The Cass County Board of Supervisors are set to meet both in-person and electronically on Friday (Feb. 26), beginning at 9-a.m.  On their agenda is a Public Hearing on the FY 2022 Maximum Property Tax Dollars, followed later, by action on passing a Resolution setting the FY 22 Maximum Tax Dollars, and the setting of a date for a Public Hearing on the FY22 Cass County Budget.

In other business, the Board will act on approving the appointment of a Sheriff’s Deputy, an additional member to the Cass County Local Foods Policy Council, and members to the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Zoning Commission. The appointees must be rural residents.

The Supervisors will act on approving Property Tax Exemptions (for Impoundment structures, Open Prairies, etc.) in accordance with the Code of Iowa (Chapter 427), and for Jan. 1, 2021 assessments, and, they are scheduled to receive regular reports from the County Engineer, as well as the Cass County Mental Health/General Relief Coordinator.

During their meeting last week, the Board approved a Class C Liquor License with Outdoor Sales and Sunday Sales privilege of Griswold Golf and Country Club. They also discusses how to handle leave, as it relates to COVID-19. Board Chair Steve Baier stated he had directed the payroll administration staff that starting with the pay period beginning Feb. 16th, all leave taken by an employee due to the coronavirus is to be tracked and charged to accumulated paid time off (beginning with sick leave).

Other related items, including working remotely if essential duties could be performed away from the courthouse, were discussed, but no official action was taken.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Ames say an autopsy shows the death last month of a 21-year-old woman outside an Iowa State University sorority house was caused by acute alcohol intoxication and hypothermia. Emergency responders found the body of Olivia Chutich on the ground in the parking lot of the Delta Delta Delta Sorority the morning of Jan. 22. Chutich was the daughter of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich and Allina Health CEO Penny Wheeler.

Investigators have said Chutich was last seen late the night before she was found and believe she had been lying in the parking lot for several hours before she was found. No foul play is suspected.

The Iowa Department of Public Heath, Wednesday, at 10-a.m., reported an additional 796 positive COVID-19 test results returned from the labs since Tuesday, for a pandemic total of 361,074. There were 15 additional deaths reported, for a total of 5,415. The coronavirus dashboard shows one additional death in Madison County, where the pandemic total is now 18.

Health officials say Underlying Causes deaths amount to 4,862. The IDPH says 553 deaths listed COVID as a contributing factor, while Long-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths accounted for 2,149  of the total number of deaths. Long-Term Care facility COVID-Outbreaks are unchanged from at 20. Positive cases at LTC’s account for 523 of the total number of positive results, while 355 patients/staff at those facilities have recovered from COVID.

Hospitalizations are up once again. The IDPH said as of Wednesday, there were 233 persons hospitalized with COVID, compared to 227 on Tuesday. COVID patients in an ICU are down slightly, to 57. There have been 52 COVID patients admitted to hospitals across the State (compared to 30, Tuesday), and there are 23 patients on a ventilator. Hospitals in Western & Southwest Iowa report: 14 people are hospitalized; six COVID patients are in an ICU, two people were admitted, and there was no one on a ventilator.

Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate as of Wednesday is 4.1%, while the 7-day average is 4.0%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,321 cases; {+6}; 48 deaths
• Adair, 911; {+0}; 26
• Adams, 325 {+0}; 4
• Audubon, 482 {+0}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,160 {+3}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,787; {+2}; 69
• Madison County, 1,531; {+11}; 18
• Mills County, 1,619; {+4}; 20
• Montgomery, 1,036; {+0}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 10,678; {+12}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,197; {+5}; 33
• Union County,  1,259; {+3}; 31

(O’FALLON, Mo.) — Officials with O’Fallon, Missouri-based Air Evac Lifeteam have announced they are increasing their  emergency air medical coverage in Iowa, by adding a new air medical base in Clarinda. The base, scheduled to open in April, will be located on the campus of Clarinda Regional Health Center, a 25-bed critical access hospital in Page County. Chuck Nordyke, CEO of Clarinda Regional Health Center, said he is excited to welcome Air Evac Lifeteam to the community. “Our EMS group is phenomenal, but the fact is that we’re very rural, and having air transport capabilities is another step in advancing exceptional care,” he said. “Our patients are our neighbors, families and friends, and this helicopter is needed in our community.”

CRHC had been without a medical helicopter on the pad since May, 2020, when officials with LifeNet pulled the LifeNet 2/3 Helicopter because reimbursement models for Medicare were not sustainable for continued operations at CRHC. LifeNet began operations at its Clarinda base in 2012 as part of an agreement between CRHC and Air Methods.

Brandon Buckman, program director for the Air Evac Lifeteam base, said the base will serve residents within a 70-mile radius. Each crew consists of a nurse, paramedic and pilot. The base brings 15 full-time jobs to the area, including pilots, medical crews, and an aviation maintenance technician. “Our crews are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide access to a higher level of care for patients who have a life- or limb-threatening medical injury or illness,” Buckman said. “We are excited to work with local EMS agencies, first responders and hospital employees. Our mission is to provide access to a higher level of emergency healthcare.”

The company currently operates 142 air medical bases in 15 states. Air Evac Lifeteam is a participating provider in the AirMedCare Network (AMCN), the nation’s largest air medical transport membership program with more than 320 air medical locations across 38 states. Members flown for a life- or limb-threatening injury or illness by an AMCN participating provider have no out-of-pocket costs for the flight. Whatever the member’s insurance – or third-party insurance – pays is considered payment in full. Annual household memberships start at $85.

(Radio Iowa) – The extreme cold created another roadblock for blood banks, and they are now hoping to catch up. LifeServe Blood Center spokesperson, Danielle West, says the weather overall has not been kind. “We canceled blood drives because of the snow accumulation a couple of weeks ago. And then last we saw quite a few donations fall off of the calendar because of the really cold temperatures,” West says. “We are hoping to boost the blood supply back up now that we are seeing some warmer temps.”

Lifeserve is part of the American Association of Blood Banks — and West says the impact has hit across the country. “If other areas are in need — like Texas for example because of all the winter weather they’ve had — they are looking for blood products. And if we have enough to share, we would help them as well,” according to West. “So we are hoping, number one that we can support our community hospitals, and then hopefully help areas like Texas that are in need right now.”

West says there are some people who are still worried about going out because of the pandemic — and they understand that. “We are all wearing masks, we’re all social distancing, so we are making it a very safe place for people to come. We’ve definitely seen less blood donors come out because of the pandemic,” West says, “I know some people are still fearful of coming out to do something like this. We make sure that they are safe from the minute they enter our facility until the minute they leave.” She says they have seen the pandemic spur some people to try donating blood. West says only a small percentage of the population actually donates blood and they encourage people to do it. “We’ve seen a lot of first-time donors through the pandemic that I think wanted to find a way to give back — and this is what they decided to do — which is great,” West says.

West says they are asking you to make an appointment to donate. She says you can go to lifeservebloodcenter.org and find a place to donate, or you can give them a call at 800-287-4903. West says they can answer any questions you might have about donating during the pandemic. LifeServe Blood Center provides blood and blood products to more than 120 hospitals located across Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.