Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Tuesday (Today), said the increases in positive cases of COVID-19 over the last several weeks has resulted in an increased use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), but “thanks to months of procurement and ongoing monitoring and management, Iowa’s PPE stockpile is strong. Jacob Nicholson, a Response Division administrator for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division (HSEMD), said Iowa analyzed trends in the statewide usage rates and monitored shortages in the supply chain, and the State is well positioned to meet the needs for PPE in the months to come.

(He said gloves and disposable gowns have been in demand, but there is still a 16 months supply of gloves and 18 months supply of gowns in the stockpile, ready to be dispersed.)

In addition, the State has executed contracts with suppliers for those high demand items, with resupply shipments scheduled to be delivered to the HSEMD warehouse every month for the next seven months.

(He said as of this week, the State has completed 2,557 deliveries of PPE and other necessary supplies, totaling 15.7-million individual items.)

Most recently, he said, they’ve worked in partnership with County Emergency Management Coordinators in Pottawattamie, Union and five other Counties, to established seven PPE hubs, or nodes, across the State.

Nicholson says their PPE distribution model will enable requests for supplies to be filled more rapidly than ever before.

Officials with the City of Atlantic said Tuesday (Today), the Atlantic City Hall/Police Department will continue to be closed to the public until December 13^th, at which time the closure will be re-evaluated.  If you need something, please call 243-3512 (for non-emergencies) to reach the police department, and 243-4810 to reach city hall.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer says despite these “trying” times, they are striving to find some normalcy for the children of the County. “This is why,” he said, “we are still continuing our OPERATION BLESSING program this year.”

The Page County Reserve Program started Operation Blessing in the mid 1980’s to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County had the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for well over 30 years. This year the Sheriff’s Office and Reserve program will continue this tradition of ensuring that children in Page County receive a gift for Christmas. In these times, the program is adapting. Sheriff Palmer says “We will be delivering gifts but the delivery system will be slightly different and is still being “fine tuned”.

From November 27th through December 19th 2020, the Page County Sheriff’s Office is taking gift requests for Operation Blessing. The Page County Sheriff’s Office program will cover children in the communities of Shambaugh, Braddyville, College Springs, Yorktown, Coin, Blanchard, Northboro, and Hepburn as well as the rural areas, of Page County. Ages of children covered by this program are Birth up to 15 years of age and be a resident of the above mentioned areas of Page County. The requests must come from a parent or guardian of the child and can be called into the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 712-542-5193, or reported in person by the parent or guardian at the Page County Sheriff’s Office located at 323 N 15th Street in Clarinda.

Palmer says “We strongly encourage the phone calls versus the in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Again requests will be taken from Friday November 27, 2020, through Saturday December 19, 2020. Each child will be given a first and second choice. It is suggested that a toy and clothing be requested.” Anyone wishing to donate money to the Page County Sheriff’s Office Operation Blessing program can either stop by the Page County Sheriff’s Office or mail the monetary donation to the Page County Sheriff’s Office at 323 North 15th Clarinda, Iowa, 51632. Monetary donations are taken year round at the Office.

The Sheriff says “I would once again like to thank everyone for their donations and support of the program throughout the years, for without monetary donations, this program would not be able to continue. I wish to also thank our staff at the Sheriff’s Office / Jail for their assistance in everything they do with this program. They go above and beyond with the call taking, shopping, wrapping and organization of this program. They along with the organizations, businesses, and individuals who donate make this program a success every year. THANK YOU!!!
May everyone have a joy filled and safe Holiday season.”

Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc. is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of organic romaine hearts sold in 15 states, including Iowa. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the products being recalled are Dole Organic Romaine Hearts 3pk (UPC 0-71430-90061-1), combined English/French packaging, with Harvested-On dates of 10-23-20 and 10-26-20, and Wild Harvest Organic Romaine Hearts (UPC 7-11535-50201-2), with Harvested-On dates of 10-23-20 and 10-26-20.

The FDA said the recall is being conducted due to a possible health risk from E. coli in the two products. Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials. Consumers are advised to check products they have in their homes and discard any product matching the production description, UPC codes and Harvested-On dates listed (above).

No illnesses have been reported to date in association with the recall.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A panel has determined that a white Iowa police officer who shot and paralyzed a Black man during a 2016 traffic stop will not get his job back. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the city’s Civil Service Commission on Monday voted not to reinstate Officer Lucas Jones. His attorney says an appeal is planned. Jones was fired in June, but not for the 2016 incident in which critics say he unfairly pulled over and needlessly shot a fleeing Jerime Mitchell. He was fired over his handling of a traffic stop two days before he shot Mitchell in which he gave a Black female motorist a major break.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported 143 nursing homes with coronavirus outbreaks, and thousands of residents have tested positive for the virus. The state Department of Public Health says more than 4,500 residents of care center are infected with the virus. State data shows 1,008 residents of long-term care facilities have died with COVID-19 in the past eight months. The deteriorating situation for nursing homes is reflective of overall virus trends in Iowa, which on Tuesday reported 18 additional deaths.

More than 500 people with COVID-19 have died in Iowa so far this month and 2,224 overall. In the past 24 hours as of Tuesday morning, there were 3,860 additional confirmed cases.

(9-a.m. News) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. Early today (Tuesday), 35-year old Shane Scott Oliver, of Omaha, was arrested on a warrant for providing false identification, and interference with official acts. He was also arrested on a Fremont County warrant for Interference with official acts. Total bond for Oliver was set at $900. And, 36-year old Travis Mitchell Long, of Honey Creek, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear on a Burglary in the 3rd Degree, charge. His bond was set at $7,500.

Monday afternoon, 32-year old Bobby Brice Horn, of Maryville, MO., was arrested at the Bulter County, MO., Sheriff’s Office, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $7,500.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing Wednesday on the Northwest Wind Farm Urban Renewal Plan (URP). The hearing is part of their regular meeting that begins at 9-a.m. in the courtroom at the Adair County Courthouse, in Greenfield.(The public may attend via dial-in at (605)-313-6157 and using access code 526272#)

In addition to the public hearing on a proposed Amendment (#2) to the URP, the Board will act on a Resolution “determining an area of the County to be an economic development area, and that the rehabilitation, conservation, redevelopment, development or combination” of those options, in said area, “is necessary in the interest of the public health, safety or welfare of the residents of the County,” and designating the area as appropriate for urban renewal projects, as well as adopting the Amendment number 2 to the Adair County Northwest Wind Farm URP.

The Board will also consider an Ordinance for the “division of revenues,” for “Amendment #2 to the Adair County Northwest Wind Farm” URP. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors will hear a report from County Auditor Mandy Berg, and Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Kempf, who will present his preliminary FY22 Emergency Management budget discussion.