(Radio Iowa) — Vice President Mike Pence’s Friday afternoon forum about the nation’s food supply featured the C-E-Os of two of the nation’s major meat packers, allegations of price fixing in the industry from other panelists and the revelation that another packing plant worker has died of COVID-19. Smithfield C-E-O Ken Sullivan was near the end of the list of speakers.

“I’d like to use the time I’ve got to thank our employees,” Sullivan said, “who are heroes.” Sullivan said he spent Friday morning visiting one of his company’s plants and just before the forum with the vice president stsarted, he’d been notified one of Smithfield’s employees had died.

“Our employees have been showing up day after day, in close quarters. They’ve been harvesting animals. They’ve been keeping the food supply in this country and they’re doing it in a selfless way and I think they deserve a lot of recognition for that,” Sullivan said. “It’s gutwrenching for us as companies to have the choice between maintaining the food supply in this country and asking our employees to go into plants to do that.”

Pence, who whispered an affirmation during Sullivan’s remarks, led the crowd in applause after Sullivan stopped his. “These employees really deserve a lot of gratitude,” Sullivan said, adding: “That’s all.” Pence responded: “Ken, I’m sorry for your loss. I hope you convey our deepest sympathies to the family of that employee, but I appreciate the strength of emotion in your voice and the American people are grateful.” Pence then began punctuating his remarks by thumping the table with his hand. “They’re grateful for the people that have been coming to work every day in our meat processing plants throughout this epidemic. They’ve absolutely been essential.”

Pence convened the event at HyVee headquarters in West Des Moines by praising grocery stores, truckers and meat packers. Pence said processors of beef, pork and poultry industry had faced coronavirus challenges, but 14 previously closed plants were resuming operations. “How about a big round of applause for all these great meat processing plants that have stepped up and partnered with us to keep our food supply strong?” Pence asked. The panel on stage, along with a crowd of about 70 Hy-Vee employees, joined Pence to applaud.

Tyson Fresh Meats C-E-O thanked Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, who was also on the panel.  “The safety of our team members are paramount to us,” White said, “and without your involvement providing the tests, supported by the federal government, the PPE that you’ve been able to provide has been paramount to us enabling to get back to work.” At least 730 employees at Tyson’s plant in Perry tested positive for COVID-19. Black Hawk County Public Health officials say more than a thousand employees at Tyson’s Waterloo plant tested positive for the virus. Both plants are back in operation.

Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators and a national Farm Bureau leader were part Friday’s panel — and all three raised the issue of price fixing in the beef industry. Senator Chuck Grassley bluntly said farmers want an explanation from meat packers.  “How come we’re losing hundreds of dollars on our cattle and the price (for) consumers are going up?” Grassley said. Zippy Duvall, the American Farm Bureau’s C-E-O, said farmers are frustrated by the “rock bottom” prices for live cattle and the “sky high” wholesale prices for beef carcasses.

“The farmers and ranchers are coming unhingened when they see that difference in that price because they’re facing losing their farms,” he said, “and it is a very difficult thing to explain.” President Trump this week said he’s asked the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of market manipulation by Tyson, Smithfield, J-B-S and Cargill. The four companies account for about 80 percent of the beef market.

WEST LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa turkey plant that is the site of a coronavirus outbreak says that hundreds of employees will be furloughed this fall due to the nation’s economic collapse. West Liberty Foods says that roughly one-third of its 994 employees could be temporarily laid off for months, likely from from November through February.

The company confirmed that 136 employees have tested positive for coronavirus, after mass testing at the West Liberty plant last week. The company says restaurant closures have dramatically reduced demand for many of its products, resulting in a glut of supply.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in Illinois say an Iowa man charged in 1990s serial killings “does not appear to have been involved” in the unsolved 1992 slaying of a college student. The Illinois State Police says that Clark Perry Baldwin is not a suspect in the death of 21-year-old Tammy Zywicki.

Its statement appeared to rule out what had seemed to be a promising lead in the case of Zywicki, who was abducted after experiencing car troubles on Interstate 80 near La Salle, Illinois in 1992. Police arrested Baldwin, a former truck driver, at his home in Waterloo, Iowa on Wednesday. He’s charged in the deaths of three woman from the early 1990s.

Mills County Public Health officials said Friday that have been notified of two additional positive confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mills County. This brings the total number of confirmed positive cases to nine in our county. A total of 132 Mills County residents have been tested to date. The new cases are both adults, one in the age range of 18-40 years and one in the age range of 41-60. One virus was contracted through community spread and one through close contact with a positive case.

Mills County Public Health is currently conducting contact investigations to identify and follow-up with any people who had close contact with the ill individual. Close contacts are educated about self-monitoring their health status by our health department nurses. They are required to do daily symptom and temperature checks; as well as quarantine themselves for 14 days as a precaution.

