(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.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office the November General Election will feature at least one contested township race. Keith Nelson filed nomination papers Wednesday for the Edna Township Trustee (non-partisan) position. Earlier, we told you Dan Schrier had also filed for the same post. The General Election filing deadline is Friday, March 20th.

Officials with First Whitney Bank & Trust, in Atlantic, said Thursday (today), “Is committed to the health and safety of our customers and employees. Coronavirus (COV-19) presents a unique challenge to all of us and we have business continuity plans in place to continue serving our customers during these times. Effective [today] March 19, 2020, [FNB] lobbies will be closed until further notice.”

The bank asks that you “Please utilize the Drive-Up facilities at both [the] Main and Branch Banks. [There] is also have an array of technology available at your fingertips. This includes on-line banking with bill-pay, mobile banking with mobile deposit and ATM access.” A secure letter drop is also available during business hours. Any other banking needs may be addressed over the phone. If you are not enrolled in any of their on-line services, call 712-243-3195 or visit www.firstwhitneybank.com.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds is asking Iowa families who’re returning to the state after spring break elsewhere to check the guidelines set up to try to contain the spread of COVID-19. “Check the CDC’s website to see if you’re been traveling in an affected area,” Reynolds says. “If so, you should follow the CDC and Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines to self-isolate at home for 14 days before returning to your normal routine.”

Most every college or university in the state has shifted to online classes for the rest of the academic year. College students returning from break may face a new deadline for retrieving their items from university-owned housing if they have not yet done so. Reynolds posted a brief video online late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, outlining the closures she’s ordered. “As I’ve said, we all have a role to play and now is when our actions matter the most,” Reynolds says. “By working together, we can slow the spread of the virus and reduce its impact on Iowa and the nation. We can do this.”

Reynolds is scheduled to hold a news conference at 3 p.m. today (Thursday).

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

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(Radio Iowa) — Pella’s three-day “Tulip Time” festival in early May has been cancelled. The annual festival, which started in 1935, has only been cancelled once before, back in 1946. Valerie Van Kooten is executive director of the Pella Historical Society and Museums. “It is disappointing,” she says, “and it was the product of a couple of weeks of meetings and talking and watching.”

She says after the warnings about group gatherings from the Centers for Disease Control and the Iowa Department of Public Health, cancelling was the right decision for Pella residents as well as the volunteers, visitors and vendors who would be involved in Tulip Time activities. Cindi Atkins, chair of the event’s steering committee, says with this advance notice, vendors may be able to cancel purchases of the food and other items they’d hoped to sell during Tulip Time. “That might potentially reduce the amount of money they will lose,” she says, “although it’s going to be a financial hardship for so many.”

She is encouraging residents in the Pella area to shop local and support the churches and non-profit groups in the area that depend on Tulip Time revenue. The annual springtime celebration of Dutch culture HAD been scheduled for May 7th, 8th and 9th this year. In 2017, a record-breaking crowd of 200-thousand visited Pella during the festival’s three-day run.