CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Two firefighters were seriously injured Sunday when a hose line failed while they were battling a blaze at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department said one firefighter was struck in the head and knocked unconscious and another was struck in the chest and knocked down when the hose line failed around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Neither injury was believed to be life-threatening. Firefighters were called to the eight-unit apartment building around 1:15 a.m. Sunday after smoke alarms were activated inside the building. It took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control as firefighters dealt with frigid temperatures.

The CAM School Board and representatives with the CAM Education Association (CAMEA) will meet Monday evening to present their respective opening proposals for salary/contract negotiations. No decision will be made at this point in the discussions.

In other business, the CAM School Board will discuss:

• The FY 21/22 School Calendar.
• The FY 21/22 Budget
• and, a Facility Committee.

The Board will act on approving and/or revising 300 Series Board Policies, and receive and discuss reports from the Board.  The meeting begins at 6:30-p.m. in the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office.

The Audubon City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Monday, at City Hall. Among the items on their agenda is receiving Public Comments on a Maximum Tax Levy. Later on in their meeting, the Council will act on passing a Resolution for the Levy.

Other action under “New Business” on their agenda includes approval of Resolutions pertaining to:

• Setting the public hearing for the FY22 Budget
• Awarding of a mowing contract
• awarding a cemetery sexton contract
• Police information requests, fees & policy
• A TIF funds transfer
• and Real Estate purchase.

The Council will then enter into a closed session. When they emerge, they will act on a Resolution approving notices and order posting to bidders.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities are investigating after a Bettendorf police officer shot and killed a man who was involved in a domestic dispute. Bettendorf Police said officers were called to a home around 12:15 a.m. Sunday because of a dispute between a man and a woman but the couple left the area before officers arrived. About an hour and a half later, the man and woman were found in a vehicle.

Police say the woman exited the vehicle and told officers the man had threatened to kill her with a handgun. Police said the man refused to comply with officers’ commands before an officer shot him during the confrontation.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Sunday, reported 533 new cases of the COVID-19 virus since the previous 24-hour cycle, for a pandemic total of 324,405 positive cases. No additional deaths due to COVID-19 were reported in the latest cycle. The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic remains at 5,108.

Long-Term Care facility (LTC) outbreaks were unchanged at 44. LTC patients testing positive amount to 1,400, with 913 having recovered from the virus. Deaths at LTC’s account for 2,093 of the total deaths statewide. LTC’s report 2,093 persons at those care center have recovered from the virus.

COVID-19 hospitalization data show 316 are hospitalized (compared to 336 previously), 68 patients are in an ICU, 69 were admitted, and 32 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa),  17 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, 10 are in an ICU, one person was admitted since Saturday, and three people are on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate remains essentially steady. The 14-day positivity rate is unchanged at 8.9%. The 7-day average dropped from 6.8% to 6.1%.   A total of 293,598 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, 1,205 cases; {+2}; 46 deaths
• Adair, 721; {+1}; 25
• Adams, 313; {+2}; 3
• Audubon, 444 {+3}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,065 {+1}; 27
• Harrison County, 1,632; {+1}; 67
• Madison County, 1,337; {+4}; 13
• Mills County, 1,428; {+0}; 20
• Montgomery, 935; {+2}; 34
• Pottawattamie County, 9,460; {+6}; 134
• Shelby County, 1,110; {+0}; 32
• Union County,  1,157; {+1}; 30

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Effective today (Sunday), face masks aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 are no longer required for Iowans spending time indoors…with some provisions. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced she would end most restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus in Iowa. The proclamation removes a mask requirement for those spending 15 minutes or more in an indoor area within 6 feet of people not in their household.

She also ended mask requirements for those in state buildings and some businesses, such as barber shops. The governor’s new order also ends limits on the number of customers in a business or a requirement that they stay socially distant.

The governor issued the earlier restrictions in November when hospitals were struggling to care for a surge of coronavirus patients. Those numbers have dropped, though the state typically reports dozens of deaths each day.

