(Radio Iowa) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says the state will mail an absentee ballot request form to every active registered voter in the state — for voting in the June 2 primary. Pate released a recorded message about the decision.

(as said) “The June 2nd primary election will go on as scheduled because it’s important for Iowans to make their voices heard by voting,” Pate said, “and the safest way to vote will be by mail.”

Pate last week announced he was using emergency authority to add 11 more days to the early voting period for the June primary and he encouraged Iowans to use the vote-by-mail option to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Pate’s office will send the absentee ballot request forms later this month and each will include prepaid postage for mailing the requests to county auditors.

(as said) “The safety of voters while casting their ballots is our top priority,” Pate said in today’s recorded message.

Pate indicated there are about two MILLION active registered voters in Iowa. Iowans may request absentee ballots for the June Primary through May 22. County auditors begin mailing ballots on April 23.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — A federal judge has ordered an Iowa state home for male juvenile offenders to stop the use of a physical restraining device and to reform its use of isolation as a form of punishment. The Des Moines Register reports that the ruling Monday came in a class-action lawsuit filed against the Boys State Training School in Eldora in 2017 by two advocacy groups.

At issue is the use of an immobilizing device called “the wrap” on boys at the facility — nearly five hours at a time, in some cases — and boys as young as 14 routinely forced into isolation for weeks at a time.

O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — With flood concerns already high in the Midwest, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is warning that many levees on the Missouri and Kansas rivers that were damaged during last year’s devastating floods remain vulnerable to high water. The National Weather Service has said Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri and eastern North Dakota and South Dakota face an above-average flood risk this spring, due largely to soil saturation to the north.

Record flooding in 2019 damaged several levees, many of which have yet to be repaired. The Corps says “challenging weather conditions and higher flows” continue, delaying the ability to fully assess damage.

Some residents of Exira have expressed concerns about the status of their medical clinic and that it might be closed permanently. Audubon County Memorial Hospital CEO Suzanne Cooner told KJAN News Tuesday afternoon and in a written statement, that the “Audubon County Memorial Hospital has received enough personal protective equipment over the last week to re-open our Exira Clinic on a limited basis. The clinic had been temporarily closed for the safety of the staff and to maximize the use of limited PPE”

Suzanne Cooner, CEO Audubon County Memorial Hospital

Cooner said “Our provider, Val Riesberg, and Christie Konkler and Julie Vais will staff the clinic starting this Friday, April 3rd from 8 am to 4 pm. After this Friday, the clinic will be open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.”

She stressed that “It is very important for the safety of our staff that visit are open by appointment only. This includes appointments for Lab draws and BP checks, which are usually walk ins. Patients will be screened on the phone and again in person upon entering the clinic. Everyone will wear a mask and the mask will be sent home with the patient.

The Clinic will schedule the patients appropriately throughout the day so that no one is in the clinic at the same time as another family is. The Clinic will only see patients whose symptoms are not suspected as possible Covid -19. Suspected Covid-19 will be redirected to Audubon County Memorial Hospital for testing at a designated time to maximize the staff’s use of full protective equipment.”

Suzanne Cooner said also, “The Exira Clinic will open up fully only after the Pandemic is considered contained in Iowa. We appreciate everyone’s patience at this difficult time but safety of our patients and staff are our primary concern.”

One person was transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital following an accident this (Tuesday) afternoon, in Atlantic. The crash between a mini-van and a legally parked car happened at around 1:50-p.m. on 10th Street, near the intersection with Cherry.

Atlantic Police Lt. Paul Wood said the van occupied by an older male driver and his female passenger, was westbound on 10th when it crashed into the back of the car and pushed it into the middle of the street. The driver of the van was transported to the hospital. A report on his condition was not immediately released. The names of the van occupants were also not released.

An Emergency Proclamation issued March 17th by Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones and set to expire at midnight tonight (Tuesday), is being extended until further notice.  City Administrator John Lund says a few changes were made to the original proclamation (Some of which were previously mentioned). They include:

• The Park equipment closure and door-to-door sales suspension have been incorporated into this proclamation.

• The Library is ending curb side pickup, they will notify everyone when this will resume.

• The closure of the City Hall lobby and bathrooms is noted.

• The Street Department building is now closed to the public.

• Additional language that bridges the City’s meetings with the Governor’s proclamation. Specifically, City Council, committee, board and commission meetings that must occur shall either be done electronically and/or limited to less than 10 people in a room with a minimum six-foot distance between individuals. City employees shall make every accommodation reasonably possible to encourage public participation in said meetings while complying with this section.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 73 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 497 positive cases. One death was reported in Muscatine County, of a middle-aged (41-60) resident. There have been a total of 6,888 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.  51 people remained hospitalized as of the latest report.

