(SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa 1/14/22) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is encouraging ice anglers and snowmobilers to use caution when going out on the ice after a snowmobile and an ATV broke through the ice on West Okoboji Lake and East Okoboji Lake Thursday night. The individuals were rescued by nearby anglers, and then were treated and released from the local hospital. Greg Harson, district supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, said he’s received a number of calls Friday from people planning to come to the Iowa Great Lakes and his message is that the ice quality isn’t as good as it has been in the past and to use caution if they plan to operate a snowmobile or atv on the lakes.

“There are a number of areas to avoid, like the points, ice heaves, the bridges and locations where geese are keeping the water open. The pressure ridges are opening and are hard to see. If we get skim ice then covered with snow, that can create a dangerous situation,” he said. “Geese are keeping a large area open on Spirit Lake out from the pump house, so be really careful if going out on Big Spirit this weekend.”

Harson stressed that there is always risk associated with going on any ice and that no ice is 100 percent safe. He said better quality ice is available away from the areas to avoid and encouraged everyone to check the ice thickness frequently and to bring a throwable floatation cushion, 50 feet of rope and a set of ice picks.

“The new snow is going to make identifying these hazards more challenging, and it’s also going to insulate the ice from the cold temperatures and slow its growth. We all look forward to this time of year to enjoy these lakes, but need to think twice and if it doesn’t look right or feel right, do not go out,” he said.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion has tested positive for Covid for a second time. Hinson says she began experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms Thursday afternoon, so she took a Covid test and it was positive. She’s isolating and working remotely. Hinson is fully vaccinated, with a booster shot. She promoted all three vaccinations on social media.

Hinson previously tested positive for Covid in November of 2020, before vaccines were available and right after she elected to the U.S. House. Hinson says she experienced complete exhaustion, but couldn’t tell if it was because of Covid or because the campaign had just ended.

(Atlantic, Iowa/Chamber News) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Beth Speaker and members of the Cass Health Auxiliary on Thursday, January 13th, 2022. The Ambassadors joined Cass Health in celebrating the opening of their newly renovated gift shop.

Cass Health has had a gift shop for many years but with the renovations, the appearance and location have changed with visitors and the community in mind. The gift shop is more visible as it is now located right inside the entrance of the medical center, connected to the Sweet Joy Coffee Shop. Beth Speaker, Cass Health Communications Relation Manager, shared that much thought went into including community shoppers during the planning & renovating process. Beth shared that during the month of December there were many community members that shopped for Christmas and the staff was delighted to be another retail option for local shopping.

The Cass Health Gift Shop carries a variety of gift items such as baby essentials, home décor, clothing, candy, seasonal items and flower arrangements. The flower arrangements are replenished daily, thanks to Ann Johnk of Farmhouse and Flowers. The gift shop is staffed and maintained entirely by the Cass Health Auxiliary that is comprised of over 100 members. The auxiliary staff welcomes shoppers to call and shop by phone and items can be delivered directly to a loved one’s room in the hospital.

The Cass Health Gift Shop is located in the atrium of Cass Health and is open Monday -Friday 9AM-5PM. For more information or to arrange a delivery, call the direct line at 712-250-8821.

(Radio Iowa) – Nearly a thousand patients in Iowa hospitals today (Friday) have tested positive for Covid. Every patient is tested for Covid and infection rates have been rising as the more contagious omicron variant sweeps through the Midwest. The latest data from the Iowa Department of Public Health shows treatment for the virus is the primary reason nearly two-thirds of the Covid-positive patients were admitted to an Iowa hospital. Fifty Iowa nursing homes are reporting outbreaks among residents.

The state has been tracking the number of positive Covid test results since the beginning of the pandemic and that number has been climbing. However, over-the-counter rapids tests are now available and the state’s number does not include home test results that are not reported to public health departments.

A police department in Jasper County has announced its chief has died from Covid complications. Prairie City Police Michael German died Thursday. According to a Facebook post, German had been Prairie City’s police chief since 2014 and his passing is considered a death in the line of duty.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa chapter of the American Red Cross is starting out 2022 much as it always does, with a critical need for blood donors as blood supplies are dangerously low. Agency spokeswoman Sue Thesenga says she’s hoping the blood shortage in the new year makes people stop and think about what they can do to help year-round. “We really encourage people to resolve to do something good this year and blood donation is a very easy way to make a resolution to help people in need,” Thesenga says. “It only takes an hour of someone’s time and it doesn’t cost a dime.”

The Red Cross is in need of all blood types, especially those with type O, which is considered a universal type for transfusions. You can safely donate blood every 56 days,” she says. “So a lot of times donors donate once or twice during the year, and that is fabulous, but if they donated more regularly and more often, that would probably help us avoid situations like we’re in right now.”

To find a place to donate, visit redcrossblood.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say this formidable winter storm promises to dump up to ten inches of snow across a wide section of Iowa by early this (Friday) evening and the whipping winds could make travel very hazardous. Craig Bargfrede, the Iowa D-O-T’s winter operations administrator, says if you can stay home, do. “We just want to advise the public to be cautious and really watch the weather,” Bargfrede says. “If you really don’t need to travel today, it really looks like one of those days where it might be best to postpone those plans.”

The storm is spreading across Iowa from the northwest to the southeast and the state’s big orange plows are working to keep the roads passable. “We’ve got somewhere around 250 plows out and about,” Bargfrede says. “I just anticipate that number is going to continually increase throughout the day as the storm moves across the state.” Safety is the top priority, he says, for both the plow crews and the motorists, and there may come a point later today at which even the plows will have to be pulled off the roads. “That’s a local call at the garage level — once we get into incidents where visibility really becomes an issue for both our operators and the public,” Bargfrede says. “We watch that very closely and that’s a local call.”

