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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Tyson Foods says it has fired seven top managers at its largest pork plant after an independent investigation into allegations that they bet on how many workers would test positive for the coronavirus. The company said the investigation led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed troubling behavior that resulted in the firings at the plant in Waterloo, Iowa. Tyson Foods President and CEO Dean Banks says the “behavior exhibited by these individuals does not represent the Tyson core values, which is why we took immediate and appropriate action.” Banks traveled to the Waterloo plant on Wednesday to discuss the actions with employees.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is considering whether to allow citizens rights and environmental groups to proceed to trial with their lawsuit that claims Iowa has allowed crop and hog farmers to pollute the Raccoon River, denying citizens safe water for drinking and recreation. Justices heard arguments Wednesday in the case filed in March 2019 by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Food & Water Watch. The state claims the case should be dismissed because the Iowa Constitution places the responsibility of balancing the interests of farmers and water quality in the hands of the legislature and executives and the courts shouldn’t intervene in those policy considerations.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A panel of experts that will help decide which groups get the coronavirus vaccine first in Iowa has been holding closed meetings, circumventing the state open meetings law. The Iowa Department of Public Health convened the Infectious Disease Advisory Council to develop recommendations on how to use the vaccine when supplies are limited in the coming weeks. The panel will recommend which groups of health care workers, essential workers and people at risk for severe COVID-19 illness should be considered higher priorities than others. Department interim director Kelly Garcia says she does not believe the council is bound by the open meetings law. She says she wants the group to have a “free flow of conversation” outside public scrutiny.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says restaurants and bars in Iowa may return to normal business hours but patrons must still wear masks when not seated for eating or drinking, and groups sitting together must be at least six feet from one another under a new state proclamation effective on Thursday. The restriction on the number of people who may gather at one time is lifted but groups or individuals must distance themselves from one another. Reynolds’ revised coronavirus pandemic emergency proclamation comes as the state has seen the spread of the virus and hospitalizations slow in the past month. Still, Iowa reported an additional 14 deaths on Wednesday and 1,986 new confirmed cases in past 24 hours.