AMES, Iowa – May 28, 2021 – From Abingdon to Zwingle, the newly released 2021-2022 Iowa Transportation Map will get you where you want to go within the borders of our beautiful land.

The Iowa Department of Transportation recently released the 2021-2022 Iowa Transportation Map in the standard fold-out paper form and it’s now available at Iowa DOT’s driver’s license service centers, county treasurer’s offices, all six Iowa DOT district offices, Iowa’s welcome centers, and the state’s rest areas. The electronic version to view, print, and download is available at www.iowadot.gov/maps along with a mobile app version and a link to order the map.

The map shows all highways, airports, rail lines, lakes, rivers, and major county roads. Detail maps are shown for the state’s 16 largest cities that identify highways, major streets, and city boundaries. The map information also includes a chart to find mileage between select Iowa cities; and an index listing the cities shown on the map, along with their populations and map location.

Because the transportation system is always changing, the Iowa DOT makes several hundred changes to the map with each printing. While the map is printed every two years, the online and mobile app versions are updated annually.

Officials with the Creston Fire Department said Friday, there were no fatalities following an explosion that resulted in a fire at an apartment building. KCCI reports firefighters were called to 122 Manor Dr. at about 9 a.m. Friday. Authorities confirmed three people were injured during the incident. Two of the injured were taken by air to a local hospital. An early theory Creston Fire officials have presented, is that a person living in the apartment was on oxygen and smoking at the time.

Firefighters told KCCI they helped residents evacuate through exits and windows.

DES MOINES, Iowa – In partnership with the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office, the Division of Criminal Investigation’s Iowa Missing Person Clearinghouse is seeking the public’s assistance in locating missing and endangered person Xavior Harrelson. Xavior is a 10-year-old boy who went missing from Montezuma, Iowa, and was last seen on Thursday, May 27, 2021. At the time of his last sighting, he was wearing a red T-shirt, blue pajama pants and black high-top shoes. Please see Xavior’s description below:

The Atlantic Fire Department responded to Atlantic Specialty Care (1300 E. 19^th Street), Friday morning, following a report of smoke inside the building. The fire page went out at 8:28-a.m. Atlantic Firefighter/EMT Gene Schmelling told KJAN News that a fan belt on a roof-top air handling piece of equipment got hot and the rubber started to smoke, but there was no fire.

No one was injured.

(Atlantic) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting Friday morning,in Atlantic, during which Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken reported the Secondary Roads Department is finished hauling contract rock for the fiscal year, they have received their first delivery of project pipe, and the new excavator has arrived and is at the shop to be prepped for use. In other business, the Supervisors voted to appoint Trevor Becker, of Cumberland, to fill a position on the Cass County Zoning Board of Adjustment. His term will conclude December 31^st, 2025.

Supervisor Steve Green discussed Cyber Security Services designed to protect the County’s digital infrastructure from hackers, ransomeware and malware attacks, in light of recent attacks on the State of Iowa’s software, and other government agencies around the country.

Thursday night, Green said, “The U-S Government got attacked through Microsoft e-mail.” Green says he spoke with the County’s insurance agent, Kip Harris, who warned “It’s not a matter of if [an attack will occur], it’s a matter of when.

The two-part service he spoke of about cost $16,570 per year. The Board approved an appropriation for the package, which includes the providers working with Microsoft for an enhanced license.

They also agreed to accept funds that will be made available through the American Rescue Plan Allocation. Across the country, the ARP will deliver $350 billion for eligible state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments to respond to the COVID-19 emergency and bring back jobs. The funds may not be used to reduce property taxes, but are intended to provide substantial flexibility for each government to meet local needs—including support for households, small businesses, impacted industries, essential workers, and the communities hardest hit by the crisis. The funds can also be used to make necessary investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.

The Board, Friday, passed a Resolution increasing operating transfers and amending expense appropriations for FY 2021, following a review of the FY 21 Cass County Budget. Auditor Dale Sunderman read the resolution as approved.

Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon reported to the Board the final allocation of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) for law enforcement, first responders, public health, and the hospital and long-term care facilities, will be available for pickup by him in Council Bluffs this coming Tuesday.

The Board’s next meeting is 9-a.m. June 8^th.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, as of 10-a.m. today (Friday), said there were 158 new COVID-19 positive tests reported over the previous 24-hours, and three additional deaths. The health department reported 401,590 total positive tests, and 6,047 total deaths since the start of the pandemic, including 2,364 at Long-Term Care facilities. Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is 2.6%. The 7-day average is down to 2.2%.

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 is at its lowest level in more than a year. IDPH reports there are 111 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. That’s the lowest number reported since early April of 2020. Iowa reports 25 patients in ICU, also the lowest number reported since early April. 19 COVID patients were admitted, and 12 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (hospitals in western & southwest Iowa), there are: seven patients hospitalized with COVID or symptoms of the virus; two people with COVID are in an ICU; There were two people admitted, and once for the second day in a row, no one on a ventilator.

There remain three long-term care facilities that are reporting active COVID-19 outbreaks, with a total of 22 positive cases among patients/staff at the those facilities, and six persons who have recovered from the virus. Health department data shows 1,342,686 people have completed a vaccine series in Iowa. There have been 2,743,101 total doses administered. The five state-operated Test Iowa drive-thru sites and the State Hygienic Lab will be closed on Monday, May 31, for the Memorial Day holiday.

In the immediate KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County (since the beginning of the pandemic) and the total number of deaths (Since the beginning of the pandemic) in each county to date:
Cass, 1,473 cases; 54 deaths
Adair, 991; 32
Adams, 353; 4
Audubon, 537; 10
Guthrie, 1,307; 32
Harrison County, 1,932; 73
Madison County, 1,781; 19
Mills County, 1,795; 23
Montgomery, 1,113; 38
Pottawattamie County, 12,299;171
Shelby County, 1,372; 37
Union County, 1,371; 34

The Iowa State Patrol has identified a woman killed after she was struck by a vehicle while walking on Interstate 80 Thursday. The State Patrol crash reports show 32-year-old Cara Gethman, of Des Moines, was killed at approximately 4:16 a.m.   She was struck by a 2006 Pontiac G6 that was merging onto westbound I-80 near mile marker 142 in Altoona.  Sgt. Alex Dinkla told KCCI “After the driver merged and was onto the travel portion of the Interstate, he unintentionally struck a female pedestrian that was walking on the interstate.”

Gethman was pronounced dead at the scene. The Iowa State Patrol continues to investigate the crash.

Firefighters from Avoca and Shelby were responding at a reported SUV fire on the shoulder of Interstate 80 westbound, at about mile marker 37. The call went out at 9:04-a.m. for a fire involving a Ford Explorer. Initial reports indicated the fire started on the undercarriage of the occupied vehicle, and that other motorists were assisted the occupants out of the SUV. The vehicle was said to be fully engulfed in flames as of 9:14-a.m.

Additional details are currently not available.