712 Digital Group - top

Iowa News Headlines: Friday, Aug. 21, 2020

News

August 21st, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

(LINN COUNTY) – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Thursday night that President Donald Trump has given approval for the use of FEMA relief under the Individual Assistance program for Linn County. Reynolds said that more counties may be approved for this assistance in the future as damage is continuing to be assessed. Requests have also been made for the following counties: Audubon, Benton, Boone, Cass, Cedar, Clarke, Clinton, Dallas, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Madison, Marshall, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Story, Tama and Washington.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s medical director says she was aware of widespread inaccuracies in the state’s coronavirus data when her agency used it to release flawed calculations that helped guide decisions on school openings and enrollment this month. Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the state epidemiologist, says she became aware in late July of a problem in Iowa’s disease surveillance reporting system that backdated thousands of new test results. Nonetheless, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Aug. 6 released 14-day county positivity rates on the state’s coronavirus website that she said would help school officials and parents decide how to proceed with the upcoming school year. The state announced Wednesday that because of the backdating problem, those positivity rates had been erroneous for two weeks.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police say three people died in a two-car collision in Davenport. Investigators say the accident happened early Thursday when a vehicle drove through a stop sign and hit an SUV on a Davenport street. Both vehicles went into a ditch and burst into flames. The two people in the SUV and the driver of the car all died at the scene. No names have been released and the investigation continues.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials say a man escaped injury when a fuel tanker slammed into the home where he was sleeping. Authorities said the tanker truck hit a Waterloo home early Thursday after first being involved in crash not far from the house. Firefighters evacuated part of the neighborhood and a hazmat team was called to help with the fuel spill. The truck driver was taken to a hospital after being extricated from the truck. Officials say the truck driver apparently lost control after hitting a minivan and struck two parked SUVs in the home’s driveway before slamming into the house. Further details were not immediately available.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — An increase in coronavirus cases has prompted Iowa prison officials to stop admitting inmates from county jails to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The Department of Corrections said Wednesday that 59 inmates have tested positive in the last week out of nearly 800 tests conducted at the center. When officials believe the virus is no longer spreading in the facility, they will end the suspension. Staff implemented enhanced quarantine and testing measures after an inmate tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Inmates typically are temporarily assigned to the center before being sent to another prison in Iowa’s system. The Coralville center usually admits about 65 inmates a week from jails.