The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 6 additional positive cases of Iowans with COVID-19, for a total of 44 positive cases. 642 negative tests have been conducted at the State Hygienic Lab.

According to IDPH, three individuals reside in Polk County, one adult 19-40, one middle aged adult 41-60, and one older adult 61-80.  One adult 19-40 living in Muscatine County, one middle aged adult 41-60 living in Dubuque County; and one adult 19-40 living in Johnson County is an adult in. Two additional non-residents of Iowa tested positive at Iowa healthcare facilities for COVID-19.

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security said also, there are several RUMORS that need to be addressed with regard to the COVID-19 outbreak:

1. The Governor is NOT announcing a 15 day shelter in place recommendation at her press conference today as you may have heard from an email that came from the Secretary of State office.

2. The National Guard is NOT being called up to close interstates, borders or anything else in Iowa.

AMES, Iowa – March 19, 2020 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input on the proposed replacement of the U.S. 30 bridge over the stream located 2.3 miles east of Harrison County Road F-32, and the proposed detour route.

The proposed project provides for removing the existing 50-foot by 30-foot steel girder and floor beam bridge and replacing it with a single span, 80-foot by 44-foot beam bridge. This bridge will be constructed using accelerated bridge construction (ABC) methods, where the bridge will be constructed off-site and will then be slid into place once the existing bridge is removed. This method was chosen to expedite the project and reduce the amount of time the road is closed. For more information, please go to www.iowadot.gov/pim to view a video showing an example of how the ABC process works.

Through traffic on U.S. 30 would be detoured during construction using Harrison County Road F-32, Iowa 191, and Iowa 37. The closure would be approximately two weeks in length to allow for the removal of the existing bridge and slide the new bridge into its place. Local traffic will have access to U.S. 30 during construction.

For general information regarding the proposed improvements or public meeting, contact Scott Suhr, transportation planner, Iowa DOT District 4 Office, 2210 E. Seventh Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022, phone 712-243-3355 or 800-289-4368, email scott.suhr@iowadot.us.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey of bankers in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests they expect the economy to slow down over the next few months as the nation deals with the coronavirus outbreak. The overall index for the region fell to 35.5 in March from February’s healthy 51.6 reading. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said 61 percent of the bankers surveyed expect the measures being taken to fight the coronavirus to lead to a recession.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

Des Moines, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Revenue today (Thursday), extended the filing and payment deadline for several state tax types, including income tax. The changes, prompted by COVID19, are designed to provide flexibility to hard-working Iowans whose lives have been disrupted. The changes are a result of an order signed by Director of Revenue Kraig Paulsen. The order extends filing and payment deadlines for income, franchise, and moneys and credits taxes with a due date on or after March 19, 2020, and before July 31, 2020, to a new deadline of July 31, 2020.

Specifically, the order includes:

IA 1040 Individual Income Tax Return and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1040C Composite Return and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1041 Fiduciary Return and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1120 Corporation Income Tax Return and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1120F Franchise Tax Return for Financial Institutions and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1065 Iowa Partnership Return and all supporting forms and schedules
IA 1120S S Corporation Return and all supporting forms and schedules
Credit Union Moneys and Credits Tax Confidential Report

Businesses and organizations are being urged to donate personal protective equipment (PPE), by contacting your local public health agency and county emergency management agency. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is encouraging Iowa businesses and organizations to donate extra personal protective equipment to assist health care providers, healthcare facilities and first responders who are actively responding to COVID-19.

Ken Sharp, division director of Acute Disease Prevention, Emergency Response and Environmental Health “This is an unprecedented public health disaster and stocks of personal protective equipment for health care providers and first responders are being used rapidly. Any organizations that have extra PPE supplies that aren’t immediately needed should consider donating them to help those on the front lines of this disease.”

Any type of health care PPE will be welcomed, especially rubber gloves, gowns, eye protection and masks. Both the Cass and Montgomery County Emergency Management Agencies are working to address needs locally and beyond. To donate PPE in Cass County, please contact the Cass County Public Health Department at 712-243-7552 or Cass County EMA at 712-254-1500.

In Montgomery County, contact Montgomery County Public Health or Montgomery County Emergency Management. Brian Hamman, Montgomery County Emergency Management Director, says “This is a worldwide pandemic, any and all donated supplies are extremely welcomed and will be distributed to our local health care facilities and local first responders to continue to respond to the active COVID-19 threat.”

For PPE donations in other area counties, contact your local Department of Public Health or Emergency Management Coordinator.

(Radio Iowa) — Most court proceedings in Iowa are on hold to prevent the spread of the coronavirus — but county clerk of court offices remain open to deal with legal emergencies. State Court Administrator Todd Nuccio says they are keeping a narrow scope. “At this point, we’re focusing on emergency matters. Things like domestic abuse, protective orders, elder abuse proceedings, child removal proceedings, hospitalization, mental health commitment-those types of actions that require immediate intervention by the court,” Nuccio.

He says the court system continues to accept all kinds of filings, but new in-person trials won’t be scheduled until early May.  “It’s just that you’re not going to be able to receive a bench trial or a jury trial any time for the near future.” Trials that were already in progress as of March 13th will continue. Even if county courthouse buildings are closed to the public, they’ll have information posted outside for contacting the clerk of court.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met this (Thursday) morning to act on Pandemic Pay Resolution for both the Hourly/Non-Exempt, and Contracted/Salaried Employees. Both Resolutions passed. Additional details were not immediately available. The meeting was supposed to have been conducted electronically live, on a You Tube channel, but technical difficulties prevented that from happening.

A video of the meeting will be posted on You Tube as soon as it’s available.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reports the Cities of Atlantic, Griswold, Lewis and Cumberland will begin weekly testing of outdoor warning sirens this Friday at noon. The City of Marne will participate in this initial test, then their regular siren tests will only occur on the last Friday of each month at noon.

Sirens serve to alert residents to take shelter indoors and seek more information. While the outdoor warning system can be an effective method of notifying those that are outdoors, to seek shelter indoors, it is only one part of a comprehensive emergency warning system. To receive emergency information during severe weather or other hazardous event you should get a NOAA weather radio, sign up for local emergency notifications, and tune in to local media reports, from radio, television or social media.

To report a faulty siren please call 254-1500 or email mkennon@casscoia.us. In your message please include location of the siren and a description of the issues you believe are occurring.

To register for the Cass County Emergency Notification System, go to links located on the Cass County homepage (http://www.casscountyiowa.us/) or the Cass County EMA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CassCoEMA). If you need assistance, please contact Mike Kennon, Cass County Emergency Management Agency Coordinator at 712-243-1500.

Riverside Community School District Superintendent Tim Mitchell report the District has been approved for Free Meals During the COVID-19 School Closure. Meals (Breakfast and Lunch) are available at four distribution points each school day from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM.  If someone wants a meal delivered, please call 712-249-7312 and meals can be delivered to your home.  The cost of meals is Free for all children in the Riverside Community School District ages birth to 18 years of age. This is a “Grab and Go Service”. Menus will consist of a fully reimbursable meal.

The four distribution centers are:

• Oakland Elementary School-Door F-East Door on North Side of Building
• Riverside Middle/High School-Front Doors
• Carson Elementary School-Door C on West side of building
• Post Office in Macedonia on Main Street-School Vehicle will be park on Main Street

On Monday March 23, 2020– School Meal Distribution-Riverside will transition to once per week distribution-Monday of each week.  All children Birth to 18 years of age will receive enough food to have 5 Breakfasts and 5 Lunches for the entire week on Monday.