(Radio Iowa) – As many Iowa schools report a growing number of COVID-19 cases, students and teachers should be prepared to quarantine for a full 14 days if they come into close contact with someone carrying the virus. Nola Aigner Davis, spokeswoman for the Polk County Health Department, says even people who test negative for coronavirus after being exposed must quarantine for the full two weeks.

Aigner Davis says, “So, let’s say you got that negative test on Day Three, Day Four, you still have to wait that full 14 days because we’ve seen people develop symptoms on Day 14.” A person is considered in a “close contact” if they’ve spent 15 minutes within six feet of someone who can transmit the virus. She says the duration of the quarantine is very important.

“You need to stay at home for those full 14 days,” she says. “You can even develop symptoms on Day 14, so that is why we make sure people are in quarantine for 14 days.” Aigner Davis says families should be extra cautious this school year and call their doctor — and their school — if their child feels sick.

(reporting By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)

CRESTON, Iowa – Sept. 17, 2020 – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office report workers have completed a bridge replacement project on Iowa 92 east of Greenfield, and will be reopening the roadway to traffic at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18th. Murphy Heavy Contracting is the prime contractor for this project.

Atlantic, IA —Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) report the Test Iowa site in Atlantic is expanding hours and moving to a new location on Monday, September 21st. The drive-thru testing site will be open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 1 pm. The new location will be in the curved driveway off 10th street (the original hospital entrance). The previous Test Iowa location, behind 1500 East 10th street, will be used for drive-thru flu shot appointments.

CCHS Chief Clinic Administrator Tammy Bireline says  “We wanted to be able to better serve our community with increased COVID-19 testing, especially for parents and children during the school year. By increasing our community’s access to Test Iowa, we hope that this helps mitigate the spread and returns students to school as soon as possible.”

Individuals who wish to get tested at the Test Iowa site must follow these steps:

• Complete the online assessment at testiowa.com.
• Select Atlantic (CCHS) as your testing site.
• Receive a QR code.
• Schedule the test appointment by calling 712-250-8297.

You will receive an email from Test Iowa with a link to your test results as soon as they are ready; typically, within 72 hours. The information will be sent to the email address you provided when answering the survey. Clinic sites are partnerships between the State of Iowa and local health care providers to increase access to testing in their communities. Clinics operate and staff the test sites. The state provides testing supplies and processes the samples through the State Hygienic Lab.

Locations and hours of operation for all test sites can be found at testiowa.com or coronavirus.iowa.gov. Information about testing at the Atlantic site can be found at casshealth.org/testiowa.

GREENFIELD, IOWA – September 17, 2020 – Ray “Bubba” Sorensen of Greenfield has been designated a “Friend of Agriculture” by the Iowa Farm Bureau Political Action Committee (PAC). Sorensen is seeking the House District 20 seat that includes Adair and Guthrie county and portions of Dallas and Cass county.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, (R) Rep. IA House District 21

Sorensen says “I always have been, and always will be, a friend. From showing in 4-H, to working in livestock advertising, to helping my dad out on his farm and getting started with my own small acreage. I’ve lived with and loved our rural life and values. I’m excited to get back to work on Ag issues and work through the struggles with the pandemic and weather. I’m looking forward to working with our farmers who are innovating and working on improving our water quality in the state.”

Accordingto IFBF Chair (and Clayton County farmer) Erik Oberbroeckling, “Candidates earn the Friend of Agriculture designation by supporting issues that directly impact Iowa’s agricultural economy. With one in every five Iowans employed in agriculture and ag-related industries, it is essential to have strong advocates for agriculture representing Iowa.”

Officials with the Empowering Adair County Foundation (EACF) report grant funds totaling $84,457.84 for are available for application, with the deadline set for October 15, 2020.  EACF says the grant amount is down 17% from last year’s funding amount, due to Iowa’s casinos shutting down as the result of Covid-19.

Less gambling receipts impacts the amount distributed to counties in Iowa without gaming operations. EACF will accept grant applications not to exceed $10,000. However, for the first time, EACF has created a new simple, one-page application form for grant asks not exceeding $3,000. The original long application forms for larger grant requests, along with the new one-page application forms can be found on the Adair County ISU Extension’s website https://www.extension.iastate.edu/adair (scroll down the home page to find EACF information and links for forms).

