Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has surpassed 4,000 coronavirus-related deaths, marking another grim milestone with its infection rate rising again and most people still months from being able to get vaccinated. State health officials reported 61 additional deaths on Wednesday, pushing the state’s COVID-19 death toll to 4,060. Iowa had the 16th highest per capita coronavirus death rate, at nearly 127 deaths per 100,000 people, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, officials in Polk County, home to Des Moines, released a tentative timeline this week warning that the general public likely won’t be able to get vaccinated until mid to late 2021.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nearly 100 people gathered at the Iowa Capitol to support President Donald Trump and express opposition to the Electoral College count that ultimately certified his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Iowa State Patrol spokesman Alex Dinkla says the peaceful rally Wednesday in the Capitol rotunda drew about 90 people at its height and then dwindled to about 40 people. The protesters had informed Capitol security about their plans to hold the rally. Two groups attended with one focusing on prayer while another was more vocal, chanting USA-themed slogans and singing patriotic songs. There was no destruction as occurred during hours of chaos caused by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

URBANA, Iowa (AP) — Police have determined that the shooting deaths of a man and woman in Urbana on New Year’s Day was a murder-suicide. The Iowa Department of Public Safety says in a news release that Urbana police received a 911 call on Jan. 1 from 59-year-old Garry Jensen saying he had shot and killed his wife, 54-year-old Margaret Jensen. Officers who responded to the Jensen home found Margaret Jensen dead from an apparent gunshot wound. Garry Jensen was also found dead in the home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police and medical examiners have ruled Margaret Jensen’s death a homicide and her husband’s death a suicide.

MARION, Iowa (AP) — Officials in Marion are set to approve a plan to repair the city’s historic train depot that was heavily damaged in last summer’s devastating derecho weather event. The Gazette in Cedar Rapids reports that the Marion City Council received a motion Tuesday night from the city’s Parks and Recreation department to approve a contract for the repairs. The council is expected to approve the contract at Thursday’s formal session. The depot was built in 1892 and moved to City Square Park in 1990. The structure’s northside roof was smashed by a fallen tree during the Aug. 10 derecho, which brought winds of more than 100 mph to eastern Iowa and damaged many buildings and trees in the region.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, saw the premiere of a new video, marketing the community locally and nationally, to encourage people to move here and work from home here, and raise their family. Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith explained with more businesses encouraging their employees to work from home, especially in light of the pandemic, but beyond, as well. ‘

A link to the video, “What you see is what you get,” can be found HERE. The Chamber and CADCO will work with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to roll out the video nationally, and through online marketing made possible through funds from the Community Development Commission. The entire video (which can also be found on Facebook at AtlanticAreaChamber) lasts just under two minutes, but includes remarkable drone footage of the community and snippets of community life.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council approved mutual Aid agreements for fire protection services between Atlantic and the Cities of Marne and Lewis. The specific agreements are renewed every five years, and ensures that if either department is in need, the other department will aid with the equipment and personnel. During the Council Committee reports, Councilperson Kathy Somers, who, along with Councilman Pat McCurdy are liaisons to the Landfill Commission, reported changes are coming in the way you dispose of your recyclables. The decision was made during the Landfill Commission’s meeting Tuesday night.

The Council, Wednesday, held a Public Hearing on the status of the City’s Facade Improvement Project. SWIPCO Community Development Director Alexsis Fleener explained the hearing was necessary to satisfy the requirements of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG). For the downtown facade improvement program some businesses elected to participate in. She said the project is currently 50% complete.

And, the Atlantic City Council received from Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen, highlighting some of the key department accomplishments over the past year, and their goals for 2021.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nearly 100 people gathered at the Iowa Capitol to support President Donald Trump and express opposition to the Electoral College count that will certify his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Iowa State Patrol spokesman Alex Dinkla says the peaceful rally Wednesday in the Capitol rotunda drew about 90 people at its height and then dwindled to about 40 people. The protesters had informed Capitol security about their plans to hold the rally.

