OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey suggests business leaders are optimistic the economy will start to recover later this year in a nine-state region of the Midwest and Plains despite the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The region’s overall economic index improved in May to 43.5 from April’s 35.1. The confidence index in the survey released Monday improved to suggest that businesses are optimistic the economy will begin to rebound within the next six months. That index improved to 56.6 in May from April’s weak 45.5 reading.

Any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while scores below 50 suggest decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Iowa Republican Representative Tom Moore, from Griswold, spoke about with KJAN News today (Monday), about several matters, including the protests and riots over the death of George Floyd, the upcoming primary and legislative session. With regard to the protests over the death of George Floyd, Moore said “Very simply, we need to separate the difference between protest and rioting. We have both going on.” He said also, “It’s an unusual situation for law enforcement to handle.”

Moore says the overwhelming peaceful message he’s heard from protestors (and from Floyd’s family), is, that the riots are unacceptable.

With regard to the Primary Election on Tuesday, Moore – who is running unopposed on the Republican ticket – said it’ll be important to see how people respond to the Secretary of State’s efforts to mail absentee ballot request forms to all registered Iowa voters in an effort to provide for their safety, as an alternative go showing up at the polls (in response to COVID-19).

Tom Moore says the Legislature and Governor have been working over the past three or four years, to make sure “We have a legitimate, legal, accessible ability to vote.” The Legislative session begins June 3^rd. Moore says they will pick up where they left off before the COVID-19 pandemic sidetracked the process. He says there will be safety precautions in-place when the chamber doors open again.

And, the legislature, he says will have unprecedented transparency measures in place

He says the new procedures will make it more difficult for the lobbyists, in that they will have to submit written public comments, e-mails and phone call information on various issues to come before the legislative body. The legislature he says, will be working on policy issues, and the budget, when they reconvene, Wednesday morning. The includes a focused list of priorities as the “Second funnel week” begins.

Many of the priorities include child care, EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and broadband internet expansion. Other, less essential bills to the time frame, will be taken up as time allows. Moore says the budget will definitely be a “huge issue as well.”

Mills County Public Health officials today (Monday), report three new, positive cases of COVID-19. One of the new confirmed cases is a person 18 or younger. The second case is an adult, 19-40 years old. The third case is an adult, 60+ years old.The total number of positive cases is now 19, with 13 of those affected persons having recovered from the virus. 1,229 people have been tested in Mills County, to date.

Health officials encourage all Mills County residents to continue to use good judgment in the decisions they make. All residents are urged to stay home as much as possible, stay away from groups of people and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals. Residents should also to continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm and stay at home when you are ill.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (Quad-City Times) — Police in eastern Iowa say a Davenport officer was shot in an ambush while patrolling an area were protests over police killings of black people were being held, and that two other shooting deaths occurred in the city during the chaos. The Quad-City Times reports that the officer’s shooting happened around 3 a.m. Monday. Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski says the officer was one of three who were ambushed while patrolling an area.

Sikorski says an officer returned fire but did not say if anyone was hit by the return fire. The wounded officer is expected to recover. Police say two other people died from shootings as the protests occurred, but it was unclear if those shootings were related to the protests.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports one arrest. Friday afternoon, 27-year old Jamie William Tressler, of Urbandale, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. His bond was set at $10,000.

Voters in Pottawattamie will play a role in determining who becomes the next Sheriff. Three Republicans are running to succeed Sheriff Jeff Danker, who has decided not to seek an eight term in office. The candidates include Chief Deputy Sheriff Rob Ambrose, Danielle Bentzinger, and Andy Brown.

Ambrose, who lives in Underwood, has over 21 years of experience in law enforcement, including a stint working as a deputy for the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office. While working for the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office as a Deputy, Ambrose was promoted to Chief Deputy, in 2018. His focus during the campaign is on the need for SRO’s (School Resource Officers) in Pottawattamie County School Districts.

A Council Bluffs native, Danielle Bentzinger is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. She was first hired to work for the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office in 1998. She and her family currently live in Crescent. She says if elected, one of her top priorities will be to focus on community relations.

Andy Brown, a native of Harlan, began working in the Pottawattamie County Jail in 1999 before becoming a certified deputy in 2003. He was promoted to sergeant in 2011, and is currently the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant — overseeing employees at the courthouse campus. Brown says his passion for law enforcement came at a young age. He wants to focus on community outreach, specifically within the county’s rural areas.