According to IDPH, the locations and age ranges of the 73 individuals include:

• Black Hawk County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Cedar County, 1 middle age adult (41-60 years)
• Clay County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Clinton County, 2 middle-age adults (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Dallas County, 4 adults (18-40 years)
• Harrison County, 1 middle age adult (41-60 years)
• Iowa County, 1 middle-age adult (41-60 years)
• Jasper County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
• Johnson County, 2 adults (18-40 years), 1 middle-age (41-60 years)
• Jones County, 2 adults (18-40 years), 1 middle age (41-60 years)
• Keokuk County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Linn County, 3 adults (18-40 years), 7 middle age adults (41-60 years), 7 older adults (61-80 years), 2 elderly (81+)
• Marshall County, 1 adult (18-40 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Muscatine County, 2 middle-age (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Polk County, 1 child (0-17), 5 adults (18-40 years), 3 middle age adults (41-60 years), 4 older adult (61-80 years), 2 elderly (81+)
• Pottawattamie County, 1 middle-age (41-60 years)
• Scott County, 2 middle-age (41-60 years)
• Sioux County, 1 middle age adult (41-60 years), 1 older adult (61-80 years)
• Tama County, 1 adult (18-40 years)
• Warren County, 2 middle-age (41-60 years)
• Washington County, 3 adults (18-40 years), 2 older adults (61-80 years), 1 elderly (81+)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge has set a hearing for Wednesday to consider whether to block an order by Gov. Kim Reynolds halting abortions in the state. State district court Judge Andrew Chappell signed an order Monday setting the telephone hearing to consider arguments by abortion providers and the Iowa attorney general’s office, which is representing Reynolds. Abortion providers say Reynolds violated the state constitution by including abortion in an order enacted Friday halting non-emergency medical procedures to preserve medical equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. Judges in Texas, Alabama and Texas on Monday halted similar efforts in those states.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN) — Traditional Easter egg hunts in communities across Iowa are cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, but non-traditional Easter egg hunts are already underway. In fact an Easter Egg Hunt in the Atlantic area is underway now through April 12th. Residents who wish to participate should create an Easter Egg poster and hang or tape it to a window that’s easily visible from the street. Contact Carol at 712-304-5377 to be listed as a participant. From now through April 12th, talk a walk or drive through town to “hunt” for those Easter Eggs. The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will have a list of participating addresses.

Easter Eggs at 111 Locust Street in Atlantic (from the Entertain the town Cass Co. Facebook page)

Katie Nola, spokeswoman for the Iowa Egg Council, the activity gets people out and about, and keeps them active with at the same time practicing “social distancing.” Not only does it get people outside, getting some fresh air and keeping them active, it’s still keeping the spirit of Easter alive for the little ones,” Nola says. “They can walk through their neighborhoods and point out, ‘Oh, there’s an Easter egg on that person’s window,’ and just have some fun.”

Families are encouraged to visit the Iowa Egg Council website to download and print an Easter egg coloring sheet to decorate. “It can just be a coloring contest, too,” Nola says. “If they just want to submit the Easter eggs that they’ve colored and share them on our social media, Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, and I will re-share them.”  Use the hashtag “#IowaEggHunt.” The deadline to enter the contest is April 12th. A statewide winner will be named April 17th who will get an “egg swag bag” which includes a tote bag, an Amazon gift card, a t-shirt, a coloring book, a stress egg and more.

More online at www.iowaegg.org

(Radio Iowa/KJAN) — Governor Kim Reynolds says private businesses and volunteers are stepping up to deal with shortages of medical supplies. “If we know something about Iowans, it’s that we are at our best when times are tough,” Reynolds said. “…Now, even as our resolve is being tested in ways like never before, Iowans are more determined to step up and care for their own.” Reynolds says increasing the number of face shields will give health care workers more flexibility in the type of masks they use and several Iowa companies are starting to produce face shields. “Metalcraft in Mason City and Wheaton Capital in Fairfield are developing prototypes, securing materials and gearing up for large-scale production,” Reynolds says “John Deere is making face shields at its various plants across the state and donating them to health care providers in their local communities and Iowa City Fab Lab is making face shields for the University of Iowa.”

Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol deliver much needed PPE and other medical supplies to hospitals this past weekend, including the Audubon County Memorial Hospital (Photos from the ISP Facebook page)

The “Stitchcraft” division of Winnebago Industries in Forest City usually makes seats, sofas and cushions for motorhomes — but switched to sewing masks for MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City. The governor says other companies are preparing to produce masks and gowns, too. “Without adequate masks, gowns and face shields that serve as a barrier between a provider and a patient with COVID-19, our health care professionals are risking their own health to serve those who are sick and we must do everything we can to protect them,” Reynolds says.

The governor says small projects are yielding big results, like a Cedar Rapids project launched last week.  “Eric Engelmann of NewBoCo in Cedar Rapids enlisted the help of his coworkers, his network and an assembly line of 3D printers to create and deliver 3000 face shields to health care providers across the state,” Reynolds says.  The governor says the all-hands-on-deck approach is crucial because Iowa is competing with other states for these limited medical supplies. A pattern for fabric face masks has been posted on the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website and Reynolds is putting out the call to Iowans with a sewing machine. “If you’re willing and able, we need your help,” Reynolds says, “so thank you for considering to be a part of the solution at hand.”

Reynolds says these fabric masks can be worn under a face mask by health care workers and can be reused if properly cleaned and disinfected. Over the weekend, the Iowa State Patrol delivered much needed personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to area hospitals, including the Audubon County Memorial Hospital.