Officials with the Cass County Extension Office in Atlantic report effective immediately (3/18/2020), the Cass County Extension Office is CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC until April 4th. The staff will be on duty during regular business hours, but the doors will remain locked. County Extension Director Kate Olsen said “We take serving Iowans seriously, which is why we are prioritizing the health and safety of our community and staff.”

To contact staff, please call 712-243-1132, directly email the staff member you need to reach, or email xcass@iastate.edu. A staff member will be in the office during this time, during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8-4:30), but not all staff members may be available. If you need to pick up or drop off something, please call ahead to set up a time and they can answer any questions. A staffer will meet you at the door with your requested materials.

You are also encouraged to visit the website (www.extension.iastate.edu/cass) for staff contact information, and follow the Cass County Extension on Facebook page, as they will be updating both regularly with program updates and resources

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office has updated their report on arrests and incidents to include March 15-through 17th. Tuesday night, a Deputy was dispatched to a residence in Avoca, for a reported disturbance. 30-year old Jesse Eugene Hutton, of Avoca, was arrested for Assault (without intent) causing bodily injury or mental illness, and Obstruction of E-911 communications. Hutton was being held in the Pott. County Jail on a total of $2,300 bond.

Tuesday afternoon, 49-year old Brenda Lynn Peterson-Presley, of Carter Lake, was served at the Pott. County Jail, with a warrant for Possession of a firearm or offensive weapon by a Felon. She remained in the Pott. County Jail on $300 bond an unrelated charge. Another inmate at the jail, 35-year old James Paul Theodoropoulos, of Omaha, was presented with an active warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree – vehicle related/2nd or subsequent offense, and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. He was being held on a total of $600 bond for separate charges.

Early Tuesday morning, 46-year old Dawn Marie Brewer was arrested following a traffic stop on eastbound I-80. Brewer was taken into custody for Driving While license suspended or revoked in Iowa. Brewer later posted bond. At around 2:45-a.m. Tuesday, 27-year old Kean Patrick McGinn was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs for erratic driving. McGinn was also later released on bond. At around 12:20-a.m., Tuesday, 30-year old Nicholas James Erisman was arrested for Driving While license suspended or revoked, following suspicious driving activity. He later bonded-out of jail.

Monday night, 38-year old Erin Catherine Collins was arrested in Pottawattamie County, for OWI/1st offense. She was later released. And, Sunday night, 25-year old Caleb Leo Foote was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a non-injury accident at Highway 92 and 340th Street. He was later released.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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LINCOLN, Neb. (Lincoln Journal Star) — Shoppers across Nebraska and the nation are having trouble finding enough toilet paper as they hunker down to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus. But some people in Nebraska are finding it — and stealing it — at Interstate 80 rest stops. The rest areas are managed by the state Transportation Department. A spokeswoman told the Lincoln Journal Star that some are staffed and some are not. The rest areas will be closed as a result of the thefts when an attendant is not present. The spokeswoman says truck parking should remain open even if the rest area buildings are closed.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wet and turbulent weather have been forecast for much of Iowa. The National Weather Service says there’s a slight chance of tornadoes, damaging winds and hail Wednesday and Thursday in addition to up to 1.5 inches of rain. The threat for severe weather Thursday is more likely in southern Iowa than the rest of the state.

Wednesday’s early rain was expected to cease by early afternoon, and the service says a second round of rain should fall late Wednesday and into Thursday morning. Minor river flooding in northern Iowa could occur by the weekend.

Police in Creston report a man was arrested on a Theft charge, Tuesday morning.  24-year old Jared L. Proctor, was arrested at the Creston Wal-Mart, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Proctor was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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BELLEVUE, Neb. (AP) — A doctor who worked at a hospital south of Omaha over the weekend has tested positive for COVID-19. Hospital spokesman Taylor Wilson says the doctor saw patients at Bellevue Medical Center and then developed symptoms. Wilson says the hospital employees and the nine patients who had contact with the doctor have been notified. He also says the doctor’s initial test results are awaiting confirmation by federal authorities. The doctor is experiencing mild symptoms and is in isolation at home.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Transit systems in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines have taken steps to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. City of Cedar Rapids Transit buses will carry no more than 10 passengers at a time starting Wednesday in order to minimize contact. Officials encouraged people to limit usage to essential rides, such as trips to work or to grocery stores. The Des Moines transit system has stopped fare collections and is asking riders who can safely do so to get on and off buses through the back doors. The goal is to minimize contact between riders and system employees.

(Radio Iowa) — Many businesses across Iowa are encouraging — or ordering — employees to work from home indefinitely, but it’s not an option for many of us, especially factory workers. Mike Ralston, president of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, says he’s not aware of any major factory closures in the state due to coronavirus, but it’s certainly having a chilling effect on commerce. “The biggest impact for Iowa manufacturers so far is not that they have to close their doors, but that they’re experiencing issues involving their supply chain,” Ralston says. “Maybe they work with a vendor who can’t get product to them so they can’t make their product — or they have delays in their product. That’s probably the biggest thing.”

Iowans are innovative and they’re finding ways to work around their challenges, Ralston says, even during a national emergency. He adds, many Iowa manufacturers don’t keep a lot of inventory in stock, which is often a smart practice, but not so much during this situation. “What they’re doing is trying to find different suppliers, having some success with that,” Ralston says. “In other ways, they’re delayed in delivering their final product. So those are probably the two biggest things, finding other suppliers, and they’re able to do that so far, or just having delays in their delivery.”  Most Iowans who work in factories can’t “shelter in place” and do their work from anywhere other than the workplace, so Ralston says employers are taking precautions. “It’s tough to have a manufacturing production worker work from home — that obviously doesn’t work,” Ralston says. “In many plants and factories, workers by nature are at least six feet apart in most situations. They’re also trying to make sure that employees, when they take breaks, for instance, that they maintain social distancing.”

Ralston has a message for Iowa consumers, urging them to continue doing their part to keep the wheels of industry turning. “Be safe with your family but try to make it business as usual,” Ralston says. “Make sure the goods and services you normally purchase you’re purchasing in some way still. Pay attention to what the experts are telling us about health and safety, and as much as possible, try to make it business as usual.”

The Association of Business and Industry is Iowa’s largest statewide business organization with more than 1,500 member companies representing 330,000 working Iowans.

(On the web at https://www.iowaabi.org/)