BEIJING (AP) — Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to China (former Iowa Governor) Terry Branstad says he will help Republicans campaigning in his native Iowa after returning home next month. Branstad also told Hong Kong’s Phoenix Television that he considers the “phase one” trade deal between China and the U.S. as the biggest achievement of his three years in China. The deal reached in January amid the ongoing tariff war between the sides represented a truce but did not address the more fundamental complaints of the American side.

Branstad, says he will campaign for President Donald Trump, Senator Joni Ernst and others purely as a volunteer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a man has died after being shot at an apartment complex. Officers were called at 12:36 a.m. Thursday to investigate a shooting at the complex. When they arrived, they found people trying to help a 21-year-old man who had been shot. Fire department medics began treating the man and took him to a hospital, where he died. The death was the 19th homicide this year in Des Moines.

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Creston resulted in the arrest of a man on a drug charge. Creston Police report 34-year old Alejandro Jose Alejo, of Del Rey, CA., was arrested at Highway 34 and W. Taylor St., a little after 3-p.m.  Alejo was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense, and Child Endangerment. He was taken to Union County Jail, posted bond, and was released.

Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings has resigned from her post. According to reports, Jennings – who has served as the Attorney for Audubon County for three-years – tendered her resignation last week so that she could be closer to her family in the southern U-S.

And, while the Board of Supervisors will review and act on their options to fill the position, officials say surrounding counties have offered to have their attorneys help-out on an interim basis.

Jennings had two years remaining on her term.

Cass County Communications reports they have received multiple calls of a large power outage. AMU has been contacted and is working to fix the issue.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Thursday, as of 10-a.m.), said there were 918 new (Positive) COVID-19 cases reported since 10-a.m. Wednesday, including four in Cass County, bringing the total to 126. Positive test results statewide to-date, amount to 76,968. Officials said also 14 deaths have taken place, for a total of 1,248 to-date. Another death was reported in Pottawattamie County, for a total of 37. It had been four days since the last death was reported in the area.

Officials say 6,055 lab results have been processed since Wednesday. The data show of those: 5,360 came back Negative and 669 were positive. A total of 719,628 Iowans have been tested for the virus, with recoveries amounting to 55,767 since the pandemic began. For a positivity rate of 10.7%.  The 14-day statewide positivity rate is 8.4%. The data also shows an increasing number of children under age 17 have tested positive for the virus. More than 2,700 educators have tested positive for the virus.

Of those who died, 858 had a pre-existing condition, and 657 of the deaths took place at a Long-Term Care (LTC) facility. In the KJAN listening area: Adair County cases increased by two to 59; Guthrie County has three more cases; Pottawattamie County shows 27 additional positive COVID-19 test results; There are three new cases each in Shelby County and Madison County; Union County cases amount to 111, or six more than on Wednesday.

Across the State, hospitalizations are down by 20 to 271. The number of patients with COVID-19 who are in an ICU is up six, to 85; 34 people were admitted to a hospital with symptoms of the virus, 10 fewer than Wednesday, and 36 patients were on ventilators. In western/southwest Iowa, hospitals report 13 people are hospitalized with COVID-19; 7 are in an ICU; Two people were admitted to an area hospital with symptoms, and one person remains on  ventilator.

There is one more LTC outbreak, at 39, with 925 patients/staff testing positive for COVID-19, and 454 have recovered.

Here are the latest positive case numbers for southwest/western Iowa (County; Positive Case #’s; number of persons who have (recovered); {deaths since the outbreak began}.

• Cass County: 126 cases; (113); 2 deaths
• Adair County: 59 cases; (42); 1 death
• Adams County: 27 cases; (23)
• Audubon County: 49 cases; (31); 1 death
• Guthrie County: 208 cases; (155); 5 deaths
• Montgomery County: 84 cases; (79); 5 deaths
• Pottawattamie County: 1,888 cases; (1,566); 37 deaths
• Shelby County: 238 cases; (226); 1 death.
• Madison County, 191; (150); 2 deaths
• Harrison County, 164 cases; (151); 2 deaths
• Union County: 111 cases; (84); 3 deaths.
• Mills County: 153 cases; (112); 1 death.

KELLOGG, Iowa  – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports authorities are investigating the death of a person found in a Jasper County ditch, Wednesday evening. According to their report, at around 5:32-p.m., the Jasper County Communication Center received a report of a fire in the 8100 block of North 67th Avenue East in rural Kellogg.

Responding emergency personnel found an active fire in the roadside ditch. After extinguishing the fire, a deceased body was located.

At this time, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are treating the death as a homicide. The investigation is ongoing and additional information will be released when available.

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 641-792-5912.