(Radio Iowa) — The federal program providing emergency loans to small businesses has run out of money. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst supports providing the program an additional 250-BILLION in federal funds. “As of Tuesday, there were more than 22,000 loans that had been approved with small businesses receiving $3.5 billion so far,” Ernst says, “and that’s just the state of Iowa.”

Senate Democrats say they support putting another quarter of a trillion dollars in the small business loan program — but they’re asking for more money for hospitals as well as states and local governments hit with pandemic-related expenses. Republicans like Ernst say a discussion about that assistance can wait and the senate needs to quickly pass a simple bill that just provides more money for small businesses.

“No political gimmicks, just a simple ask to put more money in this program,” Ernst says. “Unfortunately, politics got in the way.” Congress originally approved 350 BILLION dollars for what’s called the “Paycheck Protection Program” since the small business loans will be forgiven if the 75 percent of the loan is used to pay workers. The 350-BILLION dollars ran out yesterday (Thursday).

Also yesterday, Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann blasted a pro-Democratic group for running an ad that criticizes Ernst. The ad features a doctor who’s the spouse of a former Iowa Democratic Party leader.

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa native who first gained fame from his role on “That ’70s Show” has a COVID-19 message for his home state.

Ashton Kutcher’s 30-second public service message about staying at home was debuted by Governor Kim Reynolds yesterday (Thursday) at her daily news conference. Kutcher is not visible in the message, but his voice narrates as video of Iowa families, at home, leads to video of health care workers on the front lines of fighting the disease. It ends with the hash tag #Iowans Unite and the new state website with coronavirus on the screen.

Kutcher is a Cedar Rapids native. Cedar Rapids is in the 14-county region of the state where the governor has just forbid most public gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. No additional business closures have been ordered in the area.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CDT

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds is ordering residents in northeastern Iowa to practice stricter social distancing amid growing concerns about coronavirus outbreaks at meatpacking plants and nursing homes. Reynolds on Thursday said she is banning “all gatherings” for social, community, recreational and leisure purpose in the region that includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo and Dubuque. Previously, the governor had banned all gatherings larger than 10 statewide. Reynolds said that residents can only gather with household members, with few exceptions, and they must do everything possible to stay six feet away from others in public. They can go outside for work and essential errands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds refused to say whether she was asked to join with other Midwest governors in coordinating the reopening of their state economies. The governors of seven Midwestern states announced Thursday they had agreed to work together to restart their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Midwest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky. Five of the governors are Democrats and two are Republicans. Reynolds’ spokesman Pat Garrett says she will continue to have conversations with other governors but didn’t respond when asked if she was asked to join the Midwest group.

TIFFIN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have obtained search warrants as they investigate the suspicious death of a 15-year-old boy whose body was found over the weekend in a lake near Iowa City. The Gazette reports that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is not commenting on what led authorities to look in Coralville Lake for Noah Herring, who was last seen in nearby Tiffin on April 7. Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Brad Kunkel told The Gazette on Thursday that Herring’s body was found Saturday with assistance from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Unemployment claims continued to surge last week in Iowa as more workers lost their jobs amid efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, but the numbers came in lower than the previous week’s record high. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 46,356 people in Iowa filed for unemployment benefits in the week that ended April 11. While high, the number is a drop from the record 67,334 people who filed in the first week of April and the 58,000 who filed the week before that. Pandemic-related layoffs in several industries, from health care to manufacturing and food services, were driving factors behind Iowa’s claims.

FORT DODGE – Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report, that at around 9:35-a.m. Thursday, a physical altercation began between two groups of inmates at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. The altercation took place in the main yard, in front of one of the living units. When security staff responded, the inmates refused to obey verbal commands to disengage. The responding officers then used oleoresin capsicum (pepper) spray to gain compliance from the groups.

While the officers were gaining compliance and restraining this group of inmates, a second, smaller, physical altercation broke out between between two groups of inmates in front of a different living unit. Security staff were able to respond quickly and use verbal commands to gain compliance from those involved. In total, approximately 14 inmates were involved between the two incidents.

Due to the swift and effective efforts of the responding staff at the facility, there were no staff injured during these events, and no inmates suffered major injuries.  The incident remains under investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds refused to say whether she was asked to join with other Midwest governors in coordinating the reopening of their state economies. The governors of seven Midwestern states announced Thursday they had agreed to work together to restart their economies amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Midwest agreement includes Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Kentucky.

Five of the governors are Democrats and two are Republicans. Reynolds’ spokesman Pat Garrett says she will continue to have conversations with other governors but didn’t respond when asked if she was asked to join the Midwest group.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (Iowa City Press-Citizen) — An Iowa lawmaker wants to persuade younger people to sign up to be election workers because the retirees who typically staff the polls are more at risk of complications if they contract the conronavirus. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that state Sen. Zach Wahls, a Coralville Democrat, says his “strong preference” is that people vote by mail in the June 2 primary. But he says that “obviously there are people who will want to vote in person.” He says he is signing up to work the polls _ something he is allowed to do because he’s not on the ballot _ and is hoping his peers will, too.

TIFFIN, Iowa (The Gazette) — Authorities have obtained search warrants as they investigate the suspicious death of a 15-year-old boy whose body was found over the weekend in a lake near Iowa City. The Gazette reports that the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is not commenting on what led authorities to look in Coralville Lake for Noah Herring, who was last seen in nearby Tiffin on April 7.

Johnson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Brad Kunkel told The Gazette on Thursday that Herring’s body was found Saturday with assistance from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday) announced in a social media post, “The unexpected passing [on Thursday] of Sergeant Donavon Dontje. Sergeant Dontje started his career with the Sheriff’s Office in 2006 and was a vital member of the office.

Sgt. Donovan Dontje

“He touched many lives throughout his career and will be sorely missed. We ask for privacy for the family at this time and send our sincere condolences to all that had the privilege to know and love him.” Condolences flooded the Shelby County Sheriff’s and City of Audubon’s Facebook pages.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer said “Donovan Dontje is a part time police officer for the Audubon Police Department since 2008 and most importantly, a great friend. Our condolences to his family, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and to everyone that knew him. He will be missed greatly.”

Additional information concerning Sgt. Dontje’s death was not provided.