(Radio Iowa) – A study being released by the United Ways of Iowa shows how the pandemic is impacting the state’s households and finds low-income families are suffering disproportionately in trying to pay for essentials. Deann Cook, the agency’s executive director, says the report finds more than half of Iowa households are reporting a loss of income or increased expenses due to COVID-19. “Iowans who are still in a position to give have been very, very generous, particularly with disaster funds. That has been really heartwarming to see,” Cook says. “But there’s just simply more need out there than the non-profit sector is able to provide.”

Charities of all sorts are being stretched to the limit, especially food banks and agencies that help Iowans in need to pay their utilities or rent. “Probably the biggest resource that United Ways have is the Iowa 211 Hotline,” Cook says. “When residents of Iowa find themselves with a challenge that they need help navigating, pick up the phone, call 211 and those call agents can walk you through and help direct you to the best resources.”

Before the pandemic, Cook says 37-percent of Iowans were having a difficult time paying all of their bills. Those are people who are living above the federal poverty level who are working, but simply don’t make enough to pay for the basics. The report shows even more Iowans are now financially fragile. “Eighteen percent of Iowans told us they couldn’t cover one month’s bills prior to the pandemic. That is now well into 30-percent,” Cook says. “We have a third of Iowans, at least, who are now struggling to even come up with one month’s reserve should they have a problem, should they lose income, that kind of thing.”

Beyond money worries, the three primary concerns Iowans expressed are: a second wave of virus activity and closures, a household member contracting COVID-19, and mental health issues. Cook says families with household incomes below $50,000 reported significantly higher concerns about paying for food, utilities and rent.”Going back to what it was like before the pandemic is not exactly going back to a great place,” Cook says. “There were Iowans struggling going into this and this has only exacerbated all of those problems.”

For Iowans who want to help, Cook says there are United Way chapters across the state, in addition to food pantries and local community disaster funds, all of which would welcome donations. (On the web at https://www.uwiowa.org/)

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The Red Oak Police Department reports 30-year-old Eric Alan Vannausdale, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:35-p.m. Tuesday, for Assault with the intent to commit serious injury. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The start of the 2021 Iowa legislative session is less than three weeks away, but Governor Kim Reynolds says it may be far longer before officials sort out how much more the state will get in federal pandemic relief — and whether some of the billion dollar state surplus and cash reserve will be tapped. “While the State of Iowa really is in great fiscal health when you consider the year that we just went through whether it’s Covid-19 or it’s a drought or it’s the derecho that hit a large majority of our state,” Reynolds says, “we’re not through Covid-19 and so we have to continue to monitor it very carefully and continue to see what the impact is to revenues.”

A panel of experts predicts state tax revenue will grow by more than three-and-a-half percent in the NEXT state fiscal year. The bill that cleared CONGRESS this week will send Iowa and other states millions to distribute Covid vaccines, pay for more testing and perform other local public health functions. There’s more money for child care and Head Start programs as well as food assistance. It also gives states another year to spend money from the first CARES Act that passed last spring.

“This will allow us to put Iowa’s remaining balanced of about $47 million to work in programs that will continue to make a positive difference for Iowans,” Reynolds says. If congress hadn’t taken action this week, Reynolds says she was prepared to distribute that 47 million dollars before the end of the year. About 45 percent of what’s left is the 21 million Reynolds had intended to spend on new state computer software, but the U.S. Treasury’s inspector general ruled that wasn’t a pandemic-related expense.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has found that an Iowa state-run care center for people with intellectual disabilities likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments, some of which were deemed dangerous. A report released Tuesday identified broad failures at the Glenwood Resource Center, including poor treatment of residents and failure of the Iowa Department of Human Services to respond. The DOJ began investigating in November 2019 after reports of a high rate of deaths. The DOJ outlined detailed steps for improvement. Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa DHS say they have cooperated with the investigation and will work with DOJ to resolve the problems

