DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — More than three dozen people have been charged in St. Louis County, Minnesota, in connection with a Chicago-based drug trafficking ring that operated throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Duluth police say this week’s coordinated drug bust led to 35 arrests in Minnesota — from Rochester in the southern part of the state to the Iron Range in the north. An additional five men in state prisons were also charged, and more arrests are possible. Police said they seized more than 1,200 grams of meth and 500 grams of heroin and fentanyl.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University researcher has helped show that a new skin test can identify Parkinson’s disease. Anumantha Kanthasamy has been conducting research into Parkinson’s Disease for more than 20 years and he says one of the challenges has been the lack of a test that can detect the disease in early stages. “Even for other neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s, we don’t have one,” he says, “so I think that’s where the excitement is.”

Parkinson’s Disease is currently diagnosed when a patient shows symptoms. However, it’s often mis-diagnosed in its early stages, preventing patients from getting the full benefits of clinical trials. Using the same method as a test that detects mad cow disease, this new skin test can identify clumps of proteins that are the hallmarks of Parkinson’s. Kanthasamy says the research team is getting a federal grant money to conduct another trial with a larger set of patients to validate the findings from its study with 50 patients. “In 3-5 years I’m very confident that we shall have a test that could be approved or at least neurologists could say this can be used or not be in the toolbox,” he says.

The initial study of this skin test for Parkinson’s has been published in a medical journal. Kanthasamy, who is the study’s lead author, says by getting confirmation earlier, patients could benefit from medications that may slow down the progression of the disease. He also says the skin test could be used to monitor how well medications are working — all of which will advance treatment for Parkinson’s.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced the release, Thursday, of a new software program, called Track-Kit, that allows the tracking of rape kits following an assault. “You can track it from the hospital to law enforcement to the testing lab and back to law enforcement,” Miller says. “We think this is really important to add trust and transparency to this system.”

Miller says the state is clearing up a backlog of untested kits and this will ensure the backlog doesn’t happen again as there are an estimated 15-hundred users at medical facilities, law enforcement agencies, crime laboratories, and county attorney’s offices. Shannon Knudsen is a sexual assault nurse examiner with the Mid-Iowa Sexual Assault response team. “This has been really significant for us as medical examiners because we are able to complete the circle as far as assuring patients that their kits are collected appropriately. Letting them know that they can track their kit throughout the process,” Knudsen says.

Shannon Knudsen

She says this gives them confidence they can trust the system. “Prior to this, we were able to tell them that we collected the kit and they may not hear anything further until sometimes a year later as far as where their kit is,” Knudsen says. “And now we are able to tell them that their kits will be processed in a much more timely matter — it’s really critical.” Knudsen says it’s also important to have a way for victims to keep up with the process. “If something isn’t happening with their kit that they thought would be — they can check on that and follow that and say ‘hey, what’s going on?'”

The program provides a secure portal to track the progress of their kit through the collection and analysis process, and also provides local sexual assault resources and contact information. The system allows survivors to contact law enforcement if they change their decision to participate in an investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – State Fire Marshal Dan Wood says there have been fewer fire fatalities in Iowa so far this year compared to 2019. “Fire deaths are down. This time last year, we had 43 fire deaths in Iowa where right now we have 28,” Wood says. “Of course, I’d like to have zero, but having 28 at this time instead of 43 like we did last year, that’s definitely an improvement.”

Wood says the state fire marshal’s office has been called upon to investigate fewer fires this year as well. State law does not require fire departments to report structure fires to the Fire Marshal’s office, but many do. The state fire marshal says most house fires that lead to a fatality are in homes that do not have a working smoke detector.  “With the Daylight Saving Time coming, we always encourage both in the spring and in the fall when you change your clock, change the batteries in your smoke detectors,” Wood says.

Sunday, November 1st is the start of Daylight Saving Time — when clocks “fall back” an hour. The State Fire Marshal’s website indicates the total number of fires has been decreasing nationally, but the rate of fire-caused deaths has not. The State Fire Marshal says that’s partly due to modern trends, like open spaces and the use of building materials that cause fires to spread more quickly.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa hospitals have the resources to manage this month’s surge in Covid patient admissions. On Wednesday evening, the state’s coronavirus tracker indicated 530 Covid patients were being treated in an Iowa hospital. That’s 44 percent more than a month ago and higher than in any previous month of the pandemic. Reynolds says about 10 percent of Iowa hospital patients have Covid and she says hospital executives have assured her they have enough ventilators and space in intensive care units to handle current case loads.

