IOWA (IRN) – Another 11 people with COVID-19 have died, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported Friday, bringing the statewide total to 107. Additionally, another 521 people have tested positive, bringing the statewide total to 4445.

NEWTON, IA (IRN) – Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturer TPI Composites is suspending production at its Newton plant to clean the facility and implement more COVID-19 testing. The company said 28 more TPI Newton workers have tested positive for the disease. TPI will be closed until the middle of next week to do another deep-clean and test all Newton associates. TPI said workers will be paid during the production pause.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds is moving closer to announcing specific plans to slowly reopen the state. She said she understands that people want to return to normal life as soon as possible and her disaster proclamation ends with the month of April. Reynolds did not give a timeline for announcing reopening plans.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Ethanol producer ADM says it is idling production at its corn ethanol plants in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Columbus, Nebraska, furloughing 90 employees in each facility for at least four months. The company says low consumer demand for gasoline also has dramatically cut demand for corn-based ethanol which is blended into gasoline.