On May 5th, Pottawattamie County Public Health reported three new COVID-19 cases. The total of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now 62. Twenty-six individuals have recovered, 33 are self-isolating at home, one is hospitalized, and there have been two deaths.

Two of the new cases are residents of Council Bluffs and one is a resident of Oakland. These individuals were tested for COVID-19 between April 29 and May 2. One individual is 18-40 years old, and two are 41-60 years old. One of the individuals has pre-existing conditions. Two of the new cases had contact with an existing COVID-19 case, and one is the result of community spread. All of these individuals are self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health continues to conduct contact tracing investigations for each COIVD-19 case. A part of contact tracing is assessing risk to the general public. If there is not a risk to the general public, Public Health will communicate directly with the specific contacts identified in the investigation. If and when a risk to the general public is identified, Public Health will publicly identify the location and communicate any actions the public should take.

Because we have community spread of COVID-19, individuals should be taking precautions to protect themselves. Stay home as much as possible, limit travel and shopping. If you must leave home, practice social distancing, and stay at least six feet away from others. Wash hands and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times per day. If you are sick, self-isolate at home.

Iowans are encouraged to go to www.testIowa.com and complete the assessment. TestIowa is an initiative designed to dramatically increase the rate of COVID-19 testing in Iowa. If you have COVID-19 symptoms or develop symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath), contact your healthcare provider before going to the doctor’s office or an emergency room. Testing criteria is based on guidance from the Iowa Hygienic Lab or private lab guidelines. Pottawattamie County Public Health does not have a role in deciding who does and does not get tested.

KEOKUK, Iowa – In April of 2017, the Division of Criminal Investigation’s (DCI) Major Crime Unit and the Keokuk Police Department reopened the investigation into the June 2004 death of Bonnie Callahan, 73, of Keokuk. On June 15, 2004, family members reported Callahan missing.  Later in the day, Callahan’s body was found along the bank of the Mississippi River front in Keokuk.  The circumstances surrounding Callahan’s death were considered suspicious. The investigation identified Nathanial Leo Ridnour, 34, as a suspect in Callahan’s homicide.

The Keokuk Police Department and the DCI ‘s Major Crime Unit provided an updated case briefing to the Lee County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office (Area Prosecutions).  On May 4, 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Ridnour for the murder of Callahan. Murder in the First Degree is a violation of Section 707.2(1) of the Code of Iowa, a Class A Felony. If convicted, the charge carries a life sentence without the possibility of parole. On May 5, 2020, Ridnour was taken into custody by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office on the arrest warrant.

This was a joint investigation by the DCI’s Major Crime Unit, the Keokuk Police Department, the DCI Crime Scene Team, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office, the Lee County Attorney’s Office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office (Area Prosecutions).

Ridnour’s arrest is the eighth arrest related to the DCI Major Crime Unit conducting cold case homicide investigations in a three-year period in the southeast Iowa area.  These investigative results are a combined effort between a DCI Major Crime Unit initiative and local law enforcement partnership focusing on cold case investigations.

BELLE PLAINE, Kan. (AP) — The attorneys general for 11 Midwestern states have urged the Justice Department to investigate market concentration and potential price fixing by meatpackers in the cattle industry during the coronavirus pandemic. The state attorneys general wrote in a letter dated Tuesday to U.S. Attorney General William Barr that the concentrated market structure of the beef industry makes it particularly susceptible to market manipulation, particularly during times of food insecurity, such as the current COVID-19 crisis.

The letter was signed by attorneys general in North Dakota, Missouri, Colorado, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wyoming.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — Vice President Mike Pence plans to travel to Iowa on Friday to meet with faith leaders to discuss reopening religious services to the public. The visit comes a week after Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said she would lift restrictions on religious gatherings as long as they observe social distancing guidelines and increase sanitation efforts. The Des Moines Register reports Pence also plans to visit visit Hy-Vee’s headquarters to hold a roundtable discussion about securing the nation’s food supply.

