A couple of area health departments updated their number of COVID-19 cases Tuesday afternoon. The numbers haven’t changed all that much from the mid-day IDPH report.

Harrison County: 11 positive COVID-19 cases; 1 person is isolating at home; 1 is hospitalized; 9 are no longer being monitored because they have exhibited marked improvement.

Pottawattamie County: 9 COVID cases (2 new cases: a Minden man age 41-60 and a Council Bluffs man 41-60. Both have been in self-quarantine since late March)

Shelby County: 7 positive COVID-19 cases; 48 negative test results; 8 pending test results.

Page County: 3 COVID-19 cases.

Adair, Audubon, Dallas, Guthrie, Mills, Montgomery and Taylor Counties all have 1 case each.

Officials with POET biorefineries announced Tuesday the company will idle production at its bioprocessing facilities in Chancellor, S.D., Ashton, Iowa, and Coon Rapids, Iowa, and delay the start-up of its new plant in Shelbyville, Ind.  Company officials say the move comes as producers across the United States continue to grapple with the economic fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On an annualized basis, these operational changes are expected to reduce corn demand by 110 million bushels, freezing 330 million gallons of ethanol production across the four facilities. POET has also significantly slowed production at other facilities, further decreasing corn demand.

POET Founder and CEO Jeff Broin said in a Press Release, “Across the board, biofuel producers and our partners in the farm community face an unprecedented challenge. From day one of this crisis, we have placed the highest priority on protecting the health and welfare of our workers, partners and farm suppliers. Unfortunately, plummeting fuel demand amid the coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed markets already suffering from continued trade barriers, a foreign price war over oil and regulatory uncertainty here at home. In South Dakota, the crisis has been compounded by one of the worst growing seasons in memory.”

Ethanol producers across the country are slashing production amid the ongoing crisis. Nationally, experts predict a decline in fuel demand of up to 55 percent. If these conditions persist, it will result in an annualized drop in ethanol demand of up to eight billion gallons or 2.7 billion bushels of corn. POET President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Lautt said “As always, we will continue monitoring the situation closely and working with team members at each plant to stay ahead of market changes as the situation continues to evolve day by day. We remain optimistic that elected leaders will move ahead swiftly on efforts to shore up the rural economy and deliver relief for struggling families. We are fully committed to protecting the strong, stable biofuel markets that America’s farmers need now more than ever, and we look forward to rebuilding and growing America’s agricultural markets.”

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Ben Rogers, a long-time activist with the Boy Scouts of America in Illinois and Iowa, has died from complications resulting from COVID-19. Austin Mitchell of the Boy Scouts said the 67-year-old Rogers of Moline, Illinois died Tuesday at a Rock Island hospital after battling coronavirus for more than a month. An obituary posted by a Moline funeral home noted Rogers was active for 40 years in all levels of scouting, including as the head cook at Loud Thunder Scout Reservation in western Illinois. Rogers is survived by his wife and several children.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A union leader is complaining that a large Iowa nursing home for veterans is forcing some employees to work after they were exposed to a colleague who tested positive for coronavirus. AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said the situation at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown is potentially putting employees and its 550 residents at risk of infection.

Pat Garrett, a spokesman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, said that three employees at the home tested positive in late March, were sent home and are recovering. The home says it has tested 24 residents for COVID-19 so far and all have been negative.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were injured when a pickup collided with a backhoe Tuesday afternoon, east of Red Oak. The collision happened at the intersection of Highway 34 and 200th Street, at around 3:10-p.m. Authorities say an investigation determined the operator of a 1999 Case 580 Super L backhoe, 65-year-old Arthur D. Peterson, was traveling east on Highway 34 and was preparing to enter the turning lane to travel east onto 200th Street. A 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup, driven by 46-year-old Matthew Newton, of Omaha, was also traveling eastbound. Newton told authorities the backhoe entered the roadway in front of him and he had braked. but was unable to avoid striking the rear of the machine with the left front of the pickup.

Newton and his female passenger were transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for the treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup sustained about $2500 damage and was considered a total loss. There was no damage to the backhoe, which is registered to C&J Construction. Arthur Peterson was not injured during the accident, which remains under investigation. Authorities say citation may follow completion of the investigation.

Cass County Wellness Coodinator Brigham Hoegh said Tuesday, “Our food pantries in Cass County continue to adjust to offer safe services as we face COVID-19.” Brigham said beginning tomorrow (April 9th), “The Atlantic Pantry is asking people to “drive through” the pantry. Cars are asked to line up on 4th St. (West of the pantry). Someone will be directing traffic.”

Here is up-to-date information on all four main pantries in Cass County:

Atlantic Food Pantry:

Starting 4/9 the Atlantic Pantry is asking people to “drive through” the pantry. Cars are asked to line up on 4th St. (West of the pantry). Someone will be directing traffic.

