IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa processed its most coronavirus testing in a 24-hour period since the pandemic began as the state allowed some businesses in its largest metropolitan areas to partially reopen. The state’s coronavirus website reported Friday that 3,809 tests were conducted Thursday and that 403, or less than 11 percent of them, were positive. It was the lowest daily rate of positive tests in a month, following a week of steady decline.

Still, the state reported 12 more people had died from COVID-19, bringing the official death toll to 243. A slight increase of 417 people were hospitalized, including more than 100 fighting for their lives on ventilators.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Supreme Court issued a rare split decision in a case involving court fees. Lori Mathes appealed the dismissal of a possession of marijuana charge after being ordered to pay more than 28-hundred dollars for a court-appointed attorney. She said in the appeal the dismissal was based on a bad warrant and she only agreed to pay the fees if they were under 500 dollars to get the issue over with. She says an assessment should have been done on her ability to pay the fees. The Monona County District Court threw out the appeal — saying a defendant does not have the right to appeal following the dismissal of charges.

The Iowa Supreme Court reviewed the case and three justices voted to uphold the district court ruling — while three said they would vacate the ruling — and one justice did not take part. With no deciding vote, the district court ruling stands.

A man being held in the Sac County Jail was arrested Thursday morning, on a warrant out of Mills County. Sheriff’s officials say 19-year old Michael John William Lyons, of Carroll, was transported to the Mills County Jail, and held on $10,000 bond associated with a warrant for Violation of Probation.

The latest report from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) shows as of today (Friday), 12 additional COVID-19 deaths have occurred over the past 24-hours, for a total of 243. Officials say 11, 457 Iowans have tested positive for the virus. 407 are hospitalized, and 4,708 have recovered.  164 are in an ICU. 34 COVID-19 patients were admitted to the hospital over the past 24-hours.

Other data:

• A total of 70, 261 individuals have been tested. 16.3% have tested positive (11,457)
• 42% of those who have tested positive for COVID-19 are 18-to 40-years of age; 37% of those 41-60; 14% of those 61-to 80; 5% are age 80 and older. 2% are age 0-to 18.
• 46% of the positive cases are female, 51% are male, and 3% are unknown.
• Non-Hispanic or Latino cases make up 57% of those who tested positive. 24 % are Hispanic or Latino. 19% are of unknown ethnicity.
• The number of Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks remains steady at 28. Linn, Polk, Black Hawk, Tama, Dallas and Jasper Counties are among those with the highest number of positive cases among residents and staff.

For more information, see the COVID-19 dashboard at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/

Authorities in Guthrie County report Stuart Fire was called late Thursday evening to assist Casey Fire along with law enforcement, in connection with an incident at the Landus Co-Op Grain Elevator, in Casey.  Stuart Fire responded with their ladder truck (Tower 23) and brought a 13-year old female down from the elevator, to safety. The Guthrie County Communications Center received a call at around 7:24-p.m. about the unidentified girl, who had climbed several feet up the elevator.

(Photos from the Stuart F.D. Facebook page)

A Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy responding to the scene prevented the girl her from climbing any higher. Rescue crews were on the scene for about 75 minutes.  Among the agencies assisting the Casey and Stuart Fire Departments, was Stuart Rescue, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, and Iowa State Patrol.

Rescue crews resumed their search this (Friday) morning for a 29-year old man from Iowa, who went missing after a boat reportedly capsized on the Missouri River late Thursday night. According to KETV in Omaha, one person was rescued Thursday night after crews responded to an incident at around 10 p.m.

Crews were in the water for about two-and-a-half hours. They called off the search at around today (Friday) at around 12:30 a.m.  Before returning to continue the search for a victim after sunrise in the Goosehaven area. A drone was being used in the search process. Authorities indicated alcohol may have been involved in the incident, which remains under investigation.

