Reynolds Says TestIowa Has Passed Laboratory Validation
(Des Moines) — Long-term care was the focus of Thursday’s daily briefing by Governor Kim Reynolds. The governor began by telling reporters the testing program entitled “TestIowa” which is operated by an Utah business has been given full validation approval by federal government officials, and the state hygienic laboratory.
The governor was asked if she has been satisfied with the performance of TestIowa?
The state has established seven different testing sites using the TestIowa program with the eighth location to be established on Saturday at Storm Lake.
Reynolds Says Long-term Care Facilities Are A Concern For COVID-19 Cases
(Des Moines) — Statistics show many of the deaths associated with the COVID-19 virus are from residents of long-term care facilities. In Iowa, according to public health department officials, nearly half of coronavirus deaths have been contributed to long-term care nursing centers. Governor Reynolds, during her Thursday briefing, says from the start, officials were
concerned about the effects COVID-19 would have on Iowa’s residents in long-term nursing care facilities.
Public Health Department spokesperson Sarah Reisetter tells of the somber figures involving Iowa’s long-term care residents with relationship to COVID-19.
Reisetter says all of Iowa’s long-term care facilities were notified early when the virus was first detected in our nation, and before it had hit Iowa.
Reisetter tells of the protocol once COVID-19 has been detected in a long-term care facility.
According to the governor, 95 percent of Iowa’s long-term care facilities have been tested for the presence of COVID-19.
Le Mars Beauty College And Mantrap Salon Ready To Open For Business
(Le Mars) — People will now be able to get a haircut beginning on Friday since Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced Wednesday she is allowing for many businesses throughout the state, including beauty salons and barbershops, to again open for business. Todd Anderson is the owner of both the Mantrap
Beauty Salon and the Le Mars Beauty College, both located in Le Mars.
Anderson shares his plans for both businesses.
The Iowa Department of Public Health has issued several stipulations and regulations that businesses must follow in order to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Anderson says both of his establishments have enough space to comply with most of the spacing requirements.
As for the staff, Anderson says they will be wearing masks. He recommends that customers also bring a mask, but realizing it may create some problems with cutting hair, so he has some suggestions.
Anderson says his business hours will remain the same as they were prior to the start of coronavirus. However, he says customers will need to make an appointment.
The hair styling business operator says the restrictions and requirements will apply to both the Mantrap and the Le Mars Beauty College.
State Government Leaders Want Revenue Estimating Conference To Convene With Budget Estimates
(Des Moines) — Governor Reynolds along with State House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver are requesting the Revenue Estimating Conference to convene prior to the state legislature reconvening, which is
scheduled for June 3rd. Lawmakers suspended the session on March 15th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The REC estimate will be used as a data point for the Legislature to use in the creation of a FY 2021 budget.
Gov. Reynolds says, “Iowa’s fiscal health is strong and we are prepared for this time of uncertainty. But as Iowa continues to recover and grow from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s critical that we have as much information available to us to make informed decisions.” Reynolds continued to say, “The Revenue Estimating Conference can provide guidance as we assess COVID-19’s impact on the state’s finances.”
Both the state legislature, and the governor’s office, uses the revenue numbers provided by the Revenue Estimating Conference in determining the state’s budget.
Groups Push For Tougher OSHA Enforecement at Iowa Plants, Factories
(Waterloo, IA) — A group of Iowa labor and community organizers is calling for state and federal agencies to boost oversight of factories and meat packing plants. Gayle Warner’s husband has worked at a Whirlpool factory in Amana for 30 years. During an online forum, she accused the Occupational
Health and Safety Administration of failing to ensure the safety of her husband and his co-workers. Black Hawk County Supervisor Chris Schwartz said OSHA guidelines should be better enforced at places like Waterloo’s Tyson plant, as more than a thousand of its workers have tested positive for COVID-19 and the outbreak spread through the community. Schwartz said,
“things have quieted down a little bit, but not enough to the point that we should be relaxing all these measures that the governor did put in place and so we’re very worried about the very real possibility of a second surge.”
The League of Latin American Citizens is planning a protest Friday at the Tyson plant in Waterloo.
First-Time Weekly Unemployment Claims Fall in Iowa
(Des Moines, IA) — New state unemployment claims were at their lowest level last week since the coronavirus pandemic started. Iowa Workforce Development says there were 16-thousand-735 initial unemployment claims in the first week of May. That is down by almost eight-thousand from the previous week — and it’s the first time the claims have been under 20-
thousand in three weeks. Job analysts say the vast majority of COVID-related layoffs have already happened. Unemployment insurance benefit payments totaled nearly 53-million dollars last week. Officials say more than seven-million dollars in federal pandemic unemployment payments were made to 13-thousand Iowans.
Steve King Hopes To Gain Back House Committee Assignments
(Washington) — Congressman Steve King has been saying for the past two weeks that he has an agreement with the Republican leader in the U.S. House to get this committee assignments restored — but an Ohio congressman who’s on the leadership team says King will not be serving on any committee. House G-O-P leaders removed King from committees last year. It came shortly after a New York Times article quoted King asking why the terms white supremacy and white nationalism had become offensive. This is what King said on April 27th.
King is seeking a 10th term in the U.S. House and faces four Republican challengers in the June Primary. He has repeatedly said he was misquoted and King chastised his opponents during a forum in Spencer on Monday night.
Ohio Congressman Steve Stivers, a member of the House G-O-P Steering Committee, says he won’t allow hate and bigotry to influence the legislation passed in congress and King will not regain appointments to committees. Two weeks ago, King said his lack of committee assignments is an injustice that must be corrected immediately.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy has not responded to requests for comment. In January of 2019, when he announced King was being stripped of his committee assignments, McCarthy said King’s quotes in the New York Times were not the first time King had made offensive comments. King issued a written statement, saying Stivers is a “Never Trumper” who cannot discern fact from fiction.
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Fallen Iowa Marine Escorted Home to Dike From Des Moines Airport
(Dike, IA) — An Iowa Marine who died in a training accident is back in his hometown of Dike to be laid to rest. Nineteen-year-old Private First Class Tyler Cox died unexpectedly April 29th at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina.
Cox arrived at Des Moines International Airport Wednesday night and was escorted home to Dike. Veterans and first responders lined highways and streets along the route and saluted Cox as he went by. The Nevada Fire Department had ladder trucks and a huge American flag on an overpass. A private visitation for Cox is scheduled for Friday and the funeral is Saturday in the Dike-New Hartford High School auditorium.
Mason City Teen Leads Authorities on 110 MPH Pursuit With AR-15 Rifle
(Mason City, IA) — A Mason City teen is facing multiple charges after leading authorities on a pursuit at more than 110 miles -an-hour. Cerro Gordo County deputies say 18-year-old Caleb Malek was arrested Wednesday night when he crashed into a ditch. He is also accused of illegally carrying an A-R-15 rifle in the vehicle. Officers say marijuana residue was spotted during a traffic stop and Malek sped off when ordered to turn off his car.
Charges include eluding, carrying weapons, and interference with official acts.
