Reynolds And Durham Focus On Small Business Assistance Grants During Daily COVID-19 News Briefing
(Des Moines) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds updated the coronavirus statistics during her Wednesday morning news conference.
During the daily briefing, the focus was with assistance for Iowa’s small businesses. Governor Reynolds announced additional state aid would be directed to help small businesses hurt by being closed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Reynolds says all business applicants, in good standing with the Iowa Department of Revenue, will be approved and notified by mail.
During this morning’s briefing, the governor says she will expand the program to meet the needs of small businesses submitting assistance applications.
Iowa Economic Development Director Debi Durham joined the governor at Wednesday’s briefing and says her department has heard the thousands of messages from Iowa’s small businesses.
Durham says her department has received more than 14,000 small business grant applications, and at least 15 from each Iowa county. She says the initial relief forms have been mailed to Iowa’s small businesses.
Durham says the initial round of funding amounted to $10 million dollars with businesses receiving grants between $5,000 to $25,000.
Kirchoff Tells Community During City Council Meeting A Disaster Plan Is Being Implemented
(Le Mars) — At the start of the Le Mars City Council meeting, Le Mars mayor, Dick Kirchoff took the opportunity to praise the town’s citizens for their efforts to help with the fight of the COVID-19 coronavirus. In an effort to maintain social distances, the city council meeting was conducted through the means of a telephone conference call. Kirchoff informed the public, that the
city was following protocol as established by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. Kirchoff announced the city is utilizing portions of its disaster plan.
Le Mars Police Department Gets A New Officer
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has a new officer. Mayor Dick Kirchoff conducted the swearing of oath ceremonies Tuesday morning with Sam Magana. Magana is originally from South Sioux City, Nebraska. He will begin his field training immediately, and later this fall will attend the Law Enforcement Academy at Camp Dodge near Johnston, Iowa. Le Mars Police Chief Kevin Vande Vegte says the addition of Magana is to keep a full staff of officers. Vande Vegte says the police department is anticipating an officer retirement to occur sometime later this year. Pinning the badge on Magana is his finance’.
Atlantic Police File Charges Following Gun Incident
(Atlantic) — Authorities in western Iowa say charges are filed after an incident over toilet paper that resulted in the display of a gun. Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue said Tuesday that upon reviewing the incident and video from the Dollar General Store, Cass County Attorney Vanessa Strazdus determined 45-year-old Jeptha Vestal, of Atlantic, was the initial aggressor, and that Vestal acted in a manner that would cause a reasonable person to feel threatened with imminent violence. The incident took place the afternoon of April 3rd. Strazdas also determined that the (unidentified) person who displayed the gun was acting within his rights under Iowa’s statutes regarding self defense and defense of others. Lt. Hogue said “fortunately, the situation quickly de-escalated with no injuries. Jeptha Vestal was charged with disorderly conduct, a simple misdemeanor.
All criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in the court of law. KLEM radio first reported on this incident on Saturday.
State Auditor Rob Sand Critical Of Governor Reynolds’ Handling Of COVID-19 Pandemic In Iowa
(Des Moines) — State Auditor Rob Sand is asking Governor Kim Reynolds to provide the public more information about the 12-point scale she’s using to monitor the spread of COVID-19 — and decide if, when and where she might order a shelter-in-place order.
Last week, Reynolds and the deputy director of the Iowa Department of Public Health said after 9/11, state officials began developing plans for responding to a variety of disasters — and the state epidemiologist has tailored the tool for this pandemic using Centers for Disease Control guidance. Reynolds yesterday told reporters Iowa isn’t like New York or New Jersey and it would be irresponsible to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order.
Sand, a Democrat, says giving Iowans more information will help them make better informed decisions about their actions during the pandemic. Reynolds, a Republican, has said every Iowan needs to take responsibility for their health and the health of others and stay home.
……..
