(Radio Iowa) — Nearly 900 Iowa National Guard soldiers have been called to active duty to help in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjutant General Benjamin Corell says 150 of those soldiers are at call centers in Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Johnston, helping determine the spread of the virus through contract tracing.

“These soldiers and airmen are assisting the Iowa Department of Public Health in their efforts to contact Iowans who have tested positive for the virus,” Corell says, “in order to help identify other persons and places that may have been exposed.” Coronavirus outbreaks in small Iowa counties have overwhelmed the limited number of local public health staff available to do the kind of investigations that identify people who may have been exposed to the virus and encourage them to isolate themselves to prevent spreading COVID-19.

Corell says the information soldiers collect through their conversations is turned over to the state. “The Iowa National Guard members supporting these missions have been thoroughly trained by public health professionals to gather and properly handle personal information required to determine potential COVID-19 exposure,” Corell says. A few weeks ago, Governor Reynolds indicated employees in the Iowa Department of Public Health would also be reassigned to do this work, but there has been no indication when or how many may be joining the effort.

Until a COVID-19 vaccine is available, experts say social distancing will be necessary until there’s widespread testing, followed by quickly tracking down people who were around someone who has the illness. Beyond the contact tracing mission, another 25 soldiers are picking up, transporting and unloading food for the state’s six regional food banks. “We are Iowans helping Iowans, neighbors helping neighbors,” Corell says.

In addition, guard soldiers are distributing COVID-19 test kits around the state and returning samples to the State Hygienics Lab. Others are providing administrative and logistical support to the “Test Iowa” sites in Des Moines and Waterloo.

(Radio Iowa) — Tyson will temporarily shut down its Dakota City beef facility near Sioux City this weekend. A statement from the company says the facility will pause operations starting Friday through Monday, May 4th to complete a deep cleaning of the entire plant. The company says it has has been working closely with the local health department and is in the process of screening plant team members for COVID-19 with assistance from the Nebraska National Guard.

The Dakota City facility is one of the largest beef processing plant in the country and employs a workforce of 4,300. It’s the largest employer in the Sioux City metro. The plant normally produces enough beef in one day to feed 18 million people, but with increased absenteeism over the last few weeks the company has had to scale back production. Tyson says employees will continue to be paid through the temporary closure.

Tyson had previously idled its pork plants in Waterloo and Perry and plants in Indiana and Washington for similar reasons.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending her actions to open restaurants and other businesses in a majority of Iowa counties with few coronavirus cases. Reynolds says University of Iowa professors who warned reopening business now could cause a second wave of infections were presenting a model that was a snapshot in time. She says improved testing and mitigation efforts have successfully prevented hospitals from being overwhelmed. Health officials reported 467 new cases Wednesday for a total of more than 6,800 in Iowa. An additional 12 people died, increasing the total to 148 deaths.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Unions in the U.S. meat packing industry say President Donald Trump is jeopardizing lives and prioritizing cold cuts over workers’ health. Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order under the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure during the coronavirus outbreak. The goal is to try to prevent a shortage of chicken, pork and other meat on supermarket shelves. More than 20 meatpacking plants have closed temporarily because of the outbreak. One union estimates that 6,500 workers are sick or have been exposed while working near someone who tested positive. At least 20 workers have died.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Big meatpacking companies that have struggled to keep plants open during the coronavirus crisis say they welcome President Donald Trump’s executive order that plants must remain open. But unions, some employees and Democrats raised questions about whether workers could be kept safe. Trump has used the Defense Production Act to classify meat processors as critical infrastructure to try to prevent supermarket shelves from running out. Some employees and unions say the president’s order was not enough. They are calling on authorities to ensure social distancing in plants and to offer greater protections such as priority access to testing and protective equipment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislative Council has voted unanimously to continued the suspension of the legislative session until at least May 15. Meeting by telephone, the 24-member council agreed to reconvene at 10 a.m. May 15 unless they meet earlier and set a different date. House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver faced questions by Democratic senators about the criteria they’re using to evaluate whether it’s safe to come back to the Iowa Capitol. Whitver says leaders are talking with Gov. Kim Reynolds and state health officials to ensure it’s safe.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has temporarily banned debt collectors and banks from seizing wages and funds from Iowans’ bank accounts. The order putting a hold on all garnishments, except those related to family support, is in effect until May 27th. Iowa Legal Aid’s litigation director, Alex Kornya, says before this order, there appeared to be an uptick in garnishments as COVID-19 was being detected in the state. Kornya says there could be a lot of difficulties with implementing this pause on garnishments.

“It’s important that people who are currently under a continuing garnishment try to contact their bank or employer and let them know that this proclamation has been issued which stops ongoing and new garnishments. So, that should be enough for most employers and banks to just voluntarily release funds,” according to Kornya. Adunni Noibi, in Iowa City says it happened to her as she tried to pay her mortgage in mid-March and wasn’t able to transfer funds. She found out a debt collector had frozen her accounts.

“This was when everything was coming up with corona, and everyone was out buying groceries, stocking up-we didn’t know what was going to happen. I tried to explain this is all the money I have. They didn’t care,” Adunni says. Noibi got a court hearing and her student debt was forgiven. Iowa Legal Aid is recommending those with existing garnishments notify their bank or employer about the governor’s order to get their money released.