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — The vaccination of Iowa’s nursing home residents is set to begin next week, after a error in the distribution of vaccines threatened to delay the process. State officials said Tuesday that to be able to begin vaccinating people at long-term care facilities on Dec. 28, as planned, the state had to have at least 50% of the vaccine needed for its nursing home population held in reserve, according to a federal rule. The government, however, eased that regulation since the state was shorted on its initial vaccine shipment. Meanwhile, Iowa posted another 64 COVID-19 deaths and 1,276 new confirmed cases of the disease Tuesday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Rita Hart is asking the U.S. House to investigate and overturn the race that Iowa says she lost by six votes, arguing that 22 ballots were wrongly excluded and others weren’t examined during the recount. The campaign provided the notice of contest to The Associated Press and announced its filing Tuesday morning. In the document, Hart argues that she would have netted 15 votes and defeated Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks had the 22 ballots been counted in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. Hart is asking the Democratic-led House to count those votes and conduct a uniform recount throughout the district’s 24 counties. She says she is confident she will be ahead after that process and declared the winner.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A bicyclist died in Davenport when he crashed into a car. Police say the crashed happened about 10 p.m. when a motorized bicycle traveling against traffic on a one-way street crashed into the car. The Quad-City Times reported a 46-year-old man from Davenport was riding the bike. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Police didn’t immediately identify the bicyclist.

A woman from Minnesota died during an accident Tuesday afternoon in northwest Iowa’s Calhoun County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the crash happened on Highway 4 at 220th Street just north of Rockwell City, at around 3:30-p.m.

The Patrol said 28-year-old Rose Kristine Kallemeyn, of Jackson, MN, was rounding a curve in a 2002 Pontiac Bonneville, when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck a 2014 International semi. Kallemeyn was ejected from her car during the impact, and died at the scene.

Authorities said she was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver of the semi, 56-year old Gary Dennis Hayes II, of West Des Moines, was not injured.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is assisting in an investigation into a Dallas County homicide. The incident occurred in rural Adel. Dallas County Deputies responded just before 1:30-a.m., Tuesday, to the intersection of K-Avenue and 258th Street, upon receiving reports of a man suffering a gunshot wound,

Authorities pronounced the man dead at the scene. His name had not officially been released as of late Tuesday night. Authorities said the public is not believed to be in danger.

DES MOINES – Officials with the U.S. Department of Justice, Tuesday, said it found reasonable cause that conditions at Glenwood Resource Center violated the 14th Amendment in the U.S. Constitution. The DOJ released the findings of its investigation into Glenwood, which stated that experiments were conducted on residents without their consent.

FILE – This Dec. 19, 2019, file photo, shows the entrance to the Glenwood Resource Center campus in Glenwood, Iowa. In a report released Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, the U.S. Justice Department has found that Glenwood Resource Center, the Iowa state-run care center for people with intellectual disabilities, likely violated the constitutional rights of residents by subjecting them to human experiments, some of which were deemed dangerous. (Kelsey Kremer/The Des Moines Register via AP, File)

Experiments conducted at Glenwood included overhydrating residents, which the department said caused harm. Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband, with the Civil Rights Division, said, “Individuals with disabilities are not human guinea pigs, and like all persons, they should never be subject to bizarre and deviant pseudo-medical ‘experiments’ that injure them.”

According to the DOJ, Glenwood residents were subject to inadequate physical and behavioral health care, with few safety or oversight measures. The department also noted severe deficiencies in oversight and quality management at both Glenwood and the Iowa Department of Human Services. The DOJ said it is considering whether the Glenwood and Woodward resource centers violated rights under Title 11 of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Gov. Kim Reynolds released, Tuesday issued a statement on the completed DOJ Investigation into Glenwood Resource Center:  “What happened at the Glenwood Resource Center was unconscionable and unacceptable. Under Director Garcia’s leadership at DHS, we’ve fully cooperated with the investigation and I commend her for immediately digging in to assess the situation. I am committed to bringing all the tools and state resources needed to address the challenges at the facility. The families and loved ones remain in my thoughts as this likely brings up very difficult and strong emotions.”

Upon learning of the DOJ Investigation, Gov. Reynolds instructed DHS Director Kelly Garcia to cooperate and assist with any investigation. DHS went on to conduct a review and fact-finding effort to identify issues and begin making changes.

U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Tuesday night, issued a joint statement regarding the DOJ findings:  “The findings of this investigation into the Glenwood Resource Center are sickening and intolerable. Our hearts break for the families and loved ones who have been directly impacted by this tragic news. We appreciate Governor Reynolds’ responsiveness to this situation at the state level, and in the Senate we will continue to work on behalf of all Iowans, including those with disabilities, to ensure folks have the care and support they need.”

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday) reports one arrest took place Monday morning: 42-year old Margaret Misailegalu Samana, of Blue Springs, MO., was arrested on I-29 at around 10:40-a.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Her bond was set at $1,000.