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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tyson Foods has suspended top officials at its largest pork plant and launched an investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would get infected during a widespread coronavirus outbreak. Tyson Foods President and CEO Dean Banks said Thursday that he was “extremely upset” about the allegations against managers at its plant in Waterloo, Iowa, saying they do not represent the company’s values. He says the Arkansas-based company has retained the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an investigation, which will be led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He says if the claims are confirmed, “we’ll take all measures necessary to root out and remove this disturbing behavior from our company.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says she will provide $14 million in federal funds to Iowa’s long-term care centers to help them manage new outbreaks of the coronavirus at the facilities. The federal virus relief money announced Thursday will pay for additional testing and staffing at the long-term care center. It comes at a time when Reynolds says another 20 facilities are dealing with outbreaks. That means about a quarter of the state’s care homes now have outbreaks. Reynolds also announced that statewide television, radio and print advertisements are launching that are aimed at encouraging people to take steps to slow the spread if the virus, such as wearing a mask, social distancing and washing hands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Board of Education has adopted new rules that limit district on how and when seclusion rooms are used to discipline students. The Des Moines Register reports that the board voted unanimously Wednesday to limit educators to using seclusion and restraint of students as a last resort and only when there’s a threat of bodily injury. The new rules also require schools to notify parents of the use of seclusion and restraint as soon as possible and to use rooms at least 7×8 feet. Schools have five years to implement the new size requirements. The change comes after years of criticism and pushback on use of the rooms. In 2017, the Iowa Department of Education determined that the Iowa City Community School District improperly used the rooms for minor infractions.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a woman who was shot and killed Saturday in Waterloo. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that police identified the victim as 27-year-old Jada Young-Mills. The Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies who heard gunshots in the area found Young-Mills with one gunshot wound inside a residence shortly after midnight. She was taken to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries. Police arrested 36-year-old Lasondra Annette Johnson, of Waterloo, on a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting. She is currently being held in the Black Hawk County Jail on a $1 million bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Twenty-five defendants are facing federal criminal charges as part of a joint federal and state investigation of a methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana drug trafficking organization. Most of these defendants were arrested on November 18, 2020, during the execution of 45 federal search warrants in and around Des Moines. Those warrants resulted in the seizure of 37 firearms, three pounds of cocaine, one ounce of methamphetamine, 18 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 ounces of heroin and approximately $50,000 in cash.

The defendants are charged across three criminal indictments and eight criminal complaints with federal drug or firearms offenses:
 Jerome Valentino Wilson, 32, of Des Moines
 Derek Shantell Thompson, 41, of Des Moines
 Kenee L. Triplett, 39, of Des Moines
 Cory Andrew Turner, 33, of Des Moines
 Coty Arnez Turner, 31, of Des Moines
 Daryl Stephen Jones, Jr., 45, of Des Moines
 Jerome Jamar Hall, 35, of Des Moines
 Ornandes Raeshon Bennett, 41, of Des Moines
 Antoine Moishawn Williams, 49, of Des Moines
 Dewayne Allen Haynes, 40, of Des Moines
 Marcus Antonio-Shay Hall, 25, of Des Moines
 Kenny Eugene Smart, Jr., 47, of Des Moines
 Michael Lindell Teasley, 32, of Des Moines
 Jerron Tandre Johnson, 30, of Des Moines
 Nolan Hamilton-Allen, 32, of Des Moines
 Richard Lee David Brown, 45, of Des Moines
 Anthony Levon Robinson, Jr., 35, of Des Moines
 Leon Dale Edwards, 36, of Des Moines,
 Leroy Williams II, 50, of Des Moines
 Terry Eugene Hambrick, 40, of Des Moines
 Damir Halkic, 32, of Urbandale
 Keiffer Michael Simmons, 28, of Des Moines
 William Lloydellton Speed, Jr., 27, of Des Moines
 Amanda Raye Reed, 40, of Des Moines
 Tyler James Althaus, 34, of Des Moines

Many of the charged defendants, including Jerome Valentino Wilson, Derek Shantell Thompson, Cory Andrew Turner, Coty Arnez Turner, Daryl Stephen Jones, Jr., Jerome Jamar Hall, Ornandes Raeshon Bennett, Michael Lindell Teasley, Kenny Smart, Jr., among others, have prior felony drug convictions. Kenny Smart, Jr., Michael Lindell Teasley, and Jerron Tandre Johnson, each presently charged with possessing a firearm as a felon, have prior convictions for possessing a firearm as a felon.

On November 18, 2020, Jerron Tandre Johnson was arrested on charges of attempted murder, filed in the Iowa District Court for Polk County. United States Attorney Krickbaum stated, “These arrests had a specific target: those accused
of carrying guns, slinging drugs, and endangering our community. We look forward to proving these charges in federal court. And we are grateful to our law enforcement partners, who took almost 40 guns and many pounds of drugs off the streets of Des Moines.”

