(Radio Iowa) Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa school officials who choose to mandate that everyone in a school building must wear face masks must seriously consider how to implement the policy. “What type of a face covering will be allowed?” Reynolds asks. “…Who will be responsible for providing the face coverings and take the measures to ensure that they’re sanitary? Who will be responsible for tracking the appropriate use and storage of a face covering?”

State guidelines released last week for reopening Iowa’s K-through-12 schools said face coverings could be allowed, but it will not be a statewide mandate. That sparked criticism from the state teachers union and some school administrators. Newly posted guidelines from the Iowa Department of Education have a list of considerations about face masks and the governor says schools must define what appropriate use means.  “What do you do during lunch? Naptime?…The other thing the CDC states is that cloth-based coverings should be washed after every use and it’s important to always remove face coverings correctly and wash your hands after handling,” Reynolds says, “so this is really important important and it becomes problematic.”

Reynolds says the state’s epidemiologists help the state’s education department develop its “broad guidance” to schools about how to safely resume classes this fall in the midst of a pandemic. A mandatory face masking policy has what the agency calls “considerable implications” — and it’s also urging schools to teach students not to judge others based on whether they wear or don’t wear a mask.

Iowa school districts must submit “Return to Learn” plans to the state by tomorrow (Wednesday), July 1st. The plans must include three components, outlining the option of in-person instruction in a classroom, an online only option and a third option that’s a hybrid of meeting inside the school building AND taking classes online.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in a case involving a support dog and pet allergies. The case involved Karen Cohen, who has medically documented severe allergies and moved into an apartment in Iowa City with a “no pets” policy. Two months later David Clark moved in and asked for a waiver to allow his emotional support dog to live with him. The Iowa Civil Rights Commission informally advised the landlord that moving Clark to another building that allowed pets would not be a reasonable accommodation for his situation.

Efforts to use air purifiers didn’t work and Cohen sued after her allergies kicked in. The Supreme Court ruling says there is no law in Iowa or any other jurisdiction that clearly establishes how landlords should handle reasonable accommodation. The court says Cohen was the first to move into the apartment and in this particular case that should be the factor used to determine the outcome. The Supreme Court threw out the lower court ruling that Cohen could not sue the landlord over the pet issue.

The Harlan Police Department reports four arrests took place over the past week.  On Sunday, 40-year old Jason Robin Conwy Emery, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for a disturbance. Emery was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with public intoxication.

Last Saturday: 30-year old Sonja Ann White-Eagle, of Omaha, NE, was arrested following a traffic stop, in Harlan. White-Eagle was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and fail to obey a stop sign. And, 46-year old Chad Edward Crawford, of, Caldwell, ID, was arrested following a traffic stop. Crawford was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with open container, failure to maintain control, and operating while intoxicated.

And, on June 23rd, 51-year old John Anthony Wyatt, was arrested following a traffic stop. Wyatt was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating a non-registered vehicle, driving while suspended and operating while intoxicated.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — State statistics show that Black residents in Iowa are far more likely than whites to face the use of force from officers working for the state police agency. Blacks make up about 4% of Iowa’s 3.2 million residents. But data show they accounted for 24% of those who had force used against them by officers with the Iowa Department of Public Safety in 2018 and 2019.

Blacks accounted for a similar percentage of those who were visibly injured or complained of being injured during those interactions. The disparities are found in reports covering 2018 and 2019 on force used by officers with state police agencies.

Iowans with travel plans to New York will now have to self-quarantine. New York is urging travelers from Iowa ad eight additional states to self-quarantine for 14 days as it awaits a decision on the reopening of indoor dining in New York City.   Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a television interview that he plans to send state police and health and liquor officials to New York City tonight (Tuesday night) ahead of his decision expected Wednesday.

The Democratic governor said he’s worried by reports that dining in closed, indoor areas with air-conditioned systems could lead to spikes in COVID-19. Cuomo has warned that those out-of-state travelers could lead to a rise in infections. Among the 16 states where travelers to New York are required to self-quarantine for 14 days, is Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reports an increase in coronavirus cases in the state over the last week.

CRESTON, IA — Democrat Iowa Third-District Representative Cindy Axne  today (Tuesday), announced nearly $815,000 in new federal grants to fund repairs at Creston Municipal Airport and Perry Municipal Airport. The grant, provided by U.S. Department of Transportation and funded in part by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, will fund reconstruction of runways at the airports in Union and Dallas counties.