Additional information is currently not available.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — As coronavirus hotspots erupted at major U.S. meatpacking plants, experts criticized extremely tight working conditions that made the factories natural high risk contagion locations. But some Midwestern politicians have pointed the finger at the workers’ living conditions, suggesting crowded homes bear some blame. The comments include a Wisconsin Supreme Court justice’s remark that an outbreak didn’t seem to have come from “regular folks.” Outraged employees and advocates call the comments elitist and critical of immigrants in the meatpacking workforce. The remarks came amid public gratitude for other essential workers like police officers, health care professionals and grocery store workers.

(Radio Iowa) — The State Historical Society is asking Iowans to help document the pandemic for future generations. Michael Morain, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, says “We are inviting Iowans to capture the stories of COVID-19 and its impact, its ripple effects on everyday life here in Iowa.” Morain says Iowans may submit items electronically now — things like photos, videos and written materials in digital form. Once the state historical museum reopens to the public, they’ll begin accepting physical artifacts.  “Usually we don’t get the chance to recognize history or historical turning points as we’re living through them,” Morain says. “Usually it requires a little bit of hindsight, but I think people realize that this spring the world is changing and it’s changing here in Iowa in ways that are different than in New York or California or Italy or China.”

Curators hope items like masks, cancelled stimulus paper checks and gallon jugs of hand sanitizer will help illustrate the story of this pandemic a century from now — just like items in the Historical Society’s vault from the flu pandemic of 1917 and ’18 have. “We have medical supplies. We have photos from Camp Dodge where soldiers that were getting ready to ship off for World War I were struggling in dire straights…with the flu,” Morain says, “so we get a sense of what that looked like.”

Soldiers began getting sick in October of 1918 and by the time the illness had run its course, more than seven-hundred soldiers had died. Camp Dodge, at the time, was about a dozen miles away from the city of Des Moines. The city’s board of health closed schools, churches and other gathering spots. For more information on how to donate documents for the project, go to https://iowaculture.gov/history/research/collections/donating-materials

(Radio Iowa) — Signs spreading messages of hope and happiness are popping up in yards across northeast Iowa. Kerra Boriskey (CARE-ah bore-RISKY) manages the sign department for Kendrick Forest Products, based in Edgewood. Boriskey says the signs carry messages like, “Be the Sunshine,” “Faith Over Fear” and “Hope Can Never Be Canceled.” Dozens are now posted in nearly a dozen towns around Edgewood. “How it works is, the communities have reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, we’d love to have some,’ so we take 12 to 15 designs to a community,” Boriskey says. “My mom goes around with my grandma and my niece and they put yard signs in people’s yards.”

Radio IA photo via Kendrick Forest Products.

In addition to the free signs they’re setting up in yards around the region, dozens more are being sold as a fundraiser. “We are charging $10 a sign if it’s something that you pick up and $10 for shipping if you need signs shipped,” Boriskey says, “and we are doing 100% of the proceeds going to local medical staff for supplies and food.” As the pandemic has kept so many people indoors and isolated, Boriskey says they wanted to come up with a way to lift spirits. “The thing that really makes you proud is the fact that you can turn something around and people put their heart and soul into it and we have a product in somebody’s yard within hours of coming up with an idea,” Boriskey says. “People are very appreciative and are excited to see the good hope spread throughout the community.”

The signs are posted in communities including: Edgewood, Manchester, Strawberry Point, Colesburg, Petersburg, Guttenberg, Garber, Dyersville, Cascade, Winthrop and McGregor.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop for speeding Thursday afternoon resulted in a backseat passenger being cited on drug charges. The 2000 Buick LeSabre was pulled over at around 1:50-p.m., near mile marker 66 on I-29, for speeding 81 in a 70 mph zone. The passenger, 21-year old Dane Michael Cole, was found to have a small amount of personal use marijuana and a glass smoking pipe. Cole was cited into court for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

And, prisoner in the Pott. County Jail for being a Fugitive from Justice, was served with a warrant Thursday morning, also for being a Fugitive from Justice. 24-year old Zachary John McGinn, of Omaha, was read the Omaha P-D warrant and then turned back over to corrections staff.