A Creston man reported to Police Monday morning, that sometime during the overnight hours Sunday into Monday, someone broke into his shop at 225 S. Chestnut in Creston, and took $4,625 worth of tools. The missing items include: A Stihl concrete saw; 2 Husqvarna concrete saws; a Dewalt hammer drill; 2 Milwaukee cordless Skil saws; a Milwaukee drill and radio.

(7-a.m. News)

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Cedar Rapids is stopping its transit service at the end of Tuesday to help halt the spread of COVID-19. City Manager Jeff Pomeranz said Monday plans are to resume service on April 13. He says the city has been regularly cleaning and sanitizing buses, but they are still confined spaces that fill with many people throughout the day. He says it’s vital for the city to take the actions needed to protect the community. In Des Moines officials are cutting route frequency and service starting Thursday as ridership continues to drop.

Members of the Atlantic School Board will hold an electronic meeting 6-p.m. Wednesday. No action is expected during the work session, which includes discussion on the 2020-21 Certified Budget.  A Public Hearing on the Budget was set during the Board’s last meeting. for 6-p.m. April 8th, followed by their regular Board session.

To access the March 25th Work Session via You Tube, please use this link: https://youtu.be/8ccP4tc-KBo

(Radio Iowa) — While President Trump says he believes things may turn around sooner than expected in lifting some of the restrictions designed to stem the advance of the coronavirus. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, is cautiously watching how the restrictions work. “I think it’s pretty simple — that we do it for the two or three weeks that people laid out and we do it for that time. And I don’t think I want to be reassessing it in the middle,” Grassley says.

He says he will keep an eye on the numbers to see what they show at the end of the recommended period. “The extent to which it seems to me like we are winning the pandemic — overcoming the pandemic –then that to me would be the decision if you want more interaction among people,” according to Grassley.

Grassley believes the U-S economy can get back up and running once the restriction period ends and people are able to resume normal activities.

Police in Red Oak report 25-year old Nathan Christopher Mulhausen, of Red Oak was arrested Monday on a Montgomery County warrant charging him with a sex offender registration violation — a Class D felony.

Nathan Mulhausen (Red Oak PD photo)

Mulhausen was being held at the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Officials in Des Moines (and Atlantic) have made playground equipment in city parks off limits, to try to stop the spread of the coronavirus. City bus routes in Cedar Rapids will be suspected on Wednesday. Iowa hospitals are postponing elective surgeries. And Governor Kim Reynolds is asking Iowans to VOLUNTARILY shelter in place.

“If you do not need to leave your house to help your family or other Iowans respond to this disaster, stay home,” Reynolds said. The governor of Illinois issued a “shelter in place” ORDER this weekend and Wisconsin’s governor plans to take that step today (Tuesday), but Reynolds says the data about the spread of COVID-19 in Iowa does not indicate that step is necessary.

“Just overall traffic has seen a 47 percent drop from a year ago, but truck traffic is normal,” Reynolds says. “…People that are providing the essential services are out still there, but Iowans are starting to hear the message and they are staying home.” Reynolds announced Monday that 105 Iowans in 26 counties have tested positive for COVID-19 and seven have been hospitalized.

State officials say those numbers are expected to increase as more testing is done. President Trump cited Iowa’s current data during a Monday evening news conference as he talked about reopening areas of the county and the economy as quickly as possible. Reynolds is asking Iowans to practice social distancing and go solo when they run essential errands at the grocery store or pharmacy.

“We are not at a place where we’re going to order a shelter-in-place or a stay-at-home,” Reyolds says. “…We want to make sure that we’re making these decisions based on data and based on metrics so that we can be consistent in what we’re telling Iowans to make sure that we’re not shutting down a state where we don’t need to.” Reynolds posted a video online last (Monday), with this message: “stay home and help us save a life.”

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports Stuart Police arrested 39-year old Douglas Kelton Reeves, of Stuart, late last Friday morning. Reeves was taken into custody following an incident in Stuart, whereby he was honking his vehicles’ horn outside of a man’s residence, and allegedly threatening to harm the man.

Reeves refused an officer’s orders to cease and desist causing the disturbance. He was arrested for Harassment in the 1st Degree, Disorderly Conduct, and on Adair County warrants for 2-counts Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Theft and Criminal Mischief, 2nd Degrees.

His cash or surety bond was set at $7,000. Reeves remained in the Adair County Jail as of last report.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says more aggressive orders to halt the movement of Iowans are not needed although the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise. Reynolds says the state now has 105 positive cases across 26 counties. She confirmed for the first time Monday that seven Iowans are hospitalized with the viral illness. Reynolds says positive cases are increasing in large part due to expanding testing ability and the number is likely to continue to grow. She says it’s not yet time to order Iowans to stay home but data is evaluated daily as such decisions are considered.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Broadcast journalist Dean Borg, who kept Iowans informed for decades as the host of the public affairs program “Iowa Press,” has died at age 81. Iowa PBS announced Monday that Borg died due to complications caused by pancreatic cancer. Borg appeared on “Iowa Press,” every Friday evening, from its debut in 1971 until his retirement in January 2017. He kept working as a correspondent for Iowa Public Radio until his death. On “Iowa Press,” Borg was known for questioning state politicians, presidential candidates and other newsmakers. He interviewed every president from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa-based recreational vehicle and boat manufacturer Winnebago Industries says it is ceasing production to protect workers from coronavirus exposure and adjust production as demand for the company’s products is rapidly changing. The company, which employees about 5,000 people, makes motor homes, travel trailers and boats under the Winnebago, Grand Design, Newmar and Chris-Craft brands. The Forest City, Iowa-based company has production facilities in Iowa, Indiana, Oregon, Minnesota and Florida. The company says remote retail support for dealers, along with technical care, warranty administration and parts fulfillment activities, will continue. Production will stop this week and remain idle through April 12, The company will provide base pay and benefits for two weeks.

CHICAGO (AP) — Across the country, anxious Americans are finding an audience for their questions about the new coronavirus in telephone town halls with their senators and representatives. These are the socially distanced versions of the constituent meetings that have long been held in community centers, libraries and city halls. But these are not the town halls of the past. There’s little ideological warfare or finger-pointing. Instead, the calls can feel like listening in on painful family conversation. The questions are far more personal than political.