community-based initiatives to address racial equality and social justice.