(Radio Iowa) — Two long-time members of the State Racing and Gaming Commission are retiring from the board when their current terms expire at the end of this (April) month. Carl Heinrich of Council Bluffs and Jeff Lamberti of Ankeny each have served nine years on the body that regulates gambling in the state. Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko  spoke about the two during the recent commission meeting. “Their patience, vision, and integrity, perspective, fairness, and impeccable judgment have resulted in sound, thoughtful, and consistent decisions — which have generated universal respect — no matter the outcome,” Ohorilko says.

Heinrich was the former president of Iowa Western Community College. “It has been an extreme pleasure to serve on this commission,” Heinrich says. “I have to admit when I was first appointed I was a bit apprehensive — because I really did not know the industry well.” He served during a time when the I-R-G-C dealt with many important issues. “I had to learn what was expected of me and to make decisions that I never thought I would make,” Heinrich says.

Lamberti is an attorney and businessman who served in the Iowa Legislature before joining the commission. “It’s been a very interesting experience, I am glad I had the opportunity to serve. Nine years is a very lengthy time. I think turnover is good,” Lamberti says. He says his time on the commission was eventful. “During the nine years I think I got to do just about everything…in terms of people seeking expansion to basically putting a license up for bid in Sioux City — to now sports gaming,” according to Lamberti.

Many of the issues were controversial — and he says none was tougher than deciding on new gambling license applications. “By far that’s the most difficult decision we have to make. Because it is not only the time and the work and the studies, the communities are very passionate about this, they invest of a lot of their time, their effort, their money,” according to Lamberti. “And we take it very seriously You may not like how we vote — or you may like how we vote — but rest assured, we put our time in.”

Lamberti says he thought he had seen everything he could when he decided to step down from the commission. And now says he knows that is true after watching the coronavirus pandemic force the closing of all 19 of the state-licensed casinos. Last week’s meeting was their last on the I-R-G-C. A recognition of the two is planned at the July meeting if commissioners are again able to meet in person.

(Radio Iowa) — Pork producers from across Iowa are donating several thousand pounds of meat to the state’s five main food banks. Trish Cook, a member of the Iowa Pork Producers Association board, says it’s a win-win since there’s a surplus of pork due to plant closures and an increase in demand at food banks because of the pandemic. “Pork producers decided to do what they can,” Cook says. “There’s a lot of people out there who have lost their jobs. They wanted to help out by donating ground pork to food banks in Iowa. They have 8,500 pounds of ground pork that they are distributing to food banks around state.”

Cook says its simple to cook pork and it helps to meet consumers’ protein needs.  “It’s easy to prepare, it can be used in so many different ways,” Cook says. “It’s just a versatile item that people can quickly cook up and use in their day-to-day meal preparation.” With many restaurants closed and so many people staying home from work and school, Cook says the pandemic has radically changed what and how we eat. “There’s people probably cooking things they never thought they would ever cook before just because we’re such a society — about half of our food budget is dining out,” Cook says. “It’s a really different scenario for everybody these days.”

Each food bank is getting 17-hundred pounds of pork divided into one-pound packages. The food banks receiving the donations include: The Food Bank for the Heartland serving 93 counties in Nebraska and western Iowa, as well as the food banks in Des Moines, Sioux City, Hiawatha and Waterloo.

Police in Red Oak report a man wanted on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Escape from Custody, was arrested at around 10:45-p.m. Tuesday, following a routine traffic stop in Red Oak. Authorities say 32-year old Jessie Bruce Fitzwater, of Council Bluffs, was also arrested on a State of Iowa Felony warrant for Possession, with the Intent to Deliver. Fitzwater was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted Red Oak Police in conducting the arrest.

Fire crews from Harlan and several other nearby departments responded to a large structure fire Tuesday night, at 1916 900th Street, just off County Road M-47, north of Prairie Rose State Park. The blaze occurred at around 10:15-p.m.  Water was reportedly pumped from Prairie Rose Lake to help replenish the supply of available firefighting water.

