DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council plans to work on defining racial profiling and collecting data before enacting an ordinance banning it. On Monday the council backed a proposed ordinance that would make racial profiling an “illegal discriminatory municipal practice.” A violation could lead to a city employee being fired. Some of the dozens of people who filled the council chamber held signs that read “Skin color is not a crime” and “Stop the stops.”

The latter referred to pretextual stops in which officers stop someone for one reason but use it as cause to investigate something unrelated.

(Radio Iowa) — Two eastern Iowa legislators — both Democrats — have urged leaders to take more precautions in the state capitol to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Senator Bill Dotzler of Waterloo suggests the legislature complete its work as quickly as possible and adjourn for the year.

“Our capitol is certainly a place where different viruses and colds are spread easily because people come from all over the state of Iowa, meet with us…and it’s very easy quite often stuff is transmitted through this capitol,” Dotzler says. Dotzler has suggested hand sanitizer dispensers be placed throughout the statehouse.

“It might help remind some of the individuals that are out there to shake our hands that, I guess, we should probably work more toward fist bumps or elbow bumps,” Dotzler says. Senator Joe Bolkcom of Iowa City says getting the 2020 legislative session concluded quickly makes some sense.

“I know across the state businesses are preparing,” Bolkcom says. “I know our universities are preparing for classes not to continue and figuring out how to finish the semester online.” Bolkcom made his comments late last week, BEFORE state officials revealed there are SEVEN presumptive positive cases of Covid-19 in Johnson County.

“The capitol is a place where people from all over the state visit on a daily basis. It’s kind of an incumbator for colds and flus and potentially the spread of Covid-19,” Bolkcom says. “I hope we don’t have to deal with it.” The top Republican in the Iowa Senate says legislative leaders are talking with the governor on a regular basis and prepared to follow her recommendations.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Five more Iowa residents have tested positive for new coronavirus, including a restaurant worker in Council Bluffs. Officials said Monday that besides the Council Bluff case, all of the other people infected are from Johnson County in eastern Iowa and all were on an Egyptian cruise. The new cases bring the total number of Iowa infections to eight. On Sunday, officials announced Iowa’s first COVID-19 cases, as three individuals from Johnson County who had been on the cruise tested positive .For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness.

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) — The wife of a man accused of pushing his wife’s alleged lover off the top of a grain bin in Hamburg, Iowa, has been arrested trying to return from Mexico. Authorities say Anahi Andrade was taken into custody in El Paso, Texas. She’s accused of helping her husband, Pedro Andrade, flee. A court document says Pedro Andrade’s co-worker survived his 60-foot fall. He told an investigator that Pedro Andrade had found out that Anahi Andrade and the co-worker were having an affair. The court records don’t list an attorney for Anahi Andrade. Pedro Andrade’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call Monday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former top judge at Iowa Workforce Development says he’s pleased to settle a long-running lawsuit alleging that his 2013 layoff was retaliatory and unlawful. Joseph Walsh said the $99,000 payment recently approved by the state to settle his lawsuit could have been higher had he not been able to return to state employment shortly after his layoff. Iowa Workforce Development eliminated Walsh’s job shortly after he opposed an attempt to make his position a political appointment. Walsh contended, correctly, that federal law required his position to be merit-based and insulated from politics. The agency’s then-director Teresa Wahlert withdrew that plan but then abruptly laid him Walsh weeks later.

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Federal authorities are taking over monitoring of contamination from a carcinogenic chemical that’s spread from a factory site in the eastern Iowa city of Maquoketa. The Telegraph Herald reported that the contamination stems from the operations of Clinton Machine Co., which built small engines in Maquoketa from 1950 into the 1990s. The factory used trichloroethene, commonly known as TCE, as a degreasing agent. Federal authorities have since determined that TCE is carcinogenic. Authorities have said TCE in groundwater also creates the potential for indoor contamination.

