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Ombudsman calls for vigilance in fighting child abuse
Responding to a sharp decline in child-abuse reports, Iowa Ombudsman Kristie Hirschman is calling on the public to remain vigilant in watching for and reporting child abuse. With the mid-March closing of Iowa schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports of child abuse made to the Iowa Department of Human Services have fallen dramatically. They […]
Jail administrator’s anti-Muslim views could cost Muscatine County taxpayers
Johnson County officials are threatening to terminate their contract with the Muscatine County Jail due to concerns over the jail administrator calling Muslims “pawns of the devil” who intend to hunt down and kill Christians. The cancellation of the contract could have a significant impact on Muscatine County, which last year collected $657,415 as payment […]
No other vendors considered for Iowa’s $26 million contract for COVID-19 testing
Through a no-bid contract, Iowa will be paying $26 million to the private company hired to deliver drive-through testing for COVID-19. Pat Garrett, spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, said Wednesday that to his knowledge no other vendors were contacted by the state about performing assessments and testing for COVID-19. The contract with Nomi Health […]
Iowa rolls out drive-through testing for COVID-19
The state of Iowa has partnered with several private companies to offer expanded, drive-through testing for COVID-19. The newly launched program will enable Iowa to perform an additional 540,000 tests at a rate of up to 3,000 people per day, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday at her daily press briefing. The state and its Utah-based […]
Some Iowa care facilities with virus have a history of infection-control issues
Some of the Iowa nursing homes with confirmed COVID-19 outbreaks have a history of infection-control violations, rodent infestations or unsanitary conditions. Currently, 48 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in Iowa have been residents of nursing homes, retirement centers and other types of long-term care facilities. The most recent cluster of COVID-19 cases is at the […]
First Iowa prison inmate tests positive for COVID-19
Iowa’s first case of a prison inmate testing positive for COVID-19 has been confirmed at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The Iowa Department of Corrections said Saturday that the inmate is a new admission to IMCC, and arrived at the facility from Henry County on April 16. As part of IMCC’s efforts […]
Iowa health officials warn against heartworm drug for COVID-19
The Iowa Department of Public Health is attempting to counter the spread of misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. While the agency doesn’t often attempt to debunk rumors or false claims made about public-health issues, the threat posed by COVID-19 has generated more than the usual amount of misinformation and unfounded speculation, particularly on social media. […]
Jobless rate for March reflects the earliest stage of pandemic’s impact
The number of unemployed Iowans increased more than 28% in March, from 49,300 to 63,500, state officials reported Friday. Iowa’s unemployment rate was 3.7% in March, an increase of 1 full percentage point over the same period a year ago. The national unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in March. Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend […]
Reynolds: Iowa industry is ‘doing the right thing’ and protecting workers
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday the state is largely relying on its “partners” in business and industry to protect food-plant employees and other essential workers from COVID-19. At her daily press conference Thursday, Reynolds was asked how the state intends to hold Iowa corporations accountable for protecting their workforce from the spread of the […]
COVID-19’s impact on tourism is less of an issue in Iowa
It won’t come as much of a surprise, but in terms of tourism dollars, COVID-19 has had less of an impact on Iowa than almost every other state in the nation. Cities and states that rely heavily on tourism are being hit hard not only by the shuttering of restaurants, arenas, theme parks and other […]
Des Moines’ chief pothole-fixer fired, accused of falsifying records
The plethora of potholes that Des Moines drivers had to dodge last year were partly due to a city employee who falsely claimed the holes had been properly patched, state records show. In 2019, the City of Des Moines fielded 16,000 pothole complaints from citizens, which was roughly 10,000 more than usual. The city’s public works […]
As infections surge, Reynolds lets food plants take the lead on mitigation
The spread of COVID-19 is surging in Iowa, with the state reporting an additional 189 infections, including 86 employees of a Tyson food plant in Louisa County. Six additional Iowans were reported Tuesday to have died as a result of the virus, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to 49. On April […]