Cass County Health System officials Wednesday (Today) announced the arrival of the first baby of 2021. Gavin Leo arrived January 4, 2021. The CCHS Obstetrics team presented the family with a baby blanket and a year’s supply of diapers.
Pictured (L to R): dad Alex holding Gavin and mom Emily. (Photo courtesy CCHS)
(Radio Iowa) – Hundreds of students, parents and alumni are asking Luther College in Decorah to wait longer before returning to in-person instruction. The college announced this week students must return to campus to attend classes in-person starting Monday, unless they have a documented condition that puts them at a high risk for complications from COVID-19. Madeline Lomprey, a senior at Luther, says the college should allow more time to identify infections among students who were traveling or going out over the holidays. Lomprey says, “For me, I wouldn’t go out to the bar, but I see pictures almost every weekend on social media of people that are.”
According to Lomprey, around 13-hundred people — including nearly 40-percent of students — have signed a petition. It calls on Luther to keep classes online for the remaining three weeks of the semester. Lomprey says she’s worried other students returning from the year-end break could unknowingly bring the virus back to campus. “It only takes a few minutes for that to spread if you’re all sitting in the same room,” she says. “We really need to be more proactive than just waiting for those indicators to rise again.”
A college spokesperson said in a statement that local COVID numbers are now similar to October when students studied in-person, adding, the college will soon add more testing on campus.
(By Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)
More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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Jim Field visits with ISU Extension Farm Management Specialist Patrick Hatting about the “Annie’s Project” program being offered January 14-February 18 in Adair County.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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Officials with the Creston Police Department report 23-year-old James Riddle, Jr., of Creston, was arrested a little after 6-a.m. today (Wednesday), for Driving While Suspended. Riddle was cited and released from the scene, on a Summons to Appear.
(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Tourism Office has created a checklist for traveling along Iowa’s 12 scenic byways and the so-called “digital passport” provides some discounts along the way. “As you travel the byways, you can check in at various locations along the way,” says Jessica O’Riley, communications manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. “There’s about 100 different locations along the 12 participating byways. Each check-in gets you entered to win a monthly prize package. Some of the participating locations also offer deals and discounts. Each time you redeem a deal or discounts, that also counts as an entry into the monthly prize package.”
The promotion will last through December 31, 2021, so each month somebody with one of these Scenic Byways Passports will win a prize package worth about two-hundred dollars, including an overnight, stay along one of the byways. The 12 scenic bylaws take travelers to national landmarks, historic sites and local attractions. The best way to see Iowa is to get off the interstates and explore the backroads and uncover those hidden gems in the small towns,” O’Riley says. “The Scenic Byways are a great way to do that.”
O’Riley says the byways also showcase the state’s topography. “A lot of people tend to stay in one corner of the state…If you’re in western Iowa and you can appreciate the Loess Hill, maybe you’ve never seen the Driftless area in northeast Iowa,” O’Riley says. “It’s a great opportunity to get out and really explore our own backyard.” This summer, the state launched a similar digital for the 100th anniversary of the state park system and O’Riley says it was so popular all the prizes were redeemed within the first two weeks. O’Riley’s theory? People like a check-list. “If you show them: ‘Here’s a list of things to do,’ people love checking things off and completing a task,” O’Riley says.
Download the Iowa Scenic Byways Passport here. January’s prize package is from the Iowa Valley Scenic Byway. It includes a one-night stay at the Hotel Millwright in Amana and gift certificates at Amana shops.
The Iowa Department of Public Health today (as of 10-a.m., Wednesday), reports there have been 2,785 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19 in test results received since 10-a.m. Tuesday, for a pandemic total to-date, of 289,464, and 61 additional deaths, for a total to date of 4,060.There was one death reported in each of Cass, Adams, Audubon, Madison, Montgomery and Shelby Counties. Of Iowa’s pandemic-related deaths, COVID-19 is reported as the underlying cause for 3,722 deaths, and a contributing factor to 338 deaths.
The Iowa DPH today (Tuesday) reports 91 COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care facilities in the state (9 less than previously reported). Those outbreaks account for 3,560 of Iowa’s current positive cases. COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care facilities account for 1,139 of the state’s total deaths. Health officials say 2,296 LTC patients/staff have recovered from the virus.
Iowa DPH reports hospitalizations are up from 582 Tuesday, to 604 today. There are: 116 patients in an ICU; 125 were admitted to hospitals (compared to 69 Tuesday), and 54 patients are on ventilators. Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa (RMCC Region 4) report: 38 hospitalized (3 less than Tues.); 12 are in an ICU (down 2 from Tues.); 5 people were admitted to a hospital (up 2 from previous), and 7 people are on a ventilator (unchanged from previous report).
According to the state’s website, 1,375,681 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19, to-date. Iowa’s average reported positivity rate for the last 14-days jumped from 13.4% Tuesday to 14.1%, today. The health department says 249,867 Iowans have recovered from COVID-19.
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:
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