Due to the decrease in granting funds, the EACF Committee may not be able to grant total amounts requested. Grant applications are scored and reviewed on the following criteria:

• Completeness of Application
• Benefit to Adair County Residents
• Support of Entrepreneurial Activity, Community and Leadership Development
• and Identification and Addressing of Community Needs.

Once the applications are scored, the Committee’s funding recommendations are sent to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines (EACF’s affiliate) for final approval of grant disbursements. There is one annual grant cycle with an October 15th application deadline. For more information, visit the website or contact Deena Wells, Adair County Extension at 641-743-8412 or email dwells@iastate.edu.

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EACF was formed in 2005 to coordinate and provide philanthropic support for community betterment and to enhance the quality of life for communities in Adair County. The Foundation is governed by a 9-member board representing all areas of Adair County. EACF has funded $1,410,487.92 in projects and programs in Adair County in the past 14 years.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers shows the economy making some improvements but remaining weak in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states. The Rural Mainstreet Survey’s overall index remained negative at 46.9 in September, even though it improved from August’s 44.7 and marked continued improvement since March, when the index bottomed out at 35.5 as the coronavirus pandemic emerged. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy, while a score above 50 suggests a growing economy.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

A Cass County man was injured during an accident that took place at around 5-a.m., Wednesday. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 22-year old Dakota Lee Sandbothe, of Marne, was driving a 1993 Dodge D-250 pickup northbound on Highway 83/M47 at around 5-a.m., when the vehicle went off the road just before Teakwood Road, in Pottawattamie County. The truck hit an embankment, jumped over Teakwood Road and landed in the northeast ditch.

Sandbothe was trapped in the pickup and had to be freed by mechanical means. He complained of pain and possible injury, and was transported by Walnut Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic. Deputies cited Sandbothe for Failure to Maintain Control of his vehicle. Damage to his pickup was estimated at $5,000.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa has won a three-point-seven-million dollar federal grant to expand mental health services in the wake of last month’s derecho. The funds will extend an effort already in place to help Iowans cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Karen Hyatt, at the Iowa Department of Human Services, says the program called Covid Recovery Iowa offers crisis counseling over the phone or online, as well as virtual support groups.  “Since the derecho hit, we have seen an increase in all of those ways that people get ahold of us,” Hyatt says, “and the main thing, I would say 90% of the need right now is housing and finances.”

Staff are retooling the program so to will be inclusive for derecho survivors, who report struggling to pay bills and securing long-term housing. Hyatt says the pandemic is changing the program’s rollout.  “We train the staff to go where the people are, and we work very hard at that,” Hyatt says. “In this grant, it’s the flip of that, right? It’s making sure that enough people know about it, but they have to come to us.”

The new grant will extend Covid Recovery Iowa through June of 2021. Services are available online at covid-recovery-iowa-dot-org and by phone at 844-775-9276.

(reporting By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is refusing to review lower court decisions that invalidated tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot requests at the urging of President Trump’s reelection campaign. The court issued orders Wednesday denying requests to put rulings in Linn and Woodbury counties on hold. The elections commissioners in those counties, an affected voter and Democratic-aligned groups had asked the court to intervene, saying thousands of voters could be disenfranchised and inconvenienced if the rulings stand. The court rejected all of their requests without explanation. Judges have ruled the counties overstepped by sending absentee ballot request forms to voters with their personal information already filled in.

Riverside School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Mitchell, today (Thursday), reports Pottawattamie County Public Health and Riverside Community School District have confirmed that one student in the Middle/High School Building has been confirmed positive for COVID-19.  Mitchell says “Contact and location tracing has been completed by the district and Public Health and limited exposure has been determined.  Any students and staff identified as having primary exposure have been notified and appropriate measures as identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education have been instituted.”  The district, he says “Continues to utilize all recommended mitigation measures at school to provide a healthy and safe environment for the students and staff.”

General Mitigation Techniques

• Daily home screening of students and staff-stay home if sick
• Best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure–Face Coverings required for students and staff-Take frequent face covering breaks when 6ft distancing can be accommodated–with accommodations if needed-Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering when around others
• Social Distancing-Signage throughout the building-when possible-Avoid close contact with others-Put distance (6 Feet) between yourself and others
• Limit large groups and capacity in large spaces (Cafeteria, Gym and Auditorium)
• Routine Hand washing and sanitizing-before you touch and after you touch!!
• Avoid touching mouth and nose with hands
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Enhanced cleaning every night by custodial staff (CDC Guidance)
• Minimize student movement
• Limit outside visitors during the school day