The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs for the winter heating season. The assistance is based on household income, household size, type of fuel, and type of housing. The application period runs from November 1, 2020 through April 30, 2021, with early applications accepted beginning October 1, 2020, for households that have a member who is at least 60 years of age, or disabled, or where disconnection is imminent. Anyone facing disconnection at any time should contact their local community action agency for assistance.

Iowa families are facing many challenges to cope with the COVID-19 virus. Some have lost jobs or had their hours of employment reduced. These circumstances and others could lead to difficulty in paying your utility bill. If you find yourself in that situation, there is help available through the State’s network of local community action agencies that have offices in all 99 counties. Families and individuals can apply for the Energy Assistance program through their local community action agency. This program can help pay a portion of an eligible household’s utility bill. Eligibility is based on household size and income. Anyone facing difficulty in paying their utility bill should contact their local agency.

To find your local agency, you may call 2-1-1, visit https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/where-apply, or contact the Iowa Department of Human Rights at (515) 281-3861 or 1-800-351-4659. LIHEAP information is available in multiple languages on the Department’s website.

In an update to our previous reports, the Iowa State Patrol Thursday (Today), said two women were transported to separate hospitals following a motorcycle accident late Wednesday morning. According to the Patrol, 67-year-old Ellen Lloyd, of La Vista, Nebraska, was driving a 2017 Harley Davidson westbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 63. She was in stop-and-go traffic  associated with the construction zone, and braked hard. When she slammed on the brakes, her passenger, 47-year-old Tiffany Reiss, of Raymond, Nebraska, began to fall off the motorcycle.

While Lloyd and Reiss fell onto the travel portion of the road, the motorcycle continued off the road, and into the ditch. Authorities say Ellen Lloyd was transported by ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Tiffany Reiss was flown by LifeNet helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. A report on their conditions was not available.

Emily McColloch, with Guthrie County Public Health, today (Thursday), confirmed another two deaths associated with COVID-19, in Guthrie County. One individual was age 73, who had underlying medical conditions. The other was a person over the age of 80. The total number of deaths in Guthrie County since the pandemic began, is 12. Guthrie County Public Health Director Jotham Arber said “We want to extend our deepest condolences to the individuals’ families.”

He added that “It has been very hard over the last six months, to watch people in our community pass away from this terrible disease, but we are all in this fight together. Guthrie County Public Health and its partners continue to work to limit the spread and impact of COVID-19 in our communities.” Arber recommends all Guthrie County residents:

• Wear cloth face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures and other hygiene practices are difficult to maintain.
• Stay at least 6-feet away from others, to minimize exposure.
• Anyone who is at high risk for more severe COVID-19 illness, should stay home.
• Stay home even when you are mildly ill (the kind of illness that normally would not prevent you from your everyday activities).
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow/upper arm.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20-seconds.

(Radio Iowa) – A farmer was killed in a grain bin accident Wednesday afternoon in Hardin County near Eldora. Upon arrival, it was determined that a man was buried under a significant amount of corn which was spilling from a grain bin. The individual was located and recovered from the corn. The victim is identified as 79-year-old Kennerly Reece of rural Eldora. Reece’s body was recovered by several law enforcement, fire and rescue departments and multiple area farmers.

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

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The Creston Police Department has received three separate Theft reports. On Tuesday, a woman from Indianola told police that a Stanley Jumpit 600/300 amp 12-volt starter was removed from her vehicle parked at 310 Oak Street, in Creston. The loss was estimated at $40. And, a man reported his Smith & Wesson .40 handgun was stolen from his vehicle in the 100 block of N. Oak Streeet. The loss was estimated at $500.

On Wednesday, a Creston woman reported that her purse, containing credit cards, checks, her Social Security Number, cash and medications, was stolen from her residence in the 300 block of N. Oak Street. The loss was estimated at $500. Creston Police said also, 38-year old Candace Lenee Russell, of Creston, was arrested at a residence in the 900 block of N. Sumner, for Driving While Barred. She was transported to the Union County Jail, posted bond, and was released.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – More than 200 researchers and faculty from 37 colleges and universities in the state have co-signed a statement, suggesting this year’s pandemic, drought and derecho illustrate the importance of having science guide public policy. University of Iowa professor Eric Tate is a lead author on this year’s Iowa Climate Statement. He says the most vulnerable people tend to suffer disproportionately during disasters, so emergency planners should pay attention to how those groups fare during this year’s pandemic. “These are lessons that I think can be directly applied to climate change hazards,” he says.

