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Iowa early News Headlines: Monday, Aug. 3rd 2020

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August 3rd, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

PELLA, Iowa (AP) — Two workers installing internet cables in Pella, Iowa, died after striking an underground, high-voltage electrical cable. Pella Police Lt. Paul Haase said the workers died Saturday morning after striking the electrical line. Haase said residents nearby reported hearing a loud boom at the time. A third worker for Excel Utility Contractors suffered minor injuries and was treated at a local hospital. The crew was installing internet cables for Pella Fiber. Haase said 35-year-old Genis Urgell Rueda and 20-year-old Nelson Joani Figueroa died. They were both from Richmond, Virginia. People who lived near where the electrical line was struck were evacuated for about an hour

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of coronavirus cases reported in Iowa reached 45,481 Sunday after it increased 544 since Saturday. Iowa officials also reported two more deaths linked to COVID-19, which gives the state a total of 874 deaths linked to the virus. Hospitalizations for the virus remain at an elevated level across the state. As of 10 a.m. Sunday, 231 people were hospitalized. That’s down from Saturday’s 242 people hospitalized but still higher than what had been seen in recent weeks. Yet the number of people hospitalized with the virus remains far below the state’s peak of 417 on May 6.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City police officers could be wearing body cameras by the end of the year. Police Chief Rex Mueller says the city council will be asked Monday to approve spending $260,000 for 120 body cameras. Mayor Bob Scott said he would be shocked if the proposal doesn’t pass unanimously. Mueller said after training, officers could be wearing the cameras late this year. Purchasing cameras is voluntary for Iowa law enforcement agencies, Sioux City has been considering them for several years but Mueller said the financing was never available because of other city priorities.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One influential pork company has received the vast majority of payments from an Iowa program designed to support farmers who euthanized their hogs after the coronavirus devastated their industry. Newly released data shows that Christensen Farms has received $1.86 million from the Iowa Disposal Assistance Program. That’s 72% of the $2.6 million the program has paid to date. Christensen Farms is one of the nation’s largest family-owned pork producers, The Sleepy Eye, Minnesota-based company has received reimbursement payments for disposing of 46,599 euthanized hogs. The 15 other companies and farmers who have received payments reported euthanizing about 18,000 hogs combined.