Adair County ISU Extension and Outreach is partnering with the Adair County Health and Fitness Center to put on a self defense workshop for women. Retired Iowa State Trooper, Kenny Jensen will be leading the workshop and will provide conversations, demonstrations, and instructions on how women can defend themselves in dangerous situations.

The workshop will be held on Sunday, April 5 from 7-to 9pm at the Adair County Health and Fitness Center, in Greenfield. The registration deadline is Monday, March 30. The cost of the workshop is $30, and every woman will go home with a flashlight stun gun which is included in registration cost.

To register, please stop by the Adair County Healthy and Fitness Center. Registration cost is due at the time of registration.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A restaurant worker in Council Bluffs has tested positive for the new coronavirus, Pottawattamie County. Officials announced Monday the woman (who is between 41-and 61-years of age and who tested presumptive positive) works at a Panera Bread, in Council Bluffs. The business closed over the weekend to undergo a deep cleaning and hadn’t reopened as of Monday.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness. The Pottawattamie County case came as the Iowa Department of Public Health reported Monday that there were five new cases of virus, bringing the total in Iowa to eight.

In each of the other cases, the individuals had recently taken a cruise in Egypt and were recovering at home.

Health officials in Pottawattamie County today (Monday) confirmed the first local case of COVID-19. Additional information is expected during a press conference at 5-p.m. Looks for an update after that on kjan.com.

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management officials report The City of Carson is currently under a water boil order until Wednesday, March 11th. The Boil Advisory is a precaution due to low water pressure. All residents are encouraged to boil water or use bottled water for consumption.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced on March 5, 2020, Aaron M. Volkmar, age 46, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for a felony Lacey Act Violation. The Court imposed a sentence of two years probation and a $5,000 fine. Volkmar was ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and a $100 Special Assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

Volkmar is the owner and operator of Tails of the Hunt LLC., which provided guided hunts in southwest Iowa, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Volkmar provided a guided deer hunt to undercover agents in December 2013. While providing these guided hunt services, Volkmar violated Iowa state law by illegally tagging a deer and assisting with transportation of the deer across state lines.

This matter was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services and Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is warning Iowans about looming scams involving bogus U-S Census takers. This year, for the first time, Iowans will be able to respond to the census online — or by phone or by mail. If you don’t use any of those options, someone may knock on your door in the weeks to come.

Legitimate census workers will have a photo I-D from the U.S. Department of Commerce and if you’re still not sure, call the bureau’s 800-number to verify who they are.

Don’t answer emails from what may look like the census as you won’t be sent unsolicited emails. Also, callers, mailers and people at your door from the REAL census won’t ask for your Social Security number or any personal banking information.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), said there were five arrests and one motorcycle accident over the past few days. Taken into custody Sunday night for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, was 65-year old Harold Arthur Hart and 42-year old Christy June Studey, both of Red Oak, along with 45-year old Shawn Bernard  Studey, a homeless man. He was also charged with Possession of Contraband. The trio was arrested at around 10:05-p.m. following a traffic stop on Highway 34, in Mills County.

Christy Studey and Harold Hart were held on $300 bond. Shawn Studey was held on a $5,00 bond. Arrested on separate charges Sunday afternoon, was 42-year old Sean Michael Gochenour, of Council Bluffs, for Theft in the 1st Degree, two counts of Theft in the 5th, and On-going Criminal Conduct. Bond was set at $35,600.

And on Friday, 19-year old Nathan Edward Lee Richardson, of Malvern, was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Failure to Appear, and Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $6,000.

Authorities said also, 47-year old Justin Doering, of Plattsmouth, NE., was transported by Glenwood Rescue, to Jenny Edmundson Hospital, following a motorcycle accident at around 12:49-p.m. Saturday, on 230th Street. Doering was riding his 2019 Harley Davidson northbound and traversing a curve to the right, when the cycle lost traction and went out of control. The cycle laid over to the left and slid into a ditch. Doering was wearing a helmet, which hit the pavement when the accident occurred.