(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Business Council’s second-quarter Economic Outlook Survey for 2020 shows some improvement in what the managers of the states’ largest businesses expect in the coming months. I-B-C executive director Joe Murphy says it’s a modest improvement. He says the overall score in overall economic outlook index rose to 41point-two-five — which is an increase of three-point-seven-five points from the first quarter. That first quarter mark was the lowest point of the survey since 2009. Murphy says this projection is a step in the right direction. “We’re optimistic that we’re seeing some sort of ascendency in our numbers as we project out the next six months. However, anything below 50 represents negative economic sentiment — so clearly we are still in that negative sentiment zone,” Murphy says. “But again, I think there are some reasons for some cautious optimism as we look ahead.”

The survey measures members’ expectations for sales, capital spending, and employment. He says the one thing that is known right now is there still remains a lot of things that are unknown about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on business. “Businesses, whether you are a small, medium or large business, you need certainty in the markets and the economy in order to make decisions and project forward a better platform to hire and invest and to do the business that you want to do,” according to Murphy.

Murphy says Iowa’s economy was doing well before the pandemic hit — and that has helped the optimism that the state will recover. “When you look at our unemployment rate — while it is quite high, particularly for Iowa — it’s still within the top five or so lowest unemployment rates in the country,” Murphy says. “Obviously that is not to say that we are happy with where we are at. But my point is that we are able to weather economic strife better than other states. That was the case in the Great Recession, and that is the case right now.”

Most members site the unfavorable business climate due to COVID-19 and other regulatory challenges coupled with an unfavorable domestic economy as their primary challenges to business. Half of the respondents noted layoffs or furloughs as a result of COVID-19. Of those employers, 80 percent expect to rehire some or nearly all of that workforce. Sixty-percent expects to make these rehire in the coming seven to nine months with an unknown rehire date for the remaining 40 percent.

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

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(Radio Iowa) – For the first time in 69 years, there will not be a Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mount Pleasant. The Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers board of directors  has decided to cancel the event, held for five days every year, always ending on Labor Day. The Reunion draws thousands of people from all over the United States and around the world. Terry McWilliams, the C-E-O and administrator, says the health implications of holding the Reunion could have had a far reaching impact. “The safety and the health and the well-being of our visitors, our volunteers — all of that played a key factor in making this decision,” McWilliams says. “We waited as long as we could…Every day things changed — the loss of key volunteers, the loss of community civic groups doing their support because people are scared — and that has an impact.”

McWilliams says expense estimates were going up and up every day as they navigated through necessary health precautions they’d have to take to hold the event. Plans are now focused the 2021 Old Threshers Reunion.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report the arrest at around 1:40-p.m. Monday, of 26-year old Jacob Jones, from Creston. Jones was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Domestic Assault with Injury. He remained in the jail pending a bond hearing.  And, at around 10-p.m. Monday, 40-year old Justin Robertson, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County LEC on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear on an original, Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge. Robertson was later released on a $1,000 bond.

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

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(Radio Iowa) – The Sioux Rapids City Council has decided on disciplinary action for their Chief of Police over a comment he made on social media. Chief Tim Porter posted a comment on an image of a truck attempting to drive through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters in Des Moines. It read: “Hit the Gas and Hang on over the speed bumps.” Porter later apologized for the post, saying it was made on the wrong post.

After a closed session, the city council decided on two weeks suspension without pay and to have the council and Porter take a sensitivity course.

(Radio Iowa) -A soldier from the 185th Air National Guard in Sioux City is walking across Iowa from border to border to raise awareness about mental health. Technical Sergeant Jeff Campbell is on a 20 day, 389 mile journey that started in Clinton and will end back in Sioux City. “Twenty days? Nothing compared to someone who is suffering with depression for six months, someone who is legitimately struggling with a marriage,” Campbell says. “…We need to teach people that these bubbles of time are not permanent. You only do that by talking, by relating, by sitting down, having conversations.”

Campbell works as what’s called a “Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape” specialist for the 185th. He says issues concerning mental health affect everyone, plus mental health is a particular concern during these times of social distancing and isolation because of Covid019. “I’ve had a lot of people stop and talk to me about what I’m doing,” Campbell says. “I had a lady open up to me about a son that had died because of suicide and just the other day I walked with a guy who was Vietnam vet for five miles and he was just talking about his struggles.”

Campbell says mental health is a particular concern during these times of social distancing and isolation because of Covid-19. And he says it’s an issue in rural as well as urban Iowa. “It’s actually eye-opening talking to just different farmers and stuff and then just how they struggle in their suicide rate among their own community. You can’t escape it,” Campbell says. “It doesn’t matter where you re in the world, like, if you’re struggling mentally you have to be able to step outside of that…and be able to say: ‘Hey, this isn’t going to be forever.'”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 600-thousand Iowans live with some form of mental illness.

