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Got extra time during the holiday? Clean out those closets!

News

November 28th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Due to the pandemic, far more Iowans than usual are staying home for the holidays, which may be the perfect time to sift through crowded closets, drawers and shelves. Julie Braun, a professional home and office organizer, says Iowans should take stock of the clutter in their lives and make a plan for what to do with it. Braun says there’s one thing most of us have way too much of — clothes. “If you think about it, it’s just taking up wasted space,” Braun says, “and if you’re going to shrink or larger, it’s probably going to be out of style by then anyway.”

Taking on the whole garage or basement can be a daunting task, so Braun says to start small and organize each area, like a room or a closet, one at a time. She says a recent client of hers was delighted by the organizational process.  “She loved that feeling of everything is in its place,” Braun says. “I think it’s freeing for people. They don’t feel as bogged down by their stuff.”

Braun says most people keep paper items, like old bills and birthday cards, for way too long. As you sift through old clothes, she hints if you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it.

Iowa COVID-19 update, 11/28/20: 11 more deaths statewide (1 in Cass Co.); 2,239+ new Positive cases

News

November 28th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (as of 10-a.m. Saturday), shows 11 more people have died from complications of COVID-19 for a total of 2,360. There are two more deaths in the KJAN listening area: one each in Cass and Shelby Counties. The number of deaths attributed to a pre-existing condition statewide are at 1,333, while deaths at Long-Term Care facilities amount to 1,059, four more than on Friday.

Health officials report two more long-term care facility COVID-19 outbreaks, for a total of 153. Those care facilities report 4,744 positive cases and 1,958 recovered. Cass County’s three LTC facilities have a total of 210 confirmed positive cases (Three more than yesterday), and 129 recovered. Officials say there have been 2,239 new confirmed, Positive cases of the virus reported since yesterday, for a total since the pandemic began, of 225,783.

Hospitalizations are down from 1,226 Friday, to 1,221 today. There are: 244 patients in intensive care (down from 256 Friday.); 127 patients were admitted since 10-a.m. Friday, and there are 146 people on a ventilator (five more than on Friday). In western/southwestern Iowa: there are 56 COVID patients in the hospital; 19 are in an ICU; six people were admitted to a hospital, and 11 people are on a ventilator (4 more than Friday).

The state’s data shows that 1,203,496 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Test results received yesterday amounted to 4,834, with 3,833 coming back Negative and 928 Positive. Iowa’s statewide 14-day positivity rate down to 17.7%. The Individual Positivity rate is 18.8%. Cass County’s Positivity rate is down to 18.7%.

The IDPH says 130,0007 Iowans have recovered from the virus. In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

  • Cass, 805 cases {+8}; 503 recovered; 22 deaths
  • Adair, 433;{+4} 228; 8
  • Adams, 167 {+3}; 86; 2
  • Audubon, 295 {+1}; 192; 2
  • Guthrie, 749 {+9); 431; 15
  • Harrison County, 1,067 {+5}; 720; 29
  • Madison County, 678 {+5}; 393; 4
  • Mills County, 1,035 {+14}; 476; 7
  • Montgomery, 455 {+4}; 208; 11
  • Pottawattamie County, 6,221 {+94]; 3,567; 69
  • Shelby County, 761 {+10}; 440; 11
  • Union County,  764 {+7}; 301; 6

Man from Walnut injured in Shelby County crash, Friday

News

November 28th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

One person was injured during a collision Friday afternoon east of Harlan. The Iowa State Patrol reports 28-year-old Dyllan Hamlin, of Walnut, was transported by Medivac Ambulance to Myrtue Memorial Hospital, following a rear-end collision involving his 2008 Ford F-250 pickup and a semi.

Authorities say a 2013 Mack truck driven by 57-year old Howard Lansman, of Harlan, was eastbound on Highway 44, attempting to turn north onto Redbud Road at around 4:25-p.m. A pickup was westbound on 44, and preparing to turn north onto Redbud.

