(Radio Iowa) – A house at the Glenwood Resource Center has been closed and the head of the state agency that oversees the facility says other units are being consolidated, to better manage staffing levels. The facility that cares for patients with intellectual disabilities is Glenwood’s largest employer. Department of Human Resources director Kelly Garcia says her agency got extra money a year ago to hire more staff.

Eight patients were in the housing unit that closed. Garcia says one transitioned to the community and the other seven were transferred to Woodward Resource Center, the other state-run facility that cares for patients with intellectual disabilities.

In December, U.S. Justice Department announced its investigation of Glenwood concluded the constitutional rights of patients had been violated by their forced participation in deviant human experiments. Garcia took over as D-H-S director in late 2019 and three weeks later the state was notified of the federal investigation into operations at Glenwood.

A consent decree in this case would be an agreement between the State of Iowa and the federal government. The U.S. Justice Department investigation, released December 20th, found reasonable cause that Glenwood residents had been subjected to unreasonable harm. The department’s Civil Rights Division indicated it had given state officials a list of steps necessary to address what it had uncovered at Glenwood.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Sunday night, put out a statement on social media, saying “Anyone with information reference a burglary south of Griswold on Highway 48 is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office.” Authorities say “Some items stolen were multiple 5,000 watt air conditioning units, a microwave, a red push mower. Damage to doors of the residence and vehicles on the property were also reported.”

Additional details were not immediately available.

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Department of Public Health as of 10-a.m. Sunday, reported there were 266 new positive COVID-19 cases for a total of 392,371, and 20 additional deaths for a total of 5,927 since the start of the pandemic. Deaths at long-term care facilities in Iowa account for 2,310 of the total number of deaths statewide. There was one additional death reported in Mills County, for a total of 21.

Iowa’s positivity rates is holding steady. The 7-day average declined is 3.9%, and the 14-day average declined is 4.1%. Virus hospitalizations amount to 187, down from 209 a day earlier. There are 47 patients in ICU and 21 patients on ventilators. Admissions over the previous 24-hours were 29, compared to 31, on Saturday.

In RMCC Regional 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa): 15 COVID patients are hospitalized (down from 26 one-day earlier); 7 are in an ICU; 1 person was admitted with symptoms of the virus, and there now five people on a ventilator (compared to 4 the past few days).

Iowa reports 2,208,973 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered and 974,735 individuals have completed the vaccine series.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

Cass, 1,444 cases; {+1}; 54 deaths
Adair, 971; {+1}; 32
Adams, 342 {+0}; 4
Audubon, 514 {+0}; 9
Guthrie, 1,270 {+0}; 29
Harrison County, 1,906; {+1}; 73
Madison County, 1,701; {+0; 19
Mills County, 1,764; {+1}; 21
Montgomery, 1,096 {+0}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 11,964; {+10}; 164
Shelby County, 1,351 {+1}; 37
Union County, 1,317; {+1}; 32

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a man from Corning was injured during an incident late Saturday morning. Authorities were notified at around 11:32-a.m. of an incident at the Red Oak Livestock Market, where a vehicle had rolled over a person. When law enforcement arrived on the scene, they found 66-year-old Stanley W. Roberts was located near a 1995 Dodge Ram 2500 pickup, in the parking lot of the livestock market.

An investigation determined Roberts was underneath the vehicle because it wouldn’t start. He tried to start it by shorting the solenoid with a screwdriver. His actions caused the pickup to move backwards onto his right side, while Roberts’ arm was caught in the underside of the engine compartment. The vehicle had been blocked in-place with a piece of wood by a passerby, and rescue was called.

Roberts was treated at the scene before being transferred by Air Evac to the UNMC in Omaha. The extent of his injuries were not immediately known, but they were thought to be non-life threatening. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Red Oak Police, along with Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel.

ANAMOSA– Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections report a correctional officer was assaulted by an inmate at approximately 7:22 a.m., Saturday.

The officer was handing out medications to inmates on a cellblock at the prison when an inmate unexpectedly began assaulting the officer by placing her in a chokehold. She was able to use personal safety defensive techniques until additional staff in the area were able to respond and assist in taking control of the attacking inmate.

The officer was taken by department vehicle to the local hospital for medical review, and has since been released suffering bruising from the assault. The inmate was not seriously injured.

The incident remains under investigation.

(Des Moines) – Iowa’s COVID-19 positivity rates and hospitalizations continue to decline. The Iowa Department of Public Health as of 10-a.m. Saturday, 489 new positive COVID-19 cases for a total of 392,105, and three additional deaths for a total of 5,907 since the start of the pandemic. Deaths at long-term care facilities in Iowa account for 2,309 of the total number of deaths statewide.

Iowa’s positivity rates are continuing to decline slowly. The 7-day average declined from 4.0% Friday to 3.9% Saturday, and the 14-day average declined from 4.2% to 41%. Virus hospitalizations amount to 209, down from 217 a day earlier. There are 48 patients in ICU and 22 patients on ventilators.

In RMCC Regional 4 (hospitals in western/southwest Iowa): 26 COVID patients are hospitalized; 8 are in an ICU; 2 were admitted with symptoms of the virus, and there remain four persons on a ventilator.

Urbandale Health Care Center is the only long-term care facility in the state reporting a virus outbreak There are 18 positive cases and 11 recoveries among residents and staff within that facility.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

Cass, 1,443 cases; {+7}; 54 deaths
Adair, 970; {+0}; 32
Adams, 342 {+0}; 4
Audubon, 514 {+1}; 9
Guthrie, 1,271 {+5}; 29
Harrison County, 1,905; {+1}; 73
Madison County, 1,701; {+2; 19
Mills County, 1,763; {+4}; 20
Montgomery, 1,097 {+2}; 37
Pottawattamie County, 11,954; {+30}; 164
Shelby County, 1,350 {+1}; 37
Union County, 1,316; {+1}; 32

w/ Chris Parks

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(Updated with ISP corrected info).) A two vehicle accident in the Denison High School parking on Friday night ended with a fiery vehicle and two teens injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the accident took place Friday night at 10:45 p.m. in the north parking lot of the school.

A 2014 Chevy Silverado driven by 17-year-old August J. Boettger of Arion and a 2004 Ford Ranger driven by 16-year-old Eduardo Gutierrez of Denison, collided head on while both traveling at a high rate of speed. Both vehicles came to rest a short distance away from the crash and the Silverado caught on fire.

Gutierrez was taken from the scene by EMS personnel to Crawford County Memorial Hospital and later flown to UNMC in Omaha by Lifenet. Boettger was safely removed from the Silverado and taken by personal vehicle to Crawford County Hospital to be checked out.

No status on the two individuals is known at this time and no further details of the crash have been provided.

(Des Moines, IA) Following the announcement Friday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have lifted the pause on the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) recommends that any vaccine provider in the state who has available Johnson & Johnson vaccine resume administration, effective immediately. 

The pause was recommended after reports of six cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot in individuals following administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. The FDA and CDC are confident that the vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 symptoms. They have stated that they will remain vigilant in investigating the risk of TTS blod clots but data suggests the risk is very low.

More information can be found on the CDC website here.