“ATF has no higher priority than investigating violent crime and ensuring that those who use firearms in furtherance of their criminal activities are held accountable. This investigation demonstrates ATF’s commitment and the commitment of our law enforcement partners to ensure that the Des Moines communities remain a safe place to live, work and raise families. Utilizing firearms to injure or intimidate others cannot be tolerated and there is no question that Des Moines
is safer today because of the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of all of the agencies that played a part in this investigation,” said James Ferguson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division.

Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert added, “The size and magnitude of this operation speaks for itself, but the most important aspect is the impact it will have on violent crime and the distribution of illegal drugs in our community. This will absolutely move the needle in terms of restoring the safe environment that our citizens deserve and affirms the commitment to use all available resources to preserve this expectation. This was truly a team effort, and we can’t thank our Local, County, State and Federal partners enough for their unwavering dedication and commitment to ensuring that our most dangerous criminals are held accountable for selfishly and intentionally compromising the safety and security of the wonderful people that call this region ‘home.’ Our commitment to serve extends beyond jurisdictional lines, and our collective efforts will be ongoing.”

All defendants arrested on November 18 have or will soon appear in federal or state court on the charges. The charges carry maximum penalties of five years to life imprisonment. If convicted, the Court must impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.

The charges were announced by Marc Krickbaum, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa; James Ferguson, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Kansas City Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Dana Wingert, Chief of Police of the Des Moines Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mikaela Shotwell and MacKenzie Benson Tubbs represent the government.

The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Investigating and assisting agencies include: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); Des Moines Police Department (DMPD); Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE); Iowa State Patrol (ISP); Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (MINE); Tri-County Task Force; Central Iowa Drug Task Force (CIDTF); Mid-Iowa Drug Task Force (MIDTF); Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Altoona Police Department; West Des Moines Police Department; Urbandale Police Department; Marshalltown Police Department; Polk County Sheriff’s Office; Dallas County Sheriff’s Office; and Iowa State Fire Marshal.

This is an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces investigation.

The Shelby County Conservation Board and Iowa DNR will be hosting a series of outdoor cooking classes over the next few months.  All classes will be done through Zoom.  They will all be about breakfast foods and begin at 9:00 a.m.  The class on December 12 will be over the fire recipes that don’t require any special equipment.  The class on January 16 will be about sandwich makers/pie irons.  The class on February 6 will be on Dutch ovens.  Participants are encouraged to cook along with the presenters and interact with the presenters.  Ingredient lists and any prep work instructions will be sent out prior to class.  Preregistration is required.  Links for registration can be found on the Iowa Becoming an Outdoors Women Facebook Page or Shelby County Conservation Board Facebook Page.  Everybody is welcome to attend (not just women).  If you have any questions, contact Christina Roelofs at 712-744-3403.

December 12 – https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/163784

Direct link to register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2LPHteknTMG726o71l4rkQ

January 16 – https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/163785

Direct link to register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yShGduFHRkimdEJUwjBNyg

February 6 – https://www.register-ed.com/events/view/163786

Direct link to register on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RmvKhiSIRQOCutMpVh-MQg

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tyson Foods has suspended top officials at its largest pork plant and launched an investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would get infected during a widespread coronavirus outbreak. Tyson Foods President and CEO Dean Banks said Thursday that he was “extremely upset” about the allegations against managers at its plant in Waterloo, Iowa, saying they do not represent the company’s values.

He says the Arkansas-based company has retained the law firm of Covington & Burling LLP to conduct an investigation, which will be led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. He says if the claims are confirmed, “we’ll take all measures necessary to root out and remove this disturbing behavior from our company.”

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health announced Thursday (today), that 108 water systems in Iowa have been awarded Water Fluoridation Quality Awards from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In addition, five communities (including the Manilla Municipal Service Department) have been awarded the 50 Year Award for maintaining continuous community water fluoridation from 1969-2019. For 2019, a total of 1,523 public water systems in 29 states received these awards.

Fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in drinking water to a level that is effective for preventing tooth decay. The award recognizes those communities that achieved excellence in community water fluoridation by maintaining a consistent level of fluoride in drinking water throughout 2019.

Community water fluoridation has been recognized by CDC as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th Century. CDC recommends water fluoridation as one of the most practical, cost-effective, equitable, and safe measures a community can take to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health.

It is supported by the American Cancer Society, American Dental Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Water Works Association and over 100 national and international organizations as a safe, effective and inexpensive method of preventing tooth decay. Both Healthy People 2030 and Healthy Iowans 2021 have set goals to increase the number of people receiving optimally fluoridated water.