Due to the oncoming traffic, the semi stopped on the road, while waiting to turn safely. Hamlin’s pickup failed to stop, and rear-ended the semi. The Patrol says Hamlin was not wearing a seat belt, and suffered serious injuries.

 

Iowa early News Headlines: Saturday, Nov. 28 2020

News

November 28th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of streetlights still need to be repaired in the Cedar Rapids area months after they were broken when a derecho tore through Iowa. The Gazette reports that Mayuri Farlinger, the director of operations for Alliant Energy in the region, did not have an estimate as to how long it’ll take to repair the lights. The utility prioritized restoring power to homes and businesses after the Aug. 10 derecho. Streetlight repairs began at the end of October and crews have been out in “full force” to repair them, he said. The company’s crews and contractors have fixed hundreds of streetlights. Alliant says it has 12 two-person crews dedicated for streetlight repairs in every quadrant of the city.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported that 37 people died of the coronavirus in the past day. The state Department of Public Health said Friday the additional deaths bring the total who have died of COVID-19 in Iowa to 2,349. In the past 24 hours as of Friday morning, there were 1,266 new confirmed cases. Iowa has long had some of the nation’s highest coronavirus infection rates, but in the past week its numbers have improved slightly. The state now has the nation’s fourth-highest number of new cases per capita in the last 14 days. In the last week, one in every 145 people in Iowa was diagnosed with COVID-19.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are looking for the vehicle that hit a man and fled the scene in Des Moines, Iowa. Emergency responders found the pedestrian with critical injuries when they arrived at the scene at about 9:12 p.m. Thursday. The Des Moines Police Department said in a news release that he was transported to a local hospital where he later died of those injuries. Witnesses described the vehicle as a dark- colored, SUV-style vehicle. Evidence indicates it will have front-end damage, including a broken headlamp.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Bellevue, Nebraska, man is jailed after a lengthy chased that crossed back and forth across the Iowa-Nebraska line. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the 34-year-old suspect is accused of a long list of crimes. The chase began shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday when Council Bluff, Iowa, officers stopped a Chevrolet Silverado, but the driver took off on Interstate 480 and drove into Nebraska, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph. The truck later crossed back into Iowa, then back to Nebraska again. In Omaha, troopers pulled in front of the truck and the driver got out and tried to run but was caught.

2020 Celebrate Iowa Gala goes virtual, with video tour of iconic Iowa sites

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – This year’s “Celebrate Iowa Gala” will be held online December 11th and organizers plan to showcase performances staged at some Iowa landmarks.  “We thought it was really important to go ahead and host the gala this year because Iowans this year, more than ever, really need something to celebrate.” That’s Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs director Chris Kramer. A band called “The Holy Rocka Rollaz” will perform from the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake. This is their rockabilly sound.

The Brazilian 2wins — touring brothers who’ve made Des Moines their home base for a decade — will perform with their violin and ukulele at the American Gothic House in Eldon. The Malvern Art Church will be the backdrop for a performance by guitarist Taylor Peek. There will be a video tour of the Haitian art collection at Waterloo’s Center for the Arts and Iowa native Tom Arnold will lead a tour of the “Hollywood in the Heartland” exhibit at the State Historical Museum.

“We’re going to really take people on a fun and celebratory trip across the state with lots of live performances and live interviews,” Kramer says, “just give them an evening to forget about everything that’s going on, relax and just enjoy learning about the state.” The Donna Reed Center for the Performing Arts in Denison will be another stop on the video tour. Reed is the late actress, an Academy Award winner for her role in “From Here to Eternity” who starred with Jimmy Stewart in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Her daughter Mary Ellen will be featured in the opening hour of next month’s Gala. Mary Ellen Reed be joined by a Broadway star who particpated in one of the annual workshops for writers, directors and performers that used to be held in Denison. Kramer says the 2020 Gala will give Iowans a virtual tour of the state’s cultural scene. “People can relax in the comfort of their home and being safe at home this year is so important,” Kramer says.

