The Iowa Department of Public Health, as of 10-a.m. today (Friday), said there were 158 new COVID-19 positive tests reported over the previous 24-hours, and three additional deaths. The health department reported 401,590 total positive tests, and 6,047 total deaths since the start of the pandemic, including 2,364 at Long-Term Care facilities. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%. The 7-day average is down to 2.2%.

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 is at its lowest level in more than a year. IDPH reports there are 111 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. That’s the lowest number reported since early April of 2020. Iowa reports 25 patients in ICU, also the lowest number reported since early April. 19 COVID patients were admitted, and 12 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are: seven patients hospitalized with COVID or symptoms of the virus; two people with COVID are in an ICU; There were two people admitted, and once for the second day in a row, no one on a ventilator.

There remain three long-term care facilities that are reporting active COVID-19 outbreaks, with a total of 22 positive cases among patients/staff at the those facilities, and six persons who have recovered from the virus. Health department data shows 1,342,686 people have completed a vaccine series in Iowa. There have been 2,743,101 total doses administered. The five state-operated Test Iowa drive-thru sites and the State Hygienic Lab will be closed on Monday, May 31, for the Memorial Day holiday.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,473 cases; 54 deaths
Adair, 991; 32
Adams, 353; 4
Audubon, 537; 10
Guthrie, 1,307; 32
Harrison County, 1,932; 73
Madison County, 1,781; 19
Mills County, 1,795; 23
Montgomery, 1,113; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,299;171
Shelby County, 1,372; 37
Union County, 1,371; 34

The Iowa State Patrol has identified a woman killed after she was struck by a vehicle while walking on Interstate 80 Thursday. The State Patrol crash reports show 32-year-old Cara Gethman, of Des Moines, was killed at approximately 4:16 a.m.   She was struck by a 2006 Pontiac G6 that was merging onto westbound I-80 near mile marker 142 in Altoona.  Sgt. Alex Dinkla told KCCI “After the driver merged and was onto the travel portion of the Interstate, he unintentionally struck a female pedestrian that was walking on the interstate.”

Gethman was pronounced dead at the scene. The Iowa State Patrol continues to investigate the crash.

Firefighters from Avoca and Shelby were responding at a reported SUV fire on the shoulder of Interstate 80 westbound, at about mile marker 37. The call went out at 9:04-a.m. for a fire involving a Ford Explorer. Initial reports indicated the fire started on the undercarriage of the occupied vehicle, and that other motorists were assisted the occupants out of the SUV. The vehicle was said to be fully engulfed in flames as of 9:14-a.m.

Additional details are currently not available.

DES MOINES, IA – State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald and College Savings Iowa are celebrating “529 Day,” by hosting a $529 giveaway in each Iowa county. In addition, one grand prize winner will receive a $1,529 College Savings Iowa contribution that will be drawn from all entrants across the state. Fitzgerald says “529 Day helps spread awareness about the benefits of saving for future education expenses with a 529 plan. The 529 Day giveaway gives us the opportunity to reach Iowa families and spread the word about the College Savings Iowa 529 plan while giving 100 families a boost to their education savings.” Those interested in the giveaway can visit Iowa529Contest.com to read the official rules and register for their chance to win by May 31, 2021.

One of the major benefits of 529 plans is the tax incentives. While 529 Day is celebrated nationally on May 29, the tax advantages are there for Iowans year-round. “When saving for their loved ones with College Savings Iowa, participants can also save on their taxes,” Fitzgerald added. “Not only are earnings federally tax-deferred and Iowa state tax-free, but if College Savings Iowa participants are Iowa taxpayers, they can deduct up to $3,474 per beneficiary account from their 2021 state income taxes.”*

Other benefits of saving with College Savings Iowa include ease and flexibility to use the funds. A College Savings Iowa plan allows participants to pay for education expenses such as tuition, books, supplies, certain room and board costs and more. The funds can be used at any eligible college, university, community college, technical training school or apprenticeship program in the United States or abroad.**

Since Fitzgerald launched the plan in 1998, College Savings Iowa has grown to more than $6 billion in assets and over $3.4 billion has been used for education expenses. Those looking to learn more about College Savings Iowa can find great resources about the plan by visiting CollegeSavingsIowa.com or calling (888) 672-9116. Iowans can register for the giveaway at Iowa529Contest.com. For more information about future giveaways and events, find College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Twitter.