The grants awarded are as follows:

$620,551 for the Creston Municipal Airport, including $62,055 from the CARES Act
$194,444 for the Perry Municipal Airport, including $19,444 from the CARES Act

Earlier this year, Rep. Axne announced a $30,000 grant for Creston Municipal Airport that was authorized by CARES Act. The CARES Act was passed unanimously in March to provide economic relief to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Monday, arrested 41-year old Justin Allen Williams, from Greene County.

Justin Allen Williams

Williams was taken into custody at the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, on a Page County Warrant for Probation Violation. Williams was transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $4,000 bond pending further court proceedings

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Pottawattamie County say a person hit by a train in Council Bluffs was transported in critical condition to a hospital in Omaha. Council Bluffs police say the incident happened late Monday night on the south side of Council Bluffs. First responders called to the area at around 10:40 p.m., found a person injured near Union Pacific Railroad tracks and applied pressure to the person’s wounds until an ambulance arrived.

The victim was taken to Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. No name has been released. Police and the railroad continue to investigate.

(as of 10-a.m. today) The Iowa Department of Public Health reports an increase in coronavirus cases in the state over the last week. A change to reporting has also shown a large increase in recoveries. Officials says there are 213 new, positive cases, and five deaths. That brings the statewide total to 28,941 positive cases and 712 deaths. IDPH reported 303,772 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19, while 23,035 have recovered from the virus.

Some Iowa counties have shown an increase in positive cases in the last week. On Monday, Polk County Health officials said the last seven days have shown an increase of 20% of new cases reported in both Polk and Dallas Counties. Johnson County saw a 38% increase in a week. Positive cases in Story County reached 677, a 44% increase since June 22. Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Tuesday), said nearly 1 in 10 Iowans have now been tested for the virus. She said also, TestIowa has now exceeded its goal for daily testing, with more than 3,000 tests administered in each of the last 7 days. Reynolds said the daily positive result percentage was 5.1% on Monday.

Iowans testing positive for COVID-19 will now be considered recovered after 28 days without the virus, unless health officials have been notified otherwise. The governor said that change has been made to the IDPH website, which accounts for the large increase in the number of recoveries overnight. Despite an increase in cases, hospitalization rates continue to show a downward trend in the state since an apparent peak in early May. IDPH reported 133 hospitalized patients, with 34 of them listed in intensive care and 20 on ventilators. There were 25 patients admitted in the last 24 hours. IDPH reported approximately 3,410 inpatient beds available in the state, with 503 ICU beds and 809 ventilators available. There are now coronavirus outbreaks in 21 of Iowa’s long-term care facilities. IDPH reported 669 current positive cases, 520 recoveries and 365 deaths within care facilities.

The numbers for southwest and western Iowa (RMCC Region 4) are nearly steady, with 5 hospitalized, 2 in an ICU, 0 admitted and one person on a ventilator. Area County-by-County figures show:

• 8 more people have recovered from COVID-19 in Adams and Guthrie Counties
• 3 more have recovered in Audubon County
• 11 more have recovered in Shelby County
• and 42 more persons have reportedly recovered in Pottawattamie County. There were also 8 more positive cases noted on the State’s COVID-19 database today.

DES MOINES – Today (Tuesday), Iowa Gov. Reynolds signed Senate File 2403, legislation that will lower the cost of E-15 and higher blends of renewable fuels in Iowa by changing how the state taxes higher-blend biofuels. The governor signed the bill during her weekly press conference at Pine Lake Corn Processors in Steamboat Rock. “Iowa continues to lead on innovative ways to drive demand for biofuels,” said Gov. Reynolds. “This legislation makes higher blend biofuels even cheaper at the pump while driving demand for homegrown renewable fuel.”

The governor also announced an additional $7 million in funding, through the federal CARES act, for the Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program. This state program offers cost-share dollars to fuel retailers who install or convert their equipment to allow the expanded use of renewable fuels in Iowa.  Yesterday, Governor Reynolds joined a bipartisan group of governors from Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska, calling on EPA Administrator Wheeler to reject the excessive number of retroactive small refinery exemptions to the federal Renewable Fuel Standard. The law exists for a reason and we need the EPA to stand by it.