This will be the 9th annual Celebrate Iowa Gala, with ticket sales going to the State Historical Society. The program December 11th will start at 6 p.m., with some live performances from Denison. At 7 p.m., there will be what Kramer describes as a “showcase of Iowa culture.” At 8 p.m., there will be more live entertainment. An all-access pass for all hours of the Gala is $250. Tickets for hour-long segments of the evening range from 25 to one-hundred dollars each.

Police looking for vehicle which fled fatal hit-and-run

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are looking for the vehicle that hit a man and fled the scene in Des Moines, Iowa. Emergency responders found the pedestrian with critical injuries when they arrived at the scene at about 9:12 p.m. Thursday. The Des Moines Police Department said in a news release that he was transported to a local hospital where he later died of those injuries.

Witnesses described the vehicle as a dark- colored, SUV-style vehicle. Evidence indicates it will have front-end damage, including a broken headlamp.

 

Iowans should quit using passwords and stay safer with pass phrases

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A computer security expert suggests Iowans abandon using passwords in favor of pass phrases. Jesse La Grew says the old way of creating short, cryptic passwords that you change frequently is no longer practical for most of us.  “If we have to change our passwords every 30 days, what are we likely to do? We’re likely to write it down,” La Grew says. “We’re going to be putting them on Post-it notes or putting them under keyboards.” The longer a password, the more secure it should be from hackers.

Some computer systems require passwords that need to be between 16 and 20 characters, which is where using a pass phrase is handy. “So how do you get that length of password while still maintaining the complexity required so that a computer can’t easily break into it?” La Grew says. “That’s where the passphrase comes in, where we’re using multiple words strung together.” You can creating a pass phrase out of a series of words that are easy for you to remember — but hard to guess. It will make your account more secure from most attempts by hackers to force their way in.

“You can have a very long password with a series of five words that can be very difficult to guess and can take a computer an extremely long time to break into, based on the technology that we have today,” he says. La Grew says don’t reuse passwords on any service where you might have credit card or banking information saved.

RV rolls off highway in NW Iowa, killing one, injuring several

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A recreational vehicle rolled off a northwest Iowa highway near Remsen on Thanksgiving evening, killing one person and injuring several others. Preliminary information indicates that a 1998 motorhome was traveling north on county road L-12 when the driver failed to negotiate a curve, causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and rolled several times before coming to rest. Several individuals were taken to Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars, and one was airlifted to MercyOne in Sioux City.

A 23-year old male subject was killed in the accident. Names of the injured and the deceased will be released later on Friday, pending notification of family and friends. Both the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office and the Le Mars Police Department Traffic Incident team are investigating the roll-over accident, as well as the Iowa State Patrol, and the Plymouth County Medical Examiner.

Repairs ongoing to Iowa streetlights damaged by August storm

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of streetlights still need to be repaired in the Cedar Rapids area months after they were broken when a derecho tore through Iowa. The Gazette reports that Mayuri Farlinger, the director of operations for Alliant Energy in the region, did not have an estimate as to how long it’ll take to repair the lights. The utility prioritized restoring power to homes and businesses after the Aug. 10 derecho.

Streetlight repairs began at the end of October and crews have been out in “full force” to repair them, he said. The company’s crews and contractors have fixed hundreds of streetlights. Alliant says it has 12 two-person crews dedicated for streetlight repairs in every quadrant of the city.

 

Iowa reports 37 virus deaths; new cases per capita 4th in US

News

November 27th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported that 37 people died of the coronavirus in the past day. The state Department of Public Health said Friday the additional deaths bring the total who have died of COVID-19 in Iowa to 2,349. In the past 24 hours as of Friday morning, there were 1,266 new confirmed cases. Iowa has long had some of the nation’s highest coronavirus infection rates, but in the past week its numbers have improved slightly.

The state now has the nation’s fourth-highest number of new cases per capita in the last 14 days. In the last week, one in every 145 people in Iowa was diagnosed with COVID-19.