Atlantic, IA — This past year presented many different challenges and obstacles that tested our strength and resiliency. The global pandemic forced us to cope with situations never before imagined, and many of us struggled with our mental health as a result. The good news is that there are tools and resources available that can support the well-being of individuals and communities.  Registered Nurse Karmen Roland, Senior Life Solutions Program Director for the Cass County Health System, says the pandemic has not made dealing with stress and depression any easier. Roland said “If you found that it impacted your mental health, you aren’t alone.

That’s why this Mental Health Month, Cass County Health System’s Senior Life Solutions team is highlighting what individuals can do throughout their daily lives to prioritize mental health, build resiliency, and continue to cope with the obstacles of COVID-19, by highlighting #Tools2Thrive. The website www.mhanational.org, Roland says, is a great tool to help you assess your mental health and create a plan to cope.

May is Mental Health Month was started 72 years ago by national organization, Mental Health America (MHA). Karmen says Senior Life Solutions wants to remind everyone that mental illness is real, and recovery is possible.

By developing your own #Tools2Thrive, it is possible to find balance between life’s ups and downs and continue to cope with the challenges brought on by the pandemic. For more information, visit www.mhanational.org/may or call CCHS Senior Life Solutions at 712-250-8100.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa House and Senate have unanimously voted to create a new crime for driving at an excessive speed and causing someone else’s death. Representative Jon Thorup of Knoxville, is a state trooper. “This bill increases the penalty for speeding 25 miles per hour or more in cases where such speeding results in the death of a human being,” Thorup said. “The penalty would become a Class C felony.”

According to the Iowa Sheriffs and Deputies Association, it’s difficult to appropriately charge a speeding driver involved in a fatal accident if prosecutors cannot prove the driver was intoxicated or intentionally targeting someone. The bill passed the House unanimously on March 23rd. It passed the Senate yesterday (Wednesday) on a 48-to-zero vote. The Iowa State Patrol issued 85 percent more tickets to drivers caught going 25 miles an hour or more over the speed limit in the first six months of last year compared to the previous four-year average.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is among several members of Congress asking the U-S Army Corps of Engineers to make flood control its priority in managing the Missouri River. Grassley notes that it’s not the first time he’s asked the Corps to make the change, but he’s optimistic he’ll be heard this time. “I sure hope so,” Grassley says. “We’ve got a new administration in. I think they’ll look at it a little bit different with the government involvement. Of course, it’s almost 100% government involvement.”

Grassley, a Republican, joined the bipartisan group representing Iowa and three other states in signing a letter to the Corps this week. The federal agency’s failure to prioritize flood control in the past is being called a “real problem” by the lawmakers, as the waterway is a vital resource.  “The private producer benefits from it, both agriculture and manufacturing, whether it’s taking things down the river or up the river,” Grassley says. “It’s not just locks and dams, there’s a lot of other things that are involved, but I believe that we’re getting their attention.”

Flooded-Hamburg-on-April-2nd-2019-Photo-by-Fremont-County-Emergency-Management-

The letter encourages the Corps to simply follow federal law with the Missouri River as outlined in the Water Resources Development Act.  “It’s the best way to get your surplus crop to market,” Grassley says. “It’s pretty important economically.”

Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat, and Republican Senator Joni Ernst also signed the letter. On Wednesday, the Fremont County town of Hamburg, which was hit hard by Missouri River flooding in 2019, held a groundbreaking ceremony for a major project that will raise the levee eight feet.

The Iowa Department of Public health Thursday, reported 763 new COVID-19 positive tests, and two additional deaths, bringing the statewide death toll during the pandemic, to 5,962. The health department reports 396,673 total positive tests since the start of the pandemic. The state’s 14-day and seven-day positivity rates are both down to 3.9%.

Hospitalizations across the state continue to slowly decline, from 192 Wednesday to 188 on Thursday. Iowa reports also: there are 45 patients in ICU; 36 people with symptoms of COVID were admitted to a hospital, and, 18 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), there are 13 COVID patients hospitalized; three remain in an ICU; three people were admitted, and two people remain on a ventilator.

There remains also, one long-term care facility outbreak, with 19 positive cases and 17 recoveries among residents and staff at the faciluty. The state reports 2,321 care facility deaths since the pandemic began, that’s unchanged from Monday.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:
Cass, 1,458 cases; {+0}; 54 deaths
Adair, 982; {+2}; 32
Adams, 348 {+0}; 4
Audubon, 526 {+6}; 9
Guthrie, 1,290 {+2}; 29
Harrison County, 1,924; {+3}; 73
Madison County, 1,744; {+7; 19
Mills County, 1,782; {+1}; 21
Montgomery, 1,105;{+3}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 12,141; {+25}; 166
Shelby County, 1,365 {+2}; 37
Union County, 1,360; {+6}; 32