IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa City hospital has informed state officials it plans to lay off 29 employees because of losses suffered during the coronavirus outbreak. The Gazette reports that Mercy Iowa City filed notice of the layoffs with Iowa Workforce Development, noting that the layoffs will be effective Nov. 21. According to Mercy Iowa City spokesman Aaron Scheinblum, the layoffs will affect a variety of non-specific areas in the hospital.

The notice was filed days before the hospital announced last month that it would close its inpatient mental and behavioral health unit. Scheinblum says the layoffs are not specifically tied to that unit.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs for the winter heating season. The assistance is based on household income, household size, type of fuel, and type of housing. The application period runs from November 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021, with early applications accepted beginning October 1, 2020, for households that have a member who is at least 60 years of age, or disabled, or where disconnection is imminent. Anyone facing disconnection at any time should contact their local community action agency for assistance.

Iowa families are facing many challenges to cope with the COVID-19 virus. Some have lost jobs or had their hours of employment reduced. These circumstances and others could lead to difficulty in paying your utility bill. If you find yourself in that situation, there is help available through the State’s network of local community action agencies that have offices in all 99 counties. Families and individuals can apply for the Energy Assistance program through their local community action agency. This program can help pay a portion of an eligible household’s utility bill. Eligibility is based on household size and income. Anyone facing difficulty in paying their utility bill should contact their local agency.

To find your local agency, you may call 2-1-1, visit https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/where-apply, or contact the Iowa Department of Human Rights at (515) 281-3861 or 1-800-351-4659. LIHEAP information is available in multiple languages on the Department’s website.

In an update to our previous reports, the Iowa State Patrol Thursday (Today), said two women were transported to separate hospitals following a motorcycle accident late Wednesday morning. According to the Patrol, 67-year-old Ellen Lloyd, of La Vista, Nebraska, was driving a 2017 Harley Davidson westbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 63. She was in stop-and-go traffic  associated with the construction zone, and braked hard. When she slammed on the brakes, her passenger, 47-year-old Tiffany Reiss, of Raymond, Nebraska, began to fall off the motorcycle.

While Lloyd and Reiss fell onto the travel portion of the road, the motorcycle continued off the road, and into the ditch. Authorities say Ellen Lloyd was transported by ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Tiffany Reiss was flown by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. A report on their conditions was not available.

Emily McColloch, with Guthrie County Public Health, today (Thursday), confirmed another two deaths associated with COVID-19, in Guthrie County. One individual was age 73, who had underlying medical conditions. The other was a person over the age of 80. The total number of deaths in Guthrie County since the pandemic began, is 12. Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber said “We want to extend our deepest condolences to the individuals’ families.”

He added that “It has been very hard over the last six months, to watch people in our community pass away from this terrible disease, but we are all in this fight together. Guthrie County Public Health and its partners continue to work to limit the spread and impact of COVID-19 in our communities.” Arber recommends all Guthrie County residents:

• Wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures and other hygiene practices are difficult to maintain.
• Stay at least 6-feet away from others, to minimize exposure.
• Anyone who is at high risk for more severe COVID-19 illness, should stay home.
• Stay home even when you are mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally would not prevent you from your everyday activities).
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20-seconds.