The Atlantic City Council has a lot to consider during their meeting on Wednesday (July 1st). On their agenda is:

• The 3rd & final reading of an ordinance amending the Animal Shelter’s fee schedule to cover State mandated vaccinations of all intake animals and those adopted, if there is no proof of prior vaccinations. Approval of the ordinance would mean animals over 6 months of age not claimed by their owner within 3 days, must be vaccinated for Parvovirus, Distemper & Rabies. Animals under 6 months of age will need all vaccinations except rabies. No animal may be adopted or transferred to another facility without the age required vaccinations. The costs, ranging from $13-to-$60 or more, will be passed on to the adoptee.
• The 2nd reading of an ordinance amending City Code with regard to Curfew. The current ordinance states persons under 18 are not allowed outdoors “except between 6-p.m. and Midnight.” The overlooked error will be changed to “Midnight to 5-a.m.”
• The Atlantic City Council will also act on the 1st reading of an amended ordinance pertaining to Tree Trimmer Licensing. The amendment of a Permit Required section will be amended so that proof of Worker’s Comp Insurance (if applicable) is required; The amendment adds exemptions for: City employees performing tree work as part of their job; Private property owners trimming, removing or cutting trees on their own property or the publicly-owned right-of-way abutting their property, or any exceptions determined valid the Mayor, on a case-by-case basis (such as a declared emergency).
• The Council will hold the 1st reading of an amended ordinance pertaining to “Peddlers, Solicitors and Transient Merchants.” Changes include the addition of mobile food vendors and requirements, bond requirements are changed to insurance requirements, and there are two new exemptions.
• Another 1st reading of an ordinance concerns “Doing Business with the City,” which adds requirements for persons and businesses doing work for the City, to include insurance requirements.
• The Atlantic City Council will hold the 1st reading of an ordinance pertaining to “Truck & Large Vehicle parking,” (as previously mentioned, following last week’s CPC meeting).

There are also matters pertaining to: The closing of an alley behind the Fireside Lounge on July 11th, from 8-a.m. until 11-p.m, for a Street Dance; The Whitney Group Urban Renewal Area/TIF/Property Tax levy & a related public hearing; A supplemental Engineering Agreement for the 2020 Atlantic Golf & Country Club/Palm Street Drainage problem; The re-appointment of Alexsis Fleener to the Community Promotion Commission, and recognition of Crista Wiskus for her 20-years of service to the Atlantic Public Library.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reports 145 new cases of COVID-19 today, and five more deaths. The latest figures mean 28,874 Iowans have tested positive, and a total of 712 have died. Officials say 302,719 Iowans have been tested for the virus, with 273,427 coming up with a negative test result.  The IDPH says more Iowans have recovered from the virus (23,003) and a total of 810,507 assessments have been completed, 5,000 more than yesterday.  Testing levels are at all-time highs for Iowa, averaging more than 5,500 test results per day in the last 7 days.

Three fewer Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks are being reported today (21). The peak occurred in May at 35. In those care facilities, 669 people have tested positive, 520 have recovered and 365 have died, which is one more death than reported Monday. Iowa’s hospitalization data show 14 more people were hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms Monday, for a total of 133. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients number 34 (1 less than yesterday), 25 were admitted to a hospital over the past 24-hours, as compared to 19 the previous day. Two more people were on a ventilator, for a total of 20.

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.

Thirty-one years ago today, two Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol died during an airplane crash southwest of Atlantic. It was on a Friday evening June 30, 1989, that the Cass County Sheriff’s Office contacted the State Patrol, requesting help with locating an elderly man who had wandered away from a nursing home. Trooper/Pilot Lance Dietsch of Council Bluffs and Trooper Stanley E. Gerling of Atlantic responded in a Maule Patrol aircraft.

Trooper Stan Gerling

Trooper Pilot Lance Dietsch

The search was about to be terminated when the two troopers spotted the man in a soybean field. The airplane turned sharply and plunged into the ground, nose first, killing both men. Troopers Dietsch and Gerling were the first aircraft fatalities since the addition of the Patrol Airwing in 1956. In Oct. 2012, two bridges in Cass County were named in honor of the men. The bridges are located along Highway Six.

Dietsch, of Council Bluffs, was 30-years old when he died, and a six-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol. He was survived by his fiancé.’ Gerling was 34-years old, and in his first year of service to the Patrol. He is survived by his wife and two sons.