(Radio Iowa) — While several tax filing deadlines have been pushed back by the state and federal governments, other tax deadlines are still in place and Iowans are warned to be aware. John Fuller, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, says one such deadline that remains unchanged is tomorrow (Thursday).

“Estimated Income Tax is a method used to pay tax on income that’s not subject to withholding,” Fuller says. “A lot of people use that, a lot of business people use that. That deadline has not changed and we’ve tried to let everyone know that, the deadline is still April 30th.” There are also deadlines on Friday, May 1st, for Iowa residents who’ve put in solar energy systems or geothermal heat pumps.

“More and more people are installing geothermal heat pumps in their homes,” Fuller says, “and if they did that in Calendar Year 2019, they can get a tax credit for that but they have to go online and apply.” In addition, there’s a Thursday deadline for businesses to file their sales taxes and withholding taxes, but Fuller says many extensions have been granted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A lot of business owners have asked the department for a deferral which we’ve granted to thousands of business owners,” Fuller says. “That gives them a little bit of relief in how they can file their sales and withholding tax.” For most Iowans, the big deadline is usually tomorrow for state individual income tax returns, but that’s been moved from April 30th to July 31st. Fuller says many Iowans have already filed them anyway, even though they’re not due for three months.

For more questions, visit the Iowa Department of Revenue website: tax.iowa.gov.

One person was injured during a single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning, in Harrison County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2015 Buick Enclave registered to 31-year old Justin Windrum, of Omaha, was at a gas pump at the Taylor Quick Pick in Missouri Valley, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward and struck a diesel pump on the west side of the parking lot, and store employee, 43-year old Shawn Squier, of Missouri Valley. The accident happened at around 9:55-a.m.

Squier suffered serious head injuries and was transported by LifeNet helicopter to Bergen-Mercy Hospital. Windrum was not injured during the incident. The crash remains under investigation. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Missouri Valley P-D and Missouri Valley Fire & Rescue.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, today (Wednesday) reported three recent arrests. On Tuesday, 36-year old Kenton W. Schreiner was arrested for OWI/1st offense, after Deputies investigated unknown  injury accident east of Council Bluffs in rural Pott. County, at around 8:45-p.m.

Authorities say 30-year old Dakota J. Beadle was arrested Monday for Eluding While Exceeding the Speed Limit by 25 mph or more, and OWI/1st offense. And, 33-year old Robert Dale Hackwell, of Walnut, was arrested at around 5:30-p.m. Sunday, after Deputies were called to a verbal disturbance in Walnut. Hackwell was charged with Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislative Council has voted unanimously to continued the suspension of the legislative session until at least May 15. Meeting by telephone, the 24-member council agreed to reconvene at 10 a.m. May 15 unless they meet earlier and set a different date.

House Speaker Pat Grassley and Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver faced questions by Democratic senators about the criteria they’re using to evaluate whether it’s safe to come back to the Iowa Capitol. Whitver says leaders are talking with Gov. Kim Reynolds and state health officials to ensure it’s safe.

The Iowa State Patrol, Wednesday afternoon, released the names of the victims involved in a single-vehicle crash northeast of Jamaica, in Dallas County, that claimed the lives of two children and injured five other juveniles. Five-year old Claire Brown and 10-year old Lindsey Brown, both of Perry, died in the crash that happened at around 11:30-a.m. Tuesday. Claire Brown was wearing a seat belt, Lindsey was not. The driver of the vehicle, 16-year old Michael Marie Crane, and four other passengers, were injured.

The injured passengers included Five-year old Carter West and 11-year old Randy Seratt, both of Dawson, and from Perry, 11-year old Katelyn Brown, along with 7-year old Eli Brown. West, Seratt, Crane and Eli Brown, were wearing seat belts. Katelyn Brown was not buckled-up. Crane and the others suffered severe injuries in the crash and were transported to area hospitals, with Eli and Katelyn Brown transported to Blank Childrens Hospital in Des Moines. Katelyn was transported by LifeFlight.

Authorities say the accident happened as a 2014 Toyota Sienna driven by Michael Crane was traveling north on Beaumont Place, and went out of control as the vehicle crossed over a bridge. The minivan impacted the south side of a field drive, traveled over the drive, and came to rest upon the field drive, facing east. The accident remains under investigation.

Officials with the Pottawattamie County Department of Public Health confirmed a report released from the IDPH, with regard to a second COVID-19 related death. An adult male between 18-40 years old has become the second COVID-19 death in Pottawattamie County. He did not have pre-existing medical conditions, nor did he have contact with another COVID-19 case. He was tested on April 24 and passed away on April 28.

In addition, Pottawattamie County Public Health reports five new COVID-19 cases. The total of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now 36. Seventeen individuals have recovered, 16 are self-isolating at home, one is hospitalized, and (counting today’s report), there have been two deaths.

The five new cases are residents of Council Bluffs and include three females and two males. These individuals were tested for COVID-19 between April 24 and April 28. Two individuals are in the 41-60 age range, and three are in the 18-40 age range. Two of them have pre-existing conditions. One of these individuals had contact with an existing COVID-19 case, and four were the result of community spread. Four of these individuals are self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health continues to conduct contact tracing investigations for each COIVD-19 case. A part of contact tracing is assessing risk to the general public. If there is not a risk to the general public, Public Health will communicate directly with the specific contacts identified in the investigation. If and when a risk to the general public is identified, Public Health will publicly identify the location and communicate any actions the public should take.