(Radio Iowa) — Sioux City’s MercyOne Medical Center has announced the facility will stop delivering babies on September 1st. Spokesperson Jenna Rehnstrom says it was a difficult decision for the hospital and its board of directors to make. “This is the news that resulted after a thorough review, a discernment process, and really a close examination of the local healthcare needs and what is being demanded in our market and how we can best serve our community,”Rehnstrom says.

She says the staff in the obstetrics department will be provided opportunities to join other areas of care or transfer to other hospitals in the Mercy Health system. “We’re not eliminating any positions. Nurses and medical professionals are always in high demand and this time is no different,” according to Rehnstrom. “So we definitely hope they chose to stay and continue to care for patients here at MercyOne Siouxland. Or there is always that opportunity within our network as well as the statewide system.”

The hospital had announced one week ago that they were studying what services they would continue to provide in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had caused a shift in care and use of resources. “This challenging time has made it very clear that we need to be more thoughtful than ever about how we are serving our community. You know, we were called on to serve some really sick patients and serve our community at a high level during our COVID-19 surge. And I am so proud of how our organization stepped up to do that,” Rehnstom says.

Rehnstrom says the decision to close the obstetrics department will allow MercyOne to expand other health care services and programs not currently offered in the region. MercyOne will continue to serve labor and delivery patients and families through August 31st. They are collaborating with area providers to notify patients of this change to efficiently transition care.

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the Iowa State Patrol joined his counterparts from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas to announced a joint effort to crack down on excessive speed. Colonel Nathan Fulk spoke about the issue Thursday, at a Missouri Department of Transportation facility. “Law enforcement is seeing a significant increase in excessive speed across the Midwest related to the pandemic,” according to Fulk. “We’ve seen reduced vehicle miles traveled producing less congested roadways and creating a driver perception that law enforcement isn’t out enforcing traffic laws.”

Colonel Fulk at a news conference in Missouri.

Fulk detailed some of the things his troopers have seen. “In 2020 the Iowa State Patrol has seen a 113 percent increase in speed citations issued for 100 miles-per-hour or greater. We’ve also seen a 70 percent increase in speed citations issued for speeds in excess of 25 miles-an-hour over the posted speed limit,” he says. “This data is alarming and unprecedented — and shows why we need motorists to understand that this driving behavior is not the new normal.”

The leaders of the state patrols in the other four states say they’ve seen similar issues. Fulk says the number one concern in each state is the safety of drivers. “Speeding is the number one causation factor in crashes. They are preventable. Ninety-four-percent of crashes are driver related,” according to Fulk. ” During the month of July, we will be working in collaboration with our state police partners and local law enforcement agencies to raise awareness on this concerning trend that has a negative impact on traffic safety.”

He says they will use a variety of methods to try and educate the public. “We are asking the public so SIDE with us. SIDE is an acronym for seat belts, impaired driving, distracted driving, and excessive speed. We are asking the public’s help to please put the phone down, slow down and buckle up,” Fulk says. Troopers in the five-state area are collaborating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a speed enforcement initiative Friday and Saturday (July 17-18). The initiative is aimed at reducing high speeds and encouraging personal responsibility in keeping roadways safe.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM SATURDAY FOR NEARLY ALL OF IOWA.

Heat index values 105 to 110 degrees can expected.Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur, particularly those working or participating outdoor activities.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles
under any circumstances.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.

In a post on social media Thursday night, the Iowa State Patrol showed a dashboard photo of a vehicle pulled over on Highway 148, coming into Anita. The caption said the vehicle was traveling “109 mph in a 55 mph zone. Driver claimed he was “trying to beat a friend home”.” No other details were provided, except to say the State Patrol asks you to, “Please be responsible and drive safe!”

(Radio Iowa) – Late this (Friday) afternoon, the state’s top election official will ask the Iowa Legislative Council for permission to mail absentee ballot request forms to every active Iowa voter. Secretary of State Paul Pate mailed the forms to voters before the June Primary, encouraging Iowans to vote-from-home during the pandemic rather than risk standing in line at a polling place. There was record participation in the primary and about 80 percent voted early. Ten days later, the Republican-led legislature voted to force Pate to seek approval from the Legislative Council if he planned a similar mailing in the future.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office, Thursday, said in a social media post, that “Lots and lots of requests already coming in!” They offered a form available on their Facebook page for persons to print and then mail in, or you can pick one up at the following locations: the Cass County Auditor’s Office; Lewis City Hall; Anita Tribune; Griswold American Newspaper; or the Massena City Hall.

Pate, in a document for the Council’s meeting at 4:30 this (Friday) afternoon, says he’ll use federal “Help America Vote” money to cover the cost of the mailing. Some county auditors have said they intended to mail out absentee ballot request forms, with some of the information on the form filled in for the voter. Pate is asking the Legislative Council to prevent auditors from doing that — and require only blank forms be mailed from county auditors to voters.

