OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts says Nebraska officials are watching for new outbreaks of the coronavirus that have been seen in other states and will keep all options open to try to protect public health. Ricketts made the comments as the state continued to see new, confirmed cases and deaths. Nebraska reported 142 new cases of the virus and six new deaths. That brings the total number of known Nebraska cases to 19,452 since the pandemic began, according to the tracker. Of that number, 282 people have died and 14,022 have recovered. Public and private health officials have tested 184,354 residents in Nebraska so far.

(Radio Iowa) — A new report ranks Iowa as one of the best states for children. The fourth-annual study released by the non-profit group Save the Children ranks Iowa fifth in the nation for child well-being. The report found Iowa’s rankings for child food insecurity and high school dropout rates improved from 2018, while rankings for infant mortality, teen births, suicides and homicides stayed the same. Mark Shriver, a senior vice president at Save the Children, says top-ranked states like Iowa invested in high quality early childhood education.

Shriver says, “Children are faring better in states that spend more on their needs and have elected officials who serve in Congress and state houses prioritize child-focused legislation.” The report found just nine percent of Iowa’s kids didn’t graduate on time. This improves the state’s rank from 2018 and makes Iowa first in the nation for high school graduation rates. Nikki Gillette, a researcher with Save the Children, says this year’s report broke down data at the county level for the first time. “We know or rather we suspected that state level data hide huge inequities,” Gillette says. “That’s why this year we did a county ranking.”

The report found Dallas, Warren, Grundy and Bremer counties were among the top 50 in the country for children. It ranked Lee County as the worst in the state.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa State sociologist says many rural communities that have not yet seen coronavirus outbreaks could be very susceptible to one. I-S-U professor David Peters modified an existing public health tool to see how susceptible different size communities are to COVID-19. He plans to survey 65 small towns to determine what’s worked best so far in preventing outbreaks. “Cases will happen, what you’re really trying to do is prevent these very sudden large outbreaks like we’ve seen in meatpacking plants in Iowa,” Peters says.

He says these communities are more susceptible to an outbreak when they have many people living and working in group housing, lots of residents with pre-existing medical conditions, and certain types of employers, like meat plants. Peters says planning ahead for either sheltering in place or dispersing residents in vulnerable situations may go a long way. ” In the process of surveying, we’re going to ask governments and public health agencies and other large institutions to identify strategies that they undertook in those communities to see whether they’ve been effective at holding down the rates of infection and minimizing the impact of the pandemic,” according to Peters.

Peters says the virus will come to even remote communities. But he’s hoping his work will generate some “best practices” that can be replicated to reduce the severity of any future outbreaks. The National Science Foundation has awarded him 200-thousand dollars for the project.

(By Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

The Creston Police Department reports two recent arrests and one incident of theft.  Taken into custody Thursday, for Trespassing, was 55-year old Craig Allen Hauser, who was cited and released on a Promise to Appear. And, 61-year old James Verle Scott, of Creston, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. He was transferred to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 bond.

And, on Wednesday, a woman from Orient reported to Creston Police, that her red, 2009 Harley Davidson FLHX motorcycle valued at $18,000, was stolen from 1009 N. Cherry St., in Creston. The theft happened sometime between 10:30-p.m. June 30th and 1:30-p.m. July 1st.

(Radio Iowa) – The pandemic has made vacationing in a recreational vehicle more attractive and Forest City-based Winnebago Industries hopes to capitalize on that demand. Michael Happe is Winnebago Industries’ C-E-O.  “The motor home business has been working very hard the last number of years to revitalize its product line, strengthen the culture here in north Iowa, improve dealership relationships around the country,” Happe says, “and I think the business is very much headed in a good direction.”

The company builds motor-homes as well as travel trailers that are towed by a pick-up or S-U-V. In 2019, Winnebago acquired Newmar, which makes luxury motor-homes. It bought Florida-based boat building Criss Craft the year before. In 2016, Winnebago acquired Grand Design, which makes tow-able trailers.

“We’ve been in business now for 62 years and I think one of the ways you stay in business for 62 years and, hopefully, 62 more is to try to be smart in the way you run the business and make investments where you think are appropriate,” Happe says. “But you also want to be prudent and disciplined.”

An R-V Industry Association survey projects that 46 million Americans will take an R-V trip in the next 12 months and half of those surveyed said health concerns had increased their interest in camping in an R-V.

(Information as of 10-a.m.) – The Iowa Department of Public Health reports there were three additional COVID-19 related deaths over the past 24-hours (since Thursday’s report), for a total of 720, and an additional 389 positive cases, for a total of 30,355. Iowa Department of Public Health data indicates positive case numbers had been in decline since peaking in early May but began a slow climb again around mid-June. That’s about two weeks after Gov. Kim Reynolds reopened bars and restaurants and relaxed other restrictions on social activities.

Negative test results were reported to be 290,094. The total number of tests completed as of today, is 320,924. Officials with Cass County Public Health Thursday at Noon confirmed 20 positive cases of COVID-19, but since then, an additional case has been reported (for a total of 21). Officials say 18 persons have recovered from the virus in Cass County. Statewide a total of 24,243 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

Elsewhere around the listening area, here are the current number of positive cases and the number of persons recovered from COVID-19 ( ):

• Adair County: 15 (11)
• Adams County: 8 (8)
• Audubon County: 16 (15)
• Guthrie County: 64 (58)
• Montgomery County: 10 (8)
• Pottawattamie County: 719 (610)
• Shelby County: 111 [1 more case than on Thursday] (92 recovered= 3 more than Thursday).

Statewide RMCC data show 146 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 symptoms, 40 are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), 32 were admitted since Thursdays’ report, and 20 were on ventilators. In western/southwest Iowa, the numbers continue to be low: 3 hospitalized; 2 in an ICU; 0 admitted and 0 on a ventilator. Long-Term Care facility numbers show 20 facilities with outbreaks, 537 clients/staff have tested positive for COVID-19, 406 have recovered, and there have been 381 deaths at LTC’s.