Council Bluffs Police, Saturday afternoon, issued an update on a subject who barricaded himself Friday morning. Authorities say at approximately 10:00-a.m. Friday, US Marshal’s Deputies and Council Bluffs Police Officers located and began surveilling a 40-year old man from Omaha, Ryan D. Linehan, as he was operating a large construction excavator, near the intersection of East Kanesville and Baughn Street. Linehan was wanted on a felony warrant issued in
Sarpy County, Nebraska.

Just before 11:00-a.m., Linehan exited the excavator; deputies and officers then began to approach Linehan to place him into custody. Upon seeing the law enforcement officers, Linehan ran back to and climbed inside the excavator. Linehan initially swung the equipment’s bucket in the direction of the approaching deputies and officers to keep them from getting to him. Additional officers arrived to shut down nearby vehicle and pedestrian traffic.

Officers had been attempting to talk Linehan out of the excavator for nearly three (3) hours when he produced a handgun from his coat. Officers continued their attempts to get Linehan to put down his gun and exit the equipment, but he would not agree to do either. Members of the Council Bluffs Police Crisis Negotiations Team worked to get Linehan to surrender and exit the excavator. After eight (8) hours Linehan threatened to restart the excavator – increasing the threat and risk to the officers and community.

At that point, officers launched less‐than‐lethal beanbag and OC (Oleoresin Capsicum) rounds into the cab of the excavator with the hope that Linehan would put the gun down and surrender. Linehan then used his handgun to shoot himself in the lower jaw. CBPD officers and members of the Marshal’s task force immediately approached Linehan to  recover the firearm and assist Linehan from the cab of the excavator to allow CBFD members to render medical aid. The firearm that Linehan used to injure himself was recovered at the scene and placed into evidence. A CBFD squad transported Linehan to the Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. He is currently in stable condition and is expected to recover.

Other than the beanbag and OC deployments, law enforcement officers did not fire any weapons during the standoff and apprehension. Local charges against Linehan are pending, as detectives will consult with prosecutors next week.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Saturday, reported 41 additional COVID-19 deaths and 555 new cases of the virus since the previous 24-hour cycle. The total number of death as of 10-a.m. Saturday amounted to 5,108 since the beginning of the pandemic, and 323,872 positive cases altogether. In western/southwest Iowa, there were four additional deaths in Pottawattamie County, two more in Montgomery County, and one each in Shelby and Union Counties (See the current totals below).

Of those who died, 4,618 had an underlying condition, while COVID was a contributing factor to 490 deaths. Long-Term Care Center (LTC) deaths account for 2,092 of the total number of deaths. LTC outbreaks are up slightly, to 44. LTC patients testing positive amount too 1,383, with 906 having recovered from the virus.

COVID-19 hospitalization data show 336 are hospitalized (compared to 348 on Friday), 67 patients in ICU, 47 were admitted, and 30 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa),  22 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, eight are in an ICU, five people was admitted since Friday, and three people are on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate continues to decline. The 14-day positivity rate dropped from 9.1% Friday to 8.9% Saturday. The 7-day average dropped from 7.1% to 6.8%.   A total of 293,101 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, 1,203 cases; {+1}; 46 deaths
• Adair, 720; {+2}; 25
• Adams, 311; {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 441 {+1}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,064 {+0}; 27
• Harrison County, 1,631; {+4}; 67
• Madison County, 1,333; {+2}; 13
• Mills County, 1,4258; {+7}; 20
• Montgomery, 933; {+1}; 34
• Pottawattamie County, 9,454; {+15}; 134
• Shelby County, 1,112; {+3}; 32
• Union County,  1,156; {+0}; 30

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (AP) — A teenager charged in a fatal shooting at a shopping mall in eastern Wisconsin has been extradited from Iowa, where he was arrested days after the slaying. Law enforcement officers traveled to Iowa on Friday to pick up 17-year-old Dezman Ellis. He was arrested in Des Moines on Thursday. Online records show Ellis was booked into the Outagamie County Jail in Appleton, Wisconsin, shortly before midnight.

Ellis waived his right to an extradition hearing in Iowa. Ellis is accused of killing 19-year-old Jovanni Frausto at the Fox River Mall in Grand Chute on Jan. 31 during an argument over a girl. A bystander was wounded.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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