DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Election officials were reporting plenty of in-person voting Tuesday even after receiving record numbers of early votes. Lines stretched down the block at the Epworth United Methodist Church in Council Bluffs, where voters were waiting up to two hours to cast ballots. Nearly a million people cast absentee ballots before Election Day, and it’s likely that more than half of the votes cast will have come before Tuesday.

Early voting has been gaining in popularity for years, and the movement was turbocharged this year by concerns about voting at polling places at a time when coronavirus cases continue to increase.

A traffic stop Monday night in Adair County escalated into a pursuit and the eventual arrest of a man from New York. According to the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the incident began at around 9:12-p.m., when an Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy executed a traffic stop west of Greenfield on a New York plated vehicle for traveling 103 mph in a 55 mph zone. After initially stopping and speaking with the Deputy for approximately seven minutes, the driver fled the traffic stop in his vehicle and a high speed pursuit ensued.

Brooklyn King booking photo (Adair County S/O)

The pursuit entered the Greenfield City limits for a brief time before the suspect driver fled northbound out of Greenfield on a gravel road. The pursuit ended after the suspect left the roadway and crashed his vehicle approximately five (5) miles north of Greenfield. The suspect fled on foot through a field and continued to resist arrest before being taken into custody after a deputy deployed his issued Taser.

The suspect driver was identified as 19 year-old Brooklyn Leon King of Jamestown, New York. King was charged with: Eluding; Interference with Official Acts; Failure to Maintain Control; Reckless driving; nine (9) counts of failure to obey a stop sign; and speeding, 103 in a 55.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Greenfield Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol and the Adair County Ambulance. It should be noted that a criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s rate of positive coronavirus cases moved up to second in the nation behind only South Dakota. Data from researchers at Johns Hopkins University on Tuesday showed the seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from 25.5% on Oct. 19 to 37.4% on Nov. 2.

Only South Dakota has a higher average rate, at 50.6%. The 730 people being treated Tuesday at Iowa hospitals for coronavirus infections also was a record. The state posted 1,516 new confirmed cases and 22 deaths, bringing the total to 133,229 cases and 1,755 deaths.

DES MOINES – Tuesday (Today), Governor Reynolds announced 46 awardees of the Coronavirus Relief Fund Earn and Learn Grant, totaling $5.85 Million. The grants will fund projects that support the creation and expansion of short-term training programs and support services resulting in industry-recognized credentials. Individual grants ranging $10,000 to $250,000 were awarded to project proposals submitted by nonprofits, adult training providers, small businesses (less than 50 employees), post-secondary institutions, and unions.

In Western Iowa:

• Better Health Inc. (dba Valley Drug Store) – Missouri Valley Valley Drug Store (Harrison County) received a grant award of $18,371, to create and implement a new Pharmacy Technician Apprenticeship Program which will result in Nationally Certified Pharmacy Technician credential (CPhT). The program will enroll up to 3 apprentices by the end of February, 2021.
• The Lakeside Village – Panora (Guthrie County) received a grant for $150,000, which will enable 23 individuals to be provided with support to address barriers including childcare and transportation in addition to participating in an earn and learn model to earn credentials, including Certified Nursing Aide, Medication Management, ServSafe and Dietary Manager certifications.
• Country Meats in Arcadia (Carroll County) received a $200,000 grant award to expand a newly established Meat Cutting Registered Apprenticeship Program, by adding two additional registered apprentices who will be hired before the end of February, 2021, with the potential of an additional three apprentices in the near future.
• Vendemark Heating and Cooling in Woodbine (Harrison County) received a $79,750 grant toward the establishment of a long-term Registered Apprenticeship Program. Initially, two persons whose jobs have been affected by the Coronavirus, will be hired and trained in a HVAC registered apprenticeship program.
• LePorte Electric in Shenandoah received a $14,246 grant to support the creation of a new electrical Registered Apprenticeship Program targeting Iowans whose employment has been impacted by the pandemic.
• Loess Hills Envionmental, LLC, in Logan was awarded $24, 243 to address the need of key health and safety certifications mandated for work in several high demand professions. Loess Hills will deliver hybrid online and in-person training courses in blood-borne pathogen, first aid, CPR and AED certifications for up to 168 Iowans.
• Other awards were made to: St. Anthony Regional Hospital, in Carroll and The Children’s Jungle, in Winterset.

(A summary of all awards can be found here)

According to Governor Kim Reynolds, “The Earn and Learn grant program will lead to training opportunities in high demand occupations helping Iowans find good-paying, family-supporting careers. These funds may be used toward tuition, training equipment, books, tools, work-related supplies, wrap-around supports, as well as administrative costs. I am proud to announce these awards to forty-six innovative projects with the potential of serving 1800 Iowans whose employment has been affected by this pandemic.”

Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development, said “As with all CARES Act funding, these grant funds must be expended by December 30, 2020.  These training opportunities can enroll Iowans within a few weeks and participants will earn high-demand credentials, many by the end of February, 2021. In order to supercharge our recovery, we need to make sure those most hurt by the pandemic through the loss of their occupation, are provided ways to develop new skills while in a position to earn wages, get off unemployment and provide for their families.”

The Coronavirus Relief Fund Grant programs support Future Ready Iowa’s goal of having 70 percent of Iowans in the workforce with education and training beyond high school by 2025.  Approximately 60 percent of Iowa’s current workforce meets this education and training criteria.  Visit www.FutureReadyIowa.gov for more information.

The Harlan Police Department reports there were three recent arrests conducted or citations issued. On Monday (11/2), 33-year old Craig Steve Mumm, of Harlan, was cited for Driving While Suspended. On Oct. 24th, 58-year old Kevin Todd Sparks, of Harlan, was arrested for “Unnecessary Noise.” And, on Oct. 22nd, 63-year old Dale Eugene Stinn, of Harlan, was charged with Theft in the 5th Degree, and Improper Use of Registration.

There were also two separate, non-injury accidents investigation by Harlan Police. One, on Oct. 26th, involved a chain reaction collision that involved vehicles driven by Mason Rhodes, of Defiance, Hallie Funk, of Portsmouth, Hayden Hillgartner, of Earling, and Owen Monson, of Irwin. The accident happened when the Rhodes’ 2005 Buick Park Avenue struck Funk’s 2013 Hyundai Sonata in the rear, as both were traveling south on Highway 59. The impact pushed the Sonata into Hillgartner’s 2003 Ford pickup, which in-turn, struck Monson’s 2012 Nissan Altima.

The second accident happened on Monday (11/2), as 2017 Freightliner semi driven by Adam Wuesthoff, of Blair, NE., was traveling north through a fast food restaurant parking lot at 1904 Chatburn, in Harlan. The semi trailer caught the trailer hitch on a 2019 Ford pickup registered to Marvin Thraen, of Harlan. The pickup was pulled into a 2015 Ford Explorer, registered to Amber Jacobsen, of Harlan.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office has released information about a single-vehicle, injury accident. The crash happened about four-miles east of Shenandoah at the intersection of 190th and F Avenue, at around 10:20-p.m., Saturday. Authorities says an investigation determined 57-year-old Timothy Alan Shuffler, of Shenandoah, was driving a 2004 Buick southbound on F Avenue north of 190th, when he failed to stop at the stop sign at the intersection with F Avenue. His car entered the intersection, went out of control and then into the south ditch. The vehicle
rolled over and came to rest in a field.

Shuffler suffered undisclosed injuries and was transported to Shenandoah Memorial Hospital by Shenandoah Ambulance service. A male passenger in the vehicle was checked out by EMS personnel and released at the scene. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $3,500. Shuffler was cited into court on charges of No insurance, Failure to have a valid driver’s license,
and Failure to maintain control.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Shenandoah Ambulance Service and the Shenandoah Fire Department.

(Radio Iowa) – A Fort Dodge woman is sentenced after a fatal crash more than two years ago. Twenty-six-year-old Aisha Ismail was sentenced to up to ten years in prison on a charge of vehicular homicide by reckless driving. The sentence stems from a crash in Webster County that killed a Humboldt man in 2018.

According to the Iowa State Patrol Ismail attempted to pass a truck on a two lane road and collided with another vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. Ismail was on probation stemming from an incident in 2017. Her sentence is this case will run consecutive to the one she’s serving for that offense.

An Iowa electrical lineman is in critical condition after getting shocked on the job. KCCI says the MidAmerican Energy worker is in Oklahoma to help restore power after an historic ice storm last week. First responders said the lineman experienced a “very strong electrical shock.” The lineman is now in the hospital. Oklahoma City Fire said the worker was lowered by his own crew into a work bucket so firefighters could reach him. The man’s name has not been released.

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

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An investigation into a report of a vehicle parked in the middle of a road in Montgomery County, Monday afternoon, resulted in an arrest. A vehicle driven by 61-year old Keith D. Hansen, of Stanton, was seen parked at the intersection of 140th Street and O Avenue, at around 4:05-p.m.  Hansen was located and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was charged with OWI/2nd offense. Bond was set at $2,000.