The state tracker indicates there are Covid outbreaks at 69 nursing homes and more than 18-hundred Iowa nursing home residents currently have Covid.

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (Friday), reports (as of 10-a.m.), 23 additional deaths attributed to the virus, and 1,581 new, Positive cases of COVID-19, as confirmed by State Labs. The total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic amount to 1,617. Officials say 1,073 deaths have been attributed to pre-existing medical/health conditions. Harrison, Montgomery and Union Counties each have one more COVID-related death.

Health officials say 7,209 test results were returned over the past 24-hours, Thursday, with 6,137 coming back Negative, and 1,026 returned as Positive. The total number of tests completed thus far is 924,781, with 810,565 total Negative results and 112,555 total Positive results. The individual positivity rate is 12.2%, and the statewide 14-day rolling average is 9.9%. Harrison County has the highest 14 day positive average, at nearly 24% (23.8). In Cass County, the 14-day rate is 21%.

The IDPH says 86,527 Iowans have recovered from COVID-19. In the KJAN listening area, there are: 11 more positive cases of the virus in Cass County, for a total of 360; 62 more cases in Pottawattamie County; Harrison County has an additional 32 cases, there are nine new cases in Mills County, and eight more in Shelby County. Other counties have five or less cases added to their totals. (See the chart below).

Statewide, hospitalizations are up to 536 (compared to 530 on Thursday). There is one less person in an ICU, at 134. Patients admitted to a hospital since Thursday, number 78 (compared to 85 previously), and 49 persons on a ventilator (compared to 53, Thursday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report: 42 hospitalized (compared to 45 yesterday); 15 in an ICU (compared to 13 previously); three people were admitted, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care facility (LTC) stats show: 69 facilities have outbreaks (one-less than on Thursday); 1,853 patients/staff at those facilities tested positive for COVID-19 (compared to 1,783 Thursday); Patients/staff who have recovered at LTC’s amount to 752, and those who have died number 799. That’s nine more than reported on Thursday.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 360 cases {+11}; 249 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 152 {+4}; 69; 1
• Adams, 72 {+2}; 36; 0
• Audubon, 140; 83; 1
• Guthrie, 376 {+2); 239; 15
• Harrison County, 629 {+32}; 247; 9
• Madison County, 353 {+7}; 225; 2
• Mills County, 361 {+9}; 182; 1
• Montgomery, 162 {+2}; 140; 6
• Pottawattamie County, 3,118 {+62]; 2,289; 44
• Shelby County, 360 {+8}; 313; 1
• Union County,  223 {+5}; 201; 4

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Thursday, said “Due to health & safety concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Clarinda Police Department WILL NOT be conducting the ‘Operation Blessing’ Program this year.” Brother said also, “This was a difficult decision to make, but the right one during this unprecedented situation.”

Operation Blessing was started in the mid 1980s by the Page County Reserve Deputies to ensure that every child in the rural areas of Page County has the opportunity to receive a gift at Christmas. It has continued every year since for over 30 years…until now. Last year,14 families signed-up for the program. Those 14 families equated to 38 children.

Here are some reminders from Montgomery County Auditor Stephanie Burke, with regard to the Nov. 3rd General Election:

• The Montgomery County Auditor’s office will be open Saturday, October 24 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday, October 31 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24. It is also voter preregistration deadline. If you did not register to vote before October 24, 2020, you can register on Election Day or if you vote absentee in-person at the Auditor’s office. You must provide proof of both your identity and residency.
• Saturday, October 31, 2020 – Auditor’s office is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. for absentee voting and election business.
• Monday, November 2, 2020 – Last day to vote an absentee ballot in-person at the Auditor’s office.
• Polls are open from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. on November 3, 2020 Election Day.

If you have an absentee ballot and are done voting, please send the ballot back to the Auditor’s office as soon as possible. You can mail, hand deliver it to the Auditor’s office or drop it off in the official county drop box located South of the Courthouse on Coolbaugh Street. Absentee ballots must be received no later than the close of the polls on Election Day. Mailed ballots returned by mail and received after Election Day must be postmarked on or before November 2 and received by November 9 to be counted. Absentee ballots are opened and counted on Election Day and is open to the public.

If you have any questions, please contact the Auditor’s office at 623-5127.