Photo courtesy our sister station KNOD (photo by Michele McConnell Andersen)

Other departments assisting at the scene included Avoca, Elk Horn, Irwin, Kimballton, Kirkman and Walnut. Additional details are currently not available.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Restaurant closures due to the coronavirus have contributed to an estimated $5 billion in losses this year for the U.S. pork industry, and almost overnight millions of hogs stacking up on farms now have little value. Some farmers have resorted to killing piglets because plunging sales mean there is no room to hold additional animals in increasingly cramped conditions. After extended trade disputes and worker shortages, this was supposed to finally be the year hog farmers hit it big with prices expected to climb amid soaring domestic and foreign demand. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is promising to send cash and buy stored pork but industry leaders say it might not be enough to stem devastating losses.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has launched a $26 million program to dramatically increase the state’s lagging capacity to test for the coronavirus. Under the TestIowa plan announced by Gov. Kim Reynolds Tuesday, the state’s 3.2 million residents will be asked to complete an online health assessment. Those who have symptoms or who have been exposed to the coronavirus will be eligible for free tests at drive-thru sites. The state will alert the contacts of those who test positive. Reynolds says Iowa has signed a contract to purchase 540,000 tests over the next six months, increasing the state’s testing capability by 3,000 tests per day.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One Iowa pork plant at the center of a major coronavirus outbreak is reopening as another began testing all employees to learn the scope of their infections. Tyson Foods resumed limited operations at its pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, where more than 200 workers have become infected and at least two have died. The plant, which has about 1,400 employees, had been shut down for two weeks after reporting the outbreak. In northern Iowa, Wright County officials reported that 16 employees at a pork processing facility run by Prestage Foods of Iowa have tested positive. Mass testing at the plant began Monday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police allege a man intentionally ran over and killed a Des Moines college instructor. Police also allege in newly released court documents that 49-year-old Jason Sassman was using meth on April 5 when he hit 38-year-old Lauren Rice as she walked her dog, which also died. Rice was an instructor at Des Moines Area Community. The Des Moines Register reports that police say Sassman believed Rice was a criminal about to kill someone. Sassman is charged with first-degree murder and animal neglect. He is being held at Polk County Jail on a $1 million bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police allege a man intentionally ran over and killed a Des Moines college instructor. Police also allege in newly released court documents that 49-year-old Jason Sassman was using meth on April 5 when he hit 38-year-old Lauren Rice as she walked her dog, which also died. Rice was an instructor at Des Moines Area Community.

The Des Moines Register reports that police say Sassman believed Rice was a criminal about to kill someone. Sassman is charged with first-degree murder and animal neglect. He is being held at Polk County Jail on a $1 million bond.

(Radio Iowa) — An Estherville teenager was arrested this weekend and is facing several charges after police say she tried to set grass and her jacket on fire with a cigarette lighter.  An officer attempted taking the lighter and then the suspect brandished a knife and cut the officer on the arm.

Eighteen-year-old Grace Hrbek was then taken into custody and was transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation before being transported to the Emmet County Jail. She’s charged with willful injury, assault on a peace officer and going armed with intent. The officer was treated and released.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One Iowa pork plant at the center of a major coronavirus outbreak is reopening as another began testing all employees to learn the scope of their infections. Tyson Foods resumed limited operations at its pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, where more than 200 workers have become infected and at least two have died. The plant, which has about 1,400 employees, had been shut down for two weeks after reporting the outbreak.

In northern Iowa, Wright County officials reported that 16 employees at a pork processing facility run by Prestage Foods of Iowa have tested positive. Mass testing at the plant began Monday.

COLLINS, Iowa (AP) — Sheriff’s investigators in central Iowa say three people have been found dead in a Collins travel trailer and likely died from accidental carbon monoxide asphyxiation. The Story County Sheriff’s Office says in a news release that deputies were called to the residence just before 8 a.m. Tuesday to check on the welfare of people there.

Arriving deputies discovered the bodies of three adults inside, including a 62-year-old woman, a 41-year-old woman, and a 20-year-old man. Officials say all three lived there. Three dogs were also found dead inside the trailer. Investigators say there were no signs of foul play.

MAY CITY, Iowa (Sioux City Journal) — Authorities in northwestern Iowa say a Hartley man has died after a tractor he was driver rolled into a ditch on top of him. The Sioux City Journal reports that the accident happened around noon Monday, while 77-year-old Kenneth Boernsen was operating the tractor southwest of May City.

The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office says it appeared Boernsen was transporting a section of an old loader with his loader bucket raised, when the tractor tipped over into the ditch. Boernsen was found by deputies under the tractor, and pronounced dead at the scene.