Iowa Radio News

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A doctor in Des Moines has started an online petition to push Governor Reynolds to issue a stay-at-home order, according to KCCI-TV. Doctor Austin Baeth is an internal medicine physician at UnityPoint. Baeth tells KCCI a stay-at-home order in Iowa would provide more clarity. He says piecemealing rounds of business closures is not effective. DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Public Health has been notified of 85 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 699 positive cases. Two additional deaths were reported; 2 older adults in Linn County for a total of 11 Iowa deaths. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds extended the closure of schools until April 30 and commended Iowa school districts for shifting to virtual learning. Many rural districts say they don’t have the resources to do it. Access to devices and connectivity are major drawbacks. IOWA (IRN) – Menards stores are limiting who can come into the stores during the pandemic. According to their website, children under 16 and pets are not allowed inside. The company also says anyone who looks under the age of 16 will be asked to show identification. No reason is given for the restriction. There are 20 Menards in Iowa. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Wednesday night is “Balcony Night” at Summit House, a senior living community in Des Moines. Coronavirus rules call for people to remain 6 feet apart, so instead of gathering in each other’s apartments or various spots around the building, the residents have been standing on their balconies on Wednesdays and chit-chatting. The Des Moines Register reports that on Wednesday night, 17-year-old Lily Ungs, a ballet dancer and granddaughter of one of the couples living in the facility, performed a ballet routine in the parking lot for residents to enjoy.

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Closures of businesses and schools have been extended in Iowa due to COVID-19, as announced by Governor Kim Reynolds in her daily press conference Thursday. The closures currently in place have been extended to April 30th. Reynolds said school districts should continue to find ways to serve students remotely, and such decisions should be made at the local level. She said it is up to each district to decide how best to serve students which could include virtual educational options. The governor added that gatherings should continue to be limited to 10 or fewer people. The governor also said that as of today, Iowa has 614 total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Iowa with 11 deaths. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) Iowa Workforce Development shared sobering new numbers on jobless claims during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to IWD, 58,453 Iowans filed for unemployment between March 22 and March 28. The previous week approximately 41,000 filed, and the week before that, only about 2,400. AMES, IA (IRN) – The cancellation of the NCAA and Big 12 Tournaments has cost the Iowa State Athletics department $5 million. Athletic Director Jamie Pollard is implementing a one-year pay reduction for athletics department coaches and some staff – which will save $3 million. He’s also suspending bonuses for coaches for one year – which will save $1 million dollars. NEWTON, IA (IRN) – A “No April Fools Joke” event was held on the east edge of Newton yesterday. WHO-TV reports over the noon hour rows of semi trucks pulled in the Love’s Truck Stop and were greeted with offers of a free meal. Jeff Arment of Lynnville’s Smokin’ J’s and friends served pulled pork sandwiches, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, brats and baked goods to approximately 300 truckers. MARION, IA (IRN) – A Marion middle schooler is using his time at home to do what he can to educate his classmates about COVID-19. Timothy Laubach, a student at Excelsior Middle School, made his own video titled “The Fresh Prince of COVID-19” to help remind us to wash our hands and self-isolate. Laubach says, “I just wanted to appeal to younger viewers and make them laugh but also tell them the guidelines of the COVID-19 virus.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health has been notified of 52 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 549 positive cases. According to IDPH, 2 additional deaths were reported; one elderly adult in Polk County, and one elderly adult in Washington County. There have been a total of 7,304 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. AUDUBON COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Two people have died in a fiery helicopter crash in rural Audubon County, southeast of the city of Audubon. The crash occurred around 4 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses say they saw the helicopter fly into power lines and flip over before crashing to the ground and bursting into flames. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – An employee at a major Linn County employer has tested positive for COVID-19. KCRG-TV reports Nordstrom, Inc., announced the positive case for an employee at its Nordstrom Direct fulfillment center. The company briefly closed for a deep cleaning, and will reopen today. CORALVILLE, IA (IRN) – Mercy Iowa City recently opened a drive-thru testing facility for COVID-19 at one of its Coralville clinics. KWWL-TV reports as of Tuesday morning, the facility had administered 23 tests and patients are getting their results back in about 24 hours. ALBIA, IA (IRN) – Getting married in the age of coronavirus isn’t easy, but one Iowa couple found a creative way to celebrate. KCCI-TV reports Allie Stanley and Noah Downey, of Albia, will be married over the weekend. Instead of holding their 300-guest ceremony as planned, they said their family will join them for an outdoors drive-in style wedding. Their dads will be showing guests where to park, and attendees will be able to view the ceremony from their cars.

MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – The City of Marshalltown reports three employees have tested positive for COVID-19. City officials said due to privacy issues, no information about the employees or their roles will be released. Office areas and workspaces are being deep cleaned and some employees are telecommunicating. IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health says 88 more people have tested positive for COVID-19. Monday’s announcement brings the total cases in Iowa to 424. There have been six deaths in Iowa related to COVID-19. Iowa’s first “peak” of infections could still be two or three weeks out. IOWA (IRN) – In her daily press conference Monday, Governor Kim Reynolds confirmed a COVID-19 hotspot in eastern Iowa, saying 21 of Linn County’s 71 cases came from the Heritage Specialty Care facility in Cedar Rapids. SALT LAKE CITY, UT (IRN) – Robert H. Garff, chairman of a multi-state car dealership group with locations in Iowa, died Sunday in Salt Lake City from a coronavirus-related illness. He was 77. The Ken Garff Automotive Group operates six dealerships in central Iowa, including three Dewey dealerships, two Stew Hansen dealerships, and Southtown Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – One couple didn’t let the coronavirus pandemic cancel their wedding plans. WHO-TV reports Greg Oman and Alice Lin got married at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines Monday afternoon, with a group of less than ten people in attendance. The couple met two years ago when Oman was teaching English in Taiwan.

IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health says 88 more people have tested positive for COVID-19. Today’s announcement brings the total cases in Iowa to 424. Two Iowans with COVID-19 passed away last night, for a total of six deaths. Iowa’s first “peak” of infections could still be two or three weeks out. IOWA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds’ orders to suspend surgical abortions in Iowa during the coronavirus outbreak will face a legal challenge. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed a lawsuit today on behalf of several groups seeking an immediate halt to Reynolds’ directive. The lawsuit was filed in Johnson County District Court and names Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, Planned Parenthood Medical Director Jill Meadows and the Iowa City-based Emma Goldman Clinic as petitioners. Reynolds is listed as a respondent, alongside several state officials. MARSHALLTOWN, IA (IRN) – Lennox has verified there are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 at its factory in Marshalltown on Sunday. A third party has disinfected the facility and the company is ready to have employees return and operations resume. However, the factory will not reopen until April 9. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – An independent senior apartment complex in Des Moines says one of their residents has COVID-19. KCCI-TV reports residents at Luther Park Apartments are frustrated with what they call a lack of information they have about their neighbor who tested positive. Building management says their hands are tied as they are not allowed to release who that person is or which apartment they live in because of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – known as HIPAA. OELWEIN, IA (IRN) – Severe storms damaged an apartment building in northeast Iowa Saturday night and knocked down power lines in the area. A tornado that was spotted in Oelwein tore off part of the wall of a 12-unit apartment building and damaged the siding of a second building in the complex. No serious injuries were reported.