Phone for pantry questions: (712) 243-5019 (9-11 AM Mondays and Thursdays)
Address: 19 W. 4th St., Atlantic, IA 50022
Hours: Thursdays, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (or until line ends- please show up at 1:00)
Food Referrals will not be needed, and clients may come to the pantry as needed during this epidemic time.
Donations: make checks to “Atlantic Food Pantry” (mail to: 19 W 4th Street. Atlantic, IA 50022)

Anita Food Pantry: (serves people from towns of Anita, Massena, Cumberland, Wiota, and Bridgewater.)
Items are carried to cars. People are asked to follow signs and not get out of cars. The pantry will function like a drive through.
Phone: (712) 762-3645
Address: 208 Chestnut St, Anita, IA 50020
Hours: 1st & 3rd Saturday, 9:00am – 11:00am
Donations: make checks to “Anita Food Pantry” (mail to: PO Box 96, Anita, IA 50020)

Cumberland Care & Share Pantry: (serves Cumberland, Massena, Bridgewater)
Phone: (712) 774-5818
Address: 317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843
Hours: 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 4:00pm- 5:30pm
Donations: make checks to “Cumberland Care & Share” (mail to: 317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843)

Lord’s Cupboard of Griswold (serves Griswold School District)
Phone: (712) 778-4178
Address: 100 Cass St., Griswold, IA 51535
Hours: 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 11:00am – 2:00pm

A man riding a motorcycle died Tuesday evening during a collision with an SUV, in Page County. The Iowa State Patrol has not released the name of the victim, who was riding a 2013 Harley Davidson cycle.

The accident happened at around 5:15-p.m. at the intersection on Highway 2 and C Avenue. Authorities say a 1997 GMC Jimmy driven by 72-year old Micheal Gene Flynn, of Shenandoah, was traveling eastbound on Highway 2 and approaching C Avenue. Flynn slowed to turn left onto C Avenue, when the eastbound cycle behind him braked hard and went left of center as the SUV was turning.

The motorcycle broadsided the SUV on the driver’s side, causing the operator of the cycle to suffer fatal injuries. The driver of the SUV was not hurt.

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

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A union leader is complaining that a large Iowa nursing home for veterans is forcing some employees to work after they were exposed to a colleague who tested positive for coronavirus. AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said the situation at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown is potentially putting employees and its 550 residents at risk of infection. Pat Garrett, a spokesman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, said that three employees at the home tested positive in late March, were sent home and are recovering. The home says it has tested 24 residents for COVID-19 so far and all have been negative.

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Ben Rogers, a long-time activist with the Boy Scouts of America in Illinois and Iowa, has died from complications resulting from COVID-19. Austin Mitchell of the Boy Scouts said the 67-year-old Rogers of Moline, Illinois died Tuesday at a Rock Island hospital after battling coronavirus for more than a month. An obituary posted by a Moline funeral home noted Rogers was active for 40 years in all levels of scouting, including as the head cook at Loud Thunder Scout Reservation in western Illinois. Rogers is survived by his wife and several children.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — While most governors have imposed stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus, leaders of a handful of states have rejected such action. Nine Republican governors have refused to mandate that people stay at home. Local leaders have taken action in some of those states. North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Arkansas are the only states where no one is under a stay-at-home order. The lack of action from those governors has frustrated health experts and left some residents puzzled. An infectious disease expert at the University of California-Berkeley says the longer officials wait, the harder it is for such orders to have a substantial impact on the virus’ spread.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending her use of a tool to help guide the state’s response to the outbreak that critics have called arbitrary and unscientific. The matrix developed by the Iowa Department of Public Health looks at four data points in six regions of the state. If any one region hits 10 on a 12-point scale, the matrix calls for the potential implementation of a shelter-in-place order. Critics include a top infectious disease researcher and other medical experts. They argue that the data points are backward-looking rather than preventive because they trigger stricter interventions only after more people are infected and hospitalized.

(Radio Iowa) — An Easter weekend tradition in Iowa that’s never before been cancelled in 50-plus years — is being called off due to the pandemic. The annual Pony Express Ride to Camp Sunnyside near Ankeny typically involves some 300 riders on horseback coming from all corners of the state. Marlene Scarlett of Maxwell, the organization’s secretary, says just because there’s no ride doesn’t mean there’s no need to help people with disabilities.

“You can get on our website, which is PonyExpressRidersofIowa.org,” Scarlett says. “There are several pages on there and you can explore what we’re all about. There’s also a way to donate and you can send funds in directly to Pony Express Riders of Iowa.” T

he first benefit ride for Easter Seals of Iowa was held in 1968 and has since raised nearly 11-million dollars for the charity. Located on 88 acres, Camp Sunnyside was designed, built and is staffed to meet the recreational needs of campers, both children and adults, with all types of disabilities.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office report a man from Bedford was arrested Monday on a Page County warrant for Driving Under Suspension. 44-year old Nathaniel Gene Teeters was a passenger in a vehicle during a traffic stop conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office approximately two miles southwest of Clarinda,IA.

Teeters was transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office and held on $300 bond.