(Radio Iowa)- White-tailed deer are susceptible to coronavirus infections and researchers at the U-S-D-A’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames are looking into how different variants of the virus impact deer over time. U-S-D-A Veterinary Medical Officer Mitchell Palmer says once a disease is established in wildlife, it’s difficult to get out of wildlife, plus, there are about 30-million white-tailed deer in the U-S.

The research team has been infecting captive white-tailed deer with different coronavirus variants, though the deer don’t develop a fever or clinical signs of COVID-19. Palmer says it’s possible a new variant could pop out that might be infectious to people.

(Radio Iowa) – February ended up being much wetter than normal — though state climatologist Justin Glisan says we had a “snow drought,” where there was more rainfall than snowfall. February averaged a little over two inches preliminarily of precipitation, which is almost an inch above average. Glisen says the month will end up in the top 20 wettest February’s on record, after we saw the sixth driest February last year.

A warmer than average overall temperature could be part of the reason for the below average snow — as the state averaged 25-point-nine degrees — about one-point-eight degrees above average.

MASON CITY, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety said Wednesday, that at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, Cerro Gordo County Jail staff discovered jail inmate Lamar Anderson unresponsive in his cell. Life saving measures were initiated and Anderson was transported to Mercy Hospital in Mason City, where he was pronounced dead.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to conduct an independent investigation into Anderson’s death. The Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner has performed an autopsy. Results of the autopsy are pending toxicology. The investigation is on-going.

(Updated) – (Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic City Council voted unanimously Wednesday afternoon, to pass a resolution that adjusts the overtime pay for Sergeants and the Assistant Police Chief, for the period covering Feb. 16, 2023, through March 17, 2023. As we previously reported, the Atlantic Police Department has undergone an extended period of staffing difficulties, with the day shift having been particularly impacted. The resolution does not cover the Police Chief. That is matter that will be worked out between the Mayor, City Administrator, and the Chief, according to Mayor Garrett.

Councilman Gerald Brink asked Chief Devin Hogue if the police force is fully staffed, or if there is added work being done?”

Councilmen Pat McCurdy and Brink….

Mayor Grace Garrett said of the Atlantic Police Department…

In other business, the Mayor and City Council recognized Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator Travis Hanson for obtaining his Grade 3 certification.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak cited a man following a property-damage accident this (Wednesday) morning. Authorities say at around 7:17-a.m., Police were called to the 100 block of W. Linden Street, for a reported two-vehicle accident.

During an investigation, officers determined a 2008 Accura TSX driven by 31-year-old Dalton D. Holbrook, of Elliott, was traveling eastbound on W. Linden. A 2015 Chrysler Town and Country van driven by 86-year-old Lorell Gene Viner, of Red Oak, was westbound on W. Linden.  When Viner turned left to enter the Burger King parking lot, he failed to yield, and his van struck the car. He was also driving a vehicle with an obstructed view, due to frost on the windshield.

Viner was issued a written warning for Failure to Yield Upon Left Hand Turn, and driving with obstructed vision. The vehicles sustained an estimated $5,000 damage each. No injuries were reported.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Transportation says they’re seeing an uptick in calls about the color of the streetlights on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids. The D-O-T says the lights are unintentionally purple — the result of the deterioration of the L-E-D lights. The Assistant Director for the DOT’s Maintenance Bureau, Mohamed Mohamed, , says the L-E-D lights initially are blue-ish purple in color before a paint gets put over them to give the white light look. He tells K-C-R-G T-V that in the five years since the lights have been installed, the paint has flaked away, causing the lights to shine purple.

“The biggest thing is some people had the misconception that you know the D-O-T is changing the light colors, and you know that we’re actually in a transition phase. We are not,” he says. “it’s actually a flaw. It’s not the way that it’s supposed to be.” Mohamed says the company that distributes the lights is replacing them under the warranty, so there is no cost for the replacement. Around half the 800 lights that turned purple have been replaced and they will continue to replace the lights as needed.

(Greenfied, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday (Today), met in a regular session. The Board approved a Courtyard Use Permit from the Greenfield Chamber for an Outdoor Farmer’s Market. The event will take place every Thursday from June through September. The event had previously been held in the City Park. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved rental of the 4-H Building for the fall Safety Meeting. And, they approved participation forms with regard to the nationwide Opiod Settlement with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.

County Auditor/Board Secretary Mandy Berg explains…

(The County’s share could be $166,000)

The Board approved renewal of the County’s various medical/dental/vision insurance plans. And, they authorized the Board Chair to sign-off on: The N-33 Orient Bridge Project, Airport Road Paving Project, East Iowa Street Paving Project Plans, and, the Right-Of-Way contracts for the N-72 Culvert Extension Project.

County Engineer Nick Kauffman provided the Board with his weekly report on Secondary Roads Department Maintenance and Activities.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports one arrest took place, Tuesday. 18-year-old Ella Jean Hoffman, of Creston, was arrested at around 6-p.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana/1st Offense. Hoffman was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

(Radio Iowa) – Students from Northwestern College in Orange City are heading out this week for spring break — but their trips are working mission trips — not a chance to sit on a beach and soak up the sun. Northwestern director of admissions, Patrick Hummel says they 13 trips planned this year including four international trips Hummel says all the students volunteer for the trips and about 43 percent of graduates do a spring trip. He says students are working to help others and they benefit from being in places that are culturally different from their own and where they grew up.

He says students join teams and aren’t necessarily paired up with friends, so they get the added benefit of developing new friends on campus — and he says it connects them in new ways and in different ways.

(Radio Iowa) – After years of flood recovery efforts, a southwest Iowa group is shifting its focus to disaster preparedness. The Fremont County Disaster Coalition, previously known as the Fremont County Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, will meet this weekend. The group was formed after the 2019 Missouri River floods that devastated the region. Coalition secretary Mandy Maher says the meeting will highlight the group’s accomplishments and lay groundwork for the future.

Since the 2019 floods, the group has distributed nearly 240-thousand dollars in financial assistance and helped coordinate other goods and services to aid the 240-some households in the county impacted by the floods. The group is looking to disaster preparedness, as Maher says trouble is always lurking around the corner, whether it’s a tornado, a fire, a flood or a derecho.