(Radio Iowa) — A group of Attorneys General from 11 states — including Iowa — are asking the U-S Department of Justice to start a federal investigation into suspected national price-fixing by meatpackers in the cattle industry. Iowa Attorney General spokesman, Lynn Hicks says the coronavirus pandemic has magnified the issue. “The group of A-G’s, which is bipartisan group is asking the D-O-J for thorough examination of the meatpacking industry,” Hicks says. “We feel that there is enough evidence here for alleged price-fixing and it’s time for the Department of Justice to look into this.”

The concerns come as people are buying and stockpiling beef in response to the pandemic. “Antitrust concerns about the cattle market are nothing new — but we really feel like with the COVID-19 pandemic — it really shows the problems that both the consumers and cattle ranchers are facing right now,” Hicks says.
Hicks says four packers control 80 percent of the beef market. “So it’s highly concentrated and meatpackers have all the power. And as such, they are able to charge high prices,” according to Hicks. “But, as we’ve seen lately, live cattle prices are the lowest they have been in years.”

He says only one side is benefiting — and it is the meatpackers. “They’re raising the prices and the consumers are buying, and the ranchers aren’t getting any benefit at all from this,” he says. Hicks says they are hoping the D-O-J will see the number of people calling for an investigation and act. “These are all Midwestern or western states that are cattle producers. It’s not just the Attorneys General who are raising concerns — Senator Grassley and some others have also sent letters to Attorney General Barr regarding this,” Hicks says. “We’re hoping for all of these voices, and the voices of Iowans and cattle producers will be heard in Washington.”

Attorneys General in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming all signed on to the letter. The letter comes on the same day that the Hy-Vee grocery store chain says it will start limiting the purchase of meat products to be prepared for any possible fluctuations in the product.

Hy-Vee says in a statement that they have products available at stores –but due to worker shortages at plants as well as an increase in meat sales, customers may not find the specific items they want. Beginning Wednesday, each customer will be limited to four packages of a combination of fresh beef, ground beef, pork, and chicken.

Officials with the City of Stuart released a statement on social media, today (Tuesday), saying that they were notified a part-time member of the Stuart Rescue Squad tested positive for COVID-19. The City says staff member transported patients by ambulance previously to testing positive, but did not have COVID-19 symptoms at that time. The individual is not currently working, and will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines before returning to work.

The City states Stuart Rescue’s policy has been to wear N95 masks, safety glasses or goggles, and gloves with all patients since April, and there were no patient contacts without the appropriate personal protective equipment in place. Facilities and equipment continue to be routinely and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected according to the CDC’s recommendations.

The City is working with Stuart Fire and Rescue for contact tracing, and will notify each significant contact and offer instructions for preventing the spread of disease. Stuart Fire and Rescue continues to serve its communities, taking all recommended precautions to protect themselves and those they serve from exposure to any illness.

Officials ask residents to do their part in helping stop the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a face cover when with others, cleaning frequently touched surfaces, keeping at least six feet away from others, and staying home as much as possible.

(Radio Iowa) – Schools in Iowa are getting a federal grant of more than 71-million dollars to help address costs related to the pandemic. Iowa Department of Education director Ann Lebo says the money comes at a critical time:

Schools will have until the close of business Monday to apply. Lebo says every one of Iowa’s 327 school districts will get a piece of the pie for programs ranging from online learning to mental health services.

State health officials now say 58-percent of the workers at the Tyson Foods plant in Perry have tested positive for the virus, the highest reported level of any Iowa employer. The company had previously refused to reveal data about the infection rate among employees.

Governor Reynolds today (Tuesday) announced 408 new coronavirus cases in Iowa. She says the recent spike is due to expanded testing. Lab results through 10 a.m. Monday had confirmed a total of over 10-thousand cases of COVID-19 in Iowa since testing began in March.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (May 5, 2020) — Hy-Vee, Inc. announces that effective Wednesday it will limit meat purchases at all of its locations. In a statement on their corporate website, officials with the grocery chain said:

“We continue to work with industry leaders so we are prepared for any possible fluctuations in product and can best serve our customers. At Hy-Vee, we have product available at our stores but due to worker shortages at plants as well as an increase in meat sales, customers may not find the specific items they are looking for. Because of this, we are going to put a limit on customer purchases in the meat department. Effective Wednesday, May 6, each customer will be limited to four packages of a combination of fresh beef, ground beef, pork and chicken when they checkout at all Hy-Vee locations.”