Iowa health officials report 661 new positive coronavirus cases and three additional deaths. The new cases as of 10 a.m. today (Sunday) brought the number of positive cases to 38,564 since the pandemic began. The State’s COVID-19 dashboard shows seven more deaths, for a total 792. A total of 414,497 individuals have been tested for COVID-19, to date. Of those, 375, 618 have tested negative for the virus, and 27,875 have recovered.

Iowa’s coronavirus hospitalization numbers have been on the rise since the beginning of July. IDPH report 214 patients hospitalized as of today (Sunday). There are 75 patients listed in intensive care, 20 more patients were admitted to a hospital and 31 are on a ventilator. Region 4 data shows seven people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in western/southwestern Iowa, five are in an ICU, one was admitted to a hospital since Saturday, and one person remains on a ventilator.

There are currently coronavirus outbreaks in 16 of Iowa’s long-term care facilities. IDPH reported 414 positive cases and 90 recoveries within those facilities. There have been 419 deaths in Iowa’s care facilities.

County-by-County COVID-19 cases, and the number of person who have recovered (   ). (Changed numbers from the last report are highlighted)

• Cass: 29 (25 recovered)
• Adair: 20 (16 recovered)
• Adams: 12 (recovered data not available)
• Audubon: 20 (recovered data not available)
• Guthrie: 98 (62 recovered)
• Montgomery: 19 (13)
• Pottawattamie: 916 (696 recovered)
• Shelby: 125 (120 recovered]
  

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:10 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is reporting 287 new positive coronavirus cases and three additional deaths. KCCI reports that the new cases reported as of 10 a.m. Saturday brought the number of positive cases to 37,903 since the pandemic began. Iowa’s coronavirus hospitalization numbers have been on the rise since the beginning of July. IDPH reported 210 patients hospitalized, unchanged from the previous day. There are 70 patients listed in intensive care, unchanged from the previous day.

UNDATED (AP) — A legislative panel has approved a plan by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to send absentee ballot request forms to all registered voters as he did before the June primary to help voters concerned about going to polls in person amid a coronavirus pandemic. In a proposed emergency election directive, Pate sought Friday to use federal funds to mail absentee ballot requests to active registered voters for the Nov. 3 election. Pate says a public health disaster persists. He says he’s consulted with all 99 county auditors and some say they cannot send absentee ballot request forms to voters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 8% in June as the state’s economy continued to recover after being hit hard by efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the 8% unemployment rate was down from 10.2% in May. The number of unemployed residents dropped from 173,000 in May to 131,200 in June. Iowa’s unemployment rate remains far higher than before the coronavirus pandemic, as the jobless rate was 2.7% in June 2019. The national unemployment rate in June was 11.1%.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged an 81-year-old man with first-degree murder in a deadly Iowa shooting. A complaint and affidavit filed Thursday in Plymouth County District Court said Thomas Knapp, of Merrill, confessed to shooting 51-year-old Kevin Juzek in May during a disturbance at their home. The Sioux City Journal reports that Knapp previously pleaded not guilty to domestic abuse charge in the case. Authorities responded after his wife called 911 to report that her husband was assaulting her and her son with a stick and also pointed the shotgun at her. She also said Juzek, who also lived in the home, had just been shot.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Saturday afternoon of a Red Oak man following a traffic stop in the 1700 block of N Broadway Street in Red Oak. At 3:35 p.m. Officers arrested 29-year-old Benjamin Wyatt Barnes of Red Oak for Driving While Barred. Barnes was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

Two men, one from Adair County, the other from Union County, were arrested Thursday afternoon on drug charges, in Nebraska. According to the Nebraska State Patrol, at around 1:20 p.m. Thursday, July 16, a trooper observed a Dodge Ram pickup fail to signal a turn as it exited Interstate 80 at mile marker 231, near Darr. During the traffic stop, the trooper detected the odor of marijuana coming from the bed of the truck.

A search of the vehicle revealed 52 pounds of marijuana contained in bags in the covered truck bed. The driver, 46-year old Paul Shimer, of Creston, and his passenger, 24-year old Cody Hagle, of Orient, were both arrested for possession of marijuana – more than one pound, possession with intent to deliver, and no drug tax stamp.

Hagle was also arrested for possession of a firearm during a felony drug violation. Both were lodged in Dawson County Jail.

Numerous area fire departments responded to a request Walnut Fire to help battle the flames and supply water for a fire at the Super Eight Motel, near Walnut. The blaze at 2109 Antique City Drive on the north side of Interstate 80 happened at around Noon, Saturday. Walnut Fire Chief Justin Tooley told KJAN News there was heavy smoke and flames coming of the northwest corner of the main entrance area on the second floor.

Tooley said the fire was contained to the main upstairs hallway. He said it appears the flames started in the attic, and that it initially appears the fire was electrical in nature. The front desk clerk at the motel told KJAN News he thinks the fire started because there has been problems with a fan on the second floor.

The man said he told the owner a couple of weeks ago that they had received complaints about the fan, that it was not cooling the area. The owner said he would have someone come to fix the problem, but this (Saturday) morning, it was still creating heat.

Ric Hanson/photos

No injuries were reported. Units on the scene included: Atlantic Fire and Rescue (Ladder truck & support units); tanker trucks from Avoca, Hancock, Marne, and Minden; Harlan Fire and Rescue, Medivac Ambulance, the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency and law enforcement. An Excessive Heat Warning was in effect at the time of the call. The temperature at noon was 88 degrees with a Heat Index of 100 degrees. Fortunately, there was a strong south/southwesterly wind to aid in that made the heat a little more bearable for those having to wear their turnout gear.

The last time a fire took place at the same motel (but in a different building) was in late April, 2018.

Numerous area fire department were requested for mutual aid to assist the Walnut Fire Department fight a fire at the Super Eight Motel at 2109 Antique City Drive on the north side of Interstate 80, near Walnut. Atlantic Fire was requested for it’s aerial (ladder) truck and Heavy Rescue unit at around 12:15-p.m.  Tanker trucks were requested from Marne, Hancock,Harlan and Minden, to name a few of the responding units. Medivac Ambulance was also on the scene. 

No injuries were reported.

The temperature at noon was 88 degrees with a Heat Index of 100 degrees.  An excessive heat warning is in-place for Pottawattamie County until 8-p.m. The last time a fire took place at the same motel was in late April, 2018.