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

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal recommendations meant to keep meatpacking workers safe as they return to plants that were shuttered by the coronavirus have little enforcement muscle behind them. That is fueling anxiety that working conditions could put employees’ lives at risk. Extensive guidance issued last month by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls for meatpacking companies to erect physical barriers, enforce social distancing and install more hand-sanitizing stations, among other steps. But the guidance is not mandatory. OSHA’s general guidance plainly says the recommendations are advisory and not a regulation or a new legal obligation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says movie theaters, museums, zoos and wedding reception venues can reopen on Friday. The Republican governor also announced Wednesday that state campground restrooms, showers and cabins can reopen in time for Memorial Day weekend. Camping will be allowed for tents and all campers, but playgrounds, shelters and visitor centers will remain closed. Reynolds says she’s confident that the state’s coronavirus testing capabilities are sufficient to deal with any outbreaks that occur. Her push to reopen sectors of the economy comes despite the state still registering hundreds of new COVID-19 cases and a dozen new coronavirus deaths per day.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a 21-year-old Des Moines man who adopted two dogs from an animal shelter left them to starve to death in his apartment. David James Goodburn is charged with two animal neglect misdemeanors. He is being held in the Polk County Jail. Police allege Goodburn adopted the dogs in late March. A criminal complaint says the dogs were found this week because a strong odor was coming from Goodburn’s apartment. Power to the apartment had been turned off and the dogs were left without food or water. The complaint says investigators believe Goodburn intentionally let the dogs starve.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman accused of intentionally hitting children with her car because of their race has been ruled competent to stand trial. KCRG reports court documents show a psychiatric evaluation found Nicole Poole competent. Poole is charged with two counts of attempted murder. Police have said she intentionally ran over an Hispanic girl and a black boy near Des Moines-area schools last December. Both children survived. She is also charged in connection with an outburst at a convenience store in West Des Moines on the same day the children were hit. A judge found her incompetent to stand trial in February and she was ordered to receive treatment.

Atlantic’s newest Police Officer took the Oath of Office during Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic City Council. Mayor Dave Jones read the Oath to Tayte Schoff, who was selected from a highly qualified and competitive pool of applicants. Schoff replaces Officer Jeremy Seufert, who left the force a few months ago.

Officer Tayte Schoff is sworn-in by Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones.

Originally from Iowa, Officer Schoff comes to the City from Scotland County, MO., where he served as a Deputy with the Sheriff’s Office. His actual first day on the force in Atlantic, was March 17, 2020.

Afterward, the Atlantic City Council reviewed bids for the Atlantic Facade Rehabilitation Project, made possible through a Community Development Block Grant. Only two bids were received, one from Cornerstone Commercial Contractors, Inc., of Corning, and United Construction, in Atlantic. The bids, which were close, came in well below the projected cost of $520,000. The Council approved the low bid of $422,009 from Cornerstone Contractors. The facade project includes the following businesses on Chestnut Street:

• Nails & Spa
• Brymon’s Interiors
• Meredith Communications
• The Fog Zone

as well 509, 511 and 514 Chestnut. The Council then heard from Attorney Tad Wonio, representing SW Rentals, LLC., who asked the City to reverse an abatement for 602 Maple Street. The property had been the subject of repeated complaints and violations of an Ordinance against nuisance household waste and junk, dating back to March 1st. City crews cleaned-up the property on March 13th, after repeated notices were sent about the mess. The City then billed SW Rentals $937 for equipment, labor and materials necessary to get rid of the trash. The Council voted to deny the request to reverse the abatement.

The Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution amending the FY 2020 City Budget, and set June 17th as the date for a Public Hearing on “Designation of the Expanded North Urban Renewal Area and on [an] Urban Renewal Plan Amendment,” with regard to the Whitney Group Development agreement. In other business, they passed the third and final reading of an Ordinance making the north side of E. 12th Street a “No Parking” zone, and, approved an order to close 6th Street between Chestnut and Poplar on Thursday evenings, from 3-to 6:45-p.m. June 4th through Sept. 24th, for “Produce in the Park,” held in the downtown Atlantic City Park.

