(Radio Iowa) — The pandemic is causing critical shortages for the sole supplier of blood and blood products to more than 120 hospitals in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Claire DeRoin, spokeswoman for LifeServe Blood Center, says they urgently need help making up for the thousands of blood donations lost due to COVID-19-related cancellations. “We have seen more than 500 blood drives cancel,” DeRoin says. “That’s due to factors like it’s a school and the students weren’t there, or it’s a business where the people are working remotely.”

The loss of 500-plus blood drives translates to missing out on more than 13,000 blood donations. As we approach the summer season, the demand for blood typically increases as more people are traveling and taking part in outdoor activities, elevating the possibility for accidents and injuries. “Since hospitals are also ramping back up their elective surgeries, that need for blood is rising in that aspect as well,” DeRoin says. “Quite a few of our blood types are either in the ‘critical’ or ‘urgent’ need this week, which is not great. We would love to have a five-day supply of every blood type on our shelves at all times but some of them are dwindling below two.”

Walk-in blood donors are -not- being taken due to the pandemic, but people are very much encouraged to call and make an appointment to donate blood. “If you are eligible to donate or if you’ve never given it a try, now is an excellent time to do so,” DeRoin says. “We have donor centers in Des Moines, Urbandale, Ames, Mason City, Marshalltown, Sioux City and Fort Dodge, so we have a lot of donor centers around the state. We’re also looking for folks to host a blood drive.”

Organizations, businesses, churches and community groups that have a space and can provide donors are urged to contact LifeServe to set up a blood drive — which is free. Learn more by calling 800-287-4903 or visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org.

A traffic stop at around 8:40-p.m. Tuesday in Montgomery County, resulted in the arrest on an OWI/1st offense charge, of 30-year old Holly Irene Gross, from Red Oak. Gross was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on an undefined cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) — A-A-R-P’s state director says it’s time to revisit the model of elder care in Iowa. Brad Anderson says surveys consistently show older Iowans would prefer to stay at home rather than enter a nursing home — yet Iowa has among the highest rates of people with low-care needs in nursing homes.

“There are a lot of people in nursing homes right now that could get that care or better at home, which is where they want to be,” Anderson says. “COVID-19 is a wake-up call to this industry and the time has come to start having those conversations at the federal level and at the state level.” A spokesman for the industry says federal standards forbid people from being admitted to nursing homes unless they have a need for skilled care. A-A-R-P urges policymakers to consider shifting spending to in-home and community-based services.

Anderson also says it’s time to ensure the 55-thousand Iowans who care for elderly Iowans are properly compensated for their work. “The median age for a direct care worker right now is $13.80,” Anderson says. “$13.80 is not enough money for the type of work these folks are doing.” The state website indicates there are COVID-19 outbreaks in 39 Iowa nursing homes. Anderson says the employees and the 23-thousand Iowans who live in nursing homes need to be tested regularly for COVID-19, to guard against outbreaks.

“It is incredibly sad what is happening in nursing homes today and we have to do better,” Anderson says. “The virus in nursing homes is just like a prairie fire that is blazing across a dry prairie and we need to do everything we can to stop that fire.” Anderson made his comments recently during an appearance on Iowa P-B-S. State officials have reported 309 residents have died of COVID-19. That accounts for nearly half of the virus-related deaths in Iowa this year.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republican legislators are fast-tracking a bill that offers businesses including meatpacking plants and nursing homes broad immunity from coronavirus lawsuits amid criticism that it would also enable them to ignore workplace safety requirements. A bill passed the Iowa House on Friday after brief debate and it awaits likely approval in the GOP-led Senate before moving to the Republican governor. Limiting liability for businesses has long been a priority of Republicans in many states and the coronavirus pandemic has given them a reason to pursue aggressive action. Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming enacted similar laws and several other states are considering them.

CLERMONT, Iowa (AP) — Two women have died while tubing on the Turkey River in northeast Iowa. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says 64-year-old Sharon Kahn and 44-year-old Vicki K. Hodges, both of West Union, drowned Monday after going over a small dam in Clermont. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that someone heard a cry for help from the tubers and called the sheriff’s office about 3:40 p.m. Monday. Emergency crews pulled the women from the water and attempted life-saving efforts before taking them to a hospital in West Union, where they were pronounced dead.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council has unanimously advanced a proposal to ban racial profiling by police in the wake of protests and civil unrest decrying racial injustice. Of the 45 people who spoke before the council Monday in an online meeting addressing the ban, most said more oversight is needed when racial profiling complaints are lodged against Des Moines police. The proposal would ban racial profiling and biased policing. Violations could lead to an officer’s firing. The proposed ordinance will be back before the council at its June 22 meeting for the second of three readings before it can become law.

Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health, Tuesday afternoon, reported 25 new cases of COVID-19. Of those, two are from Carter Lake and 23 are from Council Bluffs. Seven of the cases are epi-linked and the others were tested between May 27th and June 6th. The State’s COVID-19 dashboard, Tuesday, showed 4,762 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, with 383 testing positive. Including epi-linked cases, PCPH reports a total of 437 COVID-19 cases.

A total of 234 persons in Pott. County have recovered from the virus. Six are currently hospitalized, and 178 are self-isolating. Based on PCPH contact tracing investigations, 113 COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County are the result of community spread.