(Radio Iowa) – Officials plan to tweak the state health department’s coronavirus website later this week in order to better reflect some of the figures, especially with regards to COVID-19 test results. Kelly Garcia, director of the Iowa Department of Human Services, says home COVID test kits are becoming more popular and cheaper.

Garcia says the shift from individual tests to total tests on the website means that Iowa’s overall positivity rate will align with total test results. Governor Kim Reynolds says more vaccine is going to be made available to Iowa as of next week. The state’s allotment should climb from nearly 50-thousand doses a week to 62-thousand, an increase of 24-percent.

CARROLL, Iowa (AP) — Fire officials are looking into what caused a fire and explosions at a western Iowa propane and fuel distribution business. Television station WOI reports that several fire departments spent hours putting out a blaze reported shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday at Al’s Corner Oil Company in Carroll County. Firefighters at the scene said the fire ignited several propane tanks stored at the business, with one person saying “it sounded like jet engines taking off. The ground was shaking.” No injuries were immediately reported. The company is the home office for 26 convenience stores in west central Iowa and provides farm fuel and propane delivery for commercial and residential customers.

ATLANTIC – Cass County Health System (CCHS) and its affiliate organizations have released their scholarship applications for the upcoming school year, including a new scholarship designated for nursing. CCHS Chief Nursing Officer Amanda Bireline says “CCHS is proud to be actively involved with the education of the next generation of nurses by serving as a clinical site for local and regional nursing programs. The addition of this scholarship is just one more way to positively contribute to the future of nursing. There is no better place to make that investment than in our rural communities, where we know students and their families have experienced the importance of high-quality rural healthcare. It is our goal to retain our best and brightest talents right here at home.”

2021 Scholarships:

• CCHS offers a $500 scholarship to a southwest Iowa student who is enrolled or accepted into a nursing program. Deadline is April 1, 2021.
• CCHS offers a $500 scholarship to a southwest Iowa student pursuing a degree in a health-related career. Deadline is April 1, 2021.
• CCHS Auxiliary provides grant-in-aid scholarships for students pursuing a health-related career. Deadline is April 1, 2021.
• CCHS Foundation offers $10,000 in scholarships to students who are enrolled and have been accepted into a nursing or medical doctor educational program. The scholarships were established by a bequest from Louie and Elsie Hansen. Deadline is April 1, 2021.

Dave Chase, CCHS Foundation Board Member and Scholarship Committee Member, says “The Hansens believed strongly in the importance of education and the need for well-trained healthcare professionals we are proud to continue this scholarship in their memory.” Two $5,000 awards will be presented and consideration will be given to applicants’ academic, citizenship, and leadership abilities. Applications are available online at casshealth.org.

In 2020, CCHS Foundation was able to award three $5,000 scholarships to Emily Wittrock, Tyler Steele, and Natalia Kunze.

Scholarship applications are due to the CCHS Foundation no later than April 1, 2021. For further information, contact Dawn Marnin, CCHS Foundation Director, at 712-243-7409 or mardd@casshealth.org. Applications are available on www.casshealth.org, and can be turned in to the Public Relations Office by the respective deadlines listed above. For more information, contact Kat Niemann, Communications Specialist, at 712-250-8022.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police in Davenport say a man has been arrested on suspicion of killing his mother. The Quad-City Times reports that police were called to the PR Masonry Apartments in Davenport late Tuesday afternoon to check on the welfare of a person. Arriving officers found the body of 77-year-old Dianna Rupp inside one of the units.

Police have not said how she died. Police on the scene arrested Rupp’s son, 53-year-old Andrew Rupp. He was initially charged with interference of official acts and drug possession. Police say he was later charged with first-degree murder.

(Radio Iowa) – State officials say they have begun issuing the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation congress approved in late December. Iowa Workforce Development deputy director Ryan West says the agency began processing this latest round of expanded unemployment benefits last (Tuesday) night and eligible Iowans should start seeing payments within five to seven business days. West says the delay in sending out checks was due to different processes and requirements for this new round of Pandemic Emergency Unemployment compared to what was released last April.

The agency’s DIRECTOR told legislators most will receive all of their benefits at once, however some may get just one week’s worth of benefits as officials determine how many additional weeks’ worth of benefits should be paid out. The state’s unemployment trust fund pays out up to 26 weeks of benefits. The Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation approved by congress is covered by the federal government and provides an additional 13 weeks of jobless benefits.

EAGLE GROVE, Iowa (AP) — Police have identified a man killed and a suspect who was arrested in a stabbing at a northern Iowa pork processing plant. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said in a news release Wednesday that 50-year-old Wayne Smith, of Fort Dodge, was the man stabbed to death, and 26-year-old Lukouxs Brown, also of Fort Dodge, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the case.

Officials say both men were employees at Prestage Foods near Eagle Grove, where the stabbing occurred early Tuesday morning. Authorities say Smith was found dead in a plant locker room. Officials say Smith and Brown knew each other, but did not have details about their relationship.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Wednesday, said there were 624 new positive cases of COVID-19 test results returned from the labs over the past 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 330,436 positive cases.  There were also 26 additional deaths, for a pandemic total to-date of 5,306, including one additional death in Adair County. Statewide, 4,781 COVID deaths are attributed to Underlying causes. COVID was a contributing factor to 525 deaths. Deaths at Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities account for 2,137 of the total number of deaths.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks stand at 29. Officials say 791 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 534 have recovered.

The State data show hospitalizations continue to decline: There are currently 235 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 255 Tuesday; 52 COVID patients are in an ICU; 44 were admitted over the previous 24-hours, and 20 patients were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 14 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, five people are in an ICU, no one was admitted over the past 24-hours, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate continues to decline, from 7.5% Tuesday to 7.3% Wednesday. The 7-day average remains 5.6%.

A total of 305,273 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

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, 1,239 cases; {+7}; 47 deaths
• Adair, 782; {+7}; 26
• Adams, 317 {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 463 {+7}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,072 {+1}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,650; {+2}; 68
• Madison County, 1,373; {+4}; 17
• Mills County, 1,459; {+2}; 20
• Montgomery, 954; {+0}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 9,632; {+19}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,131; {+1}; 32
• Union County,  1,169; {+0}; 31

(Radio Iowa) — Legislators are considering how many bathrooms should be required in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. Current law requires establishments that serve beer, wine and liquor to have a men’s AND a women’s bathroom. A bill that’s cleared a House subcommittee would require just one bathroom for all patrons. Representative Cherielynn Westrich, a Republican from Ottumwa, says she understands the state grants waivers for taverns, bars and restaurants that have just one toilet, but the bill makes that policy permanent.

Bill backers say entrepreneurs may not know they can apply for a waiver from the two-bathroom rule and that may be keeping some Iowans from opening a bar or a restaurant with a bar menu.

Firefighters from Atlantic and Marne were asked to provide mutual aid in the form of manpower and tanker trucks, to help Walnut Fire battle a hog confinement barn fire. Crews from Avoca, Elk Horn and Hancock also responded to the scene. The call for mutual aid went out at around 8:17-a.m, for the barn fire located at 52763 Whippoorwill Road. Walnut Fire Chief Justen Tooley told KJAN News about 100 hogs were in the confinement building. It’s unclear how many survived the blaze, if any.

The assisting fire departments were allowed to return to their base by 10:25-a.m., with Walnut crews still on the scene containing hot spots and conducting mop-up activities. Tooley did not have a dollar of amount of the damage to the building, nor had a cause of the fire been determined as of late Wednesday morning.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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