(Radio Iowa) — More than a dozen U-S senators, including Iowans Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, are calling for indemnity support for pork producers who are depopulating their herds due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jen Sorensen

Jen Sorenson of Ankeny, president-elect of the National Pork Producers Council, says it was a big plus when President Trump declared pork processing plants as critical infrastructure, ordering them to stay open. “But we are still so far behind with plant capacity,” Sorenson says. “U.S. hog farmers need help and relief when it comes to compensation for euthanized animals and also the cost incurred with euthanizing, composting and rendering those animals as well.”

Hog producers in Iowa and elsewhere are asking for financial help in covering their losses.  “A hundred dollars, roughly, for compensation for euthanized animals,” Sorenson says, “and then an additional $50 to cover those rendering, disposal and composting costs, depending on how the producer wishes to walk through that process.” Producers were looking to 2020 as a year of potential profit after a few years of consecutive financial challenges, but then coronavirus arrived.  Sorenson says, “We had two rough years in terms of the trade disruptions in 2018 and 2019 with not having access into Japan, the uncertainty of USMCA, and not having a market into China as well.”

Due to COVID-19 outbreaks that closed some meatpacking plants, processing capacity is down by 20- to 40-percent or more and estimates say the pork industry has lost more than five-billion dollars.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (WHO-TV) — Authorities say one person has been injured in an officer-involved shooting in central Iowa. Station WHO-TV reports that the shooting happened before dawn Wednesday morning in Marshalltown when officers were called to a northwest neighborhood near Rogers Elementary School for a disturbance. Marshalltown Police Chief Michael Tupper says the call was made just before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, and arriving officers encountered a man who was shot by a Marshalltown police officer.

Tupper says the man was taken to a hospital for treatment of wounds not believed to be life-threatening. Tupper did not give details about what led to the shooting. The injured man’s name has not been released.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(7-a.m. News) – Police in Creston report two men were arrested on drug charges early this (Wednesday) morning, following a traffic stop at the Creston City Hall parking lot. During the stop, K9 Jax was deployed and gave a positive response resulting in the arrest of 40-year old Justin Alan Robertson, of Creston. Robertson was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense. Also arrested at the scene was 31-year old Kyle Duane Hoadley, of Creston. He was taken into custody for Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 2nd Offense. Both men were cited and released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on Summons’ to Appear in court.

On Tuesday, a man from Minnesota reported to Creston Police, that he left a non-running electric moped at a friend’s house in the 300 block of N. Elm St., in Creston. The man said the moped was taken sometime in July, 2019. He estimated the value of the moped at $200.

Two men were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 49-year old Richard Bryan Jenkins, of Red Oak, was arrested on a valid warrant for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, and, indecent exposure. Jenkins was transported to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and held on $2,000 bond.

And, 47-year old Dennis Joseph Doyen, of Red Oak, was arrested on a warrant for domestic abuse assault by impeding flow of air/blood. Doyen was transported to Montgomery County Jail and was also being held on $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) — A new “Test Iowa” site for drive-through COVID-19 tests will start operating Saturday in Storm Lake, which is home to two Tyson facilities. About 800 work at the turkey processing facility and 24-hundred work at the pork plant.

When Tyson’s pork plants in Columbus Junction and Waterloo were temporarily closed this spring due to coronavirus outbreaks among workers, production was shifted to the plant in Storm Lake. In mid-April, Governor Kim Reynolds asked federal officials for more testing supplies so workers at all 18 meat packing and food processing plants in Iowa could be tested. Reynolds says the drive-through Test Iowa sites are being used in many of those locations.

“We have a plan in place and we’ve got a great logistics team, that once we get a site established, they’re looking at the next two sites,” Reynolds says, “where we can do the testing, what makes the most sense for the facility and how we can move forward with that.” The first “Test Iowa” site began operating April 25th in Des Moines and there are now six other “Test Iowa” sites running in the state as of Tuesday.