The DOT has 101 maintenance garages statewide that employ more than 1,000 full-time equipment operators, mechanics, and supervisors. Those garages house the agency’s 902 trucks, 42 motor graders, and 32 tow plows. Brine solution has already been spread on many hundreds of miles of Iowa roads, but even with all of the preparation and technology, sometimes the plow crews have to surrender to the elements and pull off the road. “If we do get the winds that they’re forecasting in the 25-30 mile an hour range, that’s going to create some visibility issues for us and for the traveling public as well,” Bargfrede says. “It’s very possible we could see some real impacts on being able to get out there, get at that snow and get it cleaned off.”

While salt has been in short supply in previous years, Bargfrede says Iowa started the winter season with an excellent stockpile of some 240,000 tons. Keep up with road conditions at: 511ia.org

(Atlantic, Iowa/ Chamber News) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Danielle Lambert & Tara Sueck, owners of Sweet Joy Shoppe, on Thursday, January 13th, 2022. Officials say the Ambassadors joined Danielle & Tara in celebrating the opening of their new location in the Atlantic Medical Center.

Wendy & Dan Schulz moved from Colorado to Atlantic in 2011 and soon opened Sweet Joy Shoppe. Their daughter, Danielle, graduated from Atlantic Highschool and then attended Iowa Western graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts. After moving away for a short time, Danielle came back to Atlantic and settled into her roll as the Executive Chef at Sweet Joy Shoppe. Tara Sueck joined the Sweet Joy team in 2018 after approaching Wendy about selling her crafts in the shop. Fast forward to 2021, Wendy & Dan have retired and moved to Nepal to work as missionaries, and Danielle and Tara have taken over the business and expanded into the Medical Center.

Sweet Joy’s hospital location offers many grab-n-go options such as chicken salad croissants, strawberry pecan salads, pita chips with hummus along with coffee, tea and specialty drinks. The shop is open at 6:30AM for hospital staff and 7AM-3PM for the public Monday-Friday. Brett Altman, Cass Health CEO, mentioned that in the planning stages of adding the coffee shop to the hospital, the committee wanted the hospital to be a hub of the community and not just a location for medical appointments. He is happy to see groups gathered in the seating area having coffee and hope the community will see both the coffee chop and gift shop as additions to the business community for retail and food & beverage.

Sweet Joy Shoppe is located in the atrium of the Atlantic Medical Center and at 315 Chestnut Street. For more information about Sweet Joy Shoppe, call 712-254-9048 or visit their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/Sweet-Joy-Shoppe-267877693254300

More area, and State news from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Benjamin Corell has alerted several units that they are likely to be called to active duty this year. It includes a mission in support of NATO — the North Atlantic Treaty Organization — as fears rise about a Russian invasion of Ukraine. “We anticipate we will deploy members of the 209th Medical Company from Iowa City and members of the 1133rd Transportation Company from Mason City to support Operation Atlantic Resolve in Poland,” Corell says. “Atlantic Resolve is part of the Deterrence Initiative focused in Eastern Europe. This enables the U.S. to provide deterrence to adversaries while supporting our NATO partners.”

In 2010, Corell was the commander of Iowa National Guard soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. He says this summer’s withdrawal was very difficult to watch. “I take solace knowing that I, along with those that served beside me, did everything in our ability each day that we served there to achieve an outcome different than what exists today,” Corell says. Corell delivered the annual “Condition of the Guard” address to legislators yesterday (Thursday) and that was his only direct reference to the war in Afghanistan.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Corell

Last year, more than 16-hundred Iowa Guard soldiers and over 200 Iowa Airmen were deployed to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. “We have a new generation of heroes in our midst. The men and women who returned home after serving in the Global War on Terrorism are carrying freedom’s torch in the same proud tradition as veterans of previous conflicts,” Corell says.

As Radio Iowa reported yesterday (Thursday), about 80 percent of Iowa Army and Air National Guard members are fully vaccinated, but Corell says the Secretary of Defense’s order that all soldiers and airmen get Covid-19 shots is creating dilemmas within the ranks as unvaccinated members retire or await Pentagon decisions on religious and medical exemptions.

(Radio Iowa) – The Racing and Gaming Commission heard reports Thursday on two recently completed market surveys that detailed the impact of a new casino in Cedar Rapids. The survey by Spectrum Gaming says it appears that Cedar Rapids is well served by casinos in Waterloo and Riverside and a Cedar Rapids casino could significantly impact those two properties. The study by the Innovation Group shows existing casinos would lose 30 percent of their revenue from a new Cedar Rapids casino. Innovation spokesman Thom Litt says looking across the country it has been rare to see anything more than a 30 percent impact.

That impact would be 61 million dollars on the Waterloo and Riverside casinos — but the survey says overall revenue in Iowa is estimated to increase by 51 million dollars with the addition of a Cedar Rapids casino to the market. Newly-elected Cedar Rapids Mayor, Tiffany O’Donnell says that is positive. “I’m very encouraged. They’re two different studies and I consider the Innovation Group study to be the one that I am going to lean on the most — knowing that it is proven to be, this a group that’s proven to be within one or two points in past studies like this,” according to O’Donnell.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell (2022)

Cedar Rapids was denied a casino license in 2014 and 2017 and O’Donnell believes that is going to change with the latest studies. “The effects will be minimal, and certainly the effects on existing casinos less than they’ve ever been before. If not a casino in Cedar Rapids now, I’m not sure when it would be,” she says.

Elite Casino Resorts which owns the Riverside Casino, issued a statement saying the new studies confirm that a Cedar Rapids casino would get a majority of its revenue from existing casinos — and the Cedar Rapids market is well served by the Riverside and Waterloo casinos.