Three of the cases have recovered and the remaining six cases are being followed by Mills County Public Health.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — Vice President Pence told a group of faith leaders in Iowa of the “burden” of being absent from church and expressed the importance of resuming religious services that have largely been halted as officials sought to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Pence spoke Friday with the religious leaders and Republican officials during a brief visit to the Des Moines area.

Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a discussion with local faith leaders to encourage them to resume in-person church services in a responsible fashion in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Friday, May 8, 2020, in Urbandale, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

He was set to speak later in the day with agricultural and food company executives. Pence said not attending religious services has “been a burden. It’s been a source of heartache for people across the country.”

ATLANTIC, Iowa – May 8, 2020 – Work to repair the Interstate 29 ramps at the interchange with Fremont County Road J-24 (exit 20) near Thurman requires closing the ramps to traffic starting Monday, May 11, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office.

The interchange was damaged during the 2019 floods and repairs were deferred until the United States Army Corps of Engineers could complete work on a nearby levee. Repairs to Fremont County Road J-24 will also need to be completed by the Fremont County Secondary Road Department before the interchange will be reopened to traffic.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

DES MOINES, Iowa — As campgrounds begin opening up today (Friday) to walk-in, first come, first served, campers with self-contained restrooms, and visitors continue to take advantage of state parks, the DNR is encouraging everyone to check the DNR website for temporary closures before traveling to any of these areas.

Some parks and campgrounds have closures due to construction or maintenance projects, maintenance  etc., so it’s important to check the closure website ahead of time.

DNR parks staff will be closely monitoring parks and campground areas and remind visitors and campers to obey physical distancing guidelines and other guidelines released earlier this week by the DNR.

Some pit latrines in high use areas will be open, but all other restrooms, drinking fountains and shower houses will remain closed. Park visitors for day use areas, should utilize specific and designated parking lots and not park on the sides of roads or trails, as well as obey all posted signage.

The DNR’s reservation system for reservable campgrounds opened up online today (Friday), to begin making reservations starting Monday, May 11.

Iowa has 68 state parks and 4 state forests for visitors to enjoy with hiking trails, lake recreation and camping, to learn more visit: www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks or www.iowadnr.gov/Things-to-Do/Camping

The Pottawattamie County Public Health Department says there are eight new positive cases of COVID-19 to report today (Friday). Seven are from Council Bluffs and one is from Oakland. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Pott. County is now 80. Currently, 42 individuals are self-isolating, one is hospitalized, 35 have recovered, and there have been two deaths (as previously reported).

The State of Iowa has released an updated COVID-19 dashboard on www.coronavirus.iowa.gov. The improved dashboard is updated daily to include comprehensive tracking of COVID-19 in Iowa. The State’s dashboard contains total number of cases, recoveries, deaths, tests conducted, and Iowa’s epidemiological curve.

The dashboard is interactive and allows you to explore cases by county. Select a county name within the map or table to filter to specific counties. Here you will find demographic information including positive case age groups and gender, as well as information regarding race and ethnicity.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans who plan to venture out to go camping or to a drive-in movie tonight (Friday) better bring extra blankets. Overnight temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20s and 30s statewide, more on the order of January than May. National Weather Service meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff says a Freeze Warning covers Iowa’s northeastern half, with a Frost Advisory posted for all of the southwest.

“The areas under the Freeze Warning are going to be seeing colder temperatures and that hard freeze can be a little harder on plants,” Hagenhoff says. “The areas with the Frost Advisory won’t be quite as cold, a few degrees warmer. Most of the state is going to be very, very cold, especially for this time of year.” Some communities in northeast Iowa, like Decorah, are expecting lows tonight around 24.

Iowans who have blooming plants are advised to haul out those stryofoam cones from the shed, or at least to cover the tender vegetation with a blanket or tarp.  “Any plants and crops that are starting to come up that are susceptible to those very cold temperatures, it’s going to be something people will want to keep an eye on,” Hagenhoff says. “If it’s possible to bring them inside, people will want to do that as well.” Much of the nation’s eastern half is expecting bitter cold, with snow forecast for some areas along the East Coast, kicking off an unseasonably chilly Mother’s Day weekend.

“Below normal temperatures are affecting a huge chunk of the country,” Hagenhoff says. “Looking at some of the longer-range models, it looks like we may start to see this pattern break towards the end of next week but that’s still quite a ways off, but it does look like there’s an indication we’ll get back to more spring-like weather here next week.” Those long-range forecasts show highs in the 60s and 70s in central Iowa by next Thursday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa processed its most coronavirus testing in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began as the state allowed some businesses in its largest metropolitan areas to partially reopen. The state’s coronavirus website reported Friday that 3,809 tests were conducted Thursday and that 403, or less than 11 percent of them, were positive. It was the lowest daily rate of positive tests in a month, following a week of steady decline.

Still, the state reported 12 more people had died from COVID-19, bringing the official death toll to 243. A slight increase of 417 people were hospitalized, including more than 100 fighting for their lives on ventilators.