Tate and the other scientists argue it’s critical for communities to draw up plans in advance to protect lives and property during natural disasters in a changing climate.  “Resilient communities and households have a greater ability to withstand disruption and absorb impacts from climate hazards as well as adapt to change,” Tate says.  The scientists warn political polarization that has de-legitimized science has made the pandemic worse and it’s important for leaders to promote expert guidance when lives and property are in peril.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Amy Mayer)

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, learned a promotional marketing video was being created, aimed at drawing young professionals and other employees to Atlantic. Atlantic Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith, CADCO Executive Director Jennifer McEntaffer, and SWIPCO Community Development Director Alexsis Fleener, got together with Atlantic Development, a local investment group, to discuss and find ways to address the issues of population decline, housing and properties for sale, etc. Smith says one of the groups’ ideas was to market Atlantic on a much wider basis than before.

McEntaffer said the video will also focus on the community being family friendly.

The footage will be edited together to create a roughly two-minute video, which when finished will be placed on the City’s YouTube Channel that will be set-up. Social media will also help blast the message out. Atlantic will be one of the first towns to be on the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s (IEDA) website, as part of a national media campaign to draw more people to the State.

Atlantic’s video will be different than others to be featured.

(Updated 10-a.m., 10/8) – The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today shows Cass County has seven more positive cases of the virus, for a total since the pandemic began, of 205 cases. The number of cases in Pottawattamie jumped 76 to 2,471, and there was one additional death attributed to the virus in Pott. County, for a total of 42 since the outbreak began. Harrison County had 25 more cases of COVID-19, for a total of 365. (See more detailed info. below)

Statewide, there are 95,857 positive cases of COVID-19, with 1,515 new cases reported since 10-a.m. Wednesday, a NEW RECORD in Iowa. There have also been five more deaths statewide, for a total of 1,419. The IDPH says of the reported deaths, 964 were related to a pre-existing medical condition. There have been a total of 841,909 Iowans tested for COVID-19 to-date, with 744,430 total Negative results. There were 6,825 results received since Wednesday, with 6,104 of those Negative, and 706 Positive. The 14-day rolling average is  8.8%. Iowans who have recovered from the virus number 74,170.

There are currently 15 Iowa counties reporting a positivity rate greater than 15% over the last 14 days. Public schools in Lyon, Sioux, Taylor, Page, Carroll, Delaware, Fremont, Guthrie, Adams, O’Brien, Harrison, Plymouth, Osceola, Emmet and Ida counties can apply with the education department for a waiver to provide 100% virtual learning. Lyon, Sioux, Taylor and Page counties report a positivity rate greater than 20%.

Hospitalizations continue to rise, from 444 yesterday to 449 this morning. That’s also a NEW RECORD. The IDPH says: eight more patients were in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), for a total of 112; 63 people with COVID symptoms were admitted to a hospital (down from 97 yesterday); and 39 patients are on a ventilator (down from 42 previously). Western/Southwest Iowa hospitals report 23 people hospitalized (unchanged from previous report), six are in an ICU, two were admitted and no one was on a ventilator.

There are currently 53 Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks in Iowa, 1,094 positive cases of COVID among patients and staff at those facilities, and there have been 724 deaths since the outbreak began. The IDPH reports 606 recoveries from the virus at LTC’s.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 205 cases {+7}; 177 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 85; 55; 1
• Adams, 49 {+2}; 30; 0
• Audubon, 111 {+1}; 41; 1
• Guthrie, 312 {+7}; 188; 12
• Harrison County, 365 {+25}; 186; 5
• Madison County, 278 {+5}; 191; 2
• Mills County, 247 {+8}; 145; 1
• Montgomery, 118 {+3}; 96; 5
• Pottawattamie County, 2,471 {+76}; 1,886; 42
• Shelby County, 293 {+2}; 267; 1
• Union County,  159; 109; 3