An Iowa woman accused of fatally stabbing her husband’s girlfriend allegedly shouted “He don’t belong to you” during the attack. The Des Moines Register reports 55-year-old Michelle Lee Boat is charged with first-degree murder in the death Tuesday of 46-year-old Tracy Mondabough. She also faces charges for abusing her estranged husband and violating a no-contact order several times over the past two months. Pella police said in a criminal complaint that Boat was recorded on camera following the victim to an apartment complex before the stabbing.

Pottawattamie County Public Health today (Wednesday) reported seven new COVID-19 cases, all of whom are residents of Council Bluffs. Three are persons 18-to 40 years old, two are 41-to 60, and two are 61-to 80 years of age. Those persons were tested between May 11th and 18th. Thus far, 2,191 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and a total of 189 have tested positive.

An additional five people have recovered, bringing the total number to 96. Four persons are hospitalized, 83 are self-isolating. A total of 63 Pott. County COVID-19 cases are the result of Community Spread. Sadly, officials report also, a third COVID-19 related death in Pottawattamie County. Additional information was not available.

(Radio Iowa) — With no known cure for coronavirus, some doctors in Iowa are prescribing the drug hydroxychloroquine (hy-DROX-ee-CLOAR-ah-quin) for certain patients. President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday he’s been taking the drug as a preventative measure after multiple members of the White House staff tested positive for the virus.

The Food and Drug Administration has not approved hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus, but it has issued an Emergency Use Authorization for it, which allows medical providers to use a product in an emergency, like a pandemic. In an interview with KCRG-TV, Dr. Dustin Arnold, the chief medical officer at UnityPoint–St. Luke’s in Cedar Rapids, says he doesn’t recommend people take the drug as a preventative measure.

The F-D-A warned in April that hydroxychloroquine can cause heart problems and its use for COVID-19 should be limited to clinical trial settings or for treating certain hospitalized patients. St. Luke’s in Cedar Rapids has been doing that for some of its moderate to severely ill patients, according to Arnold.

At this point, he says it’s hard to tell what effect hydroxychloroquine has had on coronavirus patients.

Hydroxychloroquine, which is only available with a prescription, is also more commonly used to treat people with lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In late March, the FDA said there was a shortage of the drug, with some manufacturers reporting they have a limited supply because of increased demand. Arnold says St. Luke’s prepared for that before starting the treatment for coronavirus patients.

Here’s a summary of the changes announced in the Governor’s proclamation on Wed., May 20th. This is courtesy Mills County Emergency Management Agency Public Information Office Nick Johnson. And, even though it says this is for Mills County, the information is valid for the rest of the area, as well.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday, that on Tuesday, 30-year old Justin Tyler Jacobs, of Council Bluffs, turned himself in at the Cass County Jail on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Jacobs remains held at the Cass County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, last Friday, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23-year old Brittany Marie Ruhr, of Griswold, on charges of Driving While Barred (Aggravated) and Interference with Official Acts (Simple). Ruhr was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $2,000 bond.

Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/Region 7, serving Iowa and three other states and Nine Tribal Nations, report a public hearing will be held on the proposed plan for the PCE former Dry Cleaner Superfund site in Atlantic (Iowa). Oral and written comments will be accepted during a 30-day public comment periods for the site, which will begin May 22nd and end June 22nd, 2020. The public may submit their comments to the EPA prior to the close of the comment period by submitting them by Email to houston.pamela@epa.gov, calling toll-free at 1-800-223-0425, or mailing comments to:

Pamela Houston

U.S EPA Region 7 (ORA/OPA)

11201 Renner Blvd.

Lenexa, KS 66219

The EPA will hold a Public Meeting to provide information and answer questions on the Proposed Plan for the site. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, EPA will host the meeting via Adobe Connect video conference, the web address for which is www.epa.gov/superfund/PCEFormerDryCleaner.

The meeting takes place June 4th, from 6-to 7:30-p.m.    Audio for the meeting will be made available at 1-844-548-8485.  Additional information is available at the site mentioned above.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new poll finds that strong concern about a second wave of coronavirus infections is reinforcing widespread opposition among Americans to reopening public places. The new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 83% of Americans are at least somewhat concerned that lifting restrictions in their area will lead to additional infections.

About 54% say they are very or extremely concerned that such steps will result in a spike of COVID-19 cases. The poll also found about a third of Republicans are very or extremely concerned about the possibility of additional infections, compared with three-quarters of Democrats.