(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne says she’ll support a multi-billion-dollar spending package to respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, is among the members of Congress who signed a letter to House and Senate leaders, urging passage of the bill. She expressed hope the legislation can be finalized before the end of the week. “They’re working on a vaccine for it,” Axne says, “but that’s sometime down the road. We hope to pass a funding package to help fight the greater impact of coronavirus getting deeper into our country.”

Axne says one of her biggest concerns is that any vaccine developed will be affordable to the public. “We’re absolutely looking to ensure that the funding doesn’t get pulled from other accounts, but is strictly used for this, that the vaccines are affordable and available to every single person that needs it,” she says. “We are looking at hopefully giving things like interest-free loans being made available to small businesses impacted by the outbreak.”

Under the plan, Axne says state and local governments would be reimbursed for costs incurred, while also assisting the federal response. She expressed concern over the funding bill’s delay and questioned whether the federal government is as prepared as it should be to handle COVID-19, especially with spending cuts made by the Trump Administration. “We have a lot of positions within the CDC that were left unfilled, unfortunately,” she says. “We certainly have gaps within the system that this administration decided not to fill in positions, and not to support as much with the resources that were needed. I have faith that we have incredibly smart scientists in this country and we’re going to be able to get this figured out.”

To avoid spreading the virus, Axne says to avoid close contact with people who are sick, stay home when you are sick, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible, and wash your hands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — A public information advocate says the appointment of an Iowa Human Services Department spokesman to the state public records board will make it easier for the department to deny access to information. Matt Highland was named Wednesday to the Iowa Public Information Board, which enforces open records laws.

Randy Evans is director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, and he told The Des Moines Register the appointment could mute cases beyond just those involving the human services department. The governor’s office says Highland is “a perfect candidate” for the board. Highland says he would excuse himself from department-related complaints.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Nebraska resident accused of stabbing to death a woman in northwest Iowa has had her trial rescheduled to start June 8. Melissa Camargo-Flores, of Dakota City, Nebraska, is accused of killing 24-year-old Kenia Alvarez-Flores in Sioux City on April 8, 2018. Court documents say Camargo-Flores admitted stabbing Alvarez-Flores. Camargo-Flores told investigators she’d been involved in a relationship with the victim’s boyfriend. Authorities say the two women were not related.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of fatally stabbing his wife in Story County has been found not competent for trial. Further evaluation and psychiatric treatment have been requested for 71-year-old Gary Pillman. He’s already pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder. Court records say Pillman’s attorney requested the initial evaluation. Investigators have said Pillman killed his wife after an argument in which she told him she was leaving him. The body of 62-year-old Betty Pillman was found Nov. 13 outside the Pillmans’ home in Zearing.

Officials with the Creston Police Department say a teen was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center, Wednesday afternoon, following a collision near the Creston High School Parking lot. Police report a 2014 Chevy Impala driven by 40-year old Erin Elizabeth Dodge, of Creston, was traveling east on Townline Road. A 2006 Chrysler Sebring driven by 16-year old Katelynn Nicole Buchanan, of Creston, was pulling out of the C.H.S parking lot, and failed to yield to the oncoming Impala. When she pulled in front of the vehicle, the resulting collision caused a total of $10,000 damage.

Buchanan complained of pain and was transported to the hospital by EMS. She was later cited for Failure to Yield upon entering a through highway.

Red Oak Police report Beth Renee Perdue was arrested Wednesday afternoon in the 1200 block of E. Summit Street. Perdue was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Probation Violation, with her bond set at $4,000. She was later transported by Cass County Deputies from the Montgomery County Jail to the Cass County Jail.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at around 3:20-p.m., Wednesday, a juvenile male was arrested for Terroristic Threats, following an incident at the Southwest Valley Middle School. The male was transported to, and held at, the Juvenile Detention Center, in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa) — Republicans in the Iowa legislature have taken final action on a plan to increase “per pupil” state spending in Iowa public schools by two-point-three percent next year. It’s an additional 85 million dollars and Republican Governor Kim Reynolds has signaled she’ll sign the bill. Senator Michael Breitbach, a Republican from Strawberry Point, says this batch of state funding goes along with spending approved last month to address some school budget inequities.

“We have a limited number of new dollars that we’re going to be able to spend this year…$235 million. We’re giving $100 million to K-12,” he says. “To me, that’s a pretty good shot in the arm.” All the Democrats in the legislature voted against the spending plan. Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames says the state could easily afford to send schools more. “But we look at the budget the Republicans have given us and we see their priorities,” Quirmbach says.

Senator Jackie Smith, a Democrat from Sioux City, says this level of general state spending on schools won’t help address the shortage of teachers in critical areas.”This will further add to low wages, or at least not increasing as they should,” Smith said, “and I think we’re going in the wrong direction.” Representative Cecil Dolecheck, a Republican from Mount Ayr, says it’s a matter of priorities. “If you live in a large school district, you’re getting a tremendous amount of money in total,” Dolecheck says. “Use that money like the rural school districts do and hire more teachers. Don’t spend it on administrators and other things like that. That’s what the rural districts have had to do to survive.”

One Republican broke ranks and voted against the plan. Representative Jeff Shipley of Fairfield says legislators are failing to address critical topics like a growing number of obese and diabetic students and students with psychiatric disorders.”Absent a larger discussion of these issues, we can spend as much money as we want on education, but we’re not going to see improving results,” Shipley said.

The state will spend about three-point-four BILLION on public pre-K through 12 schools next year. House Republicans and Governor Reynolds had favored a slightly higher increase of two-and-a-half percent in general state aid, but Senate Republicans voted for two-point-one percent. They compromised in the middle, at two-point-three percent.

(Radio Iowa) — The University of Iowa has canceled study abroad programs in four countries because of the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. Iowa State University has canceled spring break programs to Africa, Asia and Europe. I-S-U international risk analyst Shaun Jamieson says the school has canceled the spring programs because of U-S travel restrictions.

“I know that that can be a really disappointing decision for some of our students that were planning on going on these spring break programs,” he says, “but, you know, it’s a difficult decision for us as well, but we make it with the well being of our students in mind.” I-S-U suspended programs in China in late January. Just last week, the university suspended its programs in Italy and South Korea.

About 140 Iowa State students were studying in those countries. About 160 UNIVERSITY OF IOWA students are affected by the school’s decision to cancel study abroad programs in China, South Korea, Japan and Italy. Russ Ganim is the associate dean of international programs. He says some students have found alternative programs in other countries, others have already returned home or will be arriving soon — but very few will actually be coming back to Iowa City.

“Many of those students live either in Des Moines or are from out of state or Cedar Rapids,” he says, “so while we don’t have exact numbers on how many would be coming back to Iowa City, preliminary indications are that we don’t have that many.” Another 160 University of Iowa students are outside the country — but are NOT in countries where Covid-19 cases are spreading.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)