(Radio Iowa) — Two people were hurt in a home explosion and fire Tuesday afternoon in northeast Iowa. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a possible explosion and fire at a home northeast of Cascade. Firefighters believe the explosion was due to a gasoline leak in a 1965 Ford Mustang in the garage. The car had already been taken out of the garage but lingering fumes apparently entered the basement of the home where they were likely ignited by a pilot light.

Two people inside the home were injured and were taken to a Dubuque hospital with what authorities described as non-life-threatening injuries. The home sustained significant damage due to the fire, estimated at more than $250,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Education says it will rule next week on appeals filed by at least two districts opposed to fully opening schools to in-person classes when the new school year begins in the coming weeks. Earlier this month, Gov. Kim Reynolds overrode local school districts that wanted to hold online classes. She instead is requiring students to spend at least half of their education time in classrooms this upcoming school year, even as the state’s coronavirus cases have surged this summer.

News of the upcoming ruling came as the state’s online virus tracker shows nine more COVID-19 deaths and more than 450 new cases confirmed on Wednesday from the day before.

Atlantic, IA —Cass County Health System officials announced updated visitor limitations for all obstetrics patients will begin on Monday, August 3. This measure is being enacted to protect the health of patients, staff, volunteers, and visitors and to proactively limit the spread of COVID-19.

Expectant mothers will designate two support persons at the beginning of her hospital stay. The designated support persons can both be with the mother at the same time. The two designated support persons cannot change during the length of the patient’s hospital stay; the two support persons will be the only visitors permitted. The two support persons must be 18 years of age or older, in good health, and must pass screening at CCHS entrances.

Other visitor limitations remain in effect:

• All visitors must be 18 years of age or older and in good health.
• Outpatients may have one visitor with them.
• Inpatients may have one visitor at a time.

All visitors will be screened at the entrance before being allowed to proceed. Visitors must wear a mask and practice social distancing in waiting rooms. If there are too many visitors in the waiting room to appropriately social distance, then staff will ask visitors to please wait in their vehicles or return at a later time.

All visitors, family members, and friends are still encouraged to use technology to keep in contact with their loved ones.

The Creston Police Department says a man from Creston reported Tuesday night, that his black,  .9-mm Taurus handgun and leather holster is missing, The gun and holster were with him at around 10-a.m. Tuesday, while he was at 12 Mile Lake. He forgot to grab the weapon/holster before he left. The loss was estimated at $200.

A collision between a car and an ATV in northwest Iowa’s Monona County, Tuesday night, left one person dead and another injured. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2010 Honda Accord driven by 18-year old Elijah Oregon, of Oto, and a 2018 Suzuki Kingquad ATV driven by 65-year old Timothy Dahms, of Hornick, were both traveling west on Monona County Road E-16, when the car hit the ATV from behind. The accident happened at around 9:50-p.m.

The Patrol says after the ATV was struck, the machine left the road and came to rest in the north ditch. Timothy Dahms died from his injuries at the scene. Elijah Oregon was transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

(Radio Iowa) – A key advisor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force says Iowa is among a group of states where mitigation efforts should increase. Dr. Deborah Birx says the concern is rising infection rates among 20 and 30 years old in Iowa — coupled with the fact between five and 10 percent of those being tested in Iowa are found to have the virus. She says if officials wait for hospitalizations to spike, it is in her estimation “really way too late.”

Birx made her comments during a conference call with governors. Vice President Mike Pence, who was also on the call, says shut downs aren’t the answer, but Pence said studies show things like the use of face masks, limited social gatherings and bar closures are slowing the spread in the same way sheltering in place did this spring.

(Radio Iowa) — Authorities confirm that partial human remains have been found belonging to a Mason City woman who has been missing since last year. The Mason City Police Department says a lower jawbone was discovered by kayakers on a rock bed in the Winnebago River near the North Illinois Avenue bridge on Saturday July 18th and was turned over to authorities. After examination by the state crime lab, the remains were positively identified as those of 31-year-old Jane Schreur, of Mason City. She had been reported missing in November 2019 and was last seen by her family in May 2019. Her cause of death is not known, as well as the circumstances behind her disappearance. An investigation into her disappearance started due to Schreur’s health history. Police Chief Jeff Brinkley in a statement says foul play is not suspected, but the case is still under investigation. If you have any information, you are asked to contact the Mason City Police Department at 421-3636.
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After a change of venue, the murder trial of Fort Dodge man who’s accused of killing a pastor is now set to be heard in Davenport. Thirty-seven-year-old Joshua Pendelton will be tried in Scott County on charges of first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. Pendelton is accused of killing Reverend Al Henderson outside St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Dodge in October of 2019. His trial has not yet been set as jury trials are not permitted to start until September due to COVID-19. The trial is expected to see additional delays due to the Scott County court system being backlogged.

(Radio Iowa) – The Johnson County Board of Health is advancing a plan to mandate the use of face coverings countywide. After approving the wording of the potential order at a meeting Tuesday night, the board will take public comment and then vote on the measure Monday. Board chair Peter Wallace says he’s eager to act before thousands of University of Iowa students return to Iowa City for the start of classes on August 24th. “Hopefully people would know and have a couple weeks to get used to the ordinance, if they live here,” Wallace says, “and the university would make the necessary changes if they have to, but at least accommodations.”

Wallace says the county would need to work with the U-I on implementation of the new rules.  “One thing that we’re going to have to do if this ordinance passes is to sit down with our friends at the university and ask them what kind of enforcement are they expecting of their students,” he says.

While the governor has said local mask orders are not legal, the county attorney believes the mandate would be enforceable if also passed by the board of supervisors. Several other local Iowa governments have passed ordinances requiring masks in city or county buildings or on city buses, including: Ames, Des Moines, Iowa City, Muscatine, Sioux City, Polk County and Clinton County.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in the January shooting deaths of three teens has been arrested in Illinois. Police say 17-year-old Leontreal Jones was arrested Tuesday in Peoria, Illinois, on robbery warrants out of Iowa. Police say Des Moines detectives have traveled to Peoria and expect Jones to be extradited to Iowa soon. Police say once Jones’ is returned to Iowa, he’ll be charged with first-degree murder in the Jan. 30 deaths of brothers 19-year-old Devonte Swanks and 16-year-old Malachi Swanks and a friend, 15-year-old Thayne Wright.

Officers found their bodies in a southeast Des Moines duplex after responding to reports of shots fired.

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

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