(Radio Iowa) — As tens of thousands of Iowa business owners seek ways to stay financially afloat during the coronavirus pandemic, the U-S Small Business Administration is offering a range of low-interest loans and grants. Jayne Armstrong, director of the S-B-A’s Iowa District Office, says the agency’s Electronic Loan Application portal crashed a few times last week due to extremely heavy traffic, but the website has been repaired.

“It’s up and running and it’s accepting applications and everything looks good, knock on wood,” Armstrong says. “We’re just getting slammed. It’s unprecedented how many businesses are reaching out.” Crooks are doing their best to dupe Iowa business owners and Armstrong says the S-B-A will not call you out of the blue, so simply hang up on those potential scammers.

“Nobody should be getting calls from us soliciting for the economic injury disaster loan program,” Armstrong says. “There is no immediate deadline for it — it’s not until November. People are getting calls for it, saying they have to hurry up and that there’s a charge to apply. There is absolutely no cost to apply.” The two-point-two trillion dollar aid package was signed into law by the president over the weekend, making available 367-billion dollars in loans and grants to small businesses nationwide.

“What we’re anticipating is, this could be a real big game changer,” Armstrong says, “for all the businesses that feel like they’ve been left out or there’s different issues or that have programs haven’t been meeting their needs.” For Iowa business owners who encounter a problem with the website, they can still download, print off and fill out the forms, scan them and upload them to the S-B-A. While it’s not ideal, Armstrong says there are 30-million small businesses nationwide that have been affected by the COVID-19 disaster.
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The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan portal: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/

Des Moines – The Iowa Insurance Division is alerting investors to be on guard against an anticipated surge of fraudulent investment schemes amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“In these extraordinary times the health and welfare of our people is our first concern, and that includes financial health,” said Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen. “Scammers will begin perpetrating schemes that require little or no advance planning and minimal sophistication. Most will simply be old scams dressed up in new clothing.   Especially in these times of market and economic challenges, investors must stay calm, keep their eyes on the longer term ‘big picture’ and remain vigilant to protect themselves.”

In particular, the Iowa Insurance Division warned investors to be on the lookout for investments specifically tied to the threat of COVID-19. Bad actors can be expected to develop schemes that falsely purport to raise capital for companies manufacturing surgical masks and gowns, producing ventilators and other medical equipment, distributing small-molecule drugs and other preventative pharmaceuticals, or manufacturing vaccines and miracle cures. The schemes often appear legitimate because they draw upon current news, medical reports and social and political developments.

Scammers also will seek to take advantage of concerns with the volatility in the securities markets to promote “safe” investments with “guaranteed returns” including investments tied to gold, silver and other commodities; oil and gas; and real estate. Investors also can expect to see “get rich quick” schemes that tout quickly earned guaranteed returns that can be used to pay for rent, utilities or other expenses. These schemes also target retirees and senior citizens, falsely claiming they can quickly and safely recoup any losses to their retirement portfolios.

“Investors should stay clear of anything sounding too good to be true, such as guarantees of high returns with no risk,” Ommen said. “Iowans can double-check with our office to make sure the investment and the person offering the investment are properly licensed or registered.”

Iowans can contact the Iowa Insurance Division at iid.iowa.gov or 877-955-1212.   For more information: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/IACIO/bulletins/283f2ea

A search warrant executed at a residence in Villisca Sunday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a man and woman on drug charges. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies, assisted by Clarinda Police and Page County Sheriff’s Deputies,  executed the search warrant around 2:13-p.m..

The property, at 130 N 3^rd Avenue, in Villisca is owned by 46-year-old Edward Boysen and 38-year-old Krystal Boysen-Harbin. Both were located a short time later in Clarinda, and taken into custody. A search of their residence resulted in numerous items being seized into evidence, include methamphetamine, cash, weapons, and suspected stolen property.

Boysen and Boysen-Harbin both face charges that include Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, and a Drug Tax Stamp Violation. Edward Boysen faces an additional, felony charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He was held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond on the felony charge. He was being held in the Page County Jail on a total of $40,000 bond.  Krystal Boysen-Harbin was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $25,000 cash bond.

Their arrests and the execution of the search warrant was the result of an investigation between the Nodaway County Missouri Sheriff’s Office and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Atlantic, IA — Officials with the Cass County Health System have cancelled the Spring Health Fair that was scheduled to take place at the end of April. Low-cost blood draws are offered during the health fair, which CCHS typically offers twice a year (spring and fall). Details about the Fall Health Fair will be released in late summer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Abortion providers with the help of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa are suing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for suspending abortion procedures as part of her order to halt elective and non-emergency medical procedures. Reynolds, an abortion opponent, says the move was not based on her personal ideology but a broad order to conserve medical equipment like ventilators and surgical masks. The lawsuit filed in state court says abortions will be delayed and in some cases denied, forcing women to carry pregnancies to term, resulting in a deprivation of their fundamental right to determine whether to have a child.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 88 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 424 positive cases. There have been a total of 6,162 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.  According to IDPH, two Iowans with COVID-19 passed away Sunday night, one elderly adult (81+) of Linn County, one elderly adult (81+) of Washington County.

51 Iowans remained hospitalized as of today (Monday), while 23 have been discharged from hospitals. A total of six people have died from the virus. The only counties in southwest Iowa that have not reported any positive cases of COVID-19 (as of 11:30-a.m. today [Monday]), are Cass, Adams, Madison Mills, Fremont, Union and Ringgold.

According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 88 individuals include:

Audubon County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Benton County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years), 1 elderly adult (81+)
Cedar County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Cerro Gordo County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
Clinton County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
Crawford County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Dallas County, 3 adults (18-40 years), 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
Dubuque County, 3 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years),
Guthrie County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years)
Iowa County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Jackson County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
Jasper County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
Johnson County,  2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 3 older adults (61-80 years)
Jones County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
Linn County, 9 adults (18-40 years), 8 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 6 older adults (61-80 years), 6 elderly adults (81+)
Monona County, 1 child (0-17 years), 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Muscatine County, 1 middle-aged adult (41-60 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years)
Polk County, 2 children (0-17 years), 2 adults (18-40 years), 6 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Scott County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 2 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 3 older adults (61-80 years)
Shelby County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Tama County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
Van Buren County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Washington County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 3 middle-aged adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)

A status report of monitoring and testing of COVID19 in Iowa is provided by IDPH and can be found here. In addition, a public hotline has been established for Iowans with questions about COVID-19. The line is available 24/7 by calling 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-7431. The state of Iowa has started sharing the number of negative tests conducted at outside labs, and is providing additional information on the conditions of those infected with COVID-19.