Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:35 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Nine more people have died of the coronavirus in Iowa, bringing the state’s total to 252. New numbers from the Iowa Department of Public Health also show that the number of infections also increased Saturday to 11,671, up by 214 from Friday. For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

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.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a third suspect in an Iowa shooting death has been arrested in Texas. Iowa City officials say the Lubbock County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office took Reginald Little into custody Friday. He is awaiting extradition to Iowa to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Kejuan Winters in Iowa City. Officers called to the scene of the April 20 shooting found Winters inside a home suffering from gunshot wounds. He later died at the scene from his injuries. A co-defendant told police the shooting happened during an attempted robbery.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers’ living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame. The comments include a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice’s remark that an outbreak didn’t seem to have come from “regular folks.” Outraged employees and advocates call the comments elitist and critical of immigrants in the meatpacking workforce. The main union for meat plant employees said Friday that at least 30 workers have died from the virus.

OMAHA, Neb. (Omaha World-Herald) — Authorities say a fleeing motorist has been killed in a crash in north downtown Omaha. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Carter Lake police had been in pursuit of 30-year-old Brittany Madson when she crashed around 4 a.m. Saturday. She was the only person inside the car and was ejected. Medics declared her dead at the scene. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday. The investigation into the crash is ongoing. A grand jury will be convened because Madson died during a police pursuit.

Iowa health officials reported Saturday an additional nine deaths related to COVID-19. The IDPH said 252 Iowans have died from the virus. Polk and Linn Counties have the highest number of fatalities from COVID-19, at 58, each.

11,671 Iowans have tested positive. 5,011 Iowans have recovered from COVID-19. 335, 427 assessments have been completed, to date, including 151 in Cass County (for other counties click here: https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/pages/assessments). An additional COVID-19 outbreak was reported at a LTC (Long Term Care facility), for a total of 29.

In southwest Iowa, the COVID-19 database shows the following positive cases of the virus in these counties:

• Crawford County: 175
• Pottawattamie County: 82
• Guthrie County: 33
• Shelby County: 18
• Harrison County: 17
• Audubon & Page Counties: 9 each
• Mills County: 8 cases
• All other area counties south of I-80 have less than 5 positive COVID-19 cases since they were first recorded. (More info. here: https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/pages/case-counts)

The IDPH shows:

• 402 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (down from 407 Friday)
• 161 are in an ICU (up from 164 Friday)
• 30 were admitted to a hospital over the previous 24-hours. (down from 30 on Friday)

The Iowa Department of Public health (IDPH) and Audubon County Public Health, Saturday, identified one additional COVID-19 case in the County, bringing the total Audubon County positive cases to ten.
The new positive case is an adult (19-40 years).

Audubon County Public Health is conducting a contact tracing investigation on this case to identify close contacts who should monitor their health symptoms and self-isolate.

The City of Atlantic’s Board of Adjustment is slated to meet 7:30-a.m. Monday, May 11th, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda, is a Public Hearing during which the Board will consider a Conditional Use Permit Application by Zion Recovery Services, Inc., for the property at 2307 Olive Street, that would allow for the operation of a health and medical institution in an R-4 (Multiple Family Residential) District, as allowed by the City’s Zoning Ordinance.

Zoning Administrator John Lund says neighbors in the area have called City Hall to voice their objections to the application. Cass County Supervisor John Hartkopf has called with strong support from the Supervisors for Zion Recovery Services, and the City had received 77 letters of support for Zion’s application, as of May 6th. The letters came from several community leaders, business and economic development officials.

Zion’s Director says “Overall within a 12 month timespan, ZION Recovery Services and Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center (SWIM-HC) will provide vital mental health services and substance use disorder treatment to approximately 6,500 individuals which include adults, young children, adolescents, and elderly in Atlantic and surrounding counties. The number is projects to increase in 2020 as we all are experiencing a “New normal’ of social distancing and self-isolation due to COVID-19 Pandemic.” ZION and SWIM-HC in Atlantic combined, employ 30 qualified staff, with an annual wage totaling more than $1.2-million dollars. Out of the 30 staff, 19 are highly specialized in the field of mental health or substance use disorder.

Background:

• On March 2nd, Zion Recovery Services purchased the building at 2307 Olive Street from Crossroads of Western Iowa.
• Zion is a provider of behavioral and mental health services for persons with behavioral health conditions, serious mental illness and emotional disorders, substance abuse disorders and gambling. Their prevention services encompasses 12 counties in the surrounding area.
• Section 7.30 (2) of the Zoning Ordinance states “Health and medical institutions, including convalescent, nursing and rest homes and hospitals,” are conditional uses in the R-4 Zone.
• The property previously served as a group home for Lutheran Family Services, and an apartment addition to the building was granted in 2004.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Council Bluffs man following a traffic stop early Saturday.

At approximately 1:23 a.m. Deputies executed a traffic stop on a 2013 Dodge Avenger for driving on the shoulder on 370th Avenue, north of Farragut. Fremont County K9 Roby was deployed, and a subsequent search uncovered marijuana concealed on the driver’s person.

The driver, 36-year-old Matthew Magers of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana 3rd Offense, Driving Under Suspsension, Driving on the Shoulder, and Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine under 5 grams.)

Magers was booked into the Fremont County Jail and held without bail pending an initial appearance with a Fremont County Magistrate.