PLEASANTVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Firefighters are battling a fire at a church in south-central Iowa that erupted before dawn Monday. Several firetrucks were dispatched to the Pleasantville Christian Church before 6 a.m. Water was sprayed down from a nozzle mounted on an aerial ladder as flames danced and heavy gray smoke billowed from the multilevel building. No injuries have been reported. The fire cause will be investigated.

Three people were arrested over the past few days in Creston. Authorities say 61-year old Edward Gunter, of Creston, was arrested Saturday afternoon for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was cited at the scene and released on a summons to appear in court. On Friday, 34-year old Joshua Weeks, of Lorimor, was served with a  Union County warrant at the Union County Jail, for Violation of Probation on an original charge of OWI/3rd offense. He remains held in the jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate. And, 67-year old James Goodman, of Diagonal, was arrested Friday in Creston, for Violation of a Protection Order. He was released on a Promise to Appear in court.

Creston Police said also, a man residing in the 500 block of S. Birch Street, reported Sunday evening, that sometime between 6-p.m. Saturday and 1-p.m. Sunday, someone entered two vehicles on his property and took loose change along with a vehicle ignition key. The loss was estimated at $125.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — An agency wants to fine an eastern Iowa animal food operation for workplace safety violations, saying it has exposed employees to risks that include long falls. The Telegraph Herald reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration wants to impose fines of more than $74,000 on Devenish Nutrition. The company is based in Fairmont, Minnesota, and has a feed mill in Maquoketa. Company officials have declined to comment.

Inspectors said after a Dec. 2-3 check that they found a lack of proper protection from falls along the Maquoketa building’s catwalk. Inspectors also say employees were exposed to explosive dust hazards.

(Radio Iowa) — Recovery efforts will resume this (Monday) morning for the body of a missing Mason City man who fell into the Winnebago River near Hanlontown Friday afternoon. The Worth County Sheriff’s Department says 43-year-old Adam VanSyoc was fishing when the boat he was in struck cables from an old footbridge, causing him to enter the water. Search efforts started shortly after law enforcement’s arrival on Friday afternoon and have been taking place all weekend, but have been hampered by the swiftly-moving waters of the river, which is at a high level.

(Radio Iowa) — The outlook for spring planting in Iowa is much improved over last year thanks to less rain and snow during the past winter. Iowa State University Extension field agronomist Joel DeJong, based in Le Mars, says at this time a year ago, farmers in many parts of the state were already dealing with significant challenges. “Last year, we were just getting rid of snow cover and it came with a massive quantity of other water and, of course, all the low-land flooding,” DeJong says. “At this time last year, the flooding was just starting. Our soil moisture is still full. We kind of almost had a wintertime drought so the amount of precipitation we’ve had in this region hasn’t been excessive. We’ve got some surface drying.”

With the soil already saturated, DeJong says there is no room for any additional — or even normal — spring rain. “Top five feet around here will hold about 10 to 11 inches of water,” DeJong says. “Our history is, on November 1st, we could have numbers that are 6 to 8 is normal. I didn’t even pull samples this fall because the math said we were at 11. That’s the gap that we can typically absorb and hold some water in the spring and we don’t have that space this year.”

The 90-day outlook from the National Weather Service calls for above-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. DeJong says heavy rain could quickly change the planting outlook. “When you get this much water in the system, it’s hard for me to think that we’re going to be drier-than-normal in the spring,” DeJong says. “My best advice is to make sure everything is ready to go and when we have opportunities, we’re in the field and we’re not waiting to fix equipment we could’ve had done before that window came open.”

DeJong says most farmers got fall fertilizer on their fields but not much tillage was done, so that narrows the spring planting window even more.

Two additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Shelby County. Officials said Sunday, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Shelby County was on March 27th. The individual is between 61-80 years old. The second confirmed case is an individual between 61-80 years old. The third confirmed case is an individual between 41-60 years old.

The Iowa Department of Public Health does not publicly release specific information regarding individual COVID-19 cases. However, when a positive case is confirmed, a thorough investigation is completed and any individuals deemed to be at risk are notified and advised on appropriate measures to take.

Myrtue Medical Center’s Public Health Director Lori Hoch said “We continue to remind residents to take preventive measures to slow the spread. Stay at home and limit exposure to other people. It is important to practice social distancing, if you must go out for essential items.”

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports three men were arrested Sunday for Witness Tampering. The charges against Chase Hunter Doolittle, Craven Lee Martin, and Devin Michael Russo, pertain to an incident that occurred in an area of rural Mt. Ayr.

All three men were being held in the Ringgold County Jail, until seen by a Magistrate.

Doolittle

Martin

Russo

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:25 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials have confirmed 38 more cases of the coronavirus and a fourth death. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that the state now has 336 positive cases, up from 299 o Saturday. The latest death was a Linn County resident between the ages of 61 and 80. The virus has now been found in 50 of Iowa’s 99 counties. The new cases include 10 in Polk County, six in Linn County and four each in Johnson and Dubuque counties. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

OELWEIN, Iowa (AP) — Severe storms damaged an apartment building and several farm buildings and homes in northeast Iowa Saturday night. A tornado that was spotted in Oelwein, Iowa, tore off part of the wall of a 12-unit apartment building and damaged the siding of a second building in the complex. Oelwein police said no serious injuries were reported. In southeast Iowa, Dubuque County Emergency Management Director Tom Berger said at least six farms were damaged by a tornado near Sherrill, Iowa. The storm also destroyed multiple farm buildings and damaged at least two houses north of Potosi, Wisconsin, Grant County Emergency Management Director Steve Braun said.

HANLONTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in north-central Iowa are searching for a man who reportedly fell out of a fishing boat on the Winnebago River near Hanlontown. The Globe Gazette reports that emergency responders were called around 1:20 p.m. Friday, saying a man had fallen into the water and not resurfaced. Worth County Sheriff Dan Fank says it appears the boat hit some cables, spinning the boat and knocking the man into the water. A second man in the boat was not injured. Fank says the stretch of river the men were fishing is a popular spot for recreational boating and kayaking.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says surgical abortions are included in her temporary ban on elective and non-essential surgeries to preserve medical supplies in the midst of a pandemic. “Making sure that we have the personal protective equipment to care of those Iowans who are on the front lines serving Iowans and those in need,” Reynolds said Sunday, “…to make sure that we have our health care providers and our first responders healthy so they can take care of Iowans.”

The governor’s proclamation put a halt to all scheduled elective and non-essential surgeries in Iowa until April 16th.

“Everyone is making is making sacrifices,” Reynolds says. “Everyone.” Planned Parenthood officials say they are assessing the governor’s action. The organization is suing Texas over a similar order that bans medication abortions as well as surgical abortions.

Current IOWA law bans abortions after 20 weeks in a pregnancy, unless the procedure is necessary to save the life of the mother.