(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) today (Wednesday), announced that the State of Iowa has received nearly $1 million in funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to offer free counseling to any Iowan who has been affected, in any way, by the COVID-19 public health emergency. The program, called COVID Recovery Iowa, is available starting today. Counseling will take place via virtual sessions, chat or phone call. People of all ages may join groups online to find support and learn new strategies to cope with the effects of the pandemic in a variety of creative ways.

DHS Director Kelly Garcia said “We are so grateful to our federal partners for providing Iowa with this critical funding. It’s not uncommon to experience feelings of stress or anxiety during uncertain times. This funding will help us support Iowans across the state who are trying to find their new normal.”

Iowans can access services through the following options:

• Call 800-447-1985 to connect with a counselor specializing in rural issues and agriculture 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• Call the Iowa Warm Line, 844-775-9276, to connect with a peer counselor or request to get in touch with a COVID Recovery Iowa counselor.
• Visit www.COVIDrecoveryiowa.org and complete a contact form and a counselor will get back to you.

DHS has contracted with five providers throughout the state to provide counseling, virtual activities, referrals and help finding resources. COVID Recovery Iowa will announce additional programs in the coming weeks to help Iowans build coping skills and resilience.

(Boone, Iowa) – The Iowa Governor’s Office and the Iowa Department of Public Health donated more than 35,000 masks on May 22nd for Fareway to distribute the masks to their customers. Fareway President and CEO Reynolds W. Cramer said “We appreciate the generous donation, and partnership with Governor Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Public Health.” Governor Kim Reynolds said also, “I want to thank Fareway for their assistance in helping distribute masks and for their ongoing efforts to promote public health in Iowa.”

The masks were provided by HanesBrands, Inc. to the State of Iowa. Masks will be in all 108 Iowa Fareway store locations. They will be provided to customers on a first-come, first-served basis, until supply is exhausted. On Tuesday, HyVee also teamed up with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Hanes to give out 75,000 face coverings. They started the giveaway Tuesday morning at all 125 Iowa stores. Each store had a supply of about 500 masks which weree available on the first come, first served, basis until gone.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place, Tuesday. At around 3:40-p.m., 34-year old Lloyd Robert Torske was arrested in Oakland for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, for estimated damage amounting to less than $750. Torsky allegedly drove a pickup truck into and spun around in, a planted corn field near Oakland, Tuesday, while the field was muddy from the recent rain. The property is owned by David Applegate, of Oakland.

45-year old Javier Galloza-Acevedo and 28-year old Tomasa Leshae Martinez, were arrested at around 7:25-a.m. Tuesday, west of Neola, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. They were taken into custody following a report of suspicious activity.

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

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WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — The National Weather Service says at least four tornadoes raked parts of Iowa on Tuesday for a second day of severe weather in the state. The first tornado was reported around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday four miles west of Waukee in central Iowa, where it touched down briefly and damaged a car dealership. The second occurred minutes later just east of Dallas Center.

Later in the afternoon, tornadoes were reported simultaneously just northwest of Woolstock in northern Iowa and three-miles northeast of Adair, at around 3:45-p.m. Earlier, a funnel cloud was observed at around 3:06-p.m., two miles east of Kirkman, in Shelby County.

Meteorologist Roger Vachalek in Des Moines says all of the tornadoes appeared to be weak and in mostly uninhabited areas that caused little damage and no injuries.

(Radio Iowa) –Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Tuesday, said she was in the process of setting up a call with the Iowa State Fair Board this week to discuss their plans for the 2020 State Fair, which is currently scheduled to begin August 13th.  “I know they’ve been trying to wait to see how Iowa responds to our continuing to open up our economy,” Reynolds says, “and so we’ll have an opportunity to visit with them this week and see if I can answer any questions that they may have and really listen to them and see what they’re considering as they’re moving forward with making a decision.”

Minnesota’s 2020 State Fair was cancelled last week. The Missouri State Fair is scheduled to begin on the same day as the Iowa State Fair. Missouri officials say they’ll make an announcement in early to mid-June about what their state fair will look like.

Police in Creston report two separate arrests took place, Tuesday. At around 2:30-p.m., 33-year old Johnny Gossett, of Creston, was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was later released from custody on a $300 bond. And, at around 7:25-p.m., 37-year old Nicki Jones, of Creston, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was cited and subsequently released from the scene on a Summons to Appear in Court.

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

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The State of Iowa’s online COVID-19 dashboard (https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/) shows 17 additional deaths over the past 24-hours. The total number of deaths amount to 481 since record keeping began two months ago. The latest figures show 138,819 were tested for the virus, for a total of 18,206 (or, 1 out of every 173 tested). Negative test results continue to rise, with the latest data showing 120,191 (or, 1 out of every 26 test results). The number of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 continues to rise as well, at 9,847.

For Cass and surrounding Counties, the number of positive test results and (the number of recovered), have changed a little bit. Cass County 11 positive cases (2 have now recovered); Adair County: 7 (3); Adams County: 6 (1); Audubon County: 12 (8); Guthrie County: 43 (29); Montgomery County: 6 (5); Shelby County: 33 (25) and Pottawattamie County: 220 (136).

In RMCC Region 4 (Southwest/western Iowa), eight people are hospitalized for COVID-19, three are in an ICU, and two were admitted to a hospital.  Across the State, 393 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized, 109 are in an ICU, and 32 were admitted over the past 24-hours. There were no recent Long-Term Care facility outbreaks across the State. The current number stands at 37. The number of patient/staff COVID-19 deaths at those facilities has increase by 11 to 256. Patients and staff who’ve tested positive continues to increase, at 1,604. The number recovered also continues to rise, however, and currently stands at 713.

A woman wanted on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Assault causing bodily injury or mental illness, was arrested Tuesday night, in Red Oak. 32-year old Britteny Sue McMartin, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 10:40-p.m. in the area of Broadway and Valley Streets, in Red Oak. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, and held on $2,000 bond.