Two groups attended with one focusing on prayer while another was more vocal, chanting USA-themed slogans and singing patriotic songs. There was no destruction as occurred during hours of chaos caused by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol.

The Atlantic Police Department issued a warning on Wednesday afternoon of a possible phone scam circulating in the area. They received a complaint from a citizen that someone called them claiming to represent Atlantic Medical Center about an application that had been submitted. The citizen advised they had not filled out any applications and the fraudulent caller had their doctors information and was mimicking the Medical Center’s phone number. The citizen wisely called the Atlantic Medical Center to inquire about the call and they stated they did not call.

Police remind everyone to not give personal information over the phone as this is a possible scam.

(Radio Iowa) (UPDATED) Both of Iowa’s U.S. Senators and all four members of the Iowa delegation in the U.S. House are safe and five of the six have issued public statements denouncing the violence that has erupted in the Capitol. Senator Chuck Grassley is third in line to the presidency and his staff has announced Grassley is safe in a secure location.

Police with guns drawn watch as protesters try to break into the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senator Joni Ernst issued a statement via tweet, calling what’s happening in the Capitol “anarchy and a betrayal of the American ideals we all hold dear.” Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion was first to speak by tweet, saying “no matter the circumstance, this kind of violence and behavior is unacceptable.” Hinson recorded a video message as well.

Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, was next to tweet and it was a direct appeal asking President Trump to tell those attacking Congress to stop. Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull tweeted that “the world is watching” and violence is never the answer.

Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa said in a tweeted statement that “storming government buidings and attacking law enforcement officers is unacceptable.”

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division is asking for your assistance in identifying a person of interest in a current criminal investigation.  The individual is a white male with a tattoo on his right calf that investigators believe spells out “reaper”. (see the image on the right >>>)

Anyone with information on this individual is asked to contact the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Investigation Division at 712-890-2224.

The Linn County Attorney’s Office is launching a limited marijuana diversion program, allowing some people charged with possession to avoid a criminal record. The program is for first-time offenders with no previous felony charges. Studies find black Iowans are far more likely than white Iowans to be arrested for marijuana possession, despite using the drug at comparable levels. Mark Bennett, director of the Drake University Law School Institute for Justice Reform and Innovation, worries the program may reinforce racial disparities.

Bennett, a retired federal judge, sees it as a good first step, but worries the program will exacerbate racial inequality.

The program is being launched this month, with plans to review and potentially modify it at the end of 2021.
(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

Atlantic, IA — Cass County Health System (CCHS) has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care by the Women’s Choice Award^®, America’s trusted referral source for the best in healthcare.  The award signifies that Cass County Health System is in the top one percent of 4,542 U.S. hospitals offering emergency care services.

The methodology for America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care award is unique in that it combines Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey results with primary research about women’s healthcare preferences. The award recognizes excellence in emergency care based on several process of care measures focused on time patients spent in the emergency department, including:

• Total Time Spent in the Emergency Department
• Time from Admission to a Room
• Percent of Emergency Patients Who Left Without Being Seen

Criteria for selecting CCHS as one of America’s Best also included the percentage of patients who came to the emergency department with stroke symptoms who received brain scan results within 45 minutes of arrival. Also included this year were hospitals that performed well in responding to patients showing symptoms of severe sepsis, a very dangerous condition. The awarded hospitals represent those with emergency departments with average measure times in the highest 25^th to 50^th percentile in the country. Hospitals received additional credit if they have an accredited trauma center.

The award is especially significant given that long waits and high crowding can negatively impact patient outcomes, including patients leaving without receiving medical treatment, longer overall length of hospital stay and an increase in mortality rates. Cass County Health System is one of 477 award recipients representing the hospitals that have met the highest standards for emergency care in the U.S. by the Women’s Choice Award.

For more information about the America’s Best Hospitals for Emergency Care, please visit https://womenschoiceaward.com/best-emergency-care