The Clarinda Police Department reports two students have absconded from the Clarinda Academy after stealing a vehicle from the campus. The incident happened today (Wednesday), at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The vehicle is a black 2013 Chevrolet Impala, University of Iowa Collegiate Personalized license plate WEBHAWK. No additional information is available at this time.
RUSSELL L. STEFFENS, 65, of Atlantic died Monday, May 11th at his home in Atlantic. A graveside service for RUSSELL L. STEFFENS will be held on Saturday, May 16th at 11:00 a.m. at the Southlawn Memory Gardens in Atlantic. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.
Online condolences may be left at www.hockenberryfamilycare.com
(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds is allowing more Iowa businesses to reopen, but her latest pandemic-related proclamation still prohibits sports gatherings of 10 or more until midnight on Wednesday, May 27th. Reynolds was asked specifically about high school baseball and softball today (Wednesday) during her daily news conference. Reynolds says she has not discussed SUMMER sports with the Iowa High School Athletic Union that governs boys sports or the Iowa High School Girls Athletic Union. but she’s not closed the door on the idea if coronavirus activity is contained or declines.
(as said) “Hopefully, if Iowans and businesses and everybody continue to do what we’re seeing that they do, we’re going to continue, in a very phased in approach, continue opening up and bringing more things online,” Reynolds says.
Atlantic School District Athletic Director Andy Mitchell said Wednesday evening during the school board meeting, that the Hawkeye 10 A-D’s have been meeting on a weekly basis. The Executive Director of the Girl’s Union joined a teleconference with those officials, Wednesday, but was just as uncertain as to what the summer has in-store as the governor, at this stage in the pandemic recovery process.
Bowling alleys are to remain closed statewide. The governor has lifted restrictions on fitness centers in 22 counties that required customers to make appointments and only one customer was allowed to be inside at a time.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature will resume its session on June 3 after a months-long break as part of efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Republicans who control both legislative chambers agreed to suspend the Legislature on March 16 and then extended the break as the state dealt with the outbreak. The action to resume the legislative session came as Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, announced Wednesday she was allowing most businesses to reopen across the state.
A legislative panel will meet by phone Thursday to officially enact the plan announced by the Republican leaders. Lawmakers also will reopen the Capitol on Monday. Everyone entering the building will need to undergo a health screening.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — U.S. meat exports are surging this spring even as the processing industry is struggling to meet domestic demand because of coronavirus outbreaks at processing plants that have sickened hundreds of workers. Although the situation could cause concern that American workers are risking their health to meet foreign demand, experts say it shouldn’t because much of the meat sold to other countries is cuts that Americans generally don’t eat. And at least one of the four major processors says it has reduced exports during the pandemic. The meat industry says that if companies manage to keep plants operating, there should be plenty of supply to satisfy both the U.S. and export markets.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds today (Wednesday) announced the easing of more COVID-19 related restrictions. During her weekly press conference from the SEOC (State Emergency Operations Center) in Johnston, Reynolds said Iowa is in phase two, “Recovery,” of a three stages in getting through the COVID-19 pandemic.
(She said there has been significant progress is slowing or decreasing the spread of COVID-19.)
She said effective this Friday, May 15th, all restrictions currently lifted in the 77 Counties previously mentioned, are being relaxed across the State.
IDPH Deputy Director Sarah Reisetter spoke about the public guidance related to the upcoming changes.
(She said anyone over the age of 65 or at higher risk of Covid-19 illness, should continue to stay home.)
Reisetter said as far as businesses are concerned, they should continue to follow the IDPH requirements for re-opening to the public.
She said business need to follow the protocols in place to prevent and protect outbreaks in their facilities. Additional guidance for massage and barber/beauty shops has been developed and will be provided to help those business owners open in a responsible manner. Read the entire proclamation here: https://governor.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Public%20Health%20Proclamation%20-%202020.05.13.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), said today (Wednesday), 17 people have died from COVID-19 over the past 24-hours, bringing the total number of deaths in the State to 306. The IDPH says 46% of those who died from the virus were over the age of 80, and 53% were men. The number of COVID-19 positive test results increased by 377 to 13, 289 (an increase of 8% from Tuesday). 85, 719 Iowans have been tested.
There are 388 people hospitalized due to the virus, with 36 admitted over the past 24-hours. Officials say 5,954 Iowans have recovered. 133 patients are in an ICU. One additional outbreak was reported in an LTC (Long-Term Care facility), for a total of 33. Altogether, 1,148 residents and staff at those facilities have been infected with the virus.
(Radio Iowa) — The three-TRILLION dollar economic recovery plan introduced in the U.S. House includes two-and-a-quarter billion for the biofuels industry. Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat from Dubuque, is part of the House Biofuels Caucus that lobbied for the assistance. “This is obviously a meaningful step towards protecting our producers and providing relief to this vital sector of our economy that means so much to our state, to our agricultural community, also to rural Iowa and our cities,” Finkenauer says.
Under the plan, ethanol and biodiesel plants would get payments based on the gallons each produce. “At a rate of 45 cents per gallon for fuel produced between January and May of this year,” Finkenauer says, “and then for plants forced to shut down, the bill provides 22.5 cents per gallon on the amount produced during the same period last year in 2019.” There are eight biofuels plants in Finkenauer’s congressional district which covers the northeast quarter of Iowa. “And I know they are struggling,” Finkenauer says. “Just last month the ADM ethanol production plant in Cedar Rapids shut down, furloughing 90 workers.”
Growth Energy, a trade group for the industry, projects biofuels production has been cut in half due to the pandemic and the Trump Administration waivers for oil refineries, so they don’t have to blend ethanol into gasoline. Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, is also a member of the House Biofuels Caucus. She says the downturn in the biofuels industry is having a devastating economic impact, leading to rural job losses and falling corn prices.
Officials with the Cass County Auditor’s Office said today (Wednesday), that they are “Getting WAY too many ballots being returned without the Voter Affidavit being signed on the backside of the return envelope. There MUST be a signature here in order for your vote to count.” The same thing is being done across the State of Iowa, so sign your affidavit! The Auditor’s Office says 
even with your signature no one will know how you voted, if this is a concern please them so they can explain the process used for opening ballots.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds’ Wednesday press conference. We will have live audio of the presser on KJAN as well. The press conference is set to begin at approximately 11:00 a.m.
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