A traffic stop early Wednesday morning at Highway 59 and Frank Kearney Street, in Oakland, resulted in an arrest. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 24-year-old Tiffani Michelle Jerdon, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 2:45-a.m., for OWI/1st offense.

Two people were arrested on drug charges Wednesday afternoon, in Creston. Authorities says 21-year-old Demarco K Collins, of Dekalb, IL, and 20-year-old Devin J. Lacy, of Riverdale, IL, were arrested at 804 W. Taylor Street, in Creston. Both were charged with Possession for Controlled Substance/1st Offense. They were cited and each released on a Promise to Appear in court.

The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa reports a man from Carroll who possessed a gun after a previous attempted burglary conviction in 2019, was sentenced Tuesday in Sioux City, to more than 2 years in federal prison. Officials say 19-year-old Buomkuoth Lol received the prison term after an August 24, 2020, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. At the guilty plea, Lol admitted on May 8, 2020 he possessed a gun and .40 caliber ammunition.  Lol admitted to knowing he was prohibited from possessing guns after being convicted of attempted burglary in Buena Vista County on November 5, 2019.

Lol was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system. Lol is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (as of 10-a.m. Thursday) reports 1,708 new positive COVID-19 cases since Wednesday. The IDPH said there have been 51 additional deaths since 10-a.m. Wednesday, for a total to-date, of 4,445. Long-Term Care facility deaths are up to 1,829.  In southwest Iowa, one additional death was reported in each of Cass, Montgomery, Pottawattamie, Shelby and Union Counties.

The health department reports 309,277 total Positive cases, and 271,950 total recoveries since the pandemic began. Positivity rates continue to decline in Iowa. The 14-day Positivity rate declined from 11.6% Wednesday to 11.3% today. The 7-day positivity rate is holding steady at 8.5%. State data shows 1,435,643 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19. Iowa Department of Public Health hospitalization data does not appear to have updated in the last 24 hours on the state’s website.

The number of long-term care facilities reporting COVID-19 outbreaks remain at 71. The state reports 1,934 positive cases and 1,075 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities.

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, 1,147 cases; {+14}; 43 deaths
• Adair, 691; {+3}; 20
• Adams, 297; {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 416; {+0}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,035 {+5}; 24
• Harrison County, 1,570; {+17}; 62
• Madison County, 1,214; {+11}; 9
• Mills County, 1,375; {+11}; 16
• Montgomery, 870; {+11}; 24
• Pottawattamie County, 9,066; {+74}; 114
• Shelby County, 1036; {+4}; 27
• Union County,  1,099; {+11}; 23

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is urging Americans to respect the country’s Constitutional system — and its new commander-in-chief. “Like four years ago, I know that many Americans are not happy with how it turned out,” Grassley said. “…I hope we can retire #resist.” Grassley delivered brief remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon. Grassley said as a responsible senator, he has to engage with the administration that’s in office. “As I have with every president, I will seek to find common ground with President Biden wherever possible,” Grassley said, ” but I will strongly oppose policies that I think are not good for Iowa or all Americans.”

Grassley and Biden served together in the senate for 28 years. Grassley has held public office since 1959, over the course of a dozen presidencies. “In our country, nobody is obliged to like or support a president, but hopefully people will really respect the office of the presidency,” Grassley said, “regardless of who holds it.”

Grassley is no longer third in line to the presidency. For the past two years, Grassley has served as the senate president pro tem, but a Democrat transitioned into that role yesterday (Wednesday). The position is occupied by the longest-serving senator from the party that holds a majority in the Senate. Late Wednesday afternoon, three new senators were sworn into office, giving Democrats a working majority in the U.S. Senate.