*Adjusted annually for inflation. If withdrawals are not qualified, the deductions must be added back to Iowa taxable income.
**Earnings on nonqualified withdrawals may be subject to federal income tax and a 10% federal penalty tax, as well as state and local income taxes. The availability of tax or other benefits may be contingent on meeting other requirements.

(Des Moines, IA) – The five state-operated Test Iowa drive-thru sites and the State Hygienic Lab will be closed on Monday, May 31, for the Memorial Day holiday. The sites include:

• Black Hawk County — 4121 Alexandra Drive, Waterloo
• Linn County — Windstar Lines, 5755 Willow Creek Drive SW, Cedar Rapids
• Polk County — 4475 NE 3rd Street, Des Moines
• Pottawattamie County — 3236 Nebraska Ave., Council Bluffs  
• Scott County — North Park Mall, 320 W. Kimberly Road, Davenport

All sites will reopen for testing as usual on Tuesday, June 1, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Individuals who wish to be tested at any site must first complete an online assessment at testiowa.com, and schedule an appointment. Locations and hours of operation for all test sites can be found at testiowa.com or coronavirus.iowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is joining a growing number of states making it legal to use robots for deliveries in areas where foot traffic is allowed, like sidewalks and crosswalks. They’re called P-D-Ds — personal delivery devices. Representative Rob Bacon of Slater says under the new law, the maximum speed for a delivery robot is no more than six miles an hour on a sidewalk or pedestrian area. “If there are no sidewalks, the little PDD can operate on the left side of the road,” Bacon says.

A type of PDD robot

A delivery robot will be allowed travel 20 miles an hour on a street — but may only operate on street with posted speed limits of 40 miles an hour or less. The delivery robots can be no more than 500 pounds — before any cargo is added — and the robots must be operated or supervised remotely by a live person. Representative Dave Williams of Waterloo says P-D-Ds are being tested in a handful of U.S. cities before delivery robots would see wider use. “I expect we’ll be back here perfecting this before that happens,” Williams says, “and I hope it happens in Bondurant before anywhere else.”

An Amazon fulfillment center opened in the Des Moines suburb late last year. Amazon’s six-wheeled robot is called Scout. The FedEx delivery robot is called Roxo (ROCKS-oh). The companies envision driving a truck load of personal delivery devices to an area and releasing the robots to travel the final segment of the delivery route. Iowa cities and counties will not be allowed to impose regulations on delivery robots that are stricter than the new state regulations. Governor Reynolds signed the bill this month and the law goes into effect July 1st.

The 8:07-a.m. broadcast news from Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department reports two arrests and an incident of vandalism. Authorities say Thursday afternoon, 27-year-old Zakary Arthur Titus, of Creston, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,000 cash-only bond. And, 43-year-old David Carlson Wallander, of Thayer, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Creston, for Driving While Suspended. He was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted a $300 bond.

Creston Police said also, a man residing in the 400 block of Livingston Avenue reported on May 21st, that multiple vehicles he owns, were vandalized. The front driver’s side window of a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander was broken out, and scratches were made on the rear driver’s side quarter panel of a 2013 Nissan Titan. The total amount of damage was estimated at $1,000.

With Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – The Powerball and Lucky for Life games are adding more drawings later this year. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer says Powerball is going to add a Monday drawing along with the Wednesday and Saturday drawings — while the Lucky For Life game will move from two drawings to a drawing every night.” Powerball is nationwide, while the Lucky For Life game involves Iowa and 15 other states. Neubauer says the changes are in response to the feedback they’ve been getting. “Players are looking for bigger, faster-growing jackpots in games like Powerball and MegaMillions. And so, the change in Powerball is designed to help deliver those bigger, faster-growing jackpots,” Neubauer says. “When you have another drawing in the mix every week it would mean more tickets being sold and that way the jackpot would grow more quickly.”

The big jackpots in the games have lagged since the pandemic.”We’re an instant gratification society — and this is a way to speed up the pace of the games a little bit,” she says. Neubauer says more drawings don’t change your odds of winning a jackpot. “Even though extra drawings are being added in the game — it does not change the rest of the specifics in the game, ” according to Neubauer. “So the prize levels are staying the same, the odds of winning, the ticket price is all the same, it’s just that there will be more drawings per week.”

The Lucky for Life game will change first. “The first daily drawings in that game begin on July 19th. And then the changes in Powerball will occur in August — with Powerball moving to three drawings a week. The first Monday drawing in that game will happen on August 23rd,” she says.

You can win the Powerball jackpot by matching all six numbers selected in the drawing, while the Lucky for Life game gives players a daily shot at winning its top prize of one-thousand dollars a day for the rest of their lives.