Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — A Dallas County resident who hadn’t traveled out of state has tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the first “community spread” of the virus in Iowa. Speaking at a news conference in Johnston, Gov. Kim Reynolds said the 18th person who has tested positive for the COVID-19 was 61 to 80 years old. While others who tested positive had been infected after being in regions where the disease was more widespread, the latest case indicates the virus was becoming more common in Iowa. Reynolds said people should avoid gatherings of more than 250 people but she declined to cancel K-12 school unless more people tested positive.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal courts in Nebraska are nixing all jury trials and grand juries for the rest of the month in a move to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, state courts in Iowa and Nebraska are taking some precautions. An order from Nebraska’s Supreme Court chief justice says those at elevated risk of transmitting COVID-19 are barred from attending trials. In Iowa, state courts may conduct meetings and hearings remotely. For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for some people, it can lead to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Wet, heavy snow blanketed much of Nebraska overnight into Saturday morning as a late winter snowstorm swept the state and headed into Iowa.  In eastern Nebraska’s Omaha, between 2 and 4 inches of snow fell overnight into late Saturday morning as the storm headed east in Iowa. Some areas southwest of Omaha saw event higher snow totals.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Omaha District says it has reached its goal of having the Missouri River mainstem levee system restored to its full height following massive flooding a year ago that devastated levees in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri. The Corps said in a news conference Friday that while there is still much work to be done throughout the region, crews had closed 24 breaches along the main river system, spending more than $400 million to date on the work. District commander Col. John Hudson said crews have moved 4.73 million cubic yards of sand in the effort, “equal to two Empire State Buildings.”