A new state law about how county auditors may confirm the information on the forms they RECEIVE is being challenged in court.

(Radio Iowa) – A report prepared for the White House Cornavirus Task Force suggests Iowa is among 18 states where rising infections rates should prompt new restrictions. The internal documents were first obtained by The Center for Public Integrity. Five Iowa counties are in what the analysis refers to as a “red zone” where 10 percent or more of those undergoing testing are confirmed to have the virus.

Those counties are Sioux, Osceola, Webster, Franklin and Clarke. The recommendation is that bars and gyms be closed in those counties and social gatherings be limited to 10 or fewer people. The report uses the phrase “yellow zone” to describe the spread of COVID in 42 other Iowa counties. The recommendation is that face coverings be required in public places in the zed and yellow zone areas — which cover 47 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

On Monday, Governor Kim Reynolds called on Iowans to take personal responsibility and voluntarily wear face coverings in public.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A convicted killer from Iowa whose five victims included two young girls is scheduled Friday to become the third federal inmate to be executed this week, following a 17-year pause in federal executions. Dustin Honken, 52, was sentenced to death for killing government informants and children in his effort to thwart his drug trafficking prosecution in 1993. Honken is set to die by a lethal injection of the powerful sedative pentobarbital at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he’s been on death row since 2005. His chances for a last-minute reprieve seem remote after the Supreme Court allowed the other two executions.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor who is pursuing charges against an Iowa newspaper reporter who was arrested while covering a protest in May told a judge his office shouldn’t have to provide body-camera footage and other evidence to the journalist’s lawyer. Brad Kinkade, an assistant Polk County attorney, told Judge Christopher Kemp on Thursday that Des Moines Register reporter Andrea Sahouri’s case was considered a low-priority because she had only been charged with misdemeanor. Sahouri was covering a protest near a shopping mall on May 31, less than a week after George Floyd died in Minneapolis. Floyd’s death sparked hundreds of demonstrations nationwide.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials say an Omaha health clinic that offered unproven stem cell treatments for joint pain, erectile dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease bilked consumers in Iowa and Nebraska out of at least $2.8 million. The attorneys general of Iowa and Nebraska each filed a lawsuit against Regenerative Medicine and Anti-Aging Institutes of Omaha, alleging that company officials made misleading statements about the effectiveness of their treatments. They say company officials targeted mostly elderly customers with local television advertisements and in-person seminars with high-pressure sales tactics. According to the lawsuit, company officials claimed they could reverse the aging process and treat conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis and erectile dysfunction.

UNDATED (AP) — State figures show the number of coronavirus cases in Iowa increased by more than 700 in the past 24 hours and that the number of deaths, hospitalizations and patients admitted to intensive care were all rising. Iowa Department of Public Health information Thursday shows 18 people died in the past 24 hours, the highest single-day number since early June. An agency spokeswoman says some deaths listed were from a long-term care facility that wasn’t reporting the cases in the state tracking system. After earlier declines, the number of people in intensive care units increased to 65 on Wednesday. The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus had risen to 195 on Wednesday

Public Health officials in Mills and Montgomery Counties reported new, positive cases of COVID-19, Thursday. In Mills County, there were two new cases:  both are persons 19-to 40 years of age. The contracted the virus through community spread. Those latest additions bring to 55 the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Mills County, with 34 persons having recovered. Altogether, 2,220 residents have been tested.

In Montgomery County, one new positive case of COVID-19 brings the total there to 17. The newest case was contracted by community spread IN ANOTHER STATE, where the person has been and continues to isolate. Current cases being monitored by Montgomery County Public Health amount to four. Eleven people have recovered, two people have died, and 940 Montgomery County residents have been tested for the virus.

Serology testing data for Montgomery County show 3 individuals positive, 70 negative and 73 tested.

• Champion Egg Production:  Jessica Huff
• Reserve Champion Egg Production:  Ava Herrick
• Champion Meat Production:  Jennifer Holliday
• Reserve Champion Meat Production:  Jennifer Holliday
• Champion Ornamental Poultry:  Ava Herrick
• Reserve Champion Ornamental Poultry:  Ava Herrick
• Champion Market Broiler Pen of 3:  Jennifer Holliday
• Reserve Champion Broiler Pen of 3:  Jessica Huff
• Champion Junior Showman:  Ethan Balsmeier
• Reserve Champion Junior Showman:  Ava Herrick
• Champion Intermediate Showman:  Alena Rectenbaugh
• Reserve Champion Intermediate Showman:  Jayden Rohner
• Champion Senior Showman:  Riley Abbott
• Reserve Champion Senior Showman:  Jessica Huff
• Champion Advanced Showman:  Ava Rectenbaugh
• Reserve Champion Advanced Showman:  Isaac Balsmeier