However, the Test Iowa machines at the State Hygienic Lab hadn’t gotten federal approved for processing samples as of late Tuesday.

(Radio Iowa) — Barbers and hair stylists throughout the state are awaiting the governor’s announcement later this (Wednesday) morning about reopening more of the state’s economy. On March 22nd, Reynolds ordered hair and nail salons and barbershops to close. Sue Benson, owner of Hair Designs in Forest City, went a bit stir crazy at first. “Just learned to try to plug away at whatever you can do,” she says. “Thank goodness it was spring here before too long, so I could be outside some.” Benson had to find some sort of revenue stream to replace her lost business income.

“I got the payment protection through the bank,” she says. “That one I got, but the one through the city that they just put out, I haven’t heard anything back on that.” Benson says clients have been contacting her, ready to sign up for appointments as soon as she’s able to reopen.  “I have very, very faithful clients,” Benson says, “so as soon as the governor lets us back in, we will be up and running.”

Many independent hair stylists encouraged customers to buy gift certificates, to help supplement their income during the shutdown. As salons were allowed to open in other states, chains like Supercuts announced work areas will be sanitized between customers. To limit the number of people inside each location, Great Clips is asking customers to check in online and wait outside the salon until a stylist calls to let them inside.

Some pictures on social media show a few hair stylists buying plastic face shields, hoping the covering will reassure customers about returning to the salon chair.

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

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An immigrant from Congo who worked at the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Waterloo has died of the coronavirus. The Congoloese community in Waterloo has been mourning Axel Kabeya’s death, which several members announced Sunday on social media. A Congolese newspaper reported that Kabeya was one of the community’s best-known figures in Waterloo, where hundreds of refugees have settled in recent years. He’s survived by a wife and children. His age wasn’t available. Tyson Fresh Meats spokeswoman Liz Croston confirmed the death, saying the company was “deeply saddened by the loss of a team member at our Waterloo facility.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’s still considering how far to go in lifting local public health restrictions, as the state reported 18 more deaths from the coronavirus. Reynolds had planned to announce which business closures that she would allow to expire Friday and which she would extend through May. But she said she was still looking at data, and now expects an announcement Wednesday. Restaurants in 22 counties remain closed. Statewide, bars, salons, barber shops, movie theaters, casinos, museums and several other businesses are ordered closed until Friday. Meanwhile, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that 19 inmates at the county jail had tested positive for COVID-19.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa gym owner is facing a misdemeanor charge after operating in defiance of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ orders related to the cornoavirus pandemic. Jason Bailey, owner of Custom Fitness in Cedar Rapids, received the citation Tuesday. KCRG reports Cedar Rapids police saw several people working out inside the gym Tuesday morning, and that Bailey admitted ignoring Reynolds’ health emergency proclamation’ The order limits gyms in Linn and 21 other counties to one customer at a time by appointment. Police say Bailey was issued a warning on Friday and the misdemeanor came after police received complaints from other businesses.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A county attorney says a Council Bluffs police officer was acting in self-defense when he shot Nebraska man in May. Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wilber says Officer Mike Roberts shot 34-year-old Jimmy Carr only after Carr had shot at the officer. The confrontation occurred outside a convenience store in Council Bluffs. Carr, of Omaha, was charged Tuesday with attempted murder of a police officer and two other counts. He is being held on $2 million cash bond. Wilber said Carr had shot at Roberts and was reaching for a gun he dropped when the officer returned fire. Carr was shot in the hip.

Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health (PCPH), Tuesday, reported six new COVID-19 cases. Four of the new cases are residents of Council Bluffs, one is a resident of Carson, and one is a resident of Treynor. Four individuals are 18-40 years old, one is 41-60 years old, and one is 61-80 years old. The total of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now 91.

Currently, 43 individuals are self-isolating, one is hospitalized, 44 have recovered, one moved out-of-state, and there have been two deaths.

For additional information, including case demographics filtered by county, visit the Iowa Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 dashboard at coronavirus.iowa.gov.