LINCOLN, Neb. (Lincoln Journal Star) — Shoppers across Nebraska and the nation are having trouble finding enough toilet paper as they hunker down to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus. But some people in Nebraska are finding it — and stealing it — at Interstate 80 rest stops. The rest areas are managed by the state Transportation Department. A spokeswoman told the Lincoln Journal Star that some are staffed and some are not. The rest areas will be closed as a result of the thefts when an attendant is not present. The spokeswoman says truck parking should remain open even if the rest area buildings are closed.

Police in Creston report a man was arrested on a Theft charge, Tuesday morning.  24-year old Jared L. Proctor, was arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Proctor was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.

BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A doctor who worked at a hospital south of Omaha over the weekend has tested positive for COVID-19. Hospital spokesman Taylor Wilson says the doctor saw patients at Bellevue Medical Center and then developed symptoms. Wilson says the hospital employees and the nine patients who had contact with the doctor have been notified. He also says the doctor’s initial test results are awaiting confirmation by federal authorities. The doctor is experiencing mild symptoms and is in isolation at home.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Transit systems in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines have taken steps to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. City of Cedar Rapids Transit buses will carry no more than 10 passengers at a time starting Wednesday in order to minimize contact. Officials encouraged people to limit usage to essential rides, such as trips to work or to grocery stores. The Des Moines transit system has stopped fare collections and is asking riders who can safely do so to get on and off buses through the back doors. The goal is to minimize contact between riders and system employees.

(Radio Iowa) — Many businesses across Iowa are encouraging — or ordering — employees to work from home indefinitely, but it’s not an option for many of us, especially factory workers. Mike Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, says he’s not aware of any major factory closures in the state due to coronavirus, but it’s certainly having a chilling effect on commerce. “The biggest impact for Iowa manufacturers so far is not that they have to close their doors, but that they’re experiencing issues involving their supply chain,” Ralston says. “Maybe they work with a vendor who can’t get product to them so they can’t make their product — or they have delays in their product. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

Iowans are innovative and they’re finding ways to work around their challenges, Ralston says, even during a national emergency. He adds, many Iowa manufacturers don’t keep a lot of inventory in stock, which is often a smart practice, but not so much during this situation. “What they’re doing is trying to find different suppliers, having some success with that,” Ralston says. “In other ways, they’re delayed in delivering their final product. So those are probably the two biggest things, finding other suppliers, and they’re able to do that so far, or just having delays in their delivery.”  Most Iowans who work in factories can’t “shelter in place” and do their work from anywhere other than the workplace, so Ralston says employers are taking precautions. “It’s tough to have a manufacturing production worker work from home — that obviously doesn’t work,” Ralston says. “In many plants and factories, workers by nature are at least six feet apart in most situations. They’re also trying to make sure that employees, when they take breaks, for instance, that they maintain social distancing.”

Ralston has a message for Iowa consumers, urging them to continue doing their part to keep the wheels of industry turning. “Be safe with your family but try to make it business as usual,” Ralston says. “Make sure the goods and services you normally purchase you’re purchasing in some way still. Pay attention to what the experts are telling us about health and safety, and as much as possible, try to make it business as usual.”

The Association of Business and Industry is Iowa’s largest statewide business organization with more than 1,500 member companies representing 330,000 working Iowans.

(On the web at https://www.iowaabi.org/)