IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s medical director says she was aware of widespread inaccuracies in the state’s coronavirus data when her agency used it to release flawed calculations that helped guide decisions on school openings and enrollment this month. Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the state epidemiologist, says she became aware in late July of a problem in Iowa’s disease surveillance reporting system that backdated thousands of new test results.

FILE – In this June 18, 2020, file photo, Iowa state epidemiologist Dr. Caitlin Pedati updates the state’s response to the coronavirus outbreak during a news conference at the Statehouse in Des Moines, Iowa. Pedati said Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, that she was aware of widespread inaccuracies in the state’s coronavirus data when her agency used it to release flawed calculations that helped guide decisions on school openings and enrollment this month. Dr. Pedati said she became aware in late July of a problem in Iowa’s disease surveillance reporting system that backdated thousands of new test results. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, Pool, File)

Nonetheless, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Aug. 6 released 14-day county positivity rates on the state’s coronavirus website that she said would help school officials and parents decide how to proceed with the upcoming school year. The state announced Wednesday that because of the backdating problem, those positivity rates had been erroneous for two weeks.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police say three people died in a two-car collision in Davenport. Investigators say the accident happened early Thursday when a vehicle drove through a stop sign and hit an SUV on a Davenport street. Both vehicles went into a ditch and burst into flames. The two people in the SUV and the driver of the car all died at the scene. No names have been released and the investigation continues.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports, a United States District Court Judge sentenced a 24-year old Rock Island, IL. man to 10-months in prison, for assault on a postal worker. Bryan Christopher Hanson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release to follow his prison term and pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund.

On November 18th, 2019, Hanson pleaded guilty to the offense. The investigation began after a report was made by a mail carrier that a male was harassing her. Hanson sought the postal
carrier out and physically grabbed her while she was on duty. She was able to run away, but the defendant continued to pursue and got into his car and followed her. The mail carrier received
help from a bystander before police arrived.

The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials say a man escaped injury when a fuel tanker slammed into the home where he was sleeping. Authorities said the tanker truck hit a Waterloo home early Thursday after first being involved in crash not far from the house. Firefighters evacuated part of the neighborhood and a hazmat team was called to help with the fuel spill. The truck driver was taken to a hospital after being extricated from the truck. Officials say the truck driver apparently lost control after hitting a minivan and struck two parked SUVs in the home’s driveway before slamming into the house.

Images from the scene show the rig overturned partially inside but mostly outside the house. Further details were not immediately available.

(Radio Iowa) Some 200 refugee families have transitioned into temporary housing in Cedar Rapids, leaving behind devastated apartments they were living in and around, even after they were condemned. Residents of the Cedar Terrace Apartments spent days sleeping on the ground, in tents, cars and even inside destroyed units. Kobinali Lwishi said his family rode out the storm on the top floor as the roof was torn off. They survived, but they lost all of their possessions. “The way you see me, that’s the way I am right now. I don’t have nothing. I don’t have anything,” Lwishi says. “Something I have right now is just water, diapers, for the people help me, but in my apartment I didn’t get anything.”

Lwishi says he and his family have moved in with a friend for now, but long-term, he doesn’t know what they’ll do.  “Exactly we don’t have any place to go for now,” Lwishi says. “Because some apartments, they are booked already. They don’t have any available apartments.” Refugee advocates, service providers and local officials helped transition the families into shelters and hotels. Others are living with friends, or have left the city entirely. Residents in the area were already struggling to find affordable housing and that need is expected to spike in the wake of the storm. Meanwhile, Linn County is closing its overnight shelter in Palo, as the Red Cross says residents preferred to be at the shelter in Cedar Rapids.

That shelter at the Veterans Memorial Building in Cedar Rapids has capacity for about 150 people, and Red Cross spokesman Peter Teahen says coronavirus protocols are in place. Teahen says, “I would strongly encourage, if anyone feels they would like a safe place to stay, with air conditioning, electricity, meals, care and attention, the best place to come is Veterans Memorial Building, now with the entrance on Second Avenue.”

The Palo shelter will now house the agency’s staff, which will open up some local hotel rooms. Teahen says the Red Cross is working to transition displaced residents into hotels, but finding available rooms is still an issue.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Ongoing unemployment claims took another drop last week. The U-S Department of Labor reports the continuing unemployment claims dropped by nearly 85-hundred last week and are down to 83-thousand-610. It’s the fifth straight week they have dropped. New claims were up by around 17-hundred for the week — and ended a four-week trend where the new claims had declined.

Iowa Workforce Development says FEMA has approved Iowa’s application to participate in the “Lost Wages Assistance” program — so those whose unemployment is the result of the pandemic will qualify for an additional 300 dollars in weekly benefits retroactive to the week ending August 1st.

Members of the Audubon School Board met Monday, the first day of the new school year for students. Superintendent Eric Trager says they reviewed various polices, as is normal every five-years. They also reviewed newer policies, especially those pertaining to the pandemic. He said the biggest policy gives him the authority to close school during the pandemic, if he deems it necessary. He would then convene a special Board meeting within 48 hours to vote on that.

Trager said the Audubon School Board also discussed their building project, and were not surprised to learn it was coming in over budget during the budget review. He says that’s because there’s not a lot of details about the budget during the design and development to get firm budget numbers. Now they’re looking at getting all those details in-place and making sure they can be flexible on bid day, and elect which alternates to accept or decline.

Trager said they’re looking to go out for bids in November, with the opening of bids on December 8^th. The projects are with regard to renovations at the Middle School/High School Buildings.

He said also the asbestos removal process was mostly completed prior to the start of school, in preparation for next summer’s renovation project. Trager said with regard to fall sports, the Western Iowa Conference issued some guidance with regard to tickets and social distancing. The changes affect primarily Volleyball.

The District is also looking at a live-streaming system, but it’s doubtful that will be up and running in-time for the first game. Trager said it was wonderful to see students back in the classroom, and everyone seemed to be thrilled to get back to normal as much as possible, given the pandemic situation.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Villisca was arrested Wednesday night about 10-miles north of Clarinda, for OWI/1st offense. 53-year old Terence Lee Grashorn was taken into custody just before 9-p.m. following a traffic stop for a moving violation, on Highway 71. Grashorn was transported to the Page County jail and held on $1,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.