IDPH supports CDC approved fluoridation programs. The IDPH Bureau of Oral and Health Delivery Systems monitors the fluoride levels of Iowa communities and provides information and assistance to water supply professionals, healthcare professionals, and the public.

To see the fluoridation status of Iowa counties and towns, visit the My Water’s Fluoride website at https://nccd.cdc.gov/DOH_MWF.

Atlantic Municipal Utilities General Manager Steve Tjepkes, Thursday, said the American Public Power Association has its latest report on electric rates charged by all the electric utilities throughout the U.S.

Based on the report:

· There are 181 electric utilities operating in the state of Iowa
· Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) ranks as the 2nd lowest average electric rate charged to customers in the state
· The overall average rate comparison includes AMU’s Residential, Commercial and Industrial Rates

Tjepkes said “We were very pleased to see the results of the latest rate comparisons among electric utilities. While keeping rates low is important to everyone in our community, we believe it is the customer service our employees provide every day that we are most proud of and strive to maintain at AMU.”

AMU’s power supply consists of:
1. Co-ownership in the coal-fired Walter Scott, Jr. Energy Center Unit 3 plant in Council Bluffs
2. Hydro-generated electricity from dams along the Missouri River basin
3. Power purchased from Missouri River Energy Services, located in Sioux Falls, SD.
4. Atlantic’s local generation includes a 10 MW natural gas generator used primarily to meet capacity and energy reserve requirements and emergency back-up power

AMU provides electrical service to 3,984 residential and commercial consumers within the city of Atlantic and another 675 residential and commercial consumers in the surrounding rural area.

The American Public Power Association (APPA), based in Washington, D.C., is a national service organization representing the unified interests of the nation’s more than 2,000 community-owned municipal electric utilities. Collectively, municipal utilities serve more than 48 million Americans.

Atlantic, IA — Cass County Public Health has a limited supply of influenza vaccine as part of an initiative to immunize adults with no insurance, who are under-insured,or who have limited access to influenza vaccine. Appointments are required and can be made by calling Cass County Public Health at 712-250-8008.

The vaccine will be administered in their office at 1408 East 10thStreet. Weekend appointments may also be available; if needed, please ask when you call to schedule.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided adult influenza vaccines to states to increase influenza vaccine coverage in the United States as a critical part of COVID-19 response work. Increasing adult influenza coverage will result in a decreased strain on the nation’s health care system.

This one-time initiative for the 2000-21 influenza season allowed states to order adult influenza vaccine and provide it to those who are uninsured, under-insured, or live in areas where they may have limited access to receive the vaccine

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Board of Education has adopted new rules that limit district on how and when seclusion rooms are used to discipline students. The Des Moines Register reports that the board voted unanimously Wednesday to limit educators to using seclusion and restraint of students as a last resort and only when there’s a threat of bodily injury. The new rules also require schools to notify parents of the use of seclusion and restraint as soon as possible and to use rooms at least 7×8 feet. Schools have five years to implement the new size requirements. The change comes after years of criticism and pushback on use of the rooms. In 2017, the Iowa Department of Education determined that the Iowa City Community School District improperly used the rooms for minor infractions.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced a new public awareness campaign Thursday (today) aimed at encouraging Iowans to step up and stop the spread of COVID-19.  Reynolds says “It’s more important now than ever to reach as many Iowans as possible with information about what they can do to stop the spread of the virus. If everyone does their part, we’ll get life back to normal and keep our businesses open, our kids in school, our hospitals stable and our essential workforce healthy.” 

Several notable Iowans have joined the Governor in communicating the informational and motivational message in the campaign’s television spots, including: 

• Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture; 
• Dan Gable, legendary Iowa wrestling coach, Olympic gold medalist, and recent recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; 
• Carson King, Carson King Foundation; 
• Suresh Gunasekaran, CEO, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics; and 
• Katie Witt, a Test Iowa nurse. 

The state was able to leverage special programs and pricing for government and non-profit organizations to deliver its public awareness message through Iowa’s newspapers, radio and television stations. The campaign totals approximately $440,000 and will be funded through Iowa’s CARES Act allocation. The state worked with the Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) to place ads in its more than 250 member newspapers and online publications across the state, and extended the campaign’s reach to include Spanish and specialty publications. Newspaper ads started earlier this month and will run through the end of the year. 

The state also leveraged the Iowa Broadcasters Association’s (IBA) Public Education Partnerships Program for broadcasting educational messages statewide. Television and radio spots will be available to more than 200 IBA member stations through mid-March. 

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says two people were arrested Wednesday on separate warrants. 41-year-old William Holt Jensen, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for Failure To Appear. His bond was set at $5,000. And, 34-year old Yasmeen M. Mahmood, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested on a warrant for